Significance of Magnesium to Human Nutrition
Magnesium is an extremely important and valuable mineral, whose value for good health is just being recognized by conventional physicians.
All chemical reactions in the body require an enzyme system to help the biochemical reaction take place. An enzyme system generally consists of three parts. They are a specific protein molecule, another smaller organic compound, which is often a vitamin, such as pyridoxine or vitamin B6, and finally a charged mineral, such as zinc, copper, manganese or magnesium. Magnesium is a critical co-factor in more than 300 enzymatic reactions in the human body. Each mineral when dissolved in fluids has a characteristic electrical charge, called its valance. Minerals with a charge of plus 1, or univalent cations, include sodium and potassium. Minerals with a charge of plus 2, or divalent cations, include copper, zinc, manganese and magnesium. Potassium and magnesium are the most abundant cations found within the cells of the body with magnesium being the most abundant divalent cation. Conventional medicine's interest in magnesium has been only by obstetricians, who have used injectable magnesium sulfate
extensively in the treatment of high blood pressure and pre-eclampsia and eclampsia of pregnancy. But, recently conventional physicians have become interested in treating patients with acute heart attacks, chronic cardiovascular disease, heart arrhythmias, diabetes, asthma, chronic fatigue syndrome and many other disorders.
Symptoms of Magnesium Deficiency
- With regard to skeletal muscle, one may experience twitches, cramps, muscle tension, muscle soreness, including back aches, neck pain, tension headaches and jaw joint (or TMJ) dysfunction.
- Impaired contraction of smooth muscles include constipation; urinary spasms; menstrual cramps; difficulty swallowing or a lump in the throat-especially provoked by eating sugar; photophobia, especially difficulty adjusting to oncoming bright headlights in the absence of eye disease; and loud noise sensitivity from stapedius muscle tension in the ear.
- The central nervous system is markedly affected. Symptoms include insomnia, anxiety, hyperactivity and restlessness with constant movement, panic attacks, agoraphobia, and premenstrual irritability. Symptoms or signs of the cardiovascular system include palpitations, heart arrhythmias, angina due to spasms of the coronary arteries, high blood pressure and mitral valve prolapse.
How can one get magnesium?
The best way of insuring enough magnesium is to eat a variety of whole foods, including whole grains, nuts, seeds and vegetables, preferably food grown on naturally composted soil. The green color of green vegetables is due to chlorophyll, which is a molecule that contains magnesium. Avoid refined processed foods, especially white sugar and white flour products, as most magnesium is removed from them.
The recommended daily allowance or RDA for magnesium is 350 milligrams of elemental magnesium. Many people do not even get the RDA of 350 mg of magnesium daily. A therapeutic dosage could easily run between 400 mg and 1000 mg daily of elemental magnesium in divided doses. In people with normal kidneys, it is difficult to reach toxic levels of magnesium. However, too much oral magnesium will result in diarrhea. Recall that milk of magnesia
is a laxative containing a magnesium salt. Patients suffering from chronic kidney failure must be much more careful because their kidneys have difficulty eliminating magnesium and a toxic buildup may occur. Toxic levels of magnesium may lead to depression of the entire nervous system and even coma and death. But, this is extraordinarily rare and occurs only in patients with severe kidney function impairment. In general, magnesium doses of 1000 mg per day or less are extremely safe.
Magnesium Supplementation for Various Medical Disorders
Magnesium is essential to good health and its supplementation may be helpful to a wide variety of medical disorders including: high blood pressure, asthma, angina pectoris, coronary artery disease, cardiac arrhythmias, chronic fatigue syndrome, all types of musculoskeletal disorders, epilepsy, mitral valve prolapse, anxiety, panic disorder and many other medical and psychiatric conditions.
Increased use of CMD, a food supplement that is complete, balanced, and rich in magnesium, should greatly improve therapeutic results for many patients.
- Michael B. Schachter M.D., F.A.C.A.M. (1996). The Importance of Magnesium to Human Nutrition. Accessed at http://www.mbschachter.com/ importance_of_magnesium_to_ human.htm.
- Baker, S.M. Magnesium Deficiency in Primary Care and Preventive Medicine, Magnesium and Trace Elements, 1991-1992; 10:251-262.