Magnesium Vitamin Supplement

Magnesium is one of the most essential dietary minerals. It is very vital in the maintenance of optimal health. Yet it is a very rare mineral in normal foods and one can never get enough of it just by eating some basic food types. You need to supplement your intake of magnesium by taking magnesium vitamin supplement. This will help cater for the hundred and one basic functions in the body such as:

1. Regulating your heart beat

2. Determining blood pumping rate

3. Managing the blood pressure in the circulation system

4. Metabolizing sugars and fats

5. Amplifying the efficiency and alertness of the nervous system and thus preventing insomnia and anxiety conditions

Magnesium on its own is not easily absorbed and or digested. Ideally, the best supplement combines the magnesium with a vital vitamin, such as vitamin C and vitamin B6. One combined, the vitamin makes magnesium readily and biologically available to the body. This is however with the exception of vitamin D. high levels of vitamin D leaches the magnesium available in the body.

The best-absorbed magnesium forms include magnesium citrate, malate and glycinate. Another way to improve the absorption is to combine the magnesium vitamin supplement with some calcium. In fact, most dieticians will advice that you take a balanced ration of a single part of magnesium vitamin to each two parts of calcium.

It is also advisable that you reduce the intake of soft drinks when taking magnesium vitamin supplements. This is because high phosphate levels deplete the magnesium in the body. Again, dieticians recommend that you reduce your fat intake and alcohol while on a magnesium vitamin supplementation program. Just like phosphates, high fat content and alcohols depletes the magnesium levels in the body.

It will be advisable to seek recommendations from your doctor before initiating a supplementation program with magnesium vitamin. This is especially so if you are on prescription drugs. Some diuretics, tetracycline, digitalis and corticoids medications are not agreeable to magnesium and some usually lead to magnesium loss or a zero rated absorption.

Avoid the foods that are high in the oxalic acid immediately after and before taking magnesium vitamin supplements. Such foods like chard, almonds, cocoa, rhubarb, spinach etc are known to reduce magnesium absorption.

Complement the supplementation of magnesium with magnesium-rich foods such as brown rice, bananas, fish, blackstrap molasses, tofu, avocados and seafood. There are some magnesium supplements that can be used in bathing, i.e. magnesium sulfate (Epsom salts) since they are better absorbed via the skin.

Discuss It!

Boris said:

Carolyn Dean MD, ND, author of “The Magnesium Miracle” and Medical Director of the Nutritional Magnesium Association at www.nutrtionalmagnesium.org has this additional information to share that I thought you and your readers may find useful. Magnesium The balancing mineral for calcium is magnesium, in a ratio of at least 1:1. For people who have magnesium deficiency, a healthier ratio is two parts magnesium to one part calcium. The most common form is magnesium citrate in powder form. When taken in divided doses throughout the day, it does not cause a laxative effect. Magnesium is a “safer” product than calcium because it is excreted more completely and doesn’t build up in the body. The other issue that needs to be addressed when talking about calcium and magnesium supplementation is the amount of these minerals in the diet. In general, magnesium is relatively depleted in the soil. One hundred years ago we benefited from about 500 mg per day of magnesium in our diet. Now that amount is closer to 150 mg. The amount of calcium in food is much higher than magnesium. 6 ounces of yogurt = 300 mg of calcium 2 ounces of sardines with bones = 240mg of calcium 6 ounces of cooked turnip greens = 220mg of calcium 3 ounces of almonds = 210mg of calcium The amount of magnesium in 6 ounces of cooked turnip greens is about 24 mg because cooking drives off the magnesium but holds onto calcium. These factors must be taken into consideration when advising calcium and magnesium supplementation. A good diet may have enough daily calcium and not need to be supplemented but be lacking in magnesium. Be aware that when you read blanket statements about dosages of supplements that there is an underlying complexity that is not being addressed. As we get older we become more deficient in magnesium and therefore require more in our diet and in supplement form. Weight for weight and dollar for dollar, the organic salt chelate in the form of magnesium citrate powder may be the best buy for general use. It is inexpensive and easily absorbed and can be found in most health food stores or vitamin shops. For more information contact The Nutritional Magnesium Association http://www.nutritionalmagnesium.org