Magnesium - Editor's Choice

I have made some observations about magnesium that I thought I would share.

I have been taking magnesium powder (Natural Calm) at night for a long time. I take about 500 mg this way and it helps me to sleep and keeps my digestion regular. One night recently, I had had a snack and didn't want to drink the amount of water I would need to take my magnesium powder. I have some Nature's Way Magnesium capsules so I took two of those instead, which was a total of 800 mg of magnesium. I wondered if this would cause diarrhea because if I took that much Natural Calm, it surely would have. Well, it did not; in fact, the next day my digestion was noticeably slow. Whether it is because Natural Calm is a more absorbable form of magnesium (magnesium citrate) than the other, which was magnesium oxide, or something else, I do not know. But what that means is that not all magnesium supplements are equal. If one form of magnesium isn't working for you as you might hope, try another.

Secondly, I got lazy this week and skipped a few days of magnesium oil on my back at bedtime. Even with an oral magnesium supplement, if I skip the topical magnesium oil I wake up with stiffness. I made sure to use my magnesium oil last night and can really tell a difference - I was much less stiff when I woke up today. Some people find that topical magnesium affects the bowels, but it doesn't in my case, at least in the amount I use. But what is interesting to note is that internal use of magnesium does not have nearly the same benefit to me to reduce pain and stiffness that topical magnesium does.

What does this mean? If you want to use magnesium for a health problem, you may need to experiment with amounts you use as well as the brand you use, as well as the way you deliver it to your body (orally or through the skin.) And it seems there is no one size fits all. I guess this is where healing takes on its art form. There is a science to healing, but it isn't a once size fits all deal. Each individual is complex and unique in his needs, thus the art aspect of healing.

So, that is my two cents worth of musing on magnesium today...

~Mama to Many~

Hi Grannyguru... I've been taking Magnesium in various forms for several years now. Magnesium Chloride IV is usually the first thing that they give heart attack patients in hospital ER to lower blood pressure and to relax the heart muscle and lower blood pressure. Magnesium is also essential to regulate body Calcium against the other electrolytes -- Sodium and potassium -- in your blood and cells. Magnesium is also used in over 300 enzyme processes in your body, so its a very important mineral. Most of us lack proper magnesium levels in our body now because of diet.
In answer to you questions:

Should I take it with meals or on empty stomach?
I always take magnesium on an empty stomach. The best forms to take are Mag Chloride, Mag Citrate and Mag Gluconate -- these are the most soluble and absorbable forms. Avoid magnesium carbonate and magnesium hydroxide -- they are badly absorbed by the body. My own favourite now is Magnesium Chloride. See this link: http://curezone.com/art/read.asp?ID=49&db=5&C0=7

Should I dilute it?
I make my own Magnesium Oil(70%-80% magnesium chloride crystals and 20%-30% water) and just take 10 drops once or twice a day in a glass of water or orange juice and drink it. Or you can also just rub the magnesium oil onto your forearm to be absorbed transdermally. You can also take it in larger doses quite safely transdermally with no intestinal or diarrhea issues. You can buy magnesium oil in most health shops.

Should I take it with calcium or get just magnesium. I am taking the angstrom sized magnesium for 100% absorbtion without diarrhea. Is that good?
Western diets these days contains excess calcium anyway -- everything is now fortified with calcium nowadays so I would just avoid taking calcium supplements altogether. This what I did, and, together with taking magnesium -- this is what got rid of my own arrythmia problems in the past. Excess calcium also thickens the blood, makes your heart work harder and also acidifies your blood and cells if you are low magnesium or potassium.
Am I supposed to hold it beneath my tongue or swallow it?
Best to take it just as an oral supplement or transdermally as suggested. Magnesium sulphate(Epsom Salts) can also be used transdermally for magnesium intake.

My son suffered from anxiety and depression after his divorce. I read an article by George Eby about Magnesium Glycinate for depression. I bought my son some of the magnesium and after a few days he started feeling better and talked about having more energy and concentration. He took 800-1000 mgs. for a few days to build it up in his system, then backed down to 400 mgs. The Magnesium Glycinate really changed his life.