Magnesium Supplementation
There are wonderful benefits to taking magnesium supplements.
Magnesium is a powerful antioxidant that keeps cell membranes young, and flexible. It confers potent protection against the devastating march of cancer-causing free radicals. Magnesium maintains the body’s vitamin E supplies and thereby protect the muscles, tissues and organs against aging.
It preserves the cells against aging in many ways as well as protecting against heart disease, lowering blood pressure, preventing the recurrence of kidney stones and improving the symptoms of chronic fatigue syndrome.
Magnesium regulates the amount of calcium required to keep the heart beat steady. Magnesium also aids in the prevention, treatment and even the complete reversal of Adult Type II Diabetes. It promotes blood and organ alkalinity.
Magnesium supplements also strengthen muscles and work with calcium to ensure strong bones and protect against osteoporosis.
Magnesium is a mildly powerful laxative often used for cleansing and detoxification of the colon and anymore than 500mg of magnesium daily can cause diarrhea. As a laxative, it is only recommended for short term use.
Magnesium and calcium should ideally be taken together to obtain maximum health benefit. For example, an elderly person supplementing with calcium, but not with magnesium, is still at risk of stroke, heart attack and blood clots. The rule is that magnesium supplements should be half the dose of calcium supplements. A dose of 1000mg of calcium daily should be accompanied by a daily dose of 500mg of magnesium also.
Magnesium has been described as a miracle mineral alongside chromium, zinc and selenium. It is readily available and affordable in health food stores across the land.
A range of easily accessible food sources contains magnesium including whole grains, nuts, seeds and legumes. Magnesium can also be obtained in supplement form. Effective magnesium supplements are magnesium chloride, magnesium-aspartate, magnesium gluconate and magnesium lactate.
People who have experienced heart failure, or have a family history of heart disease or kidney problems should consult their Health Practitioner before taking magnesium supplements.
Rasta Natural Health
Sources:
http://ezinearticles.com/?Magnesium-Facts—What-are-the-Real-Health-Benefits-of-this-Mineral?&id=401648
http://www.ehow.com/facts_5070425_health-benefits-magnesium-oxide.html
Dear Don, Thanks for your informative post on Magnesium.
Carolyn Dean MD, ND, author of “The Magnesium Miracle” has this additional information to share that I thought you and your readers may find useful.
“Not all forms of magnesium are equally absorbed by the body and according to research, magnesium oxide is only 4% absorbed by the body.
The amount of magnesium your tissues can readily use is based on the amount of elemental or ionic magnesium that is released. There are several organic salt chelates that are highly absorbable such as magnesium citrate, taurate and malate. Two forms to avoid are magnesium aspartate and glutamate. Aspartate breaks down into the neurotransmitter aspartic acid, which without being bound to other amino acids is neurotoxic. Glutamate also breaks down into the neurotransmitter glutamic acid, which without being bound to other amino acids is also neurotoxic. Both are components of aspartame which should also be avoided.
1. Practitioners may have a number of reasons for suggesting a particular supplement brand.
a) Their own research of ingredients, quality and absorbability or assimilation by the body.
b) Reading research studies on a particular product.
c) Individual patient’s profile and body type.
d) Muscle testing or Kinesiology with a particular patient on a variety of supplements – choosing the best for that patient based on these tests.
e) Experience with a particular supplement and/or anecdotal results.
2. Absorbability – You can absolutely tell by the label if the body can absorb a supplement. But there are also additional factors which affect absorption:
a) Are the patient’s intestines healthy or diseased.
b) Availability of protein transport molecules.
c) Availability of parathyroid hormone.
d) The rate of water absorption for water soluble supplements.
e) The amounts of calcium, phosphorus, potassium, sodium and lactose (milk sugar) in the body, all which inhibits certain supplement absorption.
f) Supplemental iron which can impede certain supplement absorption.
g) Yeast toxins, inflammatory substances the body produces as it tries to neutralize those toxins, and undigested food molecules all form barriers to the absorption of dietary an supplemental nutrients.
More on Absorbability – The mineral Magnesium is necessary for the enzymes that digest supplements and food–if you don’t metabolize your supplements and food properly you don’t get the nutrient benefits from the supplement. And yet over 75% of people are deficient in magnesium and do not get their RDA of this mineral.
3. Questionable Ingredients – Obviously harmful ingredients such as aspartame which is a neurotoxin, trans fats, artificial colors and flavors are all to be avoided. But there are also fillers that inhibit or slow absorption.
4) Synthetic vitamins: If the brackets after a vitamin has a food listed, it’s natural, if it has a chemical listed, it’s synthetic. Some products have both natural and synthetic vitamin – e.g., fruits and vegetables that supply natural vitamins.
5) Poor formulations: For example you need just as much magnesium as calcium for the best absorption of both.
6) Standardization: Not necessarily. Sometimes it’s the whole herb that has the active component and also the natural components that neutralize any side effects of too much of the active herb.
7) One other factor to be aware of it that often the cheaper the product the cheaper the quality.
8. As we get older we become more deficient in magnesium and therefore require more in our diet and in supplement form. Weight for weight and dollar for dollar, the organic salt chelate in the form of magnesium citrate powder may be the best buy for general use. It is inexpensive and easily absorbed and can be found in most health food stores or vitamin shops.
Please help me. I am a 58 year old man. My wife is 57 years old. We are both losing our hair.
Can you please recommend the most effective kind of treatment for each of us? Thank you very much.