Miraculous Magnesium

1. Magnesium is a cofactor assisting 325 enzymes and affecting thousands more in catalyzing most chemical reactions in the body, including temperature regulation.

2. Magnesium produces and transports energy.

3. Magnesium is necessary for the synthesis of protein.

4. Magnesium helps to transmit nerve signals.

5. Magnesium helps to relax muscles.

This is a concise statement of what magnesium does. Be sure to do the research to find out just what all of this means for you.
--from The Magnesium Miracle

Dr. Whitaker, of Whitaker Wellness Institute, tells us: "Magnesium is one of the most potent, versatile, and safe therapies available. Yet this mineral is woefully underused in American medicine. Here are just a few examples of the healing power of miraculous magnesium."

Lowers Blood Pressure
In one recent study, Korean researchers evaluated the effects of supplemental magnesium on blood pressure. They found that among the study participants with hypertension, those who took 300 mg of magnesium daily for three months had marked reductions in blood pressure compared to those who took a placebo pill. Systolic/diastolic pressures fell 17.1/6.7 mmHg in the magnesium group and 3.4/0.8 in the placebo group.

Results might have been even more significant with higher doses. A meta-analysis involving 20 randomized clinical trials revealed that for each 240 mg increase in magnesium intake, systolic/diastolic pressures dropped by an average of 4.3/2.3 mmHg. Why is this important?

Because whenever systolic pressure decreases by 20 points and diastolic pressure falls 10 points, your risk of having a stroke or developing heart disease is cut in half!

Prevents Diabetes and Its Complications
Anyone concerned about diabetes should also be taking magnesium. Swedish scientists reviewed the published studies that looked at magnesium and risk of diabetes and found that for every 100 mg increase in daily intake of magnesium, there was a 15 percent decrease in the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Magnesium is even more important if you already have diabetes. Diabetes is a nutritional wasting disease. When blood sugar is high, it becomes a powerful diuretic that leads to increased urination. Unfortunately, this results in losses of virtually all water-soluble nutrients, leading to deficiencies in a number of vitamins and minerals-including magnesium.

This is problematic because low magnesium levels not only make controlling blood sugar more difficult but also increase risk of diabetic complications. For example, studies show that individuals with the lowest levels of magnesium are the most likely to have severe diabetic retinopathy. As you can see, shoring up on magnesium is absolutely critical for people with diabetes or metabolic syndrome.

Improves Sleep and Endurance
This mineral is also helpful for more run-of-the-mill problems. One of my patients, Elizabeth, had a long history of insomnia. Her busy mind made sleep elusive. She wanted to try something safe and natural that wouldn't leave her with the groggy "hangover" that many sleep aids cause, so I suggested she try magnesium citrate half an hour before bedtime.

It changed her life. "Before I started following Dr. Whitaker's advice, I would lie awake with my mind going a mile a minute. But now, I sleep like a baby and wake up feeling rejuvenated and refreshed."

At the opposite end of the spectrum, magnesium also improves energy and endurance. Both intravenous (IV) and injected magnesium have been successfully used to treat chronic fatigue, and we often give magnesium shots to patients complaining of low energy. These injections, which patients can learn to give themselves, often result in significant increases in energy and vitality.

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The Recommendations

Avoid:
Food additives, artificial sweeteners, sugar, and wheat. Eat whole foods, they should be natural, non GMO, and organic if possible. Avoid all processed and junk foods. Since both yeast and IBS are associated with anxiety and depression, avoid processed baked goods.

Note: Exercise is an excellent natural treatment for both anxiety and depression. It is advisable for everyone to move regularly

Magnesium:

The suggested dose of oral magnesium is 500-1,000 mg daily. It comes in several forms (citrate, aspartate, etc.) and all are acceptable. For nighttime use, I recommend a rapidly bio-available, powdered form of magnesium citrate called Magna-Calm. To use, dissolve in water and drink approximately 30 minutes before bedtime.

Large amounts of magnesium can cause diarrhea. To avoid this potential side effect, build up your dose gradually. Or, use a combination of ingested magnesium and magnesium oil.

To learn more about the therapeutic benefits of this supplement, read The Magnesium Factor by Mildred Seelig, MD, or The Magnesium Miracle by Carolyn Dean, MD ND, available i from various online retailers.

If you're interested in receiving IV magnesium or magnesium injections , contact the Whitaker Wellness Institute, or Dr. Carolyn Dean or another trained Nature path.

Just remember, we don't want to be deficient in magnesium, but we don't want to drown in it either or leave out other important nutrients.

Balance is important.

We (generally speaking) eat a diet that has practically no magnesium in it. Our diet is processed and refined with lots of white bread, white flour, meat and dairy-all of which have no magnesium.
Then, to add insult to this injury, we live lifestyles that cause us to lose what magnesium we do have. We never replace it. Most people drink coffee, alcohol, eat sugar, and are under chronic stress.
Studies on stress showed that much magnesium is lost in the urine while we are under stress. And who do you know that is not under stress? I don't know anyone.
What's the answer? We need to be aware of what is in our diet, and what our lifestyle is doing to us, to make the dietary changes, and maybe some lifestyle changes too.
Magnesium is just one of the wonderful and yes miraculous nutrients that we need. Everything is essential and connected, just all the members on a team. It takes the entire team to get the job done.

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1. Anxiety and Panic attacks- Magnesium (Mg) normally keeps adrenal stress hormones under control.

2. Asthma- Both histamine production and bronchial spasms increase with Mg deficiency.

3. Blood clots- Mg has an important role to play in preventing blood clots and keeping the blood thin-much like aspirin but without the side effects.

4. Bowel disease- Mg deficiency slows down the bowel causing constipation, which could lead to toxicity and malabsorption of nutrients, as well as colitis.

5. Cystitis- Bladder spasms are worsened by Mg deficiency.

6. Depression-Serotonin, which elevates moods, is dependent on Mg. A Mg-deficient brain is also more susceptible to allergens, foreign substances that can cause symptoms similar to mental illness.

7. Detoxification- Mg is crucial for the removal of toxic substances and heavy metals such as aluminum and lead.

8. Diabetes- Mg enhances insulin secretion, facilitating sugar metabolism. Without Mg insulin is not able to transfer glucose into cells. Glucose and insulin build up in the blood causing various types of tissue damage.

9. Fatigue- Mg-deficient patients commonly experience fatigue because dozens of enzyme systems are under-functioning. An early symptom of Mg deficiency is frequently fatigue.

10. Heart disease- Mg deficiency is common in people with heart disease. Mg is administered in hospitals for acute myocardial infarction and cardiac arrhythmia. Like any other muscle, the heart muscle requires Mg. Mg is also used to treat angina, or chest pain.

11. Hypertension- With insufficient Mg, spasm of blood vessels and high cholesterol occur, both of which lead to blood pressure problems.

12. Hypoglycemia- Mg keeps insulin under control; without Mg episodes of low blood sugar can result.

13. Insomnia- Sleep-regulating melatonin production is disturbed without sufficient Mg.

14. Kidney Disease- Mg deficiency contributes to atherosclerotic kidney failure. Mg deficiency creates abnormal lipid levels and worsening blood sugar control in kidney transplant patients.

15. Liver Disease leading to liver failure- Mg deficiency commonly occurs during liver transplantation.

16. Migraine- Serotonin balance is Mg-dependent. Deficiency of serotonin can result in migraine headaches and depression.

17. Musculoskeletal conditions- Fibrositis, fibromyalgia, muscle spasms, eye twitches, cramps and chronic neck and back pain may be caused by Mg deficiency and can be relieved with Mg supplements.

18. Nerve problems- Mg alleviates peripheral nerve disturbances throughout the whole body, such as migraines, muscle contractions, gastrointestinal spasms, and calf, foot and toe cramps. It is also used in treating central nervous symptoms of vertigo and confusion.

19. Obstetrics and Gynecology- Mg prevents Premenstrual Syndrome; prevents dysmenorrhea (cramping pain during menses); is important in the treatment of infertility; and alleviates premature contractions, preeclampsia, and eclampsia in pregnancy. Intravenous Mg is given in obstetrical wards for pregnancy-induced hypertension and to lessen the risk of cerebral palsy and Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Mg should be a required supplement for pregnant mothers.

20. Osteoporosis- Use of calcium with Vitamin D to enhance calcium absorption without a balancing amount of Mg causes further Mg deficiency, which triggers a cascade of events leading to bone loss.

21. Raynaud's Syndrome- Mg helps relax the spastic blood vessels that cause pain and numbness of the fingers.

22. Tooth decay- Mg deficiency causes an unhealthy balance of phosphorus and calcium in saliva, which damages teeth. Material excerpted from Dean, Carolyn. The Miracle of Magnesium (2003 Ballantine Books: New York, NY), 2003. pp. 5-7.

---from Dr. Carolyn Dean

The foregoing is just a small example of what a deficiency in magnesium truly causes. Don't let these happen to you. Yet, if they already are happening - now you know what to do about it.

Magnesium is cheap!! There is no need to be Magnesium deficient.

A test for cellular magnesium called EXATEST is available at www.exatest.com.

In Dr. Carolyn Dean's own words....

I'm asked this question every day. What are the best magnesium products? Here is my list. Everyone has different magnesium requirements. So one particular magnesium may work for you but if it doesn't try another.

MAGNESIUM RECOMMENDATIONS
Magnesium Citrate Powder: You can find a powdered drink mix at most health food stores called Natural Calm. Add to water for a fizzy soda-like drink sweetened with organic stevia. The dosage is 1 tsp - 1 tbsp once or twice per day. This form can cause a laxative effect if you take too much in one dose. Be sure and spread your dosages throughout the day. Natural Calm is found in all health food stores.

Magnesium dimalate is the preferred form if you just want to pop a tablet. www.jigsawhealth.com offers a sustained release form, which can improve absorption. The dosage is 4-6 tablets a day. This form has a less laxative effect.

Magnesium Oil is a non-laxative form of magnesium. It's a combination of supersaturated magnesium chloride in distilled water. You can apply ¼ to ½ tsp a day on your body. It will absorb through the skin into your tissues. If it feels itchy, dilute the magnesium oil with water. You can also wash it off after 30 minutes.

Angstrom Magnesium: This is the form I use personally to avoid the laxative effect. This non-laxative magnesium is absorbed 100% at the cellular level. Minerals enter cells through channels 5 angstroms wide (about 5 billionth of a meter). We normally rely on plants to break magnesium down to this size but some companies use a process that breaks magnesium down to an angstrom size. In my experience 72 mg of angstrom magnesium has the same beneficial effect as 5-10 times the other forms of magnesium, which means 360-720mg.

Please, learn what you need to know to avoid suffering and burdensome as well as traumatic and completely unnecessary excess expense,

Besides that, improve your enjoyment of life as you do it.

Our lives as well as the actual quality of life depends on doing this. Yes, we need to analyze what we are doing and where we are going.

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