by Tony Isaacs
(Health Secrets) After oxygen, water, and basic food, magnesium may be the most important element needed by our bodies. It is vital for heart health, bone health, mental function and overall body maintenance – yet 80% or more of us are deficient in this vital mineral.
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Magnesium is more important than calcium, potassium or sodium, and it regulates all three of them. This vital mineral activates over 300 different biochemical reactions necessary for the body to function properly. Contrary to popular misconceptions, it is magnesium that is actually most important in building strong bones and preventing bone loss. Recent research has revealed that lack of magnesium may put your heart and your overall health at significant risk. This research also found that a deficiency may be linked to cognitive dysfunction and mental decline.
Called the The Forgotten Mineral and the 5-Cent Miracle Tablet by medical researchers, magnesium is a muscle relaxant, and low magnesium intake is associated with muscle spasms, tremors and convulsions. It protects against heart disease and heart attacks, high blood pressure and stroke, type II diabetes and much, much more.
Many researchers have reported that adequate amounts of this mineral in the population at large would greatly diminish the incidence of kidney stones (1 in 11 Americans), calcified mitral heart valve (1 in 12 Americans), premenstrual tension, constipation, miscarriages, stillbirths, strokes, diabetes, thyroid failure, asthma, chronic eyelid twitch (blepharospasm), brittle bones, chronic migraines, muscle spasms and anxiety reactions.
An increasing number of medical scientists also believe that additional magnesium and other minerals missing from today’s diet may prevent cognitive disorders such as ADD, ADHD and bipolar, and help prevent Alzheimer’s and mental decline as we age. Sufficient intake by the American population would likely reduce health care costs by billions of dollars.
In addition to the problems listed above, deficiency of the master mineral has been associated with:
Insomnia and other sleep disorders
Fatigue and low energy
Body-tension
Headaches
Irregular heartbeat
High blood pressure
Other heart disorders
PMS
Backaches
Constipation
Kidney stones
Osteoporosis
Accelerated aging
Depression
Anxiety and irritability
Our depleted soils, processed foods and fast food diet lifestyles have led to a steady increase in mineral deficiencies. Nowhere is this more true than with magnesium. The U.S. minimum RDA is about 320 mg per day for women and more than 400 mg per day for men, while optimum daily amounts are closer to 500 to 700 mg per day. Yet studies show that after over a century of steadily decreasing intake, today more than 8 out of 10 people do not take enough daily magnesium for even the minimum daily amounts recommended.
In 1900, magnesium consumption was 475-500 mg per day. By 1990 consumption had dropped to 175-225 mg per day, and it has continued to drop since then.
Following is a list of some of richest sources of the master mineral, including standard serving sizes and calories:
Pumpkin and squash seed kernels, roasted – 1 oz contains 151 mg of magnesium and 148 calories
Brazil nuts – 1 oz contains 107 mg of magnesium and 186 calories
Bran ready-to-eat cereal (100%), – ~1 oz contains 103 mg of magnesium and 74 calories
Halibut, cooked – 3 oz contains 151 mg of magnesium and 148 calories
Quinoa, dry – 1/4 cup contains 89 mg of magnesium and 159 calories
Spinach, canned – 1/2 cup contains 81 mg of magnesium and 25 calories
Almonds – 1 oz contains 78 mg of magnesium and 164 calories
Spinach, cooked from fresh – 1/2 cup contains 78 mg of magnesium and 20 calories
Buckwheat flour – 1/4 cup contains 75 mg of magnesium and 101 calories
Soybeans, mature, cooked – 1/2 cup contains 74 mg of magnesium and 149 calories
Pine nuts, dried – 1 oz contains 71 mg of magnesium and 191 calories
Mixed nuts, oil roasted, with peanuts – 1 oz contains 67 mg of magnesium and 175 calories
White beans, canned – 1/2 cup contains 67 mg of magnesium and 154 calories
Pollock, walleye, cooked – 3 oz contains 62 mg of magnesium and 96 calories
Black beans, cooked – 1/2 cup contains 60 mg of magnesium and 114 calories
Bulgur, dry – 1/4 cup contains 57 mg of magnesium and 120 calories
Oat bran, raw – 1/4 cup contains 55 mg of magnesium and 58 calories
It is healthier to consume as many of the items on the list as possible in raw form. Soy products are not recommended due to the widespread use of GMO soy and other health concerns related to soy.
The list of dietary magnesium sources shows that although it might be possible for a person to obtain optimum, or at least minimum, amounts of magnesium from the diet, doing so on a daily basis would take very careful planning. When processed food is part of the diet, it becomes even more unlikely for the general public to consume enough magnesium through dietary sources alone on a daily basis.
Only supplementation is likely to make up for such a widespread magnesium deficiency for most people. Since the same problems with soil depletion and diet cause deficiencies in many other vital minerals, it would be a good idea to supplement magnesium and to also supplement with a wide range of other minerals. The very best mineral supplements are those derived from whole food and plant sources because they are more readily absorbed than mined rock minerals. Taking a tablespoon of molasses daily is an excellent choice for supplementing magnesium as well as many other minerals.
If you want to take a pill instead, it is believed that the best forms of supplemental magnesium are the ones chelated to an amino acid (magnesium glycinate, magnesium taurate) or a krebs cycle intermediate (magnesium malate, magnesium citrate, magnesium fumarate). The only side effect of too much magnesium is loose stool. Reducing the dosage or dividing daily doses into smaller amounts resolves the problem.
Blood tests for magnesium are notoriously inaccurate since only about 1 percent of the total body magnesium pool exists outside of living cells. Thus, blood serum levels are inaccurate and your doctor can`t easily tell by a blood test if your magnesium levels are low.
For optimum health, magnesium and calcium intake needs to be at about a 1 to 2 ratio. So, if you supplement with 500 mg of magnesium, you should supplement with 1000 mg of calcium (or less if you get plenty of dietary calcium and little dietary magnesium).
About Tony Isaacs
Tony Isaacs, is a natural health advocate and researcher and the author of books and articles about natural health, longevity and beating cancer including “Cancer’s Natural Enemy”. Mr. Isaacs also has The Best Years in Life website for baby boomers and others wishing to avoid prescription drugs and mainstream managed illness and live longer, healthier and happier lives naturally. He is currently residing in scenic East Texas and frequently commutes to the even more scenic Texas hill country near San Antonio and Austin to give lectures in health seminars. Mr. Isaacs also hosts the CureZone “Ask Tony Isaacs – featuring Luella May” forum as well as the Yahoo Health Group “Oleander Soup”. He is working on a major book project due for publication later this year. Mr. Isaacs and his partner Luella May can be heard live every Wednesday evening on “The Best Years in Life Radio Show”.
