Do you have aches and pains, problems sleeping, and way too much stress?
Then relief might be as close as the supplement aisle.
Massage therapist Rita Woods found that her clients were having a hard time relaxing. She could work on their tight muscles while they were in her office, but the tension came right back again.
Woods knew her clients’ lives were stressful. She would recommend meditation, yoga, and spending time in nature. But could something else be going on?
A chance encounter with a magazine article in her chiropractor’s office gave her the first clue. She read that a huge number of us are deficient in the essential mineral magnesium. We’re not eating enough magnesium-rich leafy greens, nuts and beans. And we’re paying the price. [1]
According to Dr. Mark Hyman, research has found that being deficient in magnesium “makes you twice as likely to die as other people.” [2]
Your nervous, muscular, and cardiovascular systems depend on magnesium. It’s used in over 300 biochemical reactions in the body. No wonder it’s the fourth most abundant mineral in your body.
Supplementation has been found to help a range of conditions, including asthma, ADHD, Alzheimer’s, and pancreatic cancer.
Even if you’re in perfect health, magnesium supplementation can help you feel even better. Here’s how.
Do you suffer from PMS? Then take magnesium along with B6 and fish oil. Keep it up, as the benefits accrue over time.
Do you have trouble sleeping? Then take a full dose of magnesium before bed, rather than breaking it into a morning dose and an evening dose.
Do you suffer from aches and pains? Then get into the habit of taking regular baths with Epsom salts.
Epsom salts aren’t really made of salt, by the way. Rather, they’re a mineral compound of magnesium and sulfate. When you soak in an Epsom salt bath, magnesium gets absorbed through the skin. Don’t have time for a bath? Rub magnesium oil onto sore muscles.
Magnesium is so good for pain relief, in fact, that some holistic doctors offer it intravenously for acute migraines or severe nerve pain.
As you get older, you’re more at risk for magnesium deficiency—right when you need relief from those achy joints. So consider adding magnesium to your supplement regimen now.
What kind should you take?
Magnesium comes in many forms: magnesium aspartate, chloride, oxide, hydroxide, citrate, phosphate, orotate, gluconate, etc., etc.
Some forms are less readily absorbed by the body (like magnesium phosphate), while others cause a laxative effect (like magnesium oxide). Milk of magnesium, or magnesium hydroxide, is sold over the counter as a remedy for constipation and shouldn’t be used as a supplement.
Magnesium citrate, chelate, or glycinate are all good choices. The recommended daily allowance is 320mg for adult women, but some alternative doctors recommend higher doses. If you have kidney disease, talk to your doctor before supplementing with magnesium.
Start with a small dose and work your way up. You can gauge your body’s tolerance to magnesium by keeping track of your bowel movements. If you begin to experience loose stools, you’re taking too much.
To complicate things further, magnesium has an intricate relationship with the other vitamins and minerals in your body.
You don’t want to be taking more magnesium than calcium, or you’ll tip the ideal balance. Most people get enough calcium through consuming dairy products that they needn’t worry.
Unless you’re having issues sleeping, break your magnesium supplements into two doses, one in the morning and one at night. Alternatively, take both tablets before bed if you need a natural sleeping boost.
Take a vitamin D supplement at the same time, as the two supplements work synergistically in the body. In fact, taking high levels of vitamin D may not do much good unless you’re also supplementing with magnesium, since magnesium is required to convert vitamin D to its active form in the blood.
If you’re not keen on popping pills, make sure you’ve got plenty of nuts, beans, and leafy greens in your diet. Spinach and Swiss chard are magnesium powerhouses, along with pumpkin seeds, almonds, and (surprise!) dark chocolate.
Will magnesium change your life?
If you’re relaxed, happy, and pain-free, probably not.
Magnesium supplementation creates the most visible change for those struggling with pain, stress, and tension.
If you hurt all the time, can’t relax, feel anxious, and can’t sleep, then you owe it to yourself to see if magnesium supplementation will make a difference.
[1] http://www.massagetoday.com/mpacms/mt/article.php?id=13891
[2] http://drhyman.com/blog/2010/05/20/magnesium-the-most-powerful-relaxation-mineral-available/
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