Magnesium?
Yes... you have heard of it, but if it were that  important wouldn't your doctor be telling you about it?
Well, unfortunately, no.

Transdermal Magnesium Therapy by  Marc Sircus, Ac. OMD,  is a great  read to explain why you need  magnesium, why you are not hearing much about it, and  explains one of the easiest and most effective methods to replace the magnesium you lose everyday. Magnesium is necessary to carry out over 300 enzymatic reactions/day in your body.

What do you suppose happens when you don't have enough on board?
Do you think those reactions are important, or did nature just throw them in there for fun?

Here are some other conditions affected by low magnesium, or in some cases may actually be the cause of the problem:

ADD/ADHD
Autism
anxiety
asthma
allergies
arthritis
blood pressure
breathing problems
chronic pain- (including cancer pain)
constipation
dental problems
depression
diabetes
eczema
emotional instability
heart problems
kidney problems (with some kidney problems  magnesium supplementation is dangerous) ( Speak with your doctor & read chapter in book on contraindications)
inflammation
infertility (men  & woman)
lowered immunity
memory problems
menopausal problems
neuropathy ( numbness with or without pain)
muscle pain
muscle twitching
osteopenia
osteoporosis
PMS
poor bone growth
premature ejaculation
problems associated with aging
problems associated with pregnancy
pre-eclampsia
Restless Leg Syndrome
sleeping problems
slow healing
sexual problems
sports performance

 In fact there is just about no health problem that a low magnesium level won't make worse, & may actually be the cause   or  significantly contribute to the problem.

Are you getting the picture? Magnesium is hugely important! Most of the problems are discussed in the book in depth & the book is well documented.

Going  Green?

 The truth is most of us don't get near enough magnesium. One of  the best sources is green vegetables, but let's face it,  a lot of people don't like green vegetables. Even if you are like me and do like them, magnesium can be lost in cooking. Many of our dietary habits also place huge demands on our magnesium levels such as  consuming alcohol, sugar and refined carbohydrates, ie baked goods, caffeine.  Our needs are much higher than a serving or two of spinach can provide. So while you are feeling smug about eating a large salad for lunch,  just know that you are likely still not getting enough.  However, you are doing better than most of the population.

Magnesium Drains
  sugar
  refined carbohydrates ( baked goods, white rice  polished grains)
  alcohol
  caffeine
  illness
  stress
  medications-see list below. This list is more than likely extremely incomplete as there are so many drugs on the market and have been for a long time.

    Drugs
(List from Pharmacology- A Nursing Process, 6th addition, Kees,Hays & McCuistion)
      Diuretics- anything that drains potassium
          Lasix, Edecrin Mannitol
       Antibiotics-
       Tobramycin
       Gentamiacin
       Carbenicillin
       Neomycin
       Polymyxin B
       Amphotericin B  (we used to call it Ampho-terrible)
     Digitalis
    Calcium gluconate
     Insulin
     Laxatives
      Corticosteroids-
         cortisone, prednisone


How Much Is Enough?

The general recommendation for magnesium today is somewhere between 400-600mg a day. But as with all things needs very with gender, size, age, illness, stress, individual absorption capabilities,medication, and type of magnesium taken. And because our environment is so filled with toxicity our needs increase dramatically as magnesium is needed to detox all that environmental  pollution we have absorbed. And by the way, medications have their own toxic residue which is part of the reason  they lower mag. levels.

With an increase in the understanding of Magnesium's role in our health, people involved in Integrative/Complementary health may recommend up to a 1000mg daily and a ratio of 1:1 magnesium to calcium rather than the  2:1/ Ca to Mg; which is currently being promoted by many.

Some African tribes flourished with strong bones, healthy teeth and no osteoporosis on as little as 400mg of calcium a day. Allopathic medicine recommends  between  1200-1500mg/day, and still we have increasing rates of osteoporosis and osteopenia. The difference?  Those African tribes received much more magnesium from their plant-based diet (along with other trace minerals, vitamins K) and vitamin D from sunshine.

The author of All You Health Questions Answered Naturally, Maureen Kennedy Salaman, recommends a ratio of 4:1. That's Magnesium, 4 to Calcium, 1. I thought it was a misprint when I first read it, but she repeats it consistently throughout  her book. I will say she is the only person I know of who recommends that much, but given our increased needs for magnesium for detox purposes, I think she may be on to something.

Transdermal Therapy Beats Oral Consumption

  According to Transdermal Magnesium Therapy by   Marc Sircus, Ac. OMD
( Doctor of Oriental Medicine) taking magnesium supplementation by mouth is a slow and often ineffective way to increase intracellular magnesium.   A number of problems in individuals can affect absorption. Being low in magnesium actually reduces your absorption capability, according to the author.  Well, that is a bummer!

Transdermal replacement can much more quickly increase magnesium levels without causing loose stool, so common when replacing  magnesium. Applying it topically(/transdermally) makes it easier for kids who can't or won't swallow pills.  Older people too may have difficulty swallowing  large supplements and don't absorb well. Of course there are the infants and the infirmed who may well need supplementation and transdermally would provide both magnesium and touch. Both are important. People report stinging sensations when magnesium is applied on the skin, so dilution may be called for and care to avoid open sores.

Eat a lot of Sweets  During the Holidays?

For those of you who read  Temper Tantrum/ Restless Leg Syndrome you may want to consider  that magnesium deficiency  could be at the root of Juniors' temper tantrums, (or your frustration in dealing with them.)  When you consider that sugar is a huge drain for magnesium and that magnesium helps to keep you & Junior or Juniora relaxed, it might not be surprising that after the holidays, the younger kids may have more temper tantrums.
This goes for older kids and adults, though they might experience irritability or depression. I noted that the highest read article on this blog after the  holidays and at the return of school was temper tantrums. 
 Coincidence? I think not.

Depressed or Know Someone Who Is?

Some think that magnesium deficiency may be at the root of this nation's high rate of depression (that  along with decreased intake of Omega 3 fatty acids.) Neurotransmitters regulate mood, sleep, motivation, concentration, and really just about all mind & body endeavors.  Availability of magnesium is imperative in order to create these neuro-transmitters. That is why without magnesium so many systems are affected and so much dis-ease occurs.
 
Magnesium replacement  is recognized by the allopathic health community as a treatment in heart attacks, pre-eclampsia, and constipation. Unfortunately beyond that, the medical community doesn't really concern itself with  teaching the patient about this unmet need, mainly because they too are in the dark. And they are educated to use medication.

If you are on medication for depression be sure to check with your doctor before adding magnesium to your regime. Magnesium may affect the dose of medication.

 Lithium may cause an imbalance in blood levels of magnesium as oppposed to cellular levels of magnesium, which would be dangerous. Definitely speak with your doctor before taking any  magnesium if you are on Lithium.


Got Milk?....Cow's Milk and a Lot of Bull!!
 Yes, and Increasing Rates of Osteoporosis in Women and Men!

Unfortunately there is such an emphasis on taking calcium and very little on magnesium.  And the case of milk exemplifies this: high calcium and phosphate but low to nothing in magnesium. If milk were such a good source of calcium, and calcium were all it is cracked up to be, do you think we would have increasing rates of osteoporosis? We cannot rely on calcium alone to build bone. And milk's calcium is just not very available.

 Nor can we rely on the Milk Council or advertisers to provide us with health information or have  the best interest in our health.
They have a product to sell.

Magnesium (along with trace minerals and vitamin D3) are probably as important as calcium for Bone building for several  reasons:

1)calcium provides structure: but magnesium provides flexibility. Brittle Bones break easily. They may be hard, but inflexible.. think concrete vs steel.
2) magnesium plays a big role in hormone and neurotransmitter creation.
Both tell your body how and when to make bones. Without the correct instructions  the job doesn't get done right.
3) without the other components Ca doesn't get used for bone and it gets laid down in other areas of your body...& not where you want it. Where  do you think those calcified blood vessels and calcifations in eyeballs come from?

1 Out of 6 Children has a Learning Disorder.
 Do You Know One ( or more)?

*This statistic is just shocking and deserves a whole other blog. *

Kids with ADD/ADHD , autism and other learning disabilities are on the Autistic spectrum and many have  increased problems absorbing magnesium. Add that to a diet that doesn't provide enough magnesium to begin with, may contain sugar which uses up magnesium, plus medications that use up magnesium,  your child is headed for extreme deficiency of magnesium which can manifest in any number of problems: tantrums are just one. You too Will experience increased stress and increased magnesium needs.

RLSers (those of you with Restless Leg Syndrome-about 15% of the population!) Take Heed!

In that same article on Temper Tantrums, I discussed that I had taken magnesium in the past and it didn't help my RLS, but I have since learned that the detox I did opened up mineral magnesium receptor sites and allowed the magnesium to go where it was supposed to go and do what was is suppose to do. Magnesium also helps with the detox process. So if you have RLS, detox is still very important, but so is magnesium supplementation.  I like  Liquid Zeolites for detoxing. I find them to be safe, fast, effective, & inexpensive. Using a a topically applied magnesium gel/oil may be a faster more effective method  to get relief from RLS even if magnesium supplementation hasn't worked in the past.

Working with Your Doctor/ Health Care Provider

 Blood levels of magnesium do not reflect the intracellular amounts of magnesium, since the blood magnesium makes up about 1% of total magnesium according to Dr. Circus. The body will do whatever it can to maintain proper blood levels of magnesium because it is so immediately essential to heart function. Getting tested for cellular magnesium levels is not that accurate, convenient, or necessary. The most common side effect of too much magnesium is diarrhea.
Pharmacology: A Nursing Process states:

"Hypomagnesemia is probably the most undiagnosed electrolyte deficiency. This is most   likely because hypomagnesemia is asymptomatic until the serum magnesium level approaches 1mEq/L.The total serum magnesium concentration is not representative of the cellular magnesium levels"

 I would have to say that there are any number of symptoms of low magnesium, but you have to know what  to look for, take an interest in finding the source of the problem not just getting rid (temporarily) of a symptom, and you have to undestand how common the hypomagnesemia or low magnesium is.

 If you are taking medications you should, of course, let your doctor know you are supplementing with magnesium. Magnesium can affect the dose of some medications. You may actually be able to reduce or eliminate your blood pressure medication, but only do so under medical supervision.

Replenishing magnesium levels within the cell can take a while; up to a year if you are doing it orally. The transdermal approach is suppose to allow  faster absorption that can occur in less than 3 months and many people claim to feel a difference with in a week or two.

 Yours in Good Health,
 Barb Kaiser RN, BSN, Holistic Health Consultant