Mardy's Magnesium Thoughts

Hi Mardy,

The supplement you mention is very cool as it includes the necessary B vitamins that work in synergy with the Magnesium.  I wrote a blog about Magnesium last week because my son has been taking extra Magnesium to help with his anxiety disorder.  He is also on large doses of B vitamins under the care of his chiropractor/nutrition specialist.  His improvement made me think about the whole Ca/Mg ratio idea... and I also started taking more Magnesium whenever I feel "tense".  I also realized I needed to go back to my sugar-free diet... the Easter holiday candy brought me down. ;~)

Well, anyway, here is the blog post: written for the general public, but it has a great significance to fibromyalgia- as Mardy says, Magnesium can be of great help for relaxing our muscles.

On a special note... the topical Mg sound very interesting... it comes in a gel-form that can be used by your massage therapist, or on your own to target the muscular spasms.   In this way, you avoid any of the possible digestive upset that oral Mg can have.   Sounds like the best of both worlds!

  Magnesium: To Calm the Nerves

Who doesn't love a nice soak in the tub, compete with Epsom Salts (magnesium sulfate) and a hint of lavender?  Go ahead...  enjoy this simple pleasure guilt-free.  While you're relaxing in the tub, your body is soaking in the benefits of calming magnesium salts, relaxing your muscles, reducing anxiety, and even lifting your mood.  Add a bit of dark chocolate, and your mini-holiday is complete!

Our Bodies Must Have Essential Magnesium

Magnesium is necessary for over 300 biochemical reactions in your body, including those which produce, transport, store, and utilize energy.  Magnesium is essential for protein synthesis, normal blood pressure, transmission of nerve cell signals, muscle contractions, and bone strength.  Magnesium's partnership with calcium is well known.  In fact, an imbalance of the calcium/magnesium ratio can result in muscle cramping, blood vessel constriction, migraine headache, and even feelings of anxiety.  No wonder magnesium is called the "calming mineral".

Magnesium Deficiency Symptoms
When you are under stress, your body tends to use up it's store of magnesium.  In addition, many medications including diuretics, birth control pills, insulin, tetracycline and other antibiotics, and cortisone cause the body to waste magnesium.  The following health conditions are associated with magnesium deficiency, and conventional therapies may be helped by increasing magnesium intake:

Anxiety and Panic Attacks:  Magnesium helps keep adrenal stress hormones under control and also helps maintain normal brain function.
Diabetes: People who have type 2 diabetes often have low levels of magnesium in the blood.  Some studies suggest that taking magnesium supplements may help blood sugar control and insulin sensitivity in people with diabetes or prediabetes.
Constipation: Magnesium helps keep bowels regular by maintaining normal bowel muscle function.
Fibromyalgia: Some studies suggest the combination of calcium and magnesium may be helpful for some people with fibromyalgia- reducing fatigue, muscle spasms, and insomnia.
Heart Disease: Magnesium deficiency is common in those with heart disease.  Magnesium is essential to heart health. It helps maintain a normal heart rhythm and is sometimes given intravenously (IV) in the hospital to reduce the chance of atrial fibrillation and cardiac arrhythmia (irregular heartbeat). You should always check with your doctor to decide if magnesium should be a part of your treatment.
Hypertension: Without adequate magnesium, blood vessels constrict and blood pressure increases.
Insomnia: Magnesium helps regulate melatonin, a hormone essential for normal sleep cycles.
Nerve problems: Magnesium helps eliminate peripheral nerve disturbances that can lead to migraines, leg and foot cramps, gastrointestinal cramps, and other muscular spasms.
Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) Scientific studies suggest that magnesium supplements may help relieve symptoms associated with PMS, particularly bloating, insomnia, leg swelling, weight gain, and breast tenderness. One study suggests that a combination of magnesium and vitamin B6 may work better than either one alone.

Magnesium Rich Foods
You can get magnesium from many foods. However, most people in the United States probably do not get as much magnesium as they should from their diet. Foods rich in magnesium include whole grains, nuts, and green vegetables. Green leafy vegetables are particularly good sources of magnesium.

My favorite magnesium rich foods include:

spinach and other greens rich in chlorophyll
almonds and cashews
quinoa
brown rice
pumpkin and sunflower seeds
If you are not gluten-free, whole grain bread
chocolate, in moderation  (my favorite, of course!)
 

Magnesium Supplements

In addition to a nutritious diet, it is advantageous to use supplements that contain magnesium.  Be sure to check with your health care provider before taking magnesium supplements and before considering them for a child.  When supplementing, it's best to start with a high quality multi-mineral supplement or Ca/Mg combination product such as USANA's Active Calcium that has an appropriate calcium to magnesium ratio.  A ratio between 1:1 to 2:1 (calcium:magnesium) is optimal.  Unfortunately, today's diets contain an average of ten times more calcium than magnesium.  More information on dosage can be found at the NIH Office of Dietary Supplements site. (see below)

Other options for increasing your magnesium levels as needed includes a powder drink mix from Natural Vitality called CALM. Sipping a small serving of this drink in the evening is enough to relax the stress away.  Topical magnesium chloride products from Ancient Minerals also sound very interesting. I'd love to hear your experience with any of these products.   Of course, you can always take a relaxing soak in Epsum Salts, while nibbling on a bit of dark chocolate!

It's important to find ways to increase our magnesium levels to optimal amounts in order to reduce some of the symptoms of stress as well as helping alleviate discomforts of  certain health conditions associated with magnesium deficiency.  I'd love to read about your own experiences using magnesium.  Comments are welcome and encouraged!

Live Well!

Robin

References:

NIH Office of Dietary Supplements, Magnesium. http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/magnesium/#h2 [4]

University of Maryland Medical Center, Magnesium. http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/magnesium-000313.htm [5]

Dr. Carolyn Dean, The Miracle of Magnesium, Random House Publishing, New York, 2003.

Health Maximixer, http://healthmaxim.com/2011/05/health-benefits-of-magnesium/ [6]