Girls who take magnesium supplements as adolescents may be giving themselves stronger bones for the future.

Researchers at the Yale University School of Medicine took a selection of girls aged 8 to 14 and gave them either a daily 300 mg supplement of magnesium – taken in two doses – or a placebo. The year-long test was double-blind. Researchers found the girls who were given the magnesium had significant increases in body mineral content, meaning stronger bones.

The U.S. Department of Agriculture says the daily recommended intake of magnesium is 240 mg for boys and girls aged 9 to 13, and 360 mg for girls aged 14 to 18, levelling off at 300 mg as adults. Boys between the ages of 14 and 18 should take in 410 mg and keep it up as an adult.

Magnesium is found in plenty of foods, but it is found in the largest quantities in nuts (especially almonds and cashews), halibut and porridge. Good amounts of magnesium can also be found in yogurt and beans. Approximately 50 percent of the magnesium found in the average human is found in our bones, according to the web site of the National Institutes of Health.

The Yale research was reportedly the first of its kind involving children and it is published in the February, 2007, Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.

Q: What supplements do you recommend for an over-active thyroid?

– Andrea, London

A: The thyroid gland produces hormones which regulate metabolism. When the thyroid becomes overactive, metabolism is speeded up and calories are burned off quickly causing weight loss, restlessness, insomnia and the eyes can have a bulging appearance.

It is important to get a medical diagnosis if you have these symptoms and also to look at your diet and to add in certain supplements. With your diet, avoid any stimulants such as coffee, tea and sugar as these can make your body produce more adrenaline. It is thought that stress can be implicated in an overactive thyroid problem. The B vitamins are known are the ‘stress’ vitamins and so are important for an overactive thyroid.

Take a good all round multivitamin and mineral and add in a B complex together with extra vitamin E, as a deficiency in this vitamin can cause the thyroid gland to secrete too much hormone.

Alzheimer’s disease can be stopped in its tracks with a single daily pill scientists claimed this month.

According to their research published in the journal Archives of Neurology a daily dose of omega 3 fats may be able to stop the disease taking hold in the early stages. Omega 3 is available in supplements but found naturally in oily fish like salmon and mackerel and in nuts, seeds and leafy vegetables.