Marvellous magnesium

Doctors love it

Magnesium is truly a marvellous mineral that doctors often describe as a “critical” stand-by in the emergency room. Intravenous magnesium is used when people arrive with life-threatening conditions such as irregular heartbeat or other indications of a possible heart problems, or for pregnant women with the symptoms of pre-eclampsia, seizures or premature labour. It is also used as a method of emptying the bowels when preparing for a colonoscopy. More “mature” readers may well remember the big bottle of Milk of Magnesia, a common sight and steadfast standby in every home medicine chest, and how well it healed every kind of digestive disorder.

You will love it

Magnesium is known to up energy levels and banish lack of concentration and “brain fog”, but it is also referred to as the ultimate relaxation mineral and a potent antidote to stress. It calms and relaxes the nerves and reduces the severity of panic attacks, anxiety, agitation and other severe forms of psychiatric dysfunction. It’s a real marvel for women suffering from PMS or going through the menopause. Next time you feel stressed out and full of aches and pains, take a hot Epsom Salts (magnesium sulphate) bath and feel the difference!

Benefits of magnesium

One can safely surmise then that magnesium plays a major role in the following:

• • Keeping your heart healthy by helping to regulate your heart rate, the clotting mechanism of your blood and helping to lower cholesterol

• • Helping your body absorb other essential minerals and nutrients, such as calcium and potassium that are necessary to help keep your heart healthy and your bones strong. It may even help prevent osteoporosis

• • Keeping your thyroid healthy. Magnesium and calcium ratios are important to healthy thyroid functioning

• • Keeping your blood sugar levels steady and preventing diabetes type 2 developing

• • Keeping you regular and avoiding or relieving constipation and conditions such as irritable bowel syndrome and reflux

• • Keeping muscles relaxed thus avoiding muscle spasms and cramps and the pain associated with it

• • Helping you sleep soundly

• • Helping you stay cool, calm and collected.

Magnesium deficiency

Unfortunately it is also a fact that more than half the people admitted to intensive care units today already have a magnesium deficiency. In addition, doctors point out that an estimated 80% of people suffering from type 2 diabetes have a magnesium deficiency and that people with heart conditions most often also suffer from a magnesium deficiency. Certain medicines such as those prescribed for high blood pressure or as diuretics also cause the body to loose magnesium. Too much coffee, soft drinks and colas, salt, sugar and alcohol can also drain the body’s magnesium stores.

Fortunately this state of affairs is relatively easy to remedy: firstly by adjusting one’s diet and secondly by taking magnesium supplements. Those who have done that report diverse but marvellous and multiple health benefits ranging from the relief of symptoms of tinnitus (constant noise in the ears), arthritis, fibromyalgia, sciatica (severe pain in the buttocks area), hypothyroidism, bursitis and other painful body aches, pains and cramps to lowered blood pressure and blood sugar levels.

Magnesium-rich food

Magnesium is readily available in certain foods such as whole grains, wheat germ and bran, leafy greens, mixed seeds and nuts (almond, cashew, brazil, pecan and walnut), kelp, soy beans, brown rice, figs, dates, avocado, garlic and parsley. Contrary to popular belief bananas are not rich in magnesium, but in potassium.
Unfortunately the magnesium yields in some of these foods have diminished over the past due to the poor quality of the soil they are cultivated in. Magnesium levels are also depleted through cooking and processing procedures. This state of affairs has necessitated the taking of additional magnesium in supplement form – a policy that many people are unaware of, hence the many cases of magnesium deficiency.

Magnesium supplements

Magnesium supplements come in many forms: as tablets, sprays, salts, powders, or in combination with other minerals and vitamins. Although the recommended daily allowance is only about 320 mg per day for women and 420 mg per day for men, most people benefit from 400 to 1 000 mg per day. Magnesium is not easily absorbed and experts recommend taking the most absorbable forms such as magnesium citrate, glycinatetaurate or aspartate, or in combination with other minerals in a multi-mineral formula. Too much magnesium may cause diarrhoea and those with sensitive stomachs may benefit from taking chelated magnesium tablets.

Although magnesium supplements are very safe, checking with your doctor first is always advisable if you are already taking other medicines. A word of warning to people who have kidney disease, severe heart disease, bowel obstruction or myasthenia gravis: do not take magnesium unless under your doctor’s supervision.

For all the others: don’t become a statistic – one of the many magnesium deficient individuals walking around – go for it and enjoy all the wonderful benefits of this marvellous mineral!

 

Sources
Hyman, M. 2010. Magnesium: the most powerful relaxation mineral available. Retrieved from: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/dr-mark-hyman/magnesium-the-most-powerf_b_425499.html
Shomon, M. What you need to know about the benefits of magnesium. About.comGuide. May 26, 2005. Retrieved from: http://thyroid.about.com/b/2005/05/26/what-you-need-to-know-about-the-benefits-of-magnesium.htm
The benefits of magnesium. 2012. Retrieved from: http://www.kumc.edu/school-of-medicine/integrative-medicine/health-topics/the-benefits-of-magnesium.html