BETTER NUTRITION HEflLTHY HPNDBOOK

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THE NñTUROPflTH | BY EMILY ñ. KPINE, ND, Lflc

MAGNESIUMThe shocking reasons you may not be getting enough of this vital mineral—and how to change that

Q: I have been hearing a lot about magnesium lately.Why is it so important and how much should I take?—Kim V., Goleta, GA

A: Magnesium intake in the average American diet has declineddramatically in the past 100 years. Boiling vegetables causes a50-percent magnesium content loss. Brown rice loses 80 percentof its magnesium content when refined into white rice. Magne-sium is rarely added back to the soil in conventional farmingmethods, which depend on synthetic fertilizers. Additionally,most Americans now eat fewer of the foods traditionally rich inmagnesium (tofu, legumes, seeds, nuts, whole grains, and greenleaf\- vegetables), preferring calories from refined foods, meat,and dairy products, all of which are low in magnesium.

After potassium, magnesium is the most concentratedintracelUilar mineral. About 60 percent of the magnesium in thebddy is found in bone, 26 percent in muscle, and the rest in theorgans and blood. Although calcium supplementation gets all theheadlines, magnesium deficiency is much more likely to be aproblem than calcium deficiency.

Magnesium is critical to almost all enzymatic functions in thebody. It is involved in energy production, protein formation, cellreplication, and muscle relaxation. For example, magnesium isessential in the biodicmical cycle that converts sugar to ATP(adenosine triphosphate, which is the "fuel" or energy for humancells). )ust as iron is the mineral "heme" in red blood cells,îTiagnesium is the central heme of chlorophyll, which can bethought of as "plant blood." A heme is a mineral that acts like amagnet to bind oxygen to living cells. Plant life would not exist\\ ithout magnesium, and without plants there would be nooxygen f)r food on the planet, nor any human beings!

Magnesium is also hugely important in contractile tissue—which means muscles and arteries. Magnesium and calcium worktogether to promote smooth muscle relaxation (magnesium) andcontraction (calcium). Because magnesium acts as a naturalcalcium channel blocker, supplementation to at least the minimaldaily requirement of about 500 mg can help reduce bloodpressure (vascular resistance) and promijte more efficient heartfunction.

Many cardiovascular problems can be helped with adequatemagnesium supplementadon. It is well established that peoplewho die from heart attacks (myocardial infarctions) have lowerheart magnesium levels than people of the same age dying fromother causes. Intravenous magnesium therapy is widely used in

liurope to reduce the damage from a heart attack. Becausemagnesium can improve energy production within the heart anddilate the coronary arteries (promodng improved oxygen flow tothe heart muscle), adequate magnesium status wül protect againstangina, arrhythmias, enlarged heart, congestive heart failure,hypertension, intermittent claudicadon (a tjfpe of intense vascularleg cramp), mitral valve prolapse, stroke, and toxemia of pregnancy.

Magnesium is also well-documented to aid many othercommon health problems, including fibromyalgia, glaucoma,hearing loss, hvpoglycemia, kidney stones, migraines, osteoporosis,PMS, and menstrual cramps. If you are prone to kidney stones,beware ot calcium supplementadon, as well as spinach, rhubarb,and strawberries, which are high in oxalic acid (which is linked tokidney stones). The only occasionally unwanted side etfect otmagnesium is that, as a muscle relaxant, il will sotnelitiies cause aloose stool. This simply means your bod)' can t absorb the wholedose you took the prior day. Try taking magnesium in two divideddoses of 250 mg each.

Most forms of magnesium are well absorbed, althoughmagnesium oxide is not the best torm. Better forms includemagnesium aspartate, citrate, glycinate, or malate. ll is best to lakemagnesium in the evening, when it can act as a light relaxant anilpromote gooti sleep. I j)ok for a progressive multivitamin ormineral that contains equal amounts ot magnesium wwá calcium.If you can't find any, take additional magnesium at beiitinie. Ifyou take a supplement that contains, say, 500 mg ot calcium and200 mg of magnesium, hardly any of the magnesium will be takenup, because absorption will be blocked by the calcium.

Magnesium sulfate can be found very inexpensi\'ely in big bagson the bottom shelf of most health food stores. This wonderfulform of magnesium is more usually known as "lipsom salts" and

continued on page 34

A graduate of Bastyr University, Emily Kane, ND, LAc,specializes in gynecology, herbs, and naturopathicmanipulation. Kane maintains a practice in Juneau,Alaska. Visit her online at dremilykane.com.

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BETTER NUTRITION HEflLTHY HflNDBOOK

MAGNESIUMDEFICIENT?Common symptoms of

magnesium deficiency include:

• acute pancreatitis

• asthma

• chronic fatigue

• excessive noise/pain sensitivity

• high blood pressure

• kidney stones

• nervousness and anxiety

• muscle spasms/tics/cramps

• memory/concentration problems

• insomnia

• rapid or irregular heartbeats

• chronic constipation

• migraines and tension headaches

• emotional instability

continued trom page 32

is well absorbed through the skiti.Magnesium very effectively displaceslactic acid (a byproduct of anaerobicrespiration), wliich is why Rpsom salts areso helpful to athletes after a hard workout.For any kind of cramping or threatenedmuscle cramping, make time before bedfor a long soak in a warm (not scorchinghot) tub of water with several cups ofEpsom salts poured into the water. Don'tuse Epsom salts internally, because theyhave too strong of a laxative effect.

Magnesium is not routinely tneasuredon standard lab tests. ( )ne reasf)n for thisis that by the time magnesium shows up asdeficient in the bloodstream, symptomswould most certainly have appeared—magnesium is that critical for heart andother organ function. To evaluate yourmagnesium status, the best test is a red

blood cell magnesium test, which assessesthe reserves of rnagnesium in the body.

Finland may serve as an example of theperils of a high-calcium/low-magnesiumdiet, which is prevalent in this northerncountry. Published research shows thatthe average Finn ingests 1,300 mg ofdietary calcium daily (possibly the highestifi the world) and yet Finland is plaguedwith an exceptionally high death rate fromcardiovascular diseases. Japan, with thelowest heart disease rate of modernizedcountries, has a roughly 1 to 1 calcium/tTiagnesium dietary ratio. For most people,about 6 rng of magtiesiutn per kilogramof body weight is necessary to ensureoptimal fnagnesiutii status. This is aitiiost3 mg of rnagnesiutii per pound of bodyweight, or 300 mg for a 1 lO-poutidperson, and 540 mg for a 20()-pountlperson.

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