Magnesium Supplements, Benefits, Vitamin B2, Feverfew, Butterbur - Page 3
Reprinted by permission from
Bill
Faloon of the Life Extension Foundation
Alexander
Mauskop, MD, Discusses Supplements
“As a physician, I’ve been particularly impressed by the efficacy of
magnesium, which I have been researching for the past 12 years. At
least, fifty percent of people are deficient in magnesium and can enjoy
dramatic improvement if they supplement their diet with this mineral. I
know they can, because I’ve seen it happen over and over again.
“Although
the results with riboflavin (Vitamin B2) alone are not as impressive as those
seen with magnesium, the combination of the vitamin and the mineral is
potentially strong. You need to take megadoses of riboflavin, 400 mg,
and should be prepared to wait two to three months to enjoy the benefits.
“Feverfew
has been tested in five double-blind studies. There is a clear trend
showing that it is better than placebo, which means it has definite
benefits. As for butterbur, one of the two major studies on the
butterbur root extract was centered here at my New York Center. The test
showed that it was much more effective than a placebo.
“We
can always use more study, but it’s safe to say that a large percentage of
migraine sufferers can be helped by supplements such as magnesium, riboflavin,
feverfew, and butterbur.”
Alexander
Mauskop, MD, is one of the nation’s leading authorities. A neurologist with 20 years’ experience treating
patients, Dr. Mauskop is director of his New York Center, and an
associate professor of neurology at the State University of New York (SUNY)
Downstate Medical Center in Brooklyn, NY.
Riboflavin
Riboflavin, also known as vitamin B2, has a variety of functions, from aiding
in the manufacture of red blood cells to assisting in the extraction of energy
from carbohydrates, protein, and fat.
Riboflavin
may be related to migraines via tiny “energy factories” in the brain cells
called mitochondria. Low mitochondrial energy production in migraineurs may
trigger the headaches, and having additional supplies of the vitamin on hand
may help increase cellular energy production and reduce migraine risk.
In
1994, researchers from Belgium’s University of Liege studied 49 subjects
head pain.12 The volunteers were given 400 mg of riboflavin with breakfast every day for at
least three months. By the end of the study period, participants reported an
average of 67% fewer pain attacks, as well as less-severe attacks.
Four
years later, the same researchers conducted a second study in which 55 people were given either riboflavin or a placebo for three months.13
Those taking the vitamin saw a decrease in the frequency of head pain and number
of days they were down with the pain compared to those who received the placebo.
It
apparently is necessary to take large doses of riboflavin -- perhaps 400 mg
daily -- to obtain its benefits. A few months may pass before
results are seen. Because many foods contain riboflavin, serious cases of
deficiency are uncommon; however, for a large percentage of the population,
riboflavin intake is either substandard or barely adequate, with elderly
people and the poor especially likely to be deficient.14
Feverfew
In the 17th century, a British herbalist wrote that an herb called feverfew (tanacetum
parthenium) was helpful in dealing with “all pains in the head.”
Despite a
centuries-old tradition of using this member of the aster family for head
pain, fever, and other ailments, today it is mostly used as an ornamental
shrub in gardens or along roadways. Nevertheless, several studies concerning
feverfew’s ability have appeared since the late 1970s.
In
1985, researchers looked at 17 people who were already using feverfew to
prevent head pain.15 In this
double-blind, placebo-controlled study, eight people continued to receive
feverfew, while nine were given a placebo. Those who no longer received the
feverfew reported having more, and more-serious, head pain. The study results
suggest feverfew does indeed support circulatory problems associated with pain
in the brain.
In
1988, an intriguing report appeared in the prestigious British medical journal
The Lancet.16 Seventy-two
subjects participated in a double-blind, placebo-controlled crossover
study. When the volunteers took a daily capsule of dried feverfew leaves, the
frequency and severity of their head pain fell, and they experienced less
nausea and vomiting.
More
recently, scientists in Poland studied 24 women, aged 19-61.17
After feverfew was administered for 1-2 months, one-third of the women
reported a significant reduction in head pain severity, with only minor side
effects.
In
their review of the published literature,
researchers from England’s University of Exter concluded that feverfew is
“likely to be effective in the prevention of head pain” and
presents no major safety issues.18
Why
feverfew helps remains unknown. Some researchers attribute
the herb’s properties to its parthenolide, which may hinder
the inflammatory process,19 or to the
release of serotonin from certain white blood cells and platelets, which in
turn can reduce frequency and severity by keeping the blood
vessels properly toned.20 Other
substances in feverfew may interfere with the actions of arachidonic acid and
histamine, which can contribute to pain and other symptoms.21
Feverfew
has been approved in Britain and Canada with a
generally recommended dose of 100 mg per day.
Butterbur
Butterbur (Petasites hybridus) is a shrub native to Europe and parts of Asia
and Africa. For the past 30 years, it has been prescribed in
Germany. Butterbur contains petasin and isopetasin,22
which are believed to slow the body’s production of leukotriene. With less
leukotriene present, blood vessels are less likely to become inflamed and pain
less likely to develop.
A
standardized extract of butterbur called Petadolex® was used in two
randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled studies to test whether butterbur
would help with head pain. In the first study, 60 subjects were divided into
two groups. For 12 weeks, one group received 100 mg of Petadolex® a day, the
other a placebo. By the end of the first month, those taking the butterbur
extract reported significantly less pain compared to those
taking the placebo. By the third month, the butterbur group had 60% less
pain attacks than did the control group. Related symptoms also
were reduced, and no significant side effects were reported among those taking
the Petadolex®.
The
second study, involving 233 people, produced equally encouraging
results.22 The volunteers received either 100 mg of Petadolex®, 150 mg
of Petadolex®, or a placebo every day for 16 weeks. Those taking 150 mg of
Petadolex® daily experienced significantly less pain compared to the placebo
group, with mild gastrointestinal problems being the only reported side
effect. The study results suggest that 75 mg of butterbur extract taken twice
a day with food may be the optimal dosage.
RSS
