General Information:
Magnesium is the fourth most abundant mineral in the body and is essential to good health. Approximately 50% of total body magnesium is found in bone. The other half is found predominantly inside cells of body tissues and organs. Only 1% of magnesium is found in blood, but the body works very hard to keep blood levels of magnesium constant [1].
Magnesium is needed for more than 300 biochemical reactions in the body. It helps maintain normal muscle and nerve function, keeps heart rhythm steady, supports a healthy immune system, and keeps bones strong. Magnesium also helps regulate blood sugar levels, promotes normal blood pressure, and is known to be involved in energy metabolism and protein synthesis [2-3]. There is an increased interest in the role of magnesium in preventing and managing disorders such as hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. Dietary magnesium is absorbed in the small intestines. Magnesium is excreted through the kidneys [1-3,4].
Data from the 1999-2000 National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey suggest that substantial numbers of adults in the United States (US) fail to get recommended amounts of magnesium in their diets. Among adult men and women, the diets of Caucasians have significantly more magnesium than do those of African-Americans. Magnesium intake is lower among older adults in every racial and ethnic group. Among African-American men and Caucasian men and women who take dietary supplements, the intake of magnesium is significantly higher than in those who do not [5].
References
Rude RK. Magnesium deficiency: A cause of heterogeneous disease in humans. J Bone Miner Res 1998;13:749-58. [PubMed abstract]
Wester PO. Magnesium. Am J Clin Nutr 1987;45:1305-12. [PubMed abstract]
Saris NE, Mervaala E, Karppanen H, Khawaja JA, Lewenstam A. Magnesium: an update on physiological, clinical, and analytical aspects. Clinica Chimica Acta 2000;294:1-26.
Institute of Medicine. Food and Nutrition Board. Dietary Reference Intakes: Calcium, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Vitamin D and Fluoride. National Academy Press. Washington, DC, 1999.
Ford ES and Mokdad AH. Dietary magnesium intake in a national sample of U.S. adults. J Nutr. 2003;133:2879-82.
Is your daily magnesium intake sufficient to keep you healthy?
Virtually all chemical reactions in the body require an enzyme system to help these biochemical reactions take place. Magnesium is a critical co-factor in more than 300 enzymatic reactions in the human body. The sad part is that magnesium deficiency is one of the top mineral deficiencies in the world and because of it, cardiovascular disease and other maladies are increasing year after year.
In America, magnesium supplementation is readily available but mainly in sub-optimum forms, such as magnesium sulfate or straight magnesium oxide. Magnesium is also vastly under-utilized by the medical profession and is more important in patient therapy than most physicians realize or will admit to. There are over 200 published clinical studies documenting the need for magnesium, so what is the solution? The solution in safeguarding that you and your family will maintain healthy magnesium levels is by adding our Calm (Magnesium capsules) into your daily routine. Our magnesium capsules supply three forms of magnesium to ensure a high absorption rate and are thus fast acting.
Symptoms of magnesium depletion:
Here are just some of the positive signs that one may be experiencing magnesium deficiency:
- Low Energy
- Fatigue & Fibromyalgia
- PMS and Hormonal Imbalances
- Inability to Sleep (Insomnia)
- Restless Leg Syndrome
- Headaches (including migraines)
- Muscle Tension & Cramping
- Backaches
- Calcification of Organs & Kidney Stones
- Weakening Bones (Osteoporosis)
- Heart-Related Difficulties (Arrhythmias)
- Anxiousness, Nervousness, Irritability, etc.
What are some current issues about magnesium?
Magnesium and blood pressure
"Epidemiological evidence suggests that magnesium may play an important role in regulating blood pressure [1]." Diets that provide plenty of fruits and vegetables, which are good sources of potassium and magnesium, are consistently associated with lower blood pressure [2-4]. The DASH study (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension), a human clinical trial, suggested that high blood pressure could be significantly lowered by a diet that emphasizes fruits, vegetables, and low fat dairy foods. Such a diet will be high in magnesium, potassium, and calcium, and low in sodium and fat [5-8].
Magnesium and diabetes
Diabetes is a disease resulting from insufficient production and/or inefficient use of insulin. Insulin is a hormone made by the pancreas. Insulin helps convert sugar and starches in food into energy to sustain life. Magnesium plays an important role in carbohydrate metabolism. It may influence the release and activity of insulin, the hormone that helps control blood glucose (sugar) levels [9].
Magnesium and cardiovascular disease
Magnesium metabolism is very important to insulin sensitivity and blood pressure regulation, and magnesium deficiency is common in individuals with diabetes. The observed associations between magnesium metabolism, diabetes, and high blood pressure increase the likelihood that magnesium metabolism may influence cardiovascular disease [10].
Magnesium and osteoporosis
Bone health is supported by many factors, most notably calcium and vitamin D. However, some evidence suggests that magnesium deficiency may be an additional risk factor for postmenopausal osteoporosis [1]. This may be due to the fact that magnesium deficiency alters calcium metabolism and the hormones that regulate calcium [11].
Magnesium and migraine headaches
Individuals who suffer from recurrent migraine headaches have lower intracellular magnesium levels (demonstrated in both red blood cells and white blood cells) than individuals who do not experience migraines (12). Oral magnesium supplementation has been shown to increase intracellular magnesium levels in individuals with migraines, leading to the hypothesis that magnesium supplementation might be helpful in decreasing the frequency and severity of migraine headaches.
References:
- Institute of Medicine. Food and Nutrition Board. Dietary Reference Intakes: Calcium, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Vitamin D and Fluoride. National Academy Press. Washington, DC, 1999.
- Appel LJ. Nonpharmacologic therapies that reduce blood pressure: A fresh perspective. Clin Cardiol 1999;22:1111-5. [PubMed abstract]
- Simopoulos AP. The nutritional aspects of hypertension. Compr Ther 1999;25:95-100. [PubMed abstract]
- Appel LJ, Moore TJ, Obarzanek E, Vollmer WM, Svetkey LP, Sacks FM, Bray GA, Vogt TM, Cutler JA, Windhauser MM, Lin PH, Karanja N. A clinical trial of the effects of dietary patterns on blood pressure. N Engl J Med 1997;336:1117-24. [PubMed abstract]
- Sacks FM, Obarzanek E, Windhauser MM, Svetkey LP, Vommer WM, McCullough M, Karanja N, Lin PH, Steele P, Praschen MA, Evans M, Appel LJ, Bray GA, Vogt T, Moore MD for the DASH investigators. Rationale and design of the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension trial (DASH). A multicenter controlled-feeding study of dietary patterns to lower blood pressure. Ann Epidemiol 1995;5:108-18. [PubMed abstract]
- Sacks FM, Appel LJ, Moore TJ, Obarzanek E, Vollmer WM, Svetkey LP, Bray GA, Vogt TM, Cutler JA, Windhauser MM, Lin PH, Karanja N. A dietary approach to prevent hypertension: A review of the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) Study. Clin Cardiol 1999;22:6-10. [PubMed abstract]
- Svetkey LP, Simons-Morton D, Vollmer WM, Appel LJ, Conlin PR, Ryan DH, Ard J, Kennedy BM. Effects of dietary patterns on blood pressure: Subgroup analysis of the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension (DASH) randomized clinical trial. Arch Intern Med 1999;159:285-93. [PubMed abstract]
- Ettinger, MS. How to lower your blood pressure in only 14 days. 16 Aug 2009 [Blog Post]
- Kobrin SM and Goldfarb S. Magnesium Deficiency. Semin Nephrol 1990;10:525-35. [PubMed abstract]
- Altura BM and Altura BT. Magnesium and cardiovascular biology: An important link between cardiovascular risk factors and atherogenesis. Cell Mol Biol Res 1995;41:347-59. [PubMed abstract]
- Elisaf M, Milionis H, Siamopoulos K. Hypomagnesemic hypokalemia and hypocalcemia: Clinical and laboratory characteristics. Mineral Electrolyte Metab 1997;23:105-12. [PubMed abstract]
- Mauskop A, Altura BM. Role of magnesium in the pathogenesis and treatment of migraines. Clin Neurosci. 1998;5(1):24-27. [PubMed abstract]