Magnesium

I was recently reminded of a dietary deficiency that has occasionally echoed loudly in the form of back and leg cramping. Now, I have had a history of producing and painfully passing three 5mm-10mm kidney stones that one could no doubt hear my wailing clear up to New Jersey! I have since learned that I have fared much better with more adequate hydration, Bragg's apple cider vinegar, lemon juice in my water and, the additional supplementation of magnesium. The added benefit for me was that my leg cramping at night has essentially disappeared, aside from a few days of negligence in these habits. Inadequate hydration and magnesium intake are not strangers to me only, but for many of my patients as well. The results from this awareness has been dramatic! As I started to put together an article this month, I came upon an old issue in my "reading room" and decided that the information on magnesium could not be better stated, thus, I am sharing it with you. There are different forms of magnesium; the glycinate and orotate  forms have different absorption, bioavailability and therapeutic values. Magnesium oxide, and to a lesser extent, citrate, can have a laxative effect, so, are not absorbed as well. 

Early symptoms:

• Anorexia
• Apathy
• Confusion
• Fatigue
• Insomnia
• Irritability
• Muscle twitching
• Poor memory
• Reduced ability to learn

Moderate deficiency symptoms:

• Heart (cardiovascular) changes
• Rapid heartbeat

Severe deficiency:

• Continued muscle contraction
• Delirium
• Numbness
• Seeing or hearing things that aren't there (hallucinations)
• Tingling

According to the U.S Library of Medicine, the RDA is 310-320mg for adult females and 400-420mg for adult males. Food sources are:

• Fruits or vegetables (such as bananas, dried apricots, and avocados)
• Nuts (such as almonds and cashews)
• Peas and beans (legumes), seeds
• Soy products (such as soy flour and tofu)
• Whole grains (such as brown rice and millet)

The problem is making sure one gets an ample supply of these foods; therefore, supplementation is much more convenient. 

I hope that this information helps even one person!

http://www.lifeextension.com/magazine/2014/12/magnesium-the-missing-link-to-a-healthy-heart/page-01

Image courtesy of Tuomas_Lehtinen at FreeDigitalPhotos.net

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