Magnesium

Magnesium, the master mineral

Causes of magnesium deficiency

Benefits / properties of magnesium

Symptoms of magnesium deficiency

How to supplement magnesium

Magnesium oil

Epsom salts - magnesium sulphate

References

Magnesium, the master mineral

Magnesium is a master mineral, one of my youthing secrets. Getting sufficient magnesium is one of the keys for for health and longevity. Most people are severely deficient in magnesium, getting less than half of what their ancestors did only a century ago. In a Palaeolithic diet the calcium to magnesium ratio used to be about 1 to 1. On the Standard American Diet (SAD), it is more like 15 to 1, causing problems with excessive calcium.

Magnesium is essential for your energy, cell growth, nerves, muscles and heart and arterial systems. It helps you to relax both physically and mentally. Magnesium dissolves excess calcium in the body. It is antagonistic toward aluminium, cadmium, lead, mercury and nickel, so is essential for good health especially if you live in a polluted environment.

Causes of magnesium deficiency

• Firstly, people are just not getting enough in their diets. Farm soils are trace-mineral deficient compared to a century ago. The modern diet (Standard American Diet or SAD) of processed foods is magnesium-deficient and nutrient-deficient.
• Sugar and refined carbohydrates inhibit the absorption of calcium. The SAD causes magnesium deficiency.
• The green part of plants, chlorophyll, is rich in magnesium. However most people eat few or no leafy green vegetables, especially children. Again, the SAD.
• Digestive disorders, low stomach acidity and other gastrointestinal problems can result in poor magnesium absorption.
• Diarrhoea causes massive loss of magnesium in the stools (as well as other minerals like zinc), particularly if diarrhoea is ongoing / chronic.
• Chronic stress. Adrenocortical hormones like cortisol released in excessive amounts can cause magnesium deficiency.
• Ageing. Take care to get more magnesium as you enter older age.
• Pharmaceuticals such as diuretics and some antibiotics cause a loss of magnesium from the body.
• Alcohol consumption.

Benefits / properties of magnesium

• Improves sleep quality.
• Calms overactive nerves, relieves stress and depression, lowers cortisol. (1)
• Boosts energy level.
• Strengthens immune system.
• Hydrates and strengthens skin.
• Helps proper muscle function.
• Helps insulin sensitivity and control of blood sugar.
• Essential for healthy blood vessels, cardiovascular health, strong and steady heart.
• Relieves aches, pains, spasms.
• Improves bone strength, and protects from loss of bone (osteoporosis).
• Required for protection and recovery from arthritis.
• Helps to absorb and properly use vitamin D and the B vitamins.
• Important for recovery from many other degenerative diseases (see Symptoms of magnesium deficiency).
• It is an essential alkaline mineral for detoxification.

Symptoms of magnesium deficiency

The symptoms of magnesium deficiency are so numerous that I recommend getting sufficient magnesium before doing anything else for your health. Magnesium deficiency is involved in many degenerative diseases including:

• ADHD.
• Aching muscles and joints.
• Acid reflux (heartburn).
• Allergies.
• Arthritis.
• Atherosclerosis.
• Asthma.
• Blood clots.
• Bone spurs, calcium elevated, liver, kidney and gallbladder stones, hypercalcemia.
• Cancers. Increased risk of a variety of cancers.
• Craving for salt or chocolate.
• Chronic fatigue.
• Constipation.
• Cystitis.
• Depression.
• Diabetes.
• Energy low, lack of energy, chronic fatigue.
• Epileptic seizures.
• Erectile dysfunction.
• Gout.
• Heart disease, arrhythmia.
• Hypertension (high blood pressure).
• Immune system compromised (with secondary problems as a result).
• Insomnia.
• Insulin resistance.
• Intelligence reduced.
• Kidney disease and kidney stones.
• Menstrual problems.
• Migraines.
• Muscle cramps, muscle spasms.
• Muscular skeletal problems (fibrositis, fibromyalgia, cramps, pains, Dupuytren's disease/contracture).
• Nervous problems, anxiety, panic attacks, confusion, irritability, hypertension.
• Neurological problems like depression, anxiety, memory loss, panic attacks, tremors, moodiness, confusion, headaches. (1)
• Obstetric problems.
• Osteoporosis. Even a mild deficiency in magnesium is a risk factor for osteoporosis.
• Restless legs syndrome.
• Skin - premature wrinkles.
• Stress, chronic, increased sensitivity to stress.
• Tooth decay.

Note: many of the above symptoms, particularly joint problems, bone and joint pain, osteoporosis, depression, nervous problems and neurological problems, are also a symptom of boron deficiency. I recommend supplementing with boron at the same time as supplementing with magnesium. (2)

How to supplement magnesium

Magnesium is a difficult mineral to supplement orally, especially as we need so much. If you take magnesium sulphate (Epsom salts) it will give you diarrhoea. Most other magnesium salts taken orally also have a laxative effect. Magnesium citrate, magnesium lactate, magnesium gluconate, magnesium glycinate and magnesium aspartate don't cause as much diarrhoea and loose stools as magnesium sulphate or chloride when taken orally. Throughout Grow Youthful I advise people not to take pills and supplements (I mean no pills for anything), because most of them are ineffective or worse.

So how do you get sufficient magnesium, when our soil, our food and our bodies are so deficient?

The answer is through your skin. If you live near clean ocean water, a daily swim helps provide a little magnesium and a wonderful range of other minerals through your skin. Your body does take up nutrients through your skin - contrary to the old-fashioned out-of-date idea that your skin is an impervious barrier. I swim in the ocean several times each week, but even in my case this is not enough to give me sufficient magnesium. West Australia where I live, is an ancient sand belt deficient in most minerals. The crops grown here contain virtually no magnesium, manganese, zinc, selenium and other essential minerals. Soils are also depleted in most other parts of the world.

Magnesium oil

USA distributor

Magnesium oil - USA distributor

Magnesium oil contains mostly magnesium chloride; some brands contain a variety of other rare minerals. Magnesium oil is not an oil, but when you put it on your skin it looks and feels a bit oily. Magnesium oil is the best way by I have discovered to get sufficient magnesium.

When I first started using magnesium oil, it felt a little itchy and even had a slight sting for up to half an hour after applying it. After a couple of weeks of daily use, that "been to the beach" feeling disappeared. I started by applying it only to my arms and legs, but now also use it on my torso. It seems that the worse your magnesium deficiency, the more uncomfortable it is when you first start using it. A few very deficient people even get a slight rash. So when you first start to use it, just apply a little to the exposed parts of your arms and legs, and wait half an hour to see what happens. If your skin reacts, it is a sign of how deficient you are - just dilute it half with filtered or spring water. Within a few days your magnesium level will start to build up.

The best way to apply the oil is with a spray. Put a little on your hand, and rub it over your arms and legs. As your magnesium level builds up to normal, you can rub it all over your body.

• It is hard to overdose with magnesium oil because your skin only absorbs as much as you need. However, if you are deficient and you take a large dose, the absorption can sting and itch (see above).
• Most of the absorption takes place within 20 minutes.
• Wash off any lotions, creams, oils or other barriers before you apply the magnesium oil.
• Don't put the oil in your mouth, eyes, nose or mucus membranes. It may sting on open cuts or wounds.
• Dosage. 1-2 teaspoons per day for an adult. Try a high dosage during the first 3-4 months, to ensure proper restoration of cellular magnesium levels. Experiment - everyone is different.
• You can use it for children. Start with a small, dilute quantity, or use in the bath. Pets also love it.
• If you want to shower or rinse off the magnesium oil after using it, wait 20 minutes after application.

The quality of magnesium oil varies between different brands. Try to buy magnesium oil that contains a range of minerals in addition to the magnesium. Some are sourced from pristine ocean water. The best are made from minerals obtained from glacial valleys, peat bogs and moors, and natural saltpans. A good example is the magnesium oil made from the ancient Zechstein seabed in Europe. The Dead Sea also contains a high level of magnesium; for thousands of years people have swam in it and used the salts on their skins.

Epsom salts - magnesium sulphate

Epsom salts, also known as magnesium sulphate (magnesium sulfate in the USA) is a traditional home remedy that is used to relieve sore muscles, constipation, sprained ankles and many other ailments. It is widely available in stores and pet shops in a dry, crystalline form. It has the formula MgSO4.

Epsom salts does not dissolve to form an "oil" in the same manner as magnesium chloride. The best way to use Epsom salts is in a bath (or a foot bath if you don't have a full sized bath). Run a warm to hot bath and add half a cup of Epsom salts. Enjoy a soak in the bath for between 12 to 20 minutes. You need a minimum of 12 minutes to get a good absorption of the magnesium. People treating specific pains and ailments can use up to 2 cups of Epsom salts in a bath.

An Epsom salt bath is a pleasant way to supplement magnesium, and people who add half a cup to their bath each week are usually magnesium sufficient.

References

1. Emily K. Tarleton, Benjamin Littenberg, Charles D. MacLean, Amanda G. Kennedy, Christopher Daley. Role of magnesium supplementation in the treatment of depression: A randomized clinical trial. PLOS One, published 27 June 2017. doi.org/10.1371/journal.pone.0180067.

2. Forrest H. Nielsen, Loanne M. Mullen, Sandra K. Gallagher. Effect of Boron Depletion and Repletion on Blood Indicators of Calcium Status in Humans Fed a Magnesium-low Diet. The Journal of Trace Elements in Experimental Medicine. 3:45-54 (1990).

3. Cuciureanu MD, Vink R. Magnesium and stress. In: Vink R, Nechifor M, editors. Magnesium in the Central Nervous System, University of Adelaide Press. 2011.

4. Rosanoff A, Seelig MS. Comparison of mechanism and functional effects of magnesium and statin pharmaceuticals. J Am Coll Nutr. 2004 Oct;23(5):501S-505S. doi: 10.1080/07315724.2004.10719389. PMID: 15466951.