supplement advisor
By Vera Tweed
magnesium: superstar rising This often overlooked mineral is gaining new popularity as scientists discover its importance to overall health
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agnesium is emerging as a superstar mineral, but for decades it’s been so underrated that one study called it an “orphan nutrient.” In the U.S. National Library of Medicine’s online database at pubmed.gov, there are more than five times as many articles about calcium as there are about magnesium, yet both are essential for optimum health.
The Calcium-Magnesium Partnership Calcium gives bones their hardness and makes things happen by exciting nerves, contracting muscles, and contributing to the inflammation necessary to fight invaders or injury. Magnesium gives bones flexibility, keeps them from becoming brittle, relaxes nerves and muscles, and reduces inflammation. Calcium is necessary for blood to clot so that wounds can heal, while magnesium prevents harmful clots and keeps blood flowing. When we experience a stressful situation, calcium contributes to the fight-or-flight response that kicks in, and if there isn’t enough magnesium to calm things down, we stay stressed. And without enough magnesium, high calcium levels can lead to stiff arteries and heart disease.
Why Magnesium is Essential A natural component of every cell in the human body, magnesium is essential for more than 300 internal processes that go on all the time to sustain life, including energy production. A study of postmenopausal women tested performance on a stationary bike, before and after eating a low-magnesium diet, and found that lack of the mineral made a significant difference. With low magnesium, women used 10–15 percent more energy and their heart rate increased by 10 beats 8
per minute while doing the same amount of cycling. Magnesium can also improve sleep. In studies, other benefits of magnesium have included: • Less risk of asthma • Protection against type 2 diabetes • Less depression • Relief from symptoms of fibromyalgia • Lower blood pressure • Fewer and shorter migraine headaches • Lower odds of irregular heart rhythm • Relief from premenstrual syndrome • Less risk for osteoporosis
Calcium-Magnesium Imbalance While lack of either mineral is bad for health, magnesium is the one likely to fall short because: • Calcium is widely advertised as an essential nutrient. • Calcium supplements are often recommended by doctors. • Calcium is added to many fortified foods and drinks. In comparison, magnesium really doesn’t have a voice. Think about it: When was the last time you saw a TV commercial touting a food because it contains a lot of magnesium? For overall health, the optimum ratio of calcium to magnesium is estimated to be 2:1 from all sources, including food and supplements. But in the average U.S. diet, it’s estimated to be 3:1, meaning too much calcium and too little magnesium. Good sources of magnesium include leafy greens, nuts, whole grains, and legumes. As an example, a half-cup of cooked spinach or 1 oz. of dry-roasted almonds contains about 80 mg of magnesium, which is around 20 percent of the daily recommended minimum.
Forms of Magnesium in Supplements Some forms of magnesium are more easily absorbed or are recommended for specific situations. Forms considered to be absorbed more easily include those labelled as “chelated,” and magnesium glycinate, malate, citrate, taurate, threonate, and orotate. Magnesium malate is often recommended to relieve symptoms of fibromyalgia, and magnesium threonate is sometimes formulated for brain health. Taking more magnesium than the body can absorb can result in loose stools, and is more likely with the magnesium oxide form. This problem can be easily solved by taking less of the supplement. Magnesium hydroxide is a form used in laxatives and antacids. Magnesium can also be absorbed through the skin. Epsom salt baths are a popular, time-tested method, and more recently, other magnesium salts designed for soaking or bathing, as well as a variety of magnesium creams and lotions, have become available.
Akin’s and Chamberlin’s Magnesi-Max Magnesium
Natural Vitality Natural Calm plus Calcium
Life Flo Lavender Magnesium Bath Oil Soak
November 2017
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9/22/17 3:34 PM