The positive effects of magnesium

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Next to its positive effects on heart, magnesium can also reduce high blood pressure too. In case of high blood pressure it is worth to try different ratios of minerals. While the sodium intake should be reduced (for example: cooking salt), the amount of potassium and magnesium should be increased.

  • In case of diabetes it helps to control the blood sugar level. By taking magnesium type 2 diabetes can be prevented.
  • In case of existing diseases, magnesium can hamper further complications.
  • If magnesium can widen respiratory tracts, it can have a good effect on asthma and bronchitis.
  • In case of preventing osteoporosis, magnesium can be a real effective helper.
  • In case of gastric hiperacidity, magnesium taken on an empty stomach is a perfect antacid.
  • It helps in the well-balanced functioning of the nervous system. Stress can not only spoil feelings, but it can lead to a bad magnesium supply: in case of stress there’s a higher need for magnesium, to help the release of adrenalin and noradrenalin stress hormons. By this stressreaction gets halved, but magnesium supply increases. If we don’t take enough magnesium in, there could occur a so called magnesium malnutrition. This also strenghtens the stressreactions of the body and everything starts from the beginning. That’s why the emphasis is on prevention. Slow down a bit on your lifestlye and take effective releasing magnesium
  • There can be many reasons of headache and migrane. Next to genetical factors, stress, lack of sleep, hormonal disorders or muscle stresses can also be causes. Smoking and alcohol are also classical headache triggers. From the blood of migrane patients the decreased magnesium concentration can often be detected. Accordingly magnesium deficit can also be a cause of headache and migrane. Experts recommend approximately 600 mg of magnesium.
  • Helps in fighting against depression.
  • Combined with calcium magnesium can have a natural calming effect.
  • Increases brain performance.
OTHER CURIOSITIES

How does magnesium help?

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Lack of magnesium can have many reasons and due to its complex physiological effects the lack of it can induce wide range of symptoms.

  • Magnesium performs many tasks in our body, it is responsible for the neurotransmission of magnesium to muscles and nerves. If this mineral does not exist in an adequate quantity, the body reacts with cramps and stress.
    The annoying and often painful leg cramps often disturb our sleep, because they often occur during night or in the early morning hours. The reason of leg cramps and stress is often the lack of magnesium. As we get older the tendency for this is increasing. Mainly elder people can complain on pains like this. The aim of leg cramp therapy is to replace the amount of magnesium to eliminate the deficit. The success of the therapy is determined by the effective active ingreients and their dosage.
    Next to stress and cramps the body can sign the deficit of magnesium with other function damages. Itchiness and numbness in the legs and arms can also be a sign of not sufficient magnesium intake.
  • Women taking birth control tablets and/or estrogen are recommended to take higher amounts of magnesium. It can also ease pains during the periods.

 

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How much magnesium do we need?

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As magnesium can not be substituted by any other minerals, as well our immune system is not able to produce it, we need to take care of its qualitative input. Due to experts, our eating habits and the consumption of poor quality food products result in that many people can only take less amount of magnesium than needed.

For the well-balanced functioning of the immune system an average adult needs around 250-375 mg of Magnesium per day, during pregnancy and breastfeeding its need gets higher. During this time, for the healthy development of the embryo and for the problem free pregnancy approximately 350-375 mg of Magnesium per day is the recommended dosage.
In case of sporting the the daily need can be approximately 500-1000 mg, magnesium can help in the formation of energy from blood sugar.

In case of a man with average sizes the need is around 400 mg, in case of woman it’s around 320 mg.

For the ones having asthma, hypertension or cardiac arrhythmia the amount close to the athletes’ is necessary.

It is recommended to take together with calcium in a ratio of 2:1 (calcium:magnesium). Magnesium is the most effective together with calcium, phosphorous and vitamin A.

 

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Absorption of magnesium compounds

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Let’s count down with misbeliefs!

Did you know that there’s only a slight difference between the utilization of the different magnesium types (magnesium lactate, magnesium oxid, magnesium carbonate)?

1 The EFSA journal (2008) 883, 1-23.

http://www.Efsa.Europa.Eu/sites/default/files/scientific_output/files/main_documents/883.Pdf

Literature compared the utilization of organic and inorganic magnesium compunds in many publiactions.

Researches that were carried out based on publications appeared in the past 10 years prove that there’s only a slight difference between organic and inorganic magnesium compunds in terms of utilization.

Upwards the academic analysis EFSA (European Food Safety Authority) shares the view that organic and inorganic magnesium compunds have only a slight difference (’slightly more bioavailable’) in terms of utilization.

 

1Zur biologischen Vergleichbarkeit und biochemischen Wirksamkeit pharmazeutischer Magnesiumverbindungen Golf SW Journal für Mineralstoffwechsel 1999; 6 (4), 11-21;
C. Coudray, M. Rambeau, C. Feillet-Coudray, E. Gueux, J.C. Tressol, A. Mazur,Y. Rayssiguier: Study of magnesium bioavailability from ten organic and inorganic Mg salts in Mg-depleted rats using a stable isotope approach (Magnesium Research 2005; 18 (4): 215-23);
Sighart Golf: Pharmakokinetik und Bioverfügbarkeit von Magnesium-Verbindungen 11/2006. http://www.pharmazeutische-zeitung.de/index.php?id=889
Sighart Golf: Bioverfügbarkeit von organischen und anorganischen Verbindungen, 07/2009, http://www.pharmazeutische-zeitung.de/index.php?id=29065

2The EFSA Journal (2008) 883, 1-23: „In general, magnesium from organic magnesium salts was slightly more bioavailable than magnesium from inorganic salts in this study.”

 

OTHER CURIOSITIES

Magnesium deficiency

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Magnesium deficient condition is often caused by unhealthy, sedentary lifestlye. Chronic stress, the immoderate overuse of pleasure articles (cigarette, alcohol, drugs), the quality and quantity poor food and some age specificities and conditions (pregnancy, breastfeeding, childhood, menopausa), and other chronical processes can also lead to magnesium deficient condition.

With a regard to the physiological complexity of magnesium, it is a part of many metabolic process, so its lack can induce wide range of symptoms. One of these is that its lack can decrease bone formation, can induce cardiac arrhythmia and can increase the risk of thrombosis and myocardial death.
Next to these it can also cause depression, headache, dizziness, difficulties in concentrating, abnormal behaviour, anorexia, hypertension and the formation of calcium oxalate (calculus).

The immune system’s magnesium content can be decreased by vomiting and diarrhea during which other minerals will also be decreased.
Diuretic product and alcohol have an impact against magnesium too. During pregnancy enough amount of magnesium should be taken, due to the fact that lack of magnesium occuring during pregnancy can induce spontaneous misscarriage, premature birth, disorders in development and the risk of early pains.

First symptom of lack of magnesium can be face redness, but it can also occur at other parts of the body as bluish discolorations.

Not enough magnesium intake can often show off skin dryness and fragility of nails and hair. As minerals also have an effect in the controlling of body heat, women having lack of magnesium will be cold earlier.

 

OTHER CURIOSITIES

Sources of magnesium

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  • Magnesium can not be made by our body, but fortunately we can replace it from many other sources.
  • As it was already mentioned magnesium can’t be syntheized by our body so we need to take care of the needed amount. Unfortunately the food we eat is not always suitable for this, the magnesium content of the soil is constantly decreasing due to the commonly used artificial fertilizers, yielding that less and less magnesium ends up in our food. Consuming food with higher fat content also increases the need for magnesium. With a composed diet these deficits can be replaced, for this the most important sources are potato, vegetables, fishes, pulses, stone fruits. The necessary magnesium level can be guaranteed with magnesium containing food supplements, of which there’s a wide range in the pharmacies that can be bought without prescription.
  • Much magnesium can be found in the seaweed, in wheat bran and germ, in almond, in cashews and in soy. It’s true in general that oilseeds, cereals (meaning the whole-grained flour), pulses, darkgreen leaf vegetables contain a remarkable amount of magnesium. Next to this figs, lemon, grapefruit, corn and apple are also important sources of magnesium.

 

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Warnings, accidental side effects

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  • Toxicity: Magnesium overdose can not ever happen because body excretes the excess and defecates it into the urine. Taking magnesium for a longer period of time can be toxic if calcium and phosphorous is taken in parallel in a larger amount.
  • People suffering from renal failure do not use magnesium containing products or only if the doctor says. The unnecessary magnesium excretes via the kidneys and if it can’t happen in a sufficient way, too high magnesium concentration in the blood can occur, which is an unwanted incidence.
  • In case of bacterial infection common tetracyclines can have a worse absorption if taken at the same time with magnesium.
  • In case of larger amounts of magnesium side effects like diarrhea, dizziness and vomiting can occur. It can only cause more serious problems (for example: muscle weakness, lethargy, gasp) if body can not excrete the unnecessary magnesium, so overdose takes part.

 

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Sport and demand of magnesium

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In case of athletes, body builders there is an even higher need for magnesium, so the body can have the sufficient amout of oxygen and can heal from the accidental injuries. Musclework induces energy metabolism. Magnesium converts blood sugar into energy. For the optimal performance they need to take care of their enough nutrient intake. Sufficient magnesium intake indeed is really important because the empowering mineral is being heavily excreted during sweating while sporting. Without magnesium muscles could not be relaxed after contracting. That is also why it’s necessary for athletes to balance lack of magnesium and water in the regenerating phase.

Example for the magnesium need: 80 kg x 5 mg = 400 mg magnesium need

Hint: It is said to be the best option to take magnesium in right after sporting. Taking magnesium before doing sport is not recommended, because the high dose of magnesium has a relaxing and slightly laxative effect and the performance can be deteriorated.

 

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