Magnesium – the missing miracle mineral

The miracle mineral

Welcome to my magnesium crash course!  I’ve learned over the years how crucial this mineral/element is to so many body processes.  Believe me when I say that magnesium has helped me tremendously, especially with regard to the raging insomnia that I’ve battled for many years.  I want you, too, to marvel at the manifold might of the miracle mineral–which for many of us, unfortunately–is missing from our diets.  Okay, enough alliteration for today!

Magnesium is the eighth most abundant element in the earth’s crust. It’s a mineral found prolifically in nature and is the fourth most abundant mineral in our bodies.

This miracle mineral is a major player in the human body, participating in more than 300 biochemical processes.  The vast majority of magnesium is found in our bones, teeth, muscle, tissue, and body fluids.  Only about 1 percent is found in the blood.

The better formulations of magnesium are:

• Magnesium citrate, which helps alleviate constipation by drawing water into the intestines, making it easier to move the bowels;
• Magnesium glycinate (chelated magnesium), which relaxes and calms the body from anxiety, irritability, and insomnia;
• Magnesium malate, which is great for eliminating headaches, cramps, and sore muscles;
• Magnesium orotate, which increases energy and protects nerves and the heart; and
• Magnesium taurinate, which helps keep the heart healthy.

Why magnesium matters

Magnesium is a key mineral for maintaining optimal health and key bodily functions, including blood pressure regulation, insulin metabolism, and DNA synthesis. Most important, it operates as a relaxant that can honestly make the difference between life and death. 

Dr. Mark Sircus,  who has spent many years studying magnesium and educating the public about it, notes the following: “If you’re ever rushed to the hospital with a heart attack, intravenous magnesium could save your life. . . . In addition to increasing survival after heart attack, IV magnesium smooths out arrhythmias and improves outcomes in patients undergoing angioplasty with stent placement.” 

In his book “Transdermal Magnesium Therapy,”–which I highly recommend–Dr. Sircus states that “the research of Dr. Kuninobu Yokota and his collaborators has shown many benefits of magnesium, including improved insulin resistance, decreased triglycerides, reduced blood pressure, and lowered lipid levels.”  

Some of the other life-changing benefits of magnesium:

• Eliminates insomnia and improves sleep quality;
• Reduces inflammation;
• Decreases depression;
• Protects bone density and calcium/Vitamin D balance;
• Acts as a natural calcium channel blocker;
• Lessens premenstrual syndrome, as well as perimenopausal and menopausal symptoms;
• Calms the nervous system; and
• Makes joints and ligaments more flexible.

The problem with magnesium deficiency

Although a wide selection of foods contain magnesium, the World Health Organization (WHO) reports that less than two-thirds of American adults consume enough of it. Part of the problem is that the soil in which crops are now grown is so depleted of minerals and nutrients.  As a result, even if we choose magnesium-heavy foods, we’re not guaranteed that we are taking in enough of the mineral.  This is particularly concerning, given the dire warning by renowned neurosurgeon Dr. Norman Shealy that “every known illness is associated with a magnesium deficiency.” 

Health practitioners often don’t spot a magnesium deficiency because it’s not likely to show up if only your blood serum level is checked.  The key is to have a red blood cell (RBC) magnesium test, rather than a blood serum test. The RBC  test shows how much magnesium you are truly absorbing and will reveal a genuine deficiency. 

Low levels of magnesium have  been linked to an expansive list of chronic conditions, including: 

• constipation;
• diabetes;
• adrenal, chronic, physical, and mental fatigue;
• headaches; migraines; muscle weakness; and tension in the neck, shoulders, and upper back;
• inflammation;
• irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) and acid reflux;
• kidney disease;
• insomnia;
• irregular heart rhythm;
• depression and irritability; and
• premenstrual fluid retention and/or breast tenderness.

How do we maintain optimal magnesium levels?

The US Department of Agriculture (USDA) has stated that adults should get 380 milligrams of magnesium each day, and the best way to get it is through food sources.  In that way, your kidneys can filter excess magnesium from food sources and get rid of it via your urine.

Here are some of your best options for magnesium-rich foods:

• avocados;
• bananas;
• dark chocolate;
• dark leafy greens;
• fat-free or low-fat yogurt;
• fish;
• nuts and seeds;
• oatmeal;
• soybeans; and
• tofu.

In addition, you can supplement with magnesium in liquid form (picometer magnesium), in tablets/caplets, or in powder form, such as Natural Calm. Transdermal magnesium another is a fail-safe way to get the mineral into your system via an oil or lotion, or even an Epsom salts bath.  Epsom salts are a naturally occurring pure mineral compound of magnesium and sulfate, and even a foot bath with Epsom salts dissolved in water will help you absorb magnesium through your skin.

References:

Clinical efficacy of magnesium supplementation in patients with type 2 diabetes

Summaries of the latest research concerning magnesium by Hans R. Larsen MSc. ChE

Do you get sufficient magnesium?  What are your main sources of the “miracle mineral”?