Reasons why taking magnesium protects your health ….

Today's post: Tuesday, 10-2-2007

I’ve known for some time that magnesium is an unusually important mineral in nutrition because all the better informed doctors I’ve read on protecting your heart strongly recommend it. And, it is a key mineral in lowering high blood pressure or keeping it from becoming high. It helps increase HDL cholesterol, lowers excess blood glucose, and helps balance sodium as an electrolyte to normalize blood pressure. Each of those effects is heart protective.

These doctors recommend taking 400 to 600 mg a day in addition to eating foods high in magnesium like nuts, seeds, & greens.

And, the added benefit is if you take enough & eat those foods, you will hardly ever get constipated. The fiber in these foods plus the stool softening effect of the magnesium mostly prevent constipation.

So, when I saw the article I reprint below with even more good news about magnesium, I thought you should see it also. It also got my attention by saying most people, possibly including you, are not getting enough of it.

“This article appears courtesy of Early To Rise, the Internet’s most popular health, wealth, and success e-zine. For a complimentary subscription, visit http://www.earlytorise.com/. “

“The Most Important Supplement You Will Ever Take?

By Anthony Colpo

Magnesium could quite possibly be the most important nutritional supplement you will ever take. Without it, you can't produce adenosine tri-phosphate (ATP), the substance that every cell in your body ultimately uses for energy.

Magnesium has a huge impact on healthy heart function. Deficiencies of this mineral have been implicated in hypertension, atherosclerosis, cardiac arrhythmia, and deadly heart attacks. Low magnesium intake has also been linked to diabetes, osteoporosis, muscle weakness, cramping, and exaggerated harmful responses to stress.

Clearly, magnesium is one nutrient you definitely do not want to skimp on - but that's exactly what most people do.

A survey by the Centers for Disease Control found that most American adults have a woefully inadequate magnesium intake. Per day, on average, Caucasian men get only 352 mg, African-American men get only 278 mg, Caucasian women get only 256 mg, and African-American women get only 202 mg. These amounts are well below the minimal recommended daily allowance of magnesium - 420 mg for men and 320 mg for women.

Brazil nuts, pumpkin seeds, halibut, tomato paste, spinach, artichokes, cashews, and almonds are some of the foods that are high in magnesium.

But the best way to ensure optimal intake is with supplements. Avoid the oxide form of magnesium, as it is poorly absorbed by the body. Instead, use magnesium citrate, aspartate, chloride, or malate.

My personal favorite is nigari, a Japanese seawater extract that is rich in magnesium chloride. Mix the nigari with water and drink it throughout the day.

Gradually increase your daily dose of magnesium until you notice a loosening of your stools. When this occurs, decrease the dosage slightly and maintain.

[Ed. Note: Anthony Colpo is an independent researcher, physical conditioning specialist, and author….”

* X * X *X *

Our comments:

It is possible to overdose on magnesium if you also take repeated large doses of Milk Of Magnesia on top of supplementing with magnesium & eating magnesium rich foods.

Similarly, I don’t recommend going over 650 mg a day of Magnesium as a supplement.

But taking 400 to 650 mg a day of magnesium plus eating these foods which have other health benefits besides magnesium is a great idea.