Magnesium question.....

[mammo]

I keep reading about magnesium.  How does one know if they need to take it? I read that 90% of the population is deficient??? If I need it, what is best to take and can anyone advise me on the dosage?
Thanks!

[Paxiled]

Make sure, everyone, that if you take supplemental magnesium you also take some supplemental calcium, and keep a good watch on your other electrolytes as well.  Just as too much calcium leaches out magnesium, too much magnesium leaches out calcium, and all electrolytes must be in balance with one another, including zinc, etc.  Also watch your boron and silica levels, which are essential for building strong bones and work with calcium, so again, make sure you don't overdo anything unless you have the underlying deficiency that requires that.  Now, to get extra magnesium, you have to take less calcium than the normal person requires, but you still want enough calcium to protect your heart and bones.  Be careful out there.

[peggy64]

I have read, and experienced, that if one takes to much magnesium, the body will throw it off through diarrhea.

I am now taking magnesium 500 mg, 3-4 times a day with NO problems. I am also taking 15,000 u of vit d and I am feeling better than I have in a long time.  The magnesium is helping me as I have high cortisol levels at night, and it is helping with the anxiety that that produces.

I think the key with the magnesium is to not take it all in at once. Another form of getting magnesium is to soak in epsoms salt. I am too ADD to lay in the tub for any length of time. After about 5 minutes its like, ok....enough of this. You can also soak your feet in it, which is what I do from time to time, while watching tv or being on the computer. That is easier on your liver as it does not have to process it.

[Paxiled]

Good post, but beans, lentils and chickpeas?  Last I checked, those were all beans!  And of course you left out soy and red clover, both legumes too that have the highest levels of isoflavones, but that would put you on record supporting soy.  Just kidding.  My own opinion is that it's probably not the isoflavones that play the large role, it's more likely the soluble fiber in legumes.  But what do I know?  I still eat tofu at least three time a week!  

[gymdandee]

magnesium and calcium
The news about magnesium and calcium is far from new.

But for the conventional doctor who routinely suggests that his patients take calcium supplements to promote healthy bones and prevent colorectal cancer, this news is probably a wake up call: Vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients are usually team players, not loners.

  Dietary sources of calcium are typically accompanied by magnesium. So when supplementing with calcium, magnesium supplements should be taken as well. (Foods high in magnesium include leafy green vegetables, whole grains, bananas, apricots, meat, beans, and nuts.)

A new Vanderbilt University study underlines just how important the calcium/magnesium combo is.

The Vanderbilt team reviewed dietary data collected during the Calcium Polyp Prevention Study. I first told you about this research a few years ago. For four years, 930 subjects with colorectal polyps took a 1,000 mg calcium supplement daily or a placebo. Colonoscopy exams showed that subjects in the calcium group generally had fewer polyps compared to the placebo group. Calcium also significantly lowered the risk of advanced polyps.

Scrutinizing the dietary data along with the original results, researchers found that calcium reduced the risk of colorectal polyp recurrence only when the ratio of calcium to magnesium intake was low, before and during treatment.

A calcium- to-magnesium ratio of 2:1, But everyone is unique: Biochemical individuality means it could vary quite a bit for different people. This one's not black and white.

Add to that, most of us would be hard pressed to figure out our exact intake of any individual nutrient on a daily basis. And figuring out actual absorption of nutrients would be even harder. Bottom line: Ensuring an ample intake of dietary and supplemental calcium and magnesium is the key – provided your doctor agrees, of course.

In addition, a good multivitamin appears to help the cause.

A five-year American Cancer Society study of more than 145,000 subjects showed that regular multivitamin use for more than a decade reduced colorectal cancer risk by 30 percent, compared to subjects who didn't take multis.

Plant Life four flavonoids (plant compounds) that may significantly reduce colorectal cancer risk when intake is high:

   1. Flavonols (tea, onions, and broccoli)
   2. Anthocyanidins (blueberries and other berries)
   3. Isoflavones (beans, lentils, chickpeas, and clove)
   4. Flavones (citrus fruit)
  

[sick and tired 47]

Thanks Pax, great post. Also did not know low magnesium caused anxiety... interesting.

[mammo]

Thanks, you've explained this better than any website I could find.