Discovering Magnesium

So I just finished up the book THE MAGNESIUM MIRACLE by Dr. Carolyn Dean... at least as much as I intend to read.  The book is loaded with information about the benefits of magnesium and how just about nobody gets enough in their diet.  It's not just that the soil is depleted to the point that the vegetables from which we would normally get this mineral have nothing to absorb.  Much of the magnesium we DO get is either flushed out of our bodies when it binds to the fluoride we ingest through water or toothpaste or is hindered by high levels of calcium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium, lactose and iron supplements we consume.  Many medicines we take for our multitudinous ailments also deplete our magnesium stores.  Are you a tea drinker?  The tannin in tea binds and removes all minerals, including magnesium, from the body.  Are you a coffee drinker?  Sorry, caffeine blocks magnesium absorption (iron, too!)  Do you eat that healthy spinach? Oxalic acid found in spinach and chard bind with magnesium (and other minerals) making them insoluble so that the body flushes rather than absorbs it if not cooked first.  What about bread?  Grains and seeds contain phytic acid which does the same thing.  If you're not soaking your grains and nuts, they are pulling the magnesium from your body.  Do you like your sweets?  Sugar uses up magnesium.  Do you smoke?  Take birth control pills?  Insulin? Diuretics for high blood pressure?  All these things deplete magnesium from your body.

Until recently, I had no idea my body even needed magnesium.  However, this little mineral is not only necessary, but indispensable for not only health and disease prevention, but all life processes.  Why don't we hear more about its benefits?  Probably because it can't be patented and sold as a high-cost drug. The good new is, if you give your body the magnesium it needs, you probably won't need any of those high-cost drugs!

As Dr. Dean cites in her book, noted magnesium experts, Drs. Bella and Burton Altura, have been researching magnesium and its uses for over forty years and have been able to show that as many as twenty-one different health conditions are related to magnesium deficiencies.  Among them are

• Anxiety and depression
• Migraines
• Insomnia
• Muscle pain and spasms
• High cholesterol
• Hypertension
• Heart disease
• Osteoporosis
• Tooth decay
• Kidney stones
• Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
• Fibromyalgia
• Dementia

Adding back magnesium to the diet is sure to provide a worthwhile health benefit even if you don't suffer from any of the above ailments. According to Dr. Dean, "Magnesium regulates more than 325 enzymes in the body, the most important of which produce, transport, store, and utilize energy.  Many aspects of cell metabolism are regulated by magnesium, such as DNA and RNA synthesis, cell growth, and cell reproduction.  Magnesium also orchestrates the electric current that sparks through the miles of nerves in our body. ... Without magnesium, muscle and nerve functions are compromised and energy is diminished."

Magnesium is an essential mineral, to be sure. 

If you don't think you're getting enough magnesium in your diet, making up the difference with supplements is safe and fairly inexpensive.  Dr. Dean relates a study reported in Metabolism indicating that the body is in no danger of overloading on magnesium supplements by taking too much because any excess will be excreted harmlessly (though you may end up with bit of diarrhea!)  Recommended daily amounts for adults begin at about 400mg, and doses up to 1,000mg per day over a period of time may be necessary in cases of severe magnesium deficiencies.

About a month ago, I started using liquid ionized magnesium to combat severe leg cramps -- brought on, I suspect, by a change in my diet.  I had gone low carbohydrate, increasing the amount of calcium intake (more cheese) while reducing the amount of potassium (less fruit and potatoes).  Those changes combined with what I believe was an existing magnesium deficiency resulting from my previous dietary choices (processed food), leaving me writhing in pain with every evening and morning stretch.  After a week or so of magnesium drops in my orange juice, my muscle cramps began to diminish to the point that I can now stretch my calf out without worrying about any pain.  It occurred to me today that magnesium may help my husband with his insomnia problems -- so we're starting him on supplements this week.

Not all magnesium supplements are created equal, however.  Some products are more easily absorbed than others, so do your research and make sure you choose a suitable product.  The Magnesium Miracle has a section explaining the most suitable forms in detail.  In brieft, magnesium can be absorbed through the skin using products like magnesium oil, which is sprayed on, or Epsom salts, often prescribed as a bath soak for aches and pains (and the bath feels oh so nice).  The most economical supplement is magnesium citrate, which can be purchased in any drug store and taken by mouth or stirred into juice.  A product recommended by Dr. Dean is magnesium packed in the form of a slow-release tablet made by Jigsaw Health, but it's a little pricier.  One thing to keep in mind is that some magnesium supplements can have a bit of a laxative effect, so for this reason alone, you will want to keep your dosage under 1,000mg a day.

And, finally, for those of you who still prefer to get your vitamins and minerals from real food, information is readily available listing magnesium rich foods to include in your diet.  Two other good sources are Celtic Salt, a sea salt with naturally occurring trace minerals (including magnesium), and mineral water.

It shouldn't surprise us that good health can be found in nature.  To me, this is just one more affirmation of an All-Wise Creator.  He put everything we need to be well within our reach.  It never ceases to amaze me how complex life is.  Magnesium!  Who'd a thought?!