How do we save Britain’s youngsters from health decline? (Article by Betteryou)
Written by Jamie Courtnell
Teenagers and young people today are suffering from a whole host of ailments and conditions which are brought on by their unhealthy diets and lifestyles.
With obesity and high blood pressure a major cause for concern among young people, Andrew Thomas, founder and MD of health pioneers BetterYou, asks us to look further into the cause of these debilitating conditions and how we can prevent them.
Thomas states: “As MD of a health company that specialises in the supplementation of the growing number of key nutrients lost through our dramatically changing diet and lifestyle, it saddens me to read these reports in the press.
“It has been widely reported that in today’s modern environment the excess of processed foods, bad fats and sugars are decreasing our magnesium levels, significantly lower than anything experienced before. In addition, young people are choosing the wrong foods and the two go hand in hand as the primary cause of why our young people are suffering with so much ill health.
“Among our children, especially adolescents in the UK, the majority fail to get the basic ‘reference nutrient intake’ (below the RDA) for magnesium. Shock statistics about magnesium intake published in the Government’s UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey results from Public Health England (2008-10) show that over half our teenage girls (53%) have an intake for magnesium below that which defines gross deficiency. The reasons for this are unfortunately numerous and include depleted soil, greater food processing, weakening of stomach acid and prescription drugs.
“Our need for magnesium has never been so great.”
Studies have also shown that magnesium can have a positive impact on high blood pressure which has also been linked to magnesium deficiency along with many other health implications including migraines, anxiety and depression, extreme fatigue, lack of concentration, heart disease, irritability, insomnia, irregular heartbeat and many more.
Magnesium is difficult to maintain through diet as it is found in sources like whole grain bread, cereal, dark green vegetables and nuts and seeds which don’t appear in many young people’s diets these days, therefore, magnesium supplementation is vital to keep their levels optimum and replenish lost magnesium.
