Magnesium Deficiency
Magnesium is probably my favorite supplement! It’s becoming every practitioners best friend! As we get older our bodies become less efficient at absorbing minerals and considering magnesium is the 4th most abundant mineral in the body we require plenty of it to be replenished.
It’s used by every organ in the body to build DNA and for detoxification. In our culture today we tend to consume too much calcium and not enough magnesium. This is what causes our muscles to go into spasm and is linked to heart attacks. The calcium causes the heart muscles to contract and there isn’t enough magnesium to allow it to relax again.
Unfortunately, it’s being farmed out of the soil over the years so even thought it’s found in green vegetables the quality is not as it once was. It’s still important, however, to eat plenty of rich green vegetables, beans, nuts, seeds, avocados and seaweed to top up your magnesium. In most cases we require a supplement (preferably powder form) to be sure you’re receiving a good dose and the right absorption.
There’s new evidence to show that magnesium L-threonate is better absorbed and has amazing cell penetration. This is important because the majority of our magnesium lives in our cells not in our blood (this is why blood tests rarely show magnesium deficiency). Whichever source you use make sure it doesn’t contain too many unnecessary fillers – Vit D, Vit K2 and calcium also help better the absorption of magnesium.
Within the clinic I see so may ailments easily remedied with a daily dose of magnesium powder. Most commonly are headaches, constipation, insomnia and nervousness. There’s plenty of evidence showing a long list of issues caused by magnesium deficiency.
- asthma
- blood clots
- bowel disease
- cystitis
- depression
- diabetes
- heart disease
- hypertention
- hypoglycemia
- kidney disease
- liver disease
- migraine
- nerve problems
- PMS, infertility, pre-eclampsia
- osteroporosis
- Renauds disease
- tooth decay
Common symptoms we see in the clinic are
- fatigue
- weakness
- eye twitches
- muscle spasms
- abnormal heart rhythms
- headaches
Also important to note that too much sugar causes our body to excrete magnesium through the kidneys leading to a deficiency. Other than foods and supplements, magnesium can be absorbed through the skin by doing epsom baths and using oil a few times a week. Ask your practitioner if you could benefit from some form of supplementation.
Read our blog re Vitamin D deficiency…as well..
