|
Magnesium
Why does the body need magnesium?
In
order to function correctly and efficiently your body
needs many nutrients. Magnesium is a key ingredient. Over three hundred
biochemical and bioelectric reactions depend on
magnesium to occur. Magnesium is necessary
for functioning of enzymes, the health of heart
arteries, protein production & nerve function.
Magnesium
is necessary for the correct assimilation of calcium
and potassium. All the major minerals
(calcium, potassium & sodium) are dependent on
magnesium being present in order to function.
Magnesium is needed for bone
strength, muscle strength as well as the functioning
of the nervous system.
What does a deficiency of magnesium cause?
You
body will be performing with less that full capacity
with a deficiency. These processes will not occur very
efficiently, or may not happen at all.
The principal function of magnesium is that it enables
muscles to relax. With inadequate magnesium, the
muscles cramp. When this happens to the heart muscles
the heart does not go through a complete relaxation
phase, and the next calcium-driven contraction begins
before the relaxation is complete. This results in
rapid heart beat and irregular heart rate known as
arrhythmia. Heart failure resulting from fibrillation and
lesions in the small arteries is linked to this deficiency of
magnesium.
Magnesium deficiency is
thought to be closely related to coronary heart
disease, including myocardial necrosis. An inadequate
supply of this mineral may result in the formation of
clots in the heart and brain and may contribute to
calcium deposits in the kidneys blood vessels, and
heart.
Symptoms
of Deficiency
Symptoms of a deficiency may include
gastrointestinal disorders, irregular heart rhythm,
lack of coordination, muscle twitch, tremors,
weakness, apprehensiveness, personality changes,
disorientation, confusion, depression, and
irritability.
A deficiency interferes with nerve and
muscle impulses. Long-term deficiency can lead to a calcium deficiency, alcoholic
hallucinations, unusual face and eye movement,
alopecia (baldness), swollen gums, and lesions of the
gums.
The
symptoms of magnesium deficiency are identical with
many of the symptoms of thyroid disease, especially
hyperthyroidism.
A slight deficiency and you will notice slight
depression and lack of well-being.
When there is more of a deficiency, you can start
getting headaches, pain in the lower back, stiff,
tight muscles, particularly in the back. It can
then progress to muscle cramps, calcium deposits,
muscle twitches and tics and high blood
pressure. You can start to get nervous, feel
like you're getting old, have trouble sleeping and
wake up feeling tired.
You body can go
into spasms, involuntary and abnormal muscular
contractions and jerks. It
can progress to chest pain, called angina
pectoris. You heart can start racing and
can go out of rhythm.
There are study's that show that fibromyalgia is
associated with magnesium deficiency.
All
because of a deficiency of magnesium? The
body cannot function unless it has sufficient amounts
of this mineral.
Magnesium and Calcium
Calcium, a major
mineral, needs magnesium in order to assimilate into
the body.
Calcium, however, should never be taken on
its own. Otherwise, it will pull magnesium out of body
parts in order to assimilate. This creates a greater
magnesium deficiency and the person will feel worse.
This can occur with people who drinks a lot of milk. Milk is about
8 calcium to 1 magnesium and it will create a
magnesium deficiency.
Since magnesium
regulates the entrance and utilization of calcium in
the cells, without magnesium,
calcium remains in the body unused. This will
result in calcium deposits in the joints (often called
arthritis), gallstones, kidney stones, hardening of
the arteries, and in extreme
cases calcification of the brain and other body organs
and parts. This, in turn, can result in loss of memory
and loss of ability to reason. All of these conditions have
frequently been known to disappear after taking extra
magnesium,
Excess calcium combined with low magnesium
will create osteoporosis and fragile bones.
From this you can deduce that it is contra
survival to take calcium without magnesium. The rule
is "Never take calcium without magnesium. Calcium
depends on magnesium for it to assimilate. Magnesium,
on the other hand, doesn't require calcium in order to
function.
Excess calcium can become a real
problem. Excess magnesium, on the other hand, is
impossible.
What
Depletes Magnesium from the body?
Modern
stresses, whether chemical, environmental, physical or mental,
frequently deplete magnesium reserves (which are often
depleted faster than calcium reserves). This can cause
a magnesium deficiency and the resultant symptoms of
internal stress, even when the person does take
magnesium supplements if he takes more calcium than
magnesium (which is very common). Extra
magnesium can often mean the difference between a
stressed body and a completely relaxed one.
Things that deplete the body of magnesium: These items
dramatically speed up the depletion of your body's
magnesium storage, and make it necessary for much more
magnesium to be consumed:
- Mental stress
- Physical stress
- Coffee
- Sugar
- High
sodium diet
- Alcohol
- Cola-type sodas
- Tobacco
- High perspiration
- Medical
drugs of all types, especially diuretics, digitalis
- Low thyroid
- Diabetes
- Chronic pain
- A
high carbohydrate diet
- A low carbohydrate diet
- A
high calcium diet.
- A low calorie diet
- Because of the competing nature of calcium and
magnesium, excessive calcium intake from foods or
supplements can lead to a magnesium deficiency.
- Disease such as pancreatitis, arteriosclerosis,
kidney malfunction.
- Malabsorption problems caused by chronic
diarrhea or vomiting.
- Flouride
- High zinc levels
According to the Nutrition Almanac, "Magnesium
deficiency can easily occur because magnesium is
refined out of many foods during processing. Cooking
food removes the minerals; the oxalic acid in foods
like spinach and phytic acid found in cereals bind
magnesium in the body, as do unbalanced amounts of
salts.."
Beneficial Effects of Magnesium
Magnesium is vital in helping prevent
heart attacks....After a heart attack, it has been
found that supplementation provided a much higher
survival rate and showed far less life-threatening
dysrhythmias.
It has also proved beneficial in the
treatment of neuromuscular disorders, nervousness,
tantrums, depression, sensitivity to noise, and hand
tremor.
Supplementing helps control dizziness,
muscle weakness, twitching, heart disease, and high
blood pressure.
Magnesium reduces blood cholesterol and keep
the arteries healthy. It is used for controlling
convulsions in pregnant women, premature labor, and
epileptic seizures.
Chocolate is a good source of magnesium and has a
high magnesium to calcium ratio (about 4:1). When Magnesium
is low the craving for chocolate may be due to
a need for magnesium.
RECOMMENDED:
Magnesium Supplement - Natural
Vitality Natural
Calm
Natural Calm is a 100
percent natural water soluble magnesium powder of the
highest quality. Natural Calm handles excess calcium
in the body and gradually dissolves calcium deposits,
giving a new lease on life and instant relief to many
symptoms of magnesium depletion.
What makes Natural Calm so
special over other forms of magnesium supplements is
that it is water soluble and assimilates instantly and
thoroughly, and works even in cases of highly impaired
digestion.
Learn More by
clicking on this link.
Magnesium Based Anti-Stress
Drink
STILL HAVE QUESTIONS?
CALL 818
252-1038 OR EMAIL AND GET YOUR
QUESTIONS ANSWERED.
To receive
the McVitamins Newsletter, please signup
here:
Search
Home
Health
Tips Health Concerns
Site Index
Glossary
© 2000-2010 McVitamins
. All Rights Reserved. Reproduction of this website in full or in part is prohibited without the express written permission of McVitamins
We have used our best judgment in compiling this information. The Food and Drug Administration may not have evaluated the information presented. Any reference to a specific product is for your information only and is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease
|