Restoring Crucial Magnesium Levels

Magnesium plays a pivotal role in energy production and specific functions in every cell in the body. Magnesium is crucial to nerve transmission, muscle contraction, blood coagulation, nutrient metabolism and bone and cell formation. Humans and animals can experience magnesium deficiency due to stress, malnutrition, illness, prescription medications and toxicity. When the magnesium level is restored, they can experience a dramatic improvements of health.

Also See: Clay Cure for People and Animals

Early Signs of Magnesium Deficiency

Dr. Sidney Baker M.D - "Magnesium deficiency can affect virtually every organ system of the body. With regard to skeletal muscle, one may experience twitches, cramps, muscle tension, muscle soreness, including back aches, neck pain, tension headaches and jaw joint (or TMJ) dysfunction. Also, one may experience chest tightness or a peculiar sensation that he can't take a deep breath. Sometimes a person may sigh a lot."

Shortfalls in magnesium intake can seriously impair athletic performance. Despite magnesiums pivotal role in energy production, many coaches and athletes remain unaware of its critical importance in maintaining health and performance.

Magnesium deficiency reduces metabolic efficiency, increases oxygen consumption and heart rate required to perform work, all things that would take the edge off of performance. The last thing any trainer or sports doctor wants to see is their athletes lose their competitive edge. Not performing to full capacity because of the lack of a mineral like magnesium is simply not an option for winners. Athletic endurance and strength performance increases significantly when a large amount of magnesium is supplemented transdermally (topically) and orally.

Some early signs of magnesium deficiency are loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, and weakness. Increased deficiency may show as numbness, tingling, muscle contractions and cramps, seizures, personality changes, abnormal heart rhythms, and coronary spasms. Severe deficiency results in low levels of calcium in the blood (hypocalcemia), and is also associated with low levels of potassium in the blood (hypokalemia).

Magnesium Relaxes Muscle Tension and Cramp

A cramp is a sudden, severe, and involuntary muscle contraction or over-shortening; can cause mild-to-excruciating pain, and a paralysis-like immobility. Dr. Oz Says: The Secret Cause of Muscle Spasms and cramps is a Magnesium Deficiency. Older adults and pregnant women commonly complain of leg cramps while they are resting, athletes can cramp when they are pushing the limits of their endurance, and some people develop muscle cramps as a symptom of other medical conditions.

Transdermal versus Oral Magnesium Therapy

Transdermal magnesium is a method of delivering minerals to the body through the skin. This topical process is known as dermal absorption. Once a substance passes through the outer layers of skin, it passes into the lymph and local vascular (blood vessel) system and soon after into the bloodstream.

Ancient treatments in fact involved a variety of transdermal therapies ranging from mineral baths, to herbal compresses, to mud packs, to steam and sweat lodges. Transdermal, or topical magnesium is particularly helpful for those seeking a safe method of increasing magnesium intake beyond that possible with oral supplements.

When taken orally, magnesium may be absorbed inefficiently, either due to the laxative effect of oral doses; due to the effect of other foods, vitamins or minerals in the gut that lessen absorption; or due to individual differences, such as leaky gut syndrome, that reduce magnesium processing.

Dr. Lorrie Brilla reported that during an eight-week spring training program athletes had 2.5 times greater muscle strength gains than a placebo group.[10] Any athlete looking to gain strength, increase athletic performance, and muscle mass should consider greatly increasing their magnesium intake, as well as zinc. And according to a recent study published in Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, higher intake of magnesium is significantly related to higher bone mineral density (BMD). According to the paper, there was an approximate 2 percent increase in whole-body BMD for every 100 milligram per day increase in magnesium. Magnesium is a "lesser-studied" component of bone that may play a role in calcium metabolism and bone strength.

Magnesium is a vital mineral whose lack leaves us open to not only radioactive damages. Without sufficient magnesium, the body accumulates toxins and acid residues, degenerates rapidly, and ages prematurely.

Dr. Luiz Moura M.D Video Interview

When Dr Moura put his patients on a high magnesium intake their PMS symptoms vanished and they felt and looked much younger. Most of these women said that they lost weight, increased their energy, felt less depressed and enjoyed sex again much more than before.

For men it is equally beneficial for problems arising from an enlarged prostate gland. Symptoms commonly improve after a period of supplementation with magnesium chloride. Magnesium is mainly found inside the cells, it activates many enzymes and is necessary for the metabolism of carbohydrates, fats and amino acids. It is essential for the functions of muscles and nerves and for the formation of bones and teeth. Generally it counteracts and regulates the influence of calcium.

Are Your Animals Getting Enough Magnesium?

Animals require essential vitamins and minerals just like humans do. One of these key nutrients is magnesium, involved with energy production at the cellular level.

Magnesium deficiency, even when mild, increases susceptibility to various types of neurologic and psychological stressors in animals. I feed my animals a home-made raw food recipe that includes magnesium rich green leafy veggies, nuts and fruits.

Mild magnesium deficiency appears to be common among dogs with disorders considered functional or neurotic and appears to contribute to a symptom complex that includes sleep disorders, irritability, muscle weakness, trembling and spasm, hyperventilation, difficulty walking, lethargy or abnormal behavior. NuVet Labs has designed a cutting edge tasty wafers and powder nutritional balanced formula for dogs and cats which is rich in magnesium and other minerals, vitamins, enzymes and herbs.

Related: Magnesium physiology and clinical therapy in veterinary critical care

Magnesium The Natural Tranquilizer

Magnesium has a calming effect on the nervous system. With this, it is frequently used to promote good sleep. But more importantly, it can be used to calm irritated and over-excited nerves. This is especially useful with epileptic seizures, convulsions in pregnant women and the 'shakes' in alcoholism. Magnesium levels are generally low in alcoholics, contributing or causing many of their health problems.

If magnesium levels are low, the nerves lose control over muscle activity, respiration and mental processes. Nervous fatigue, tics and twitches, tremors, irritability, hypersensitivity, muscle spasms, restlessness, anxiety, confusion, disorientation and irregular heartbeat all respond to increased magnesium levels. A common phenomenon of magnesium deficiency is a sharp muscle reaction to an unexpected loud noise. 'Memory pills' have been marketed that consist mainly of magnesium.

Many of the symptoms of Parkinson's disease can be overcome with high magnesium supplementation, shaking can be prevented and rigidity eased. With preeclampsia pregnant women may develop convulsions, nausea, dizziness and headaches. In hospitals this is treated with magnesium infusions. Because of its strong relaxing effect, magnesium helps not only to have a better sleep but is also useful in overcoming headaches and migraines. Even the number of suicides are linked to magnesium deficiency. The lower the magnesium content in soil and water in a given region, the higher are the rates of suicides.

Epilepsy is marked by abnormally low magnesium levels in the blood, spinal fluid and brain, causing hyperexcitability in regions of the brain. There are many reported causes of epilepsy greatly improving or disappearing with magnesium supplementation. In a trial with 30 epileptics 450 mg of magnesium supplied daily successfully controlled seizures. Another study found that the lower the magnesium blood levels the more severe was the epilepsy. In most cases magnesium works best in combination with vitamin B6 and zinc. Chlorophyll and green vegetables contain large amounts of magnesium. In sufficient concentrations, magnesium inhibits convulsions by limiting or slowing the spread of the electric discharge from an isolated group of brain cells to the rest of the brain. Animal studies show that even the initial burst of firing nerve cells that starts an epileptic attack can be suppressed with magnesium.

" Without sufficient magnesium the nerve cells can not give or receive messages and become excitable and highly reactive. This causes the person to become highly sensitive and highly nervous. Noises will seem excessively loud and person will jump at sudden sounds like a door slamming and will generally be nervous and on edge. Lights can appear to be too bright. Magnesium deficiency can cause insomnia (inability to sleep). Waking up with muscle spasms, cramps, tension and feeling uncomfortable. These will disappear on drinking magnesium. Muscle tics of the face are caused by a magnesium deficiency. They disappear on drinking magnesium. Hiccups are the result of muscle spasms of the diaphragm and will disappear on taking magnesium. " Peter Gilham Nutritionist

"Without sufficient magnesium the nerve cells can not give or receive messages and become excitable and highly reactive. This causes the person to become highly sensitive and highly nervous. Noises will seem excessively loud and person will jump at sudden sounds like a door slamming and will generally be nervous and on edge. Lights can appear to be too bright. magnesium deficiency can cause insomnia (inability to sleep). Waking up with muscle spasms, cramps, tension and feeling uncomfortable. These will disappear on drinking magnesium. Muscle tics of the face are caused by a magnesium deficiency. They disappear on drinking magnesium. Hiccups are the result of muscle spasms of the diaphragm and will disappear on taking magnesium. The best form of magnesium that I have come across is in the form of a drink where the magnesium is in solution in water. You make it fresh each time and it works faster than any other form such as tablets or capsules." Peter Gilham, nutritionist

Magnesium chloride is also nothing short of a miracle mineral in its healing effect on a wide range of diseases as well as in its ability to rejuvenate the aging body. I add magnesium chloride to my bath water and rub it on my skin after a hot bath.

Magnesium Benefits ADHD Conditions

"Some experts believe that children with ADHD may be exhibiting the effects of mild magnesium deficiency (such as irritability, decreased attention span, and mental confusion). In one study of 116 children with ADHD, 95% were magnesium deficient. In a separate study, 75 magnesium-deficient children with ADHD were randomly assigned to receive magnesium supplements in addition to standard treatment or standard treatment alone for 6 months. Those who received magnesium demonstrated a significant improvement in behavior, whereas those who received only standard therapy without magnesium exhibited worsening behavior. These results suggest that magnesium supplementation, or at least high amounts of magnesium in the diet, may prove to be beneficial for children with ADHD. Speak with your physician about possible use."

Executive Health, September 1977 issue, article on "The Dangers of Not Getting Enough Magnesium in the Foods You Eat." Although emphasis was placed on the abnormalities of the heart and blood vessels, observations were cited that showed that many patients who sought help for insomnia, tension and anxiety were magnesium deficient. In a study of more than 200 patients, Dr. W. S. Davis, University of Pretoria used magnesium chloride tablets as a possible means of combating insomnia. They reported that sleep was induced rapidly, was uninterrupted and waking tiredness disappeared in 99 percent of the patients.

Anxiety and tension diminished during the day. In addition, no ill effects were noted in a group of patients participating in a longterm study in which before retiring they took eight tablets of 250 mgs. each of magnesium chloride over a 12-month period. (W.H. Davis and F. Ziady, "The Role of Magnesium in Sleep," Montreal Symposium, 1976.) The Executive Health article also cited the observations of Dr. Edmund B. Fink, West Virginia University School of Medicine in Morgantown. In his address at the international meeting, this magnesium researcher stated that:

• Magnesium deficiency not only exists but is common
• Although it is common, it is often undetected
• Chronic deficiency can produce long-term damage and can be fatal
• The manifestations of the deficiency are many and varied

Michael Schachter M.D - "In the USA, magnesium supplementation is dramatically under utilized by conventional physicians and is more important in patient therapy than most physicians realize. There are over 200 published clinical studies documenting the need for magnesium. In fact, at the 1992 American College of Cardiology annual meeting, a limited biography on magnesium was the most often requested item at the National Council on Magnesium and Cardiovascular booth."

In a recent letter from Dr. Fink, he also stated that, "Acute magnesium deficiency may also occur following several weeks of diuretics, cisplatin or amino glycoside use."

The Role of Magnesium in Fibromyalgia

"I personally started taking magnesium for spasms and facial tics, only doing so on my own after neurologists simply told me to either get better sleep or take a prescription drug. The magnesium helped almost immediately, and I then slowly increased the dose to about 225% the RDA (balanced with 100% calcium RDA) At that point, all spasms and tics stopped completely, and they have not returned since starting that dose several years ago. I doubt any traditional doctor would have been willing to prescribe that much magnesium. The RDA is 400mg, but many people believe this is too low. Traditionally, it's been recommended to take calcium and magnesium in a ratio of 2/1, because that is the ratio that these minerals are found in bone."

Magnesium deficiency is very common in the general US population. Not only is our daily intake low, but we eat a diet which increases the demand for magnesium. And unfortunately, urinary magnesium loss can be increased by many factors, both physical and emotional. Magnesium loss increases in the presence of certain hormones. Stress can greatly increase magnesium loss. Even loud noises can extra magnesium loss.

One article on the web goes so far as to say that almost everyone is the United States is at least marginally deficient in magnesium. So there is an excellent chance that a person with fibromyalgia has a magnesium deficiency. But since people with fibromyalgia often have high levels of stress, and a disrupted hormonal system, they are more likely to be candidates for magnesium deficiency.

Magnesium utilization is also increased by the presence of estrogen, and this might explain why many women are with fibromyalgia after menopause, when estrogen levels would decrease Additionally, the sleep disruption which occurs in fibromyalgia might also affect magnesium utilization, as sleep deprivation has been shown to cause lower magnesium levels.

Magnesium for the Heart

Adequate levels of magnesium are essential for the heart muscle. Those who die from heart attacks have very low magnesium but high calcium levels in their heart muscles. Magnesium dilates the arteries of the heart and lowers cholesterol and fat levels. Patients with coronary heart disease who have been treated with large amounts of magnesium survived better than those with drug treatment.

High calcium levels, on the other hand, constrict the heart arteries and increase the risk of heart attacks. Calcium deposits in the walls of the arteries contribute to the development of arteriosclerosis. The arteries become hard and rigid, thereby restricting the blood flow and causing high blood pressure. In addition, such inelastic blood vessels may easily rapture and cause strokes. Countries with the highest calcium to magnesium ratios (high calcium and low magnesium levels) in soil and water have the highest incidence of cardiovascular disease. At the top of the list is Australia.

Worldwide the intake of magnesium has been lowered and that of calcium increased because of the heavy use of fertilizers high in calcium and low in magnesium. With this, the intake of magnesium from our food has steadily declined in the last fifty years, while the use of calcium-rich fertilizers and cardiovascular disease have greatly increased at the same time.

Diabetics are prone to atherosclerosis, fatty degeneration of the liver and heart disease. Diabetics have low magnesium tissue levels. They often develop eye problems - retinopathy. Diabetics with the lowest magnesium levels had the most severe retinopathy. The lower the magnesium content of their water, the higher is the death rate of diabetics from cardiovascular disease. In an American study the death rate due to diabetes was four times higher in areas with low magnesium water levels as compared to areas with high levels of magnesium in the water.

Magnesium the Cancer Fighter

Several studies have shown an increased cancer rate in regions with low magnesium levels in soil and drinking water as well. In Egypt the cancer rate was only about 10% of that in Europe and America. In the rural fellah it was practically non-existent. The main difference was an extremely high magnesium intake of 2.5 to 3 g in these cancer-free populations, ten times more than in most western countries.

Dr Seeger and Dr Budwig in Germany have shown that cancer is mainly the result of a faulty energy metabolism in the powerhouses of the cells, the mitochondria. ATP and most of the enzymes involved in the production of energy require magnesium. A healthy cell has high magnesium and low calcium levels. The problem that comes with low magnesium (Mg) levels is the calcium builds up inside the cells while energy production decreases as the mitochondria gradually calcify.

It is known that carcinogenesis induces magnesium distribution disturbances, which cause magnesium mobilization through blood cells and magnesium depletion in non-neoplastic tissues. Magnesium deficiency seems to be carcinogenic, and in cases of solid tumors, high levels of magnesium inhibits carcinogenesis. Both carcinogenesis and magnesium deficiency increase the plasma membrane permeability and fluidity.

The latest study, conducted by researchers at the Pasteur Institute in France, among 4035 men age 30-60 years over a period of 18 years, found males with the highest blood serum concentration of magnesium and zinc experienced up to a 50% reduction in cancer mortality, while high copper levels combined with low zinc and magnesium produced elevated cancer death rates. [Epidemiology 17: 308014, 2006]

Magnesium supplements vary by absorption and mineral content. Magnesium oxide is the most widely sold magnesium supplement, but only 4% is absorbed. [Magnesium Research 14:257-62, 2001] Suggested daily supplementation with magnesium is 200-400 mg. Excessive magnesium may cause loose stool reduce dosage if this occurs. Copyright 2006 Bill Sardi, Knowledge of Health, Inc.

Magnesium Deficiency Role in Diabetes

Magnesium deficiency is a predictor of diabetes; diabetics both need more magnesium and lose more magnesium than most people. In two new studies, in both men and women, those who consumed the most magnesium in their diet were least likely to develop type 2 diabetes, according to a report in the January 2006 issue of the journal Diabetes Care. Until now, very few large studies have directly examined the long-term effects of dietary magnesium on diabetes.

Dr. Simin Liu of the Harvard Medical School and School of Public Health in Boston says, "Our studies provided some direct evidence that greater intake of dietary magnesium may have a long-term protective effect on lowering risk," said Liu, who was involved in both studies. See Magnesium and Diabetic Neuropathy, which introduces the concept of administering mega doses of magnesium to heal Diabetic Neuropathy.

Prolonged use of Magnesium will prevent chronic complications from diabetes.

The current party line on this subject is not universally accepted, but many of us believe the establishment is too conservative and will some day change. While admitting its importance, for some unknown reason they remain reluctant to recommend magnesium supplements. They just do not know how poor the American diet is in Mg and the frequency of magnesium deficiency says Dr. Mansmann.[v]

Magnesium affects carbohydrate metabolism by influencing the release and activity of insulin, the hormone that controls blood sugar levels, by influencing the resistance and sensitivity to insulin. Magnesium for diabetics is critical. At least twenty five percent of diabetics have hypomagnesemia[i] and this is likely an underestimate. One group has recently suggested that the effects of reduced glutathione on glucose metabolism may be mediated, at least in part, by intracellular magnesium levels

In 2005, The Associated Press said that About 2 million U.S. children ages 12 to 19 have a pre-diabetic condition linked to obesity and inactivity that puts them at risk for full-blown diabetes and cardiovascular problems, government data suggest. One in 14 boys and girls in a nationally representative sample had the condition. Among the overweight adolescents, it was one in six. The study in question appears in November's Pediatrics. It is based on data involving 915 youngsters who participated in a 1999-2000 national health survey.[i]

The autism disaster is happening at a rate of one child in approximately 166, though if one counts all the severe learning disabilities it is one in six. What is happening to the nations children? The CDC does not know because it has its head stuck in the bird flu sand. And the FDA does not know because it has been too busy allowing the pharmaceutical companies to poison children.

History of Magnesium Therapy Health Benefits

Ancient minerals magnesium chloride gained from sea water evaporation offers a medical miracle to humanity. Magnesium is essential for many enzyme reactions, especially in regard to cellular energy production, for the health of the brain and nervous system, for healthy teeth and bones and is also an impressive infection fighter.

In ancient China, magnesium was called the beautiful metal and it will bring nothing but beauty to ones life, body and skin. Magnesium chloride solutions gained from sea water evaporation offers a medical miracle to humanity. There is no wonder drug that can claim in the clear what magnesium chloride can.

A French doctor, A. Neveu, cured several diphtheria patients with magnesium chloride within two days. He also published 15 cases of poliomyelitis that were cured within days if treatment was started immediately, or within months if paralysis had already progressed.

Neveu also found magnesium chloride effective with asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia and emphysema; pharyngitis, tonsillitis, hoarseness, common cold, influenza, whooping cough, measles, rubella, mumps, scarlet fever; poisoning, gastro-enteritis, boils, abscesses, whitlow, infected wounds and osteomyelitis.

In more recent years Dr Vergini and others have confirmed these earlier results and have added more diseases to the list of successful uses: acute asthma attacks, shock, tetanus, herpes zoster, acute and chronic conjunctivitis, optic neuritis, rheumatic diseases, many allergic diseases, Chronic Fatigue Syndrome and beneficial effects in cancer therapy. In all of these cases magnesium chloride had been used and gave much better results than other magnesium compounds.

Q&A: Magnesium Supplementation