Our final wellness group for the year was held at my home. We listened to an interview between Anne Marie Michaels of The Village Green and Dr. Carolyn Dean.
Dr. Dean talks about the importance of magnesium in our health. The difficult thing is how to get enough magnesium to be absorbed into our body. For a more comprehensive look at Magnesium, read her book "The Magnesium Miracle."
Here are some notes from her interview:
The Magnesium Miracle
By Dr. Carolyn Dean
Why do we need this
important nutrient?
Magnesium regulates over 325 enzyme processes in the body
including protein metabolism and creating ATP (energy) in the body. Some say there could be over 3,700 magnesium
receptor sights on Protein molecules in the body.
Magnesium effects up to 80% of the body’s processes
How bad is our
Magnesium deficiency?
70%-80% percent of people get less than the RDA of
Magnesium.
Almost everyone exhibits magnesium deficiency
Here are some
symptoms of Magnesium deficiency:
Acid Reflux depression muscle spasms
high cholesterol
Adrenal failure diabetes nerve twitches
high blood sugar
Angina fibromyalgia PMS
constipation
Anxiety-panic attacks migraines I.B.S.
Tooth decay
Atrilfibleration Inflammation insomnia
Raynaud’s syndrome
Heart attacks Kidney
Stones Seizures
Osteoporosis
Blood clots GYN
problems Pregnancy
problems
Kidney disease
How does stress
affect our ability to absorb magnesium?
We burn off magnesium with a number of factors including stress.
What are some of the
foods that deplete magnesium?
Alcohol, coffee any diuretic and SUGAR It takes 3 molecules of
magnesium to metabolize one molecule of sugar.
(“Refining of sugar removes 93 percent of chromium, 89 percent of
manganese, 98 percent of cobalt, 83 percent of copper, 98 percent of zinc, and
98 percent of magnesium. All essential
to life. “ “Our diet is one of
anti-nutrients” – from her book)
Where is magnesium
stored?
In the muscle and bones, but will rush into the bloodstream
to help keep the heart muscle beating regularly.
A few odds and ends
regarding magnesium….
Magnesium relaxes muscles, calcium tightens up muscles.
When the body lays down at night and if those muscles are
tense, it is hard to relax enough to get a good night’s sleep.
Fluoride binds magnesium.
It makes it unavailable to the body.
Two most common signs
of magnesium deficiency:
Muscle cramping/twitching and Heart palpitations (the heart
is mostly muscle)
What is the best way
to test magnesium levels? (See her book
for how to do your own Oral Clinical Trial pg. 223) Also she explains this better in the
book.
There is not a great way to test magnesium levels. But the best way which isn’t very often done
is through an “Ionized Magnesium” test .
Red Blood cell magnesium tests show normal ranges from 4.2 –
6.8 mg. pr. dcl. A doctor will often say
that 4.2 is good enough but you need to be at least a 6.
The problem with normal blood panel tests (serum blood test)
is only 1% of magnesium is in the blood at one time. So the blood test will show normal ranges in
almost every patient that asks for their magnesium levels to be checked. It is just not effective.
(She talks about a couple of other tests in her book).
Let’s talk about magnesium
deficiency symptoms
Heart Disease (“seven major clinical studies shows
that intravenous magnesium reduced the risk of death by 55 percent after acute
heart attack” – from her book)
The largest amount of magnesium in the body is stored in the
left ventricle of the heart.
Calcium is the biggest trigger of inflammation in the body
putting women at a high risk for heart disease.
We don’t have enough magnesium to absorb all the calcium we
are taking.
Magnesium is a gentle and natural blood thinner.
Magnesium is also a natural calcium blocker.
She recommends that you supplement calcium equally to
supplementing magnesium. If you don’t
get it in your diet (which even small amounts of dairy is usually enough), You
should probably be taking around 700 mg. of each per day.
The problem is everyone is different and if you read her
book you can gage how to analyze your own diet/supplementation can balance
better.
“Calcium can precipitate
out of the blood and deposit in the lining of arteries, causing hardening of
the arteries arteriosclerosis. It can
coat and stiffen cholesterol deposits (plaque) in the arteries, leading to
atherosclerosis. This, in turn, can
cause blood pressure to rise as well as increase the risk of heart attack and
stroke. Calcium can even deposit in the
brain.” - from her book pg. 31
Diabetes
Low magnesium is one of the first signs you look to when
diabetes is diagnosed.
“Calcium can deposit
in the lining of the bronchial tubes and cause asthma symptoms. Calcium in the extracellular fluid can
surround cells in body tissues (organs, muscles) ad decrease the permeability
of the cell membranes. This makes it
increasingly more difficult for glucose
to pass through the cell membrane tob e converted to ATP in the cells’
mitochondria. High glucose levels
created by excess calcium may be misdiagnosed as diabetes.” – from her book
pg. 31-32
Magnesium’s role with diabetes is:
1
Aids in the proper production of insulin
2
Opens up glucose channels to get into the cells
3
Helps break down carbohydrates
4
Gentle laxative to help detox the liver
5
Calms us down and that allows us not to need
food to suppress the fluttery stomach
Osteoporosis
With all the calcium fortification/supplements there is
still an increase of osteoporosis
A 10-year period from the 1980-90’s there was a 700%
increase in osteoporosis
We are also getting too much vitamin D.
There is a delicate balance for bone strengthening between:
Calcium – Magnesium – Vitamin D – Vitamin A and Vitamin K
Kidney Stones
When we have excess calcium it can build up in the kidneys
and cause stones
Try a B complex and make sure you are absorbing and
assimilating magnesium
Speaking on the stomach acid being essential for magnesium
absorption: “Without magnesium to keep it in solution, calcium quickly deposits in
soft tissues throughout the body. In the
large intestine, it interferes with peristalsis, which results in
constipation. Calcium also precipitates
out the kidneys …and kidney stones are formed.
Calcium can deposit in the lining of the bladder and prevent it from
fully relaxing and therefore from filling completely with urine…(leading) to
frequent urination problems.” – from her book pg. 31
Migraines and Headaches
Spasms and nutrium transmitter imbalances can be causes of
migraines
Magnesium relaxes muscle tension in headaches
The Herb Feverfew and Magnesium supplements are very
effective in relieving headaches
Magnesium Oil is helpful as well
PMS, Pregnancy and infertility
Muscle spasm in menstrual cramps can be relieved with
magnesium
Infertility can be your fallopian tubes in spasm (try
magnesium)
In pregnancy cerebral palsy and eclampsia can be prevented
with magnesium
Insomnia
Magnesium calms the brain, muscles and body and allows us to
relax into a deep sleep
Anti-aging
Magnesium helps our brain neurons to fire properly.
Helps with the plasticity of the brain, which might possibly
help with senility.
What Foods give us magnesium? (see her book for more detailed list)
Kelp wheat
germ nuts and seeds black strap molasses
buckwheat
Millet whole
grains black beans rye deep leafy greens
If we aren’t absorbing magnesium well (if our bowels are way too loose… see her
book)
You can absorb magnesium trans dermally (through the skin)
Epsom salt baths (2 c. per bath or 1 c. per foot bath)
Magnesium oil/jells/creams
Try picot-ionic magnesium supplements it is 100% absorbable
at the cellular level with no laxative affects.
There is loads of information that was not discussed in this
interview including:
“How absorption of dietary magnesium is hindered,”
“Vitamin and Mineral Interactions with Magnesium
“Types of Magnesium”
“Magnesium Dosage” for magnesium deficiency symptoms
“Resources”
30 pages of references
Some websites you might be interested in:
Nutritionalmagnesium.org
and DrCarolynDean.com
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