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Magnesium is high on my list
of important supplements because of its extreme significance in our bodies, and because of the high incidence of magnesium deficiency
due partly to poor diet and partly to the fact that often the stomach acid
necessary to absorb
it is lacking.
Magnesium plays a part in all the enzyme reactions in the body, and
also is essential
(with the other important electrolyte, potassium)
for the "firing" of nerves and muscles. This means that few of the
body's vital processes, among them
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* blood sugar regulation
*immune response *energy regulation
*protein and fatty acid synthesis * hormonal reactions
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take place efficiently when magnesium
levels are low. (Thanks to Dr. Leigh Broadhurst for this list!)
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Years ago, natural health
pioneer Adelle Davis put it this way:
"Even a
mild deficiency causes sensitivity to noise, nervousness,
irritability, mental depression, confusion, twitching,
trembling, apprehension, insomnia, muscle weakness and cramps
in the toes, feet, legs, or fingers" |
Magnesium deficiency in children
appears to have some pretty devastating consequences. Tourette's
syndrome, and sundry other facial or eye tics and other nervous
movements have been
connected with a magnesium deficiency. There is some
reason to think that a magnesium deficiency is connected to
ADD/ADHD, and that supplementing with magnesium can make a
positive difference. Also, low magnesium levels are
connected to
Type 2 diabetes in children .
A population-based study of over
2,500 children aged 11 to 19 years found that low dietary
magnesium intake may be associated with a risk of developing
asthma. In addition, some studies suggest that
intravenous magnesium can help treat acute attacks of asthma in
children aged 6 to 18.
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Where is
Magnesium found? |
Reading this list will give a good idea of why so many
children are deficient in this important mineral!
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Among older people also, deficiencies of magnesium
are common
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not only because processed foods contain low levels of the mineral,
but because certain medications deplete the mineral, and
hydrochloric acid (HCL), necessary for absorption, decreases with
age. Some people are inherently lacking in HCL.
A 2000 study of dietary
intake of minerals determined that the average daily level of Mg
consumed by women was 228 mg, versus the 320 mg daily RDA.
What proportion of that was absorbed is, in my opinion highly
controversial: consider that Magnesium levels are usually measured through blood tests,
an inefficient method since most magnesium is stored in the cells.
Circulating magnesium is therefore more a measure of malabsorption
than sufficiency, and a deficiency therefore often goes unrecognized.
Intake of magnesium through diet and
supplements is positively associated with bone density
throughout the whole body, particularly in older white
adults, according to research published in 2005 in the
Journal of the American Geriatrics Society.
Researchers say the effects are similar to that of
calcium.
Over 2,000 black and white men and women ages 70-79 years
old were asked to complete a questionnaire to determine
how much magnesium they were receiving from food and
various supplements. Additionally, researchers performed
bone mineral density tests on the participants.
The study revealed that those who ingested more magnesium
had significantly higher bone density than those who got
the least amount of magnesium. For every 100 milligram per
day increase in magnesium intake, data showed a 1%
increase in bone density.
However, this link was only true for the older white men
and women. Previous research has demonstrated that black
men and women may process vitamin D and other calcium
regulating hormones differently than whites, thus possibly
explaining the lack of association between magnesium and
bone density among them in this study.
"Although this [1% increase] seems small, increases across
a population may have large public health impact," states
lead researcher Kathryn M. Ryder.
The recommended daily allowance of magnesium is 320 mg/day
for women and 420/mg day for men in this age group. Most
people in this age group get far less than this daily
amount.
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An Italian study in 2006
found a connection between low Magnesium levels, and muscle
wasting in Seniors. (Am
J Clin Nutr, 2006; 84(2): 419-26)
More specifically, with
"associated with muscle integrity and function, including
grip strength, lower-leg muscle power, knee extension
torque, and ankle extension strength".
Magnesium levels are adversely
affected by
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*alcohol consumption *diuretics and some other
medications *antibiotics
* diabetes * kidney problems * HRT and birth control
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One of my preferred reference books
is Dr. Werbach's Nutritional Influences on Illness, and I
looked in the index to refresh my memory on some of the actions of
magnesium: it did not surprise me to find some 47 health conditions
listed with the relevant research, since some
naturopathic health professionals consider
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asthma, heart problems
(particularly arrhythmias) ,
fibromyalgia, menopause, PMS and migraine, most kidney stones, and some cardiac problems
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all to be, in one degree
or another, magnesium deficiency diseases.
Interestingly, mouth ulcers seems also to be sometimes related to
low Mg levels.
The role of magnesium in cardiac
arrythmias was first acknowledged as long ago as 1945, and in
1989 the American Journal of Cardiology
(63(14):43G-46G) published a
study by Dr. Roden saying "the association between hypo-magnesia
(Lynn: hypo= low) and arrythmias ... has long been recognized.
More recently, acute intervention with magnesium in patients who are
not hypomagnesic has demonstrated arrhythmia suppression.."
In
cases of High Blood Pressure, a 1981 study found that 50% of
patients with HBP had low magnesium levels and their hypertension was
reversed when their magnesium levels rose. It is also interesting
that many women who develop HBP do so after menopause, which
makes the magnesium connection particularly important for them
if they are on HRT or have digestive issues. As a bonus, Dr. Alan Gaby (NSN
Vol.5 #9 p.402) says adequate levels of
magnesium in post-menopausal women increase bone density levels.
Magnesium is also important for
patients with Cardiomyopathy, and Dr. Michael Murray reports
that magnesium levels "correlate directly with survival rates". It
is unfortunate that many of the conventional medical drugs used for
these conditions, such as calcium channel blockers, diuretics and
beta blockers, deplete the body of magnesium.
Mentioning Calcium Channel Blockers
brings me to some excellent information in Dr. Ronald Hoffman's
book, Intelligent Medicine, (Simon
& Schuster 1997, p.318-319) where he points
out that the method of action of this class of drugs is to block the
spasm-inducing effect of calcium, thus keeping blood vessels
dilated. He points out that calcium and magnesium compete for
the same receptor sites in the smooth muscle wall of the blood
vessel: magnesium is the nutrient that relaxes spasms, so its
presence in greater amounts than calcium will prevent spasms in the
same way calcium channel blockers do.
This is why, when my Doctor
prescribed a calcium blocker, I went away and took lots of
magnesium. On a personal note, I have had no problem with
arrhythmias since I took the precaution of bolstering my
magnesium levels.
Dr. Hoffman says his protocol
for patients with advanced heart conditions is to recommend
magnesium in reverse ratio to calcium. i.e., twice as much
magnesium as calcium. Buy his book: it is
full of excellent information. I recommend magnesium bound to
either aspartate or citrate as being the most effective for
absorption, and also to avoid the possibility of diarrhea that
sometimes accompanies high doses. I have had a hard time up until
now finding a means to get extra magnesium in meaningful amounts at
an affordable price, but there are now some powdered magnesiums on
the market, and I can recommend both Ionic Fizz Magnesium and Magna-Calm as an excellent
strategy. I have also found a softgel Magnesium 500 mg.
The following information may be of
interest to you:
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Magnesium: Research Misconduct?
For the past 15 years evidence has
stacked up showing patients with acute coronary thrombosis improve
their survival chances by 50 - 82.5% when given intravenous
magnesium of 32-66 mmol in the first 24 hours. The single negative
study showing that magnesium had a worsening effect on survival
employed a far higher dose of magnesium (80 mmol) than the other
studies. (European Heart J, 1991;12:12158),
and one other study showing no benefit with magnesium employed the
low dose of 10 mmol in the first 24 hours.
Although it would appear clear to any
first year medical student that magnesium worked well for coronary
thrombosis within the optimal dosage level of 30 - 70 mmol; that 10
mmol was shown to be too little, and 80 mmol had been shown to be
too much, in 1990/91, the Fourth International Study on Infarct
Survival decided to do a major study which was to definitely
determine whether magnesium was beneficial when used for this
purpose. Although their own meta-analysis of all earlier studies
showed that magnesium was beneficial, the ISIS4 investigators also
decided to test magnesium against the drug Catopril and a coronary
vasodilator.
Astonishingly, the ISIS investigators
chose to use the 80 mmol dosage for their study, the one
dosage that had been found to be harmful. It should be
noted that the ISIS4 study was funded to the tune of almost $10
million by Bristol Myers Squibb, the manufacturers of Catopril. Not
surprisingly, magnesium lagged behind the drugs.
As a result of this paper, many
hospitals ceased using magnesium in their treatment of acute
coronary thrombosis.
The scandalous decision to use an
overdosage of magnesium in this study must have caused the loss of
several thousand lives within the study and many other lives in
other hospitals that have now stopped using magnesium. Both
nutritional pioneer Dr. Stephen Davies and Dr. Damien Downing,
editor of the Journal of Nutritional and Environmental Medicine,
criticized the designers of the study for clearly selecting too
large a dose of intravenous magnesium, and also for giving magnesium
too late and then too quickly. Downing even titled his editorial
"Is ISIS4 research misconduct?" (J Nutr
Environ Med, 1999;9:513)
Now comes Feb 13th 2002, when Dr. Jeffrey L. Saver of the UCLA
Stroke Center told attendees of the American Stroke Association's
27th International Stroke Conference that using magnesium
intravenously by paramedics transporting acute stroke victims to the
hospital resulted in "dramatic" recovery rates and levels for 25% of
the patients. No side effects were reported at all from a dose of 4
gms given en route, and 16 gms more infused over the following 24
hours. Dr. Saver noted that he instituted the study because of the
neuroprotective effect noted for Magnesium in animals.
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Magnesium is being studied in
connection with childhood obesity, because of its role in blood
sugar metabolism, and the energy production needed for exercise. A
2003 study (Metabolism 2003 Apr;52(4):468-71 )of
obese children with diabetes concluded that they were
magnesium deficient, and even that this deficiency could "underlie
the initial pathophysiologic events leading to insulin resistance". The initial deficiency is
certainly the result of
abysmal eating habits, unfortunately common with many children, which
persist as the child grows.
It should therefore come as no surprise to learn that
low magnesium (and calcium) levels can contribute to weight
problems throughout life, partly through a vicious cycle based on a
poor diet with too many empty calories → weight gain; too little
magnesium and low energy levels, therefore no exercise →weight gain.
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Oral magnesium successfully relieves premenstrual
mood changes
OBSTET. GYNECOL. (USA), 1991, 78/2 (177-181)
Reduced magnesium (Mg) levels have been reported in women affected
by premenstrual syndrome (PMS). To evaluate the effects of an oral
Mg preparation on premenstrual symptoms, we studied, by a
double-blind, randomized design, 32 women (24-39 years old) with PMS
confirmed by the Moos Menstrual Distress Questionnaire. After 2
months of baseline recording, the subjects were randomly assigned to
placebo or Mg for two cycles. In the next two cycles, both groups
received Mg. Magnesium (360 mg Mg) or placebo was administered three
times a day, from the 15th day of the menstrual cycle to the onset
of menstrual flow. Blood samples for Mg measurement were drawn
premenstrually, during the baseline period, and in the second and
fourth months of treatment. The Menstrual Distress Questionnaire
score of the cluster 'pain' was significantly reduced during the
second month in both groups, whereas Mg treatment significantly
affected both the total Menstrual Distress Questionnaire score and
the cluster 'negative affect'. In the second month, the women
assigned to treatment showed a significant increase in Mg in
lymphocytes and polymorphonuclear cells, whereas no changes were
observed in plasma and erythrocytes. These data indicate that Mg
supplementation could represent an effective treatment of
premenstrual symptoms related to mood changes. |
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