Magnesium Health Watch

Do you wonder why you’re always seeing calcium and magnesium combined supplements?  Here’s a general overview of why these two important minerals are offered together to promote bone formation, cardiovascular functioning and muscle effectiveness.

Magnesium helps with calcium absorption.  Like calcium, it’s naturally found in dairy products (among other places).  However, unusually large intakes of calcium reduces the absorption of magnesium in the body.  When you have a mineral deficiency (through a poor diet or otherwise), the body’s pH balance becomes offset and highly acidic.  Calcium and magnesium, which usually help eliminate excess acid, need to neutralize this additional acidity and are lost in the bloodstream.  This results in bone loss.

If you have a condition where you are deficient in magnesium and/or calcium, there are many options including dietary modifications, mineral supplements and even skin treatments that can help restore proper mineral levels in the body.

The 6/12/09 Sacramento Nutrition Examiner gives some helpful insight on the best forms of magnesium citrate supplements:

“Natural Calm magnesium citrate powder often is recommended for general use. You put it in hot water. It fizzes and tastes like lemonade with no added sugar. Mix it with fruit juice, and it bubbles like champagne. But how do you choose the right type of magnesium for your own needs? Here’s the information you’ll need.

If you want a sweet lemonade or citrus-like taste rather than the taste of lemon juice in hot water, put a half scoop (2.5 grams) of d-Ribose, that tastes like sugar in a glass of water and add a tablespoon or less of magnesium citrate powder. You’ll get a wonderful sweet taste of lemonade in that beverage…”

“You want a soluble magnesium that your body can absorb. And you want the amount of ionic magnesium or elemental magnesium that the supplement is actually releasing. You want the type of magnesium that can be dissolved in water…”

From magnesium-rich foods, to powders to magnesium tablets, there are myriad ways to increase your daily intake of magnesium. The mineral magnesium is essential for countless heart, nerve and muscle functions. In its many forms and compounds, magnesium has been used to treat conditions such as asthma, allergies, chronic fatigue syndrome and more. (more…)

Is Drugging Our Children The Answer Or Could A Natural Supplement Magnesium Help?

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) has been a commonly diagnosed illness occurring in children since the 1980s. Many people argue that ADHD should not be categorized as a disorder, but rather a set of problems that are normal to childhood. Either way, ADHD’s symptoms consist of wandering attention, nervousness, and hyperactivity. These symptoms can be extremely troubling for the parents and teachers that have to work with children suffering from ADHD. Drugs like Ritalin have been promoted ADHD treatments for many years, but have been found to have highly dangerous side effects and not be a solution to everything. Meanwhile, many nutritionists have discovered that many of the answers to ADHD can be found in a child’s diet in the form of food additives, sugar, and the missing essential nutrients. (more…)