Showing posts with label why you need magnesium. Show all posts
Showing posts with label why you need magnesium. Show all posts

Unbelievable Reasons You Urgently Need More Magnesium (And The Best Foods To Get It)


For your bones, your blood sugar, your cancer risk - the reasons to correct a magnesium deficiency are almost endless.

  
Magnesium is the fourth most abundant mineral in your body, and is the reason why vegetables are green.  But few people fully appreciate the importance of this miraculous mineral. 
The human genome project reveals that 3,751 human proteins have binding sites for magnesium.[i]  And so far we know this one essential mineral activates over 350 biochemical processes in the body to keep things flowing.

Plants are green because they contain the light-harvesting molecule chlorophyll which bears a striking resemblance to human hemoglobin (with the difference that the latter contains an oxygen-binding iron atom and not magnesium).

Here are just seven good reasons to get more magnesium-rich foods in your diet today.

1. Prevent Migraines.

According to University of Vermont Professor of Neurology and migraine expert Robert Shapiro, M.D., Ph.D., every year nearly one in five Americans experience some form of migraine attack.  One in 25 will have headaches lasting at least 15 days per month. These disabling attacks include severe one-sided, throbbing headaches, and sensitivity to light and sound.  They may also involve nasal congestion, cloudy thinking, and nausea.

In one study of 133 migraine patients, supplementing with 500 mg of magnesium oxide for just 12 weeks significantly improved the frequency and severity of migraines.[ii]

And a double blind, placebo controlled study from Kaiser Permanente showed that supplementing with magnesium significantly cut the number of days children suffered with a migraine.[iii]


2. Lower Heart Disease Mortality.  

A study in the journal Atherosclerosis found that people with low magnesium levels were more than twice as likely to die of heart disease.  They were also more than seven times as likely to die from all causes.[iv]

3. Manage Diabetes. 

Magnesium deficiency is common among type 2 diabetics, especially those with neuropathy or coronary disease.[v]  A Harvard study found that diabetics taking 320 mg of magnesium for up to 16 weeks significantly improved their fasting blood sugar levels as well as their HDL (good) cholesterol.[vi]

4. Relieve Symptoms of Fibromyalgia.

A double blind, placebo controlled study from the University of Texas showed that magnesium malate improves pain and tenderness in fibromyalgia patients.[vii]

5. Lower Risk of Colon Cancer.

Epidemiologic studies link low magnesium levels with higher rates of colorectal cancer.  And a meta-analysis from China confirms that higher magnesium intakes are associated with a lower risk of colorectal cancer and especially colon cancer.

The Chinese researchers analyzed eight prospective studies covering 338,979 participants. Their results, published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found the highest average intake of magnesium was associated with an 11% reduction in colorectal cancer risk compared to the lowest average intake.

In addition, for every 50 mg per day increase in magnesium, colon cancer was reduced by 7%.
An earlier meta-analysis by Imperial College London and Wageningen University found that for every 100 mg increase in magnesium, colorectal cancer decreased by 13%.

6. Build Strong Bones.

Studies find a significant association between bone density and magnesium levels.[viii]  But magnesium content of bones decreases with age.[ix]  In addition, sugar and alcohol cause magnesium to be lost through the urine.

Magnesium assists calcium in building bone strength,[x] but it does much more.  It stimulates the hormone calcitonin.  That helps draw calcium out of the blood and soft tissues and put it back into the bones. Too much calcium in the blood and tissues can increase the risk of arthritis, heart attack, and kidney stones, as well as osteoporosis.[xi]

And getting more magnesium may mean you need less than the government’s recommended 1,200 mg of calcium per day.  One study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that increasing magnesium while lowering calcium to 500 mg per day was enough to increase bone density.[xii]

7. Reduce Signs of Metabolic Syndrome

Mexican researchers looked at the effects of taking oral magnesium supplements on people they categorized as “metabolically obese, normal-weight (MONW) individuals.”

MONW individuals have a body mass index under 25 which is considered normal weight.  But they also have hyperinsulinemia and or insulin resistance.  And they have high triglycerides and high blood pressure.  As a result, these individuals are at higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

The researchers studied 47 MONW individuals who had low magnesium levels.  In a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial one group received a daily solution of 30 ml of magnesium (equivalent to 382 mg).  The control group received 30 ml of a placebo solution.

Their results were published in the Archives of Medical Research.  After only 4 months, markers of metabolic syndrome were significantly lower in the magnesium group.  They lowered their systolic pressure by 2.1 points and their diastolic pressure by 3.8 points.  Their fasting blood glucose levels dropped 12.3 points and their triglycerides plunged 47.4%.

Magnesium is also known to:
Symptoms of magnesium deficiency include constipation and other digestive problems, low energy, and irregularities in menstrual flow and reproductive health, and migraine headaches.

Magnesium also relaxes the body from tightness, tension, tics, spasms, cramps and stiffness.  And it helps prevent the buildup of plaque on your teeth, in your heart and arteries, and even in your brain.
The recommended daily allowance for magnesium is 420 mg for men or 320 mg for women.  But it’s estimated that between 80% and 90% of Americans are magnesium deficient.  One government study showed that 68% of American women do not consume the recommended daily amount of magnesium.  Almost 20% don’t even get half of the recommended amount.[xiii]

In addition, the use of oral contraceptives, diuretics, and laxa­tives can make magnesium deficiencies worse.

Magnesium deficiency is relatively easy to remedy with food.  One of the richest sources of magnesium is high quality chocolate. Dark chocolate has a whopping 176 mg of magnesium in a 3.5 ounce bar.  In fact, if you crave chocolate your body may be telling you it’s low in magnesium.
Other high magnesium foods include:
  • Dried seaweeds
  • Dark leafy greens (especially collards, spinach and Swiss chard)
  • Broccoli
  • Beans
  • Whole grains (especially millet, brown rice and quinoa)
  • Almonds, cashews, and filberts
  • Sesame seeds
  • Lentils
  • Avocados
  • Wheatgrass
  • Spirulina ​and chlorella​​
Magnesium supplements are also widely available. They come in many forms including oxide, citrate, carbonate, aspartate, and lactate.  Magnesium oxide is the least expensive but also the most difficult for the body to absorb.  Magnesium citrate helps with constipation.  Magnesium glycinate is a better choice if you don’t want the laxative effect.

Some people have difficulty absorbing magnesium in an oral supplement form.  If you eat a high fiber diet, for example, your body doesn’t absorb as much magnesium.  Also, taking diuretics, antibiotics or proton pump inhibitors for acid reflux all interfere with magnesium absorption.

For better absorption, try magnesium chloride, or a form known as iMCH, which can be applied topically.  It has been called the most effective form of magnesium for cellular detoxification and tissue purification.  It comes in the form of oil.  You can spray this directly on your skin or even soak your feet in it.  The liquid magnesium bypasses the intestines and is absorbed directly into the tissues of the body.

Visit GreenMedInfo’s page on magnesium documenting well over 100 health benefits of magnesium. Also, check out their cutting edge report on how chlorophyll (what makes veggies green!) can help your body to capture the energy of sunlight, with positive consequences to your health and well being.



Thanks for taking the time to read this article. If you found this information helpful, please share it with your friends and family. Your support in our endeavor of sharing free information would be much appreciated.

Follow us on Facebook to stay updated with what's going Viral in the Alternative News scene. https://www.facebook.com/ViralAlternativeNews


By Margie King via greenmedinfo.com.

Sources:

https://www.consumerlab.com/reviews/magnesium-supplement-review/magnesium/
http://www.healthcentral.com/medications/r/medications/magnesium-chloride-oral-10702
http://www.ancient-mineral s.com/products/

Image Source:

http://pad1.whstatic.com/images/thumb/1/18/Use-Reflexology-for-Fibromyalgia-Step-9.jpg/670px-Use-Reflexology-for-Fibromyalgia-Step-9.jpg
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Why Magnesium is the Most Powerful Relaxation Mineral Known to Man


Magnesium is an incredible way to relax your muscles no matter how stiff they are.


A DEFICIENCY IN THIS CRITICAL nutrient makes you twice as likely to die as other people, according to a study published in The Journal of Intensive Care Medicine.(i) It also accounts for a long list of symptoms and diseases — which are easily helped and often cured by adding this nutrient. In fact, in my practice, this nutrient is one of my secret weapons against illness. Yet up to half of Americans are deficient in this nutrient and don’t know it.

I’m talking about magnesium.

It is an antidote to stress, the most powerful relaxation mineral available, and it can help improve your sleep.

I find it very funny that more doctors aren’t clued in to the benefits of magnesium, because we use it all the time in conventional medicine. But we never stop to think about why or how important it is to our general health or why it helps our bodies function better.


I remember using magnesium when I worked in the emergency room. It was a critical “medication” on the crash cart. If someone was dying of a life-threatening arrhythmia (or irregular heart beat), we used intravenous magnesium. If someone was constipated or needed to prepare for colonoscopy, we gave them milk of magnesia or a green bottle of liquid magnesium citrate, which emptied their bowels. If pregnant women came in with pre-term labor, or high blood pressure of pregnancy (pre-eclampsia) or seizures, we gave them continuous high doses of intravenous magnesium.

But you don’t have to be in the hospital to benefit from getting more magnesium. You can start taking regular magnesium supplementation today and see results.

The Relaxation Mineral

Think of magnesium as the relaxation mineral. Anything that is tight, irritable, crampy, and stiff — whether it is a body part or an even a mood — is a sign of magnesium deficiency.

This critical mineral is actually responsible for over 300 enzyme reactions and is found in all of your tissues — but mainly in your bones, muscles, and brain. You must have it for your cells to make energy, for many different chemical pumps to work, to stabilize membranes, and to help muscles relax.

When was the last time you had a good dose of seaweed, nuts, greens, and beans? If you are like most Americans, your nut consumption mostly comes from peanut butter.

That is why the list of conditions that are found related to magnesium deficiency is so long. In fact, there are over 3,500 medical references on magnesium deficiency!

Even so, this mineral is mostly ignored because it is not a drug, even though it is MORE powerful than drugs in many cases. That’s why we use it in the hospital for life-threatening and emergency situations like seizures and heart failure.

You might be magnesium deficient if you have any of the following symptoms:
  • Muscle cramps or twitches
  • Insomnia
  • Irritability
  • Sensitivity to loud noises
  • Anxiety
  • Autism
  • ADD
  • Palpitations
  • Angina
  • Constipation
  • Anal spasms
  • Headaches
  • Migraines
  • Fibromyalgia
  • Chronic fatigue
  • Asthma
  • Kidney stones
  • Diabetes
  • Obesity
  • Osteoporosis
  • High blood pressure
  • PMS
  • Menstrual cramps
  • Irritable bladder
  • Irritable bowel syndrome
  • Reflux
  • Trouble swallowing
Magnesium deficiency has even has been linked to inflammation in the body and higher CRP levels.
In our society, magnesium deficiency is a huge problem. By conservative standards of measurement (blood, or serum, magnesium levels), 65 percent of people admitted to the intensive care unit — and about 15 percent of the general population — have magnesium deficiency.

But this seriously underestimates the problem, because a serum magnesium level is the LEAST sensitive way to detect a drop in your total body magnesium level. So rates of magnesium deficiency could be even higher!

The reason we are so deficient is simple: Many of us eat a diet that contains practically no magnesium — a highly-processed, refined diet that is based mostly on white flour, meat, and dairy (all of which have no magnesium).

When was the last time you had a good dose of sea vegetables (seaweed), nuts, greens, and beans? If you are like most Americans, your nut consumption mostly comes from peanut butter, and mostly in chocolate peanut butter cups.

Much of modern life conspires to help us lose what little magnesium we do get in our diet. Magnesium levels are decreased by excess alcohol, salt, coffee, phosphoric acid in colas, profuse sweating, prolonged or intense stress, chronic diarrhea, excessive menstruation, diuretics (water pills), antibiotics and other drugs, and some intestinal parasites. In fact, in one study in Kosovo, people under chronic war stress lost large amounts of magnesium in their urine.

This is all further complicated by the fact that magnesium is often poorly absorbed and easily lost from our bodies. To properly absorb magnesium we need a lot of it in our diet, plus enough vitamin B6, vitamin D, and selenium to get the job done.

A recent scientific review of magnesium concluded, “It is highly regrettable that the deficiency of such an inexpensive, low-toxicity nutrient results in diseases that cause incalculable suffering and expense throughout the world.” (ii) I couldn’t’ have said it better myself.

It is difficult to measure and hard to study, but magnesium deficiency accounts for untold suffering — and is simple to correct. So if you suffer from any of the symptoms I mentioned or have any of the diseases I noted, don’t worry — it is an easy fix!! Here’s how.

Stop Draining Your Body of Magnesium

  • Limit coffee, colas, salt, sugar, and alcohol
  • Learn how to practice active relaxation
  • Check with your doctor if your medication is causing magnesium loss (many high blood pressure drugs or diuretics cause loss of magnesium)

Eat Foods High in Magnesium

Include the following in your diet as often as you can:
Kelp, wheat bran, wheat germ, almonds, cashews, buckwheat, brazil nuts, dulse, filberts, millet, pecans, walnuts, rye, tofu, soy beans, brown rice, figs, dates, collard greens, shrimp, avocado, parsley, beans, barley, dandelion greens, and garlic

Take Magnesium Supplements

  • The RDA (the minimum amount needed) for magnesium is about 300 mg a day. Most of us get far less than 200 mg.
  • Some may need much more depending on their condition.
  • Most people benefit from 400 to 1,000 mg a day.
  • The most absorbable forms are magnesium citrate, glycinate taurate, or aspartate, although magnesium bound to Kreb cycle chelates (malate, succinate, fumarate) are also good.
  • Avoid magnesium carbonate, sulfate, gluconate, and oxide. They are poorly absorbed (and the cheapest and most common forms found in supplements).
  • Side effects from too much magnesium include diarrhea, which can be avoided if you switch to magnesium glycinate.
  • Most minerals are best taken as a team with other minerals in a multi-mineral formula.
  • Taking a hot bath with Epsom salts (magnesium sulfate) is a good way to absorb and get much needed magnesium.
People with kidney disease or severe heart disease should take magnesium only under a doctor’s supervision.

So if you’re coping with the symptoms here, relax! Magnesium is truly a miracle mineral. It is essential for lifelong vibrant health.

Now I’d like to hear from you…

Do you suffer from any of the symptoms I’ve mentioned?

Do you currently take a magnesium supplement? What results have you noticed?

Which of the tips mentioned above do you plan to try?

Please share your thoughts by leaving a comment below.

To your good health,

Mark Hyman, MD


Thanks for taking the time to read this article. If you found this information helpful, please share it with your friends and family. Your support in our endeavor of sharing free information would be much appreciated.

Follow us on Facebook to stay updated with what's going Viral in the Alternative News scene. https://www.facebook.com/ViralAlternativeNews


By drhyman.com. via The Hearty Soul

References
(i) Tong, GM and RK Rude. 2005. Magnesium deficiency in critical illness. J Intensive Care Med 20 (1):3-17. Review.
(ii) S. Johnson. 2001. The multifaceted and widespread pathology of magnesium deficiency. Med Hypotheses 56(2): 163-70

Image Source:

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Unbelievable Reasons You Urgently Need More Magnesium (and the best foods to get it)


For your bones, your blood sugar, your cancer risk - the reasons to correct a magnesium deficiency are almost endless.

  
Magnesium is the fourth most abundant mineral in your body, and is the reason why vegetables are green.  But few people fully appreciate the importance of this miraculous mineral. 
The human genome project reveals that 3,751 human proteins have binding sites for magnesium.[i]  And so far we know this one essential mineral activates over 350 biochemical processes in the body to keep things flowing.

Plants are green because they contain the light-harvesting molecule chlorophyll which bears a striking resemblance to human hemoglobin (with the difference that the latter contains an oxygen-binding iron atom and not magnesium).

Here are just seven good reasons to get more magnesium-rich foods in your diet today.

1. Prevent Migraines.

According to University of Vermont Professor of Neurology and migraine expert Robert Shapiro, M.D., Ph.D., every year nearly one in five Americans experience some form of migraine attack.  One in 25 will have headaches lasting at least 15 days per month. These disabling attacks include severe one-sided, throbbing headaches, and sensitivity to light and sound.  They may also involve nasal congestion, cloudy thinking, and nausea.

In one study of 133 migraine patients, supplementing with 500 mg of magnesium oxide for just 12 weeks significantly improved the frequency and severity of migraines.[ii]

And a double blind, placebo controlled study from Kaiser Permanente showed that supplementing with magnesium significantly cut the number of days children suffered with a migraine.[iii]


2. Lower Heart Disease Mortality.  

A study in the journal Atherosclerosis found that people with low magnesium levels were more than twice as likely to die of heart disease.  They were also more than seven times as likely to die from all causes.[iv]

3. Manage Diabetes. 

Magnesium deficiency is common among type 2 diabetics, especially those with neuropathy or coronary disease.[v]  A Harvard study found that diabetics taking 320 mg of magnesium for up to 16 weeks significantly improved their fasting blood sugar levels as well as their HDL (good) cholesterol.[vi]

4. Relieve Symptoms of Fibromyalgia.

A double blind, placebo controlled study from the University of Texas showed that magnesium malate improves pain and tenderness in fibromyalgia patients.[vii]

5. Lower Risk of Colon Cancer.

Epidemiologic studies link low magnesium levels with higher rates of colorectal cancer.  And a meta-analysis from China confirms that higher magnesium intakes are associated with a lower risk of colorectal cancer and especially colon cancer.

The Chinese researchers analyzed eight prospective studies covering 338,979 participants. Their results, published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, found the highest average intake of magnesium was associated with an 11% reduction in colorectal cancer risk compared to the lowest average intake.

In addition, for every 50 mg per day increase in magnesium, colon cancer was reduced by 7%.
An earlier meta-analysis by Imperial College London and Wageningen University found that for every 100 mg increase in magnesium, colorectal cancer decreased by 13%.

6. Build Strong Bones.

Studies find a significant association between bone density and magnesium levels.[viii]  But magnesium content of bones decreases with age.[ix]  In addition, sugar and alcohol cause magnesium to be lost through the urine.

Magnesium assists calcium in building bone strength,[x] but it does much more.  It stimulates the hormone calcitonin.  That helps draw calcium out of the blood and soft tissues and put it back into the bones. Too much calcium in the blood and tissues can increase the risk of arthritis, heart attack, and kidney stones, as well as osteoporosis.[xi]

And getting more magnesium may mean you need less than the government’s recommended 1,200 mg of calcium per day.  One study in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that increasing magnesium while lowering calcium to 500 mg per day was enough to increase bone density.[xii]

7. Reduce Signs of Metabolic Syndrome

Mexican researchers looked at the effects of taking oral magnesium supplements on people they categorized as “metabolically obese, normal-weight (MONW) individuals.”

MONW individuals have a body mass index under 25 which is considered normal weight.  But they also have hyperinsulinemia and or insulin resistance.  And they have high triglycerides and high blood pressure.  As a result, these individuals are at higher risk of developing cardiovascular disease and diabetes.

The researchers studied 47 MONW individuals who had low magnesium levels.  In a randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trial one group received a daily solution of 30 ml of magnesium (equivalent to 382 mg).  The control group received 30 ml of a placebo solution.

Their results were published in the Archives of Medical Research.  After only 4 months, markers of metabolic syndrome were significantly lower in the magnesium group.  They lowered their systolic pressure by 2.1 points and their diastolic pressure by 3.8 points.  Their fasting blood glucose levels dropped 12.3 points and their triglycerides plunged 47.4%.

Magnesium is also known to:
Symptoms of magnesium deficiency include constipation and other digestive problems, low energy, and irregularities in menstrual flow and reproductive health, and migraine headaches.

Magnesium also relaxes the body from tightness, tension, tics, spasms, cramps and stiffness.  And it helps prevent the buildup of plaque on your teeth, in your heart and arteries, and even in your brain.
The recommended daily allowance for magnesium is 420 mg for men or 320 mg for women.  But it’s estimated that between 80% and 90% of Americans are magnesium deficient.  One government study showed that 68% of American women do not consume the recommended daily amount of magnesium.  Almost 20% don’t even get half of the recommended amount.[xiii]

In addition, the use of oral contraceptives, diuretics, and laxa­tives can make magnesium deficiencies worse.

Magnesium deficiency is relatively easy to remedy with food.  One of the richest sources of magnesium is high quality chocolate. Dark chocolate has a whopping 176 mg of magnesium in a 3.5 ounce bar.  In fact, if you crave chocolate your body may be telling you it’s low in magnesium.
Other high magnesium foods include:
  • Dried seaweeds
  • Dark leafy greens (especially collards, spinach and Swiss chard)
  • Broccoli
  • Beans
  • Whole grains (especially millet, brown rice and quinoa)
  • Almonds, cashews, and filberts
  • Sesame seeds
  • Lentils
  • Avocados
  • Wheatgrass
  • Spirulina ​and chlorella​​
Magnesium supplements are also widely available. They come in many forms including oxide, citrate, carbonate, aspartate, and lactate.  Magnesium oxide is the least expensive but also the most difficult for the body to absorb.  Magnesium citrate helps with constipation.  Magnesium glycinate is a better choice if you don’t want the laxative effect.

Some people have difficulty absorbing magnesium in an oral supplement form.  If you eat a high fiber diet, for example, your body doesn’t absorb as much magnesium.  Also, taking diuretics, antibiotics or proton pump inhibitors for acid reflux all interfere with magnesium absorption.

For better absorption, try magnesium chloride, or a form known as iMCH, which can be applied topically.  It has been called the most effective form of magnesium for cellular detoxification and tissue purification.  It comes in the form of oil.  You can spray this directly on your skin or even soak your feet in it.  The liquid magnesium bypasses the intestines and is absorbed directly into the tissues of the body.

Visit GreenMedInfo’s page on magnesium documenting well over 100 health benefits of magnesium. Also, check out their cutting edge report on how chlorophyll (what makes veggies green!) can help your body to capture the energy of sunlight, with positive consequences to your health and well being.



Thanks for taking the time to read this article. If you found this information helpful, please share it with your friends and family. Your support in our endeavor of sharing free information would be much appreciated.

Follow us on Facebook to stay updated with what's going Viral in the Alternative News scene. https://www.facebook.com/ViralAlternativeNews


By Margie King via greenmedinfo.com.

Sources:

https://www.consumerlab.com/reviews/magnesium-supplement-review/magnesium/
http://www.healthcentral.com/medications/r/medications/magnesium-chloride-oral-10702
http://www.ancient-mineral s.com/products/

Image Source:

http://pad1.whstatic.com/images/thumb/1/18/Use-Reflexology-for-Fibromyalgia-Step-9.jpg/670px-Use-Reflexology-for-Fibromyalgia-Step-9.jpg
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