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Written by Czapp

The Neglected Mineral We Cannot Live Without

Magnesium is an alkaline earth metal, the eighth most abundant mineral

found in the earth’s crust. Because of its ready solubility in water,

magnesium is the third most abundant mineral in sea water, after sodium and

chloride. In the human body, magnesium is the eleventh most plentiful element

by

mass—measuring about two ounces. Most magnesium contained in the body is

found in the skeleton and teeth—at least 60 to 65 percent of the total.

Nearly

the entire remaining amount resides in muscle tissues and cells, while

only one percent is contained in our blood.

The importance of magnesium ions for all life itself, as well as for

overall vibrant health, is hard to overstate. Magnesium is required to give the

“

spark of life†to metabolic functions involving the creation of energy

and its transport (ATP, the body’s fundamental energy currency), and the

creation of proteins—the nucleic acid chemistry of life—RNA and DNA, in all

known living organisms. In plants, a magnesium ion is found at the center of

every chlorophyll molecule, vital for the creation of energy from sunlight.

Magnesium is an essential element for both animals and plants, involved in

literally hundreds of enzymatic reactions affecting virtually all aspects

of life.

Every single cell in the human body demands adequate magnesium to

function, or it will perish. Strong bones and teeth, balanced hormones, a

healthy

nervous and cardiovascular system, wellfunctioning detoxification pathways

and much more depend upon cellular magnesium sufficiency. Soft tissue

containing the highest concentrations of magnesium in the body include the

brain

and the heart—two organs that produce a large amount of electrical

activity, and which can be especially vulnerable to magnesium insufficiency.

Magnesium works in concert with calcium to regulate electrical impulses in

the cell—magnesium concentration inside healthy cells is ten thousand

times greater than calcium, and there are crucial reasons for this safeguard.

Cellular calcium channels allow that mineral to enter the cell only as long

as needed to conduct an impulse; it is ushered out immediately by

magnesium once its task is fulfilled. This vigilance is necessary to prevent

calcium accumulation in the cell, which could cause dangerous

hyper-excitability, calcification, cell dysfunction and even cell death. When

excess calcium

enters the cells because of insufficient magnesium, muscle contraction is

sustained for too long, and we suffer, for example, twitches and tics in

mild cases. When magnesium deficiency becomes chronic, we suffer the symptoms

of heart disease such as angina pectoris, hypertension and arrhythmia, or

the spasms and contractions characteristic of asthma, migraine headache or

painful menstrual cramping.

Magnesium operates as a natural calcium channel blocker and is responsible

for relaxation—counter to calcium’s contraction. Thus magnesium is

pivotally important to the healthy functioning of our parasympathetic nervous

system. It may be hard to believe, but our bodies were actually designed to

operate for the most part in a calm, relaxed parasympathetic state, rather

than in the heart-pounding, stress- and adrenaline-driven mode of sympathetic

nervous system dominance that is nearly constant for many of us today, and

which uses up great quantities of magnesium.

Magnesium is so important to so many vital body functions, and its

deficiency is integrally involved in so many diseases, that more than one

researcher has dubbed magnesium a miracle in its ability to resolve or improve

numerous disorders. The current list of disorders with direct and confirmed

relationships to chronic and acute magnesium deficiency is long, and includes

many diseases whose conventional medical treatment does not commonly

address magnesium insufficiency (see below). Ongoing research promises to

uncover

further associations between magnesium deficiency and other illnesses.

MAGNESIUM DEFICIENCY IS ENDEMIC

Unfortunately, it is difficult to reliably supply our bodies with

sufficient magnesium, even from a good, balanced whole foods diet. First of

all,

modern agricultural methods favor the universal use of NPK fertilizers

(nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium). Both potassium and phosphorus are

antagonists of magnesium in the soil, and on calcareous soils create a relative

magnesium deficiency (the magnesium present is bound and therefore

unavailable to the crop). On sandy or loamy soils that are slightly acid, an

actual

magnesium deficiency often exists, as the magnesium leaches from the soil

and is also unavailable to the crop. This leaching also occurs in response to

acid rain. Magnesium, in fact, is one of the most depleted minerals in

farm soils. To add insult to injury, new plant hybrids are continually

introduced that have been bred to survive on these mineral-depleted soils. Of

course, when mineral-depleted crops are eaten by animals or by us, they will

sooner or later cause disease. Even though organically raised crops should be

a better bet nutritionally, this isn’t always the case, and it pays in

terms of your health to learn how your farmer replenishes the minerals on his

fields.

**Do you know that most of us today are suffering from certain dangerous

diet deficiencies which cannot be remedied until depleted soils from which

our food comes are brought back into proper mineral balance? The alarming

fact is that foods (fruits, vegetables, grains) now being raised on millions

of acres of land that no longer contain enough of certain minerals are

starving us—no matter how much of them we eat. The truth is that our foods

vary

enormously in value, and some of them aren’t worth eating as food.** These

words of warning are from the 74th Congress, 2nd session, Senate document

number 264, of 1936. It is truly sobering to learn that the decline in soil

mineral balance was a topic of serious national concern more than seventy

years ago, and the deficit has been affecting us—while steadily getting

worse— since our grandparents* generation.

Magnesium and other nutrients are diminished or lost in produce after

harvest, through handling, refrigeration, transport and storage, even if all

these steps were done **properly.** Buying produce and then storing it for

days in your own refrigerator continues the nutrient loss, whether the

produce is from the supermarket or your local farmers’ market.

Food processing causes enormous loss of magnesium in foods that are

commonly fairly good sources of it, such as leafy greens, nuts, seeds and whole

grains. Most of the magnesium in grain— found in the bran and germ—is lost

in milling whole grains for white flour, which is used nearly exclusively

for hundreds of devitalized processed food items. When nuts and seeds are

roasted or their oils extracted, magnesium is lost. Cooking greens causes

whatever magnesium they might contain to leach into the cooking water. Foods

tend to lose less calcium than magnesium through these processes, adding to

a troublesome dietary calcium overload that we will discuss shortly.

Fluoride in drinking water binds with magnesium, creating a nearly

insoluble mineral compound that ends up deposited in the bones, where its

brittleness increases the risk of fractures. Water, in fact, could be an

excellent

source of magnesium—if it comes from deep wells that have magnesium at

their source, or from mineral-rich glacial runoff. Urban sources of drinking

water are usually from surface water, such as rivers and streams, which are

low in magnesium. Even many bottled mineral waters are quite low in

magnesium, or have a very high concentration of calcium, or both.

A diet of processed, synthetic foods, high sugar content, alcohol and soda

drinks all **waste** magnesium, as a lot of it is required for the

metabolism and detoxification of these largely fake foods. According to Dr.

Natasha -McBride, the body requires at least twenty-eight molecules of

magnesium to metabolize a single molecule of glucose. Phosphates in carbo

nated drinks and processed meats (so-called “luncheon meats†and hot dogs)

bind with magnesium to create the insoluble magnesium phosphate, which is

unusable by the body.

Tannins, oxalates, and phytic acid all bind with magnesium, making it

unavailable to the body unless extra care is taken to neutralize some of these

compounds during food preparation. It is interesting to note that foods

commonly containing magnesium (provided they were grown in mineral-rich soil)

also contain lots of these anti-nutrients, such as spinach (oxalates) and

whole grains (phytates).

Many commonly prescribed pharmaceutical drugs cause the body to lose

magnesium via the urine, such as diuretics for hypertension; birth control

pills; insulin; digitalis; tetracycline and some other antibiotics; and

corticosteroids and bronchodilators for asthma. With the loss of magnesium, all

of

the symptoms being “treated†by these drugs over time inevitably become

worse.

Magnesium absorption is impeded with the use of supplemental iron. If you

take calcium supplements, your need for magnesium increases, and in fact

calcium will not be properly absorbed or metabolized if adequate magnesium is

missing, and will mostly end up dangerously deposited in soft tissues.

Magnesium is responsible for converting vitamin D to the active form that

allows calcium to be absorbed, and also regulates calcium’s transport to hard

tissues where it belongs. Lactose is another inhibitor of magnesium

absorption (and milk is not a good source of the mineral to begin with), along

with excess potassium, phosphorus and sodium.

Mental and physical stress, with its related continuous flow of

adrenaline, uses up magnesium rapidly, as adrenaline affects heart rate, blood

pressure, vascular constriction and muscle contraction— actions that all

demand

steady supplies of magnesium for smooth function. The nervous system depends

upon sufficient magnesium for its calming effects, including restful

sleep. Hibernating animals, by the way, maintain very high levels of magnesium.

Magnesium deficiency will accelerate a vicious cycle and amplify the

effects of chronic stress, leading to more anxiety, irritability, fatigue and

insomnia—many of the symptoms of adrenal exhaustion—as well as to

hypertension and heart pains—symptoms of heart disease.

Depression is related to stress and magnesium deficiency as well.

Serotonin, the “feel good†hormone, requires magnesium in its delicate

balance of

release and reception by cells in the brain. Only when adequate levels are

present can we enjoy mental and emotional equilibrium.

For reasons not fully understood, the body does not retain magnesium very

well; certainly not as well as it holds onto calcium or iron, for example.

Heavy sweating from endurance sports such as marathon running or strenuous

exercise workouts can dangerously deplete magnesium stores and other

electrolytes—although calcium is not wasted, by the way— resulting in

trembling,

faintness and even seizures and death. The drenching sweats that some

menopausal women suffer cause magnesium loss as well, and their diminishing

magnesium levels worsen their jagged nerves, sleep disturbances, panic

attacks, body aches and depression. If these women have been tempted to consume

modern soy products in a misguided attempt to moderate their symptoms, they

will in fact lose even more magnesium because it will be bound to the

abundant phytates in these concoctions.

A healthy gut environment is necessary for proper absorption of magnesium

from the diet. Irritable bowel syndrome, leaky gut, candidiasis and other

gut disorders can severely limit the amount of magnesium that the body will

be able to absorb. Older adults often experience decreased stomach

hydrochloric acid production, which can impair mineral absorption in general.

And

with so many treating their “heartburn†with antacids, a healthy digestive

environment is hard to maintain.

CALCIUM AND MAGNESIUM PARTNERSHIP

Both calcium and magnesium are necessary for the healthy body—in proper

balance to one another, as well as to other necessary minerals. Considered

biochemical antagonists, one cannot act without eliciting the opposite

reaction of the other. Yet calcium and magnesium must both be present in

balanced

amounts for either one to function normally in the body. Some researchers

suggest that the healthy ratio of calcium to magnesium in the diet should

be 2:1. Others consider 1:1 to reflect ratios that we evolved with based on

our diet prior to the advent of agriculture. In modern industrialized

countries the ratio from diet is from 5:1 to as much as 15:1. The imbalance of

these two very important minerals produces many dire consequences in the

body that are often overlooked by medical practitioners when treating the

disease states they cause.

Aside from the intricate electrical dance that calcium and magnesium

perform together, magnesium is necessary to keep calcium in solution in the

body, preventing its inappropriate deposition in soft tissues. As long as we

have sufficient hydrochloric acid in our stomachs we can dissolve calcium

from the foods we eat. After calcium leaves the acidic environment of the

stomach and enters the alkaline milieu of the small intestine however, it is

magnesium that is necessary to keep calcium soluble. Without sufficient

magnesium, a whole host of physiological aberrations can occur with serious

health consequences.

As Dr. Carolyn Dean, author of The Magnesium Miracle, explains, **In the

large intestine it [precipitated calcium] interferes with peristalsis, which

results in constipation. When calcium precipitates out in the kidneys and

combines with phosphorus or oxalic acid, kidney stones are formed. Calcium

can deposit in the lining of the bladder and prevent it from fully

relaxing, and therefore from filling completely with urine. This leads to

frequent

urination problems, especially in older people. Calcium can precipitate out

of the blood and deposit in the lining of the arteries, causing hardening

(arteriosclerosis). . . It can coat and stiffen. . . plaque in the

arteries. . . [and] can cause blood pressure to rise as well as increase the

risk

of heart attack and stroke. Calcium can even deposit in the brain. Many

researchers are investigating it as a possible cause of dementia, Alzheimer’s

and Parkinson’s disease. Calcium can deposit in the lining of the bronchial

tubes and cause asthma symptoms. Calcium in extracellular fluid. . . can

decrease the permeability of cell membranes. This makes it increasingly

difficult for glucose (a large molecule) to pass through the cell membrane to

be

converted to ATP in the cells’ mitochondria. High glucose levels created

by excess calcium may be misdiagnosed as diabetes.**

MAGNESIUM IS A POTENT DETOXIFIER

Magnesium is utilized by the body for all sorts of detoxification

pathways and is necessary for the neutralization of toxins, overly acidic

conditions that arise in the body, and for protection from heavy metals. It

plays

a vital role in protecting us from the onslaught of man-made chemicals all

around us. Glutathione, an antioxidant normally produced by the body and a

detoxifier of mercury, lead and arsenic among others, requires magnesium

for its synthesis. According to Mark Sircus, in Transdermal Magnesium

Therapy, a deficiency of magnesium increases free radical generation in the

body

and **causes glutathione loss, which is not affordable because glutathione

helps to defend the body against damage from cigarette smoking, exposure to

radiation, cancer chemotherapy, and toxins such as alcohol and just about

everything else.**

When our bodies are replete with magnesium (and in balance with the other

essential minerals) we are protected from heavy metal deposition and the

development of associated neurological diseases. As Dr. Carolyn Dean

explains, “Research indicates that ample magnesium will protect brain cells

from

the damaging effects of aluminum, beryllium, cadmium, lead, mercury and

nickel. We also know that low levels of brain magnesium contribute to the

deposition of heavy metals in the brain that heralds Parkinson’s and

Alzheimer’

s. It appears that the metals compete with magnesium for entry into the

brain cells. If magnesium is low, metals gain access much more readily.

**There is also competition in the small intestine for absorption of

minerals. If there is enough magnesium, aluminum won’t be absorbed.**

MAGNESIUM DEFICIENCY IN TOOTH DECAY AND OSTEOPOROSIS

Ask anyone—your neighbor or even your dentist or doctor—what bones and

teeth require to be strong and healthy, and you will undoubtedly hear the

response, **Plenty of calcium.** Bones and teeth certainly do require

calcium—

as well as phosphorus and magnesium, but without adequate amounts of the

latter, calcium will not be deposited in these hard tissues, and the

structures will not be sound. **When you load up your system with excess

calcium,**

writes Quesnell, in Minerals: the Essential Link to Health, **you

shut down magnesium*s ability to activate thyrocalcitonin, a hormone that

under normal circumstances would send calcium to your bones.** Instead of

providing benefits to the body, the displaced calcium actually becomes

toxic, causing trouble in soft tissues of the kinds we’ve already discussed.

Numerous studies, in fact, have established the fact that it is dietary

magnesium, not calcium, (and certainly not fluoride) that creates glassy hard

tooth enamel that resists decay, and strong and resilient bones.

Regardless of the amount of calcium you consume, your teeth can only form hard

enamel if magnesium is available in sufficient quantities.

According to J. I. Rodale, in Magnesium: the Nutrient that Could Change

Your Life, **For years it was believed that high intakes of calcium and

phosphorus inhibited decay by strengthening the enamel. Recent evidence,

however, indicates that an increase in these two elements is useless unless we

increase our magnesium intake at the same time. It has even been observed that

dental structures beneath the surface can dissolve when additional amounts

of calcium and phosphorus diffuse through the enamel at different rates.

Thus milk, poor in magnesium, but high in the other two elements, not only

interferes with magnesium metabolism, but also antagonizes the mineral

responsible for decay prevention.**

To revisit Deaf County, Texas, and the justly famous residents whose

teeth refused to succumb to decay, Rodale quotes the observations of Dr.

Barnett, presented in a paper before the Texas Medical Association in

Dallas, 1952. Dr. Barnett, an orthopedic surgeon, remarked on the low

incidence of tooth decay and rapid healing of broken bones among these

residents, and offered this explanation: ** [The local] water and foods have a

very

high magnesium and iodine content and recently we have proven that all of

the trace minerals known to be essential are present in the water and foods

grown in that area.** Further, Dr. Barnett had found that the magnesium

bone content of the average Deaf County resident was up to five times

higher than that of a resident of Dallas, while the concentrations of calcium

and phosphorus were about the same in both groups. His observations led

him to state that **[one of the most important aspects of the disease

osteoporosis has been almost totally overlooked. That aspect is the role played

by magnesium.**

Rodale emphasizes the fact that Dr. Barnett gave much of the credit for

these health benefits to the high magnesium content of the local water, and

noted many signs of superior bone development among people in the area:

**Dr. Barnett makes mention of the fact that people in older years frequently

have fracture of the cervical neck of the femur and these are very difficult

to heal in many localities. However, he noted that this fracture rarely

occurs in Deaf County, whereas it was common in Dallas County, Texas,

where he also practiced. When a fracture did occur in Deaf , healing

was easy and rapid even in people eighty to one hundred years old. In

contrast, fractures in Dallas were common and very difficult to heal, if not

impossible.**

Over fifty years ago Dr. Barnett tested the magnesium levels of five

thousand people and found sixty percent of them to be deficient. How much more

of the population is deficient today, when all of the negative conditions

contributing to that deficiency have been certainly amplified?

FOOD SOURCES OF MAGNESIUM

As we’ve mentioned, if farm soils are well-mineralized, leafy green

vegetables, seeds, tree nuts and whole grains are fairly good sources of

magnesium. Certain wild-crafted forage foods really stand out, however, such as

nettles (860 mg per 100 grams) and chickweed (529 mg per 100 grams), and add

many tonic and nutritive benefits to both human and livestock diets largely

due to their high mineral content. Kelp, ancient denizen of the sea,

contains spectacular levels, as do most sea vegetables. Remember that they are

continually bathed in a solution whose third most abundant mineral is

magnesium. And authentic, unrefined sea salt is a very good source of

magnesium,

along with trace minerals. Utilizing bone broths on a daily basis will

provide another excellent source of minerals, including magnesium, in a highly

assimilable form.

STRATEGIES FOR MAGNESIUM SUPPLEMENTATION

Even with ideal digestive conditions, only a percentage of magnesium in

foods will be absorbed—less when amounts in the body are adequate and more if

there is a deficiency. This is also true of magnesium supplements, and

there are many of them on the market to confuse you. For the average person,

magnesium supplementation is safe to experiment with on your own, especially

if you know you have symptoms that could be related to magnesium

deficiency or are under extra stress, and so on. Excess magnesium is excreted

in

urine and the stool, and the most common response to too much magnesium is

loose stools. Those with renal insufficiency or kidney disease, extremely slow

heart rate, or bowel obstruction should avoid magnesium therapy.

General dosage recommendations range from about 3 to 10 milligrams per

pound of body weight, depending upon physical condition, requirements for

growth (as in children), and degree of symptoms.

Oral magnesium supplements are available in organic salt chelates, such as

magnesium citrate and magnesium malate. These are fairly well absorbed,

especially in powder forms to which you add water and can tailor your dosage.

It is important to divide your dosage during the day so that you do not

load your body with too much magnesium in any single dose. Carolyn Dean

recommends taking your first dose early in the morning and another in the late

afternoon—these correspond to times when magnesium levels are low in the b

ody. Is it just a coincidence that these times of low magnesium and low

energy also correspond to the cultural rituals of morning coffee and afternoon

tea?

Loose stools indicate you are not absorbing the magnesium, but that it is

acting as a laxative. When the magnesium travels through the intestines in

less than twelve hours, it is merely excreted rather than absorbed. If you

find you cannot overcome the laxative effect by varying your dosages, you

may want to try an oral supplement that is chelated to an amino acid, such

as magnesium taurate and magnesium glycinate, which some consider to be

better absorbed than the salt forms and less likely to cause loose stools. For

those who need a little help with digestion, such as young children, older

adults, and anyone with reduced stomach acid or bowel dysbiosis, consider

homeopathic magnesium, also referred to as tissue salts or cell salts.

Magnesia phosphorica 6X is the appropriate dosage, and it works to usher

magnesium into the cells where it belongs. It is also indicated as a remedy for

muscle spasms and cramps of many varieties. Mag phos can help reduce and

eliminate loose stools while you are supplementing with oral magnesium, giving

you a positive sign that your body is indeed taking the magnesium into the

cells.

Yet another option for oral magnesium supplementation is ionic magnesium

in liquid form, such as that offered by Trace Minerals Research. This is a

sodium-reduced concentration of sea water from the Great Salt Lake in Utah.

Only about a teaspoon is needed to deliver about 400 milligrams of

magnesium (along with seventy-two other trace minerals), which should be taken

in

divided amounts during the day. I recommend adding this to soups (made with

bone-broth bases of course) as the strong mineral taste is hard to take

straight. You can also add this to spring and other drinking water to up the

magnesium content and use it in cooking. By **micro-dosing** your food and

water in this fashion you greatly reduce any laxative effects a large dose

of magnesium might elicit.

Another potential way to get more magnesium into your system is via the

pleasant method of soaking in a bath of magnesium sulfate, otherwise known as

Epsom salts. Commonly used to ease muscle aches and pains, magnesium

sulfate also importantly helps with detoxification when sulfur is needed by the

body for this purpose. When used intravenously, magnesium sulfate can save

lives in such crises as acute asthma attack, onset of myocardial

infarction, and eclampsia in pregnancy.

A couple of cups of Epsom salts added to a hot bath will induce sweating

and detoxification; after the water cools a bit, the body will then absorb

the magnesium sulfate. According to Mark Sircus in Transdermal Magnesium

Therapy, the effects from a bath of Epsom salts, although pleasant, are brief

as magnesium sulfate is difficult to assimilate and is rapidly lost in the

urine. Magnesium chloride, which can also be used in baths, is more easily

assimilated and metabolized, and so less is needed for absorption.

Finally, magnesium may be applied topically in a form commonly called

magnesium **oil.** This is actually not an oil at all, but a supersaturated

concentration of magnesium chloride and water. It does feel oily and slippery

when applied to the skin, but it absorbs quickly, leaving a slightly tacky,

**sea salt** residue that can be washed off. There are many advantages to

transdermal magnesium therapy, since the gastrointestinal tract is avoided

altogether and there is no laxative effect. Next to intravenous magnesium

administration, transdermal therapy provides a greater amount of magnesium

to be absorbed than even the best tolerated oral supplements, and can

restore intracellular concentrations in a matter of weeks rather than the

months

required for oral supplementation.

MISSING LINK?

It is likely safe to say that most people would benefit from an increased

supply of magnesium in their diets, especially in these times of so many

dietary, environmental, and social stressors. Of course no single nutrient

stands alone in relation to the body, and the first priority is to eat a

varied diet of whole plant and animal foods from the best sources near you.

Adding extra magnesium, however, might be the missing nutritional link to help

us guard against heart disease, stroke, depression, osteoporosis and many

other disorders. In the prevention and alleviation of these diseases,

magnesium can be truly miraculous.

SIDEBARS

THE MANY EFFECTS OF MAGNESIUM DEFICIENCY

- ADD/ADHD

- Alzheimer’s

- Angina pectoris

- Anxiety disorders

- Arrhythmia

- Arthritis—rheumatoid and osteoarthritis

- Asthma

- Autism

- Auto-immune disorders

- Cerebral palsy in children of Mg deficient mothers

- Chronic Fatigue Syndrome

- Congestive Heart Failure • Constipation

- Crooked teeth/narrow jaw in children from Mg deficient mothers

- Dental caries

- Depression

- Diabetes, types I and II

- Eating disorders—bulimia and anorexia

- Fibromyalgia

- Gut disorders including peptic ulcer, Crohn’s disease, colitis

- Heart disease

- Hypertension

- Hypoglycemia

- Insomnia

- Kidney stones

- Lou Gehrig’s disease

- Migraines

- Mitral valve prolapse

- Multiple sclerosis

- Muscle cramping, weakness, fatigue

- Myopia—in children from Mg deficient mothers

- Obesity—especially associated with high carbohydrate diet

- Osteoporosis

- Parkinson’s disease

- PMS—including menstrual pain and irregularities

- PPH (Primary pulmonary hypertension)

- Reynaud’s syndrome

- SIDS (Sudden Infant Death Syndrome)

- Stroke

- Syndrome X

- Thyroid disorders

Source: Primal Body—Primal Mind, by Nora Gedgaudas.

THE MAGNESIUM CONTENT OF MILK

In general, milk is not a rich source of magnesium, but many cultures

throughout the ages have depended upon dairy foods as the foundation of

balanced, healthy diets that conferred strength and vitality. Weston Price, for

example, investigated residents of the Swiss Alps as well as the African

Maasai whose sturdy, disease-resistant individuals had little or no tooth

decay. But can we replicate those diets with the same health-giving properties

if we depend upon today’s industrialized food model?

The mineral composition of milk depends upon many factors, including the

breed of animal, stage of lactation, frequency of milking, environmental

conditions, type of pasture, soil makeup and amount of soil contamination.

Grass tetany, for instance, is a serious and potentially fatal condition in

cattle characterized by extremely low levels of serum magnesium. Also called

**grass staggers** or **wheat pasture poisoning,** it is the result of

animals grazing on fast-growing young grass in spring or fall on soil that is

severely magnesium deficient, as can happen when the pastures have been

fertilized with high nitrogen and potassium fertilizers. In acute poisoning,

the animal can be saved by injections of magnesium sulfate; yet subclinical

magnesium deficiency in the herd may go undetected.

By contrast, pastures that offer a great deal of plant diversity to

grazing animals also offer diversity to the soil ecology as well as nutrient

diversity to the ruminant. In a Swiss study that examined thirty plant species

of alpine pastures, researchers found that **the botanical composition of

an alpine pasture has a significant influence on the nutritive value of the

forage…. Compared with grass species, legumes and herbs showed a lower c

ontent of cell walls but a higher content of crude protein, as well as four

times the content of calcium and twice the content of magnesium.** The Swiss

visited by Dr. Price grazed their cattle on alpine slopes populated by

numerous plant species and watered by the mineral-rich glacial run-off—water

the villagers also used in drinking and cooking.

Numerous stresses can take their nutritional toll on the dairy animal and

therefore on the quality of her milk. Crowding, confinement, filth and

unnatural fodder come to mind instantly as obvious offenders, but too frequent

milking— more than once a day—can result in dilution of nutrients in the

milk. The daily output is greater, but the nutrients are fewer by volume.

**The mineral content of milk and popular meats has fallen significantly

in the past 60 years, according to a new analysis of government records of

the chemical composition of everyday food,** begins an article in the

Guardian about researcher ’s comparison of food tables from 1940

and

2002. The research was done for the consumer watchdog group in the UK, the

Food Commission, and published in their quarterly journal, The Food

Magazine. Mineral declines in dairy products showed that milk lost 60 percent

of

its iron, 2 percent of its calcium, and 21 percent of its magnesium.

Compared to 1940, currently **[most cheeses showed a fall in magnesium and

calcium

levels. According to the analysis, cheddar provides 9 percent less calcium

today, 38 percent less magnesium and 47 percent less iron, while parmesan

shows the steepest drop in nutrients, with magnesium levels down by 70

percent.**

Ignoring the declining magnesium content in foods such as dairy products

may have confounded some analyses of disease etiology in large populations.

Anti-animal-fat proponents tend to blame the rampant incidence of heart

disease among the Finns on their high intakes of dairy products. However,

according to Dr. Mildred Seelig, of New York University Medical Center, **In

Finland, which has a very high death rate from IHD (ischemic heart disease),

there is a clear relationship with heart disease and the amount of magnesium

in the soil. In eastern and northern Finland, where the soil content is

about a third of that found in southwestern Finland, the mortality from

ischemic heart disease is twice as high as is that in the southwest. Ho and

Khun surveyed factors that might be contributory both to the rising incidence

of cardiovascular disease in Europe, and the falling levels of magnesium

both in the soil and in the food supply. They commented that in Finland, which

has the highest cardiovascular death rate in Europe, the dietary supply of

magnesium has decreased by 1963 to a third of the intake common in

1911.**

Modern, urban Finns of course consume pasteurized dairy products, which

not only have reduced magnesium levels to begin with thanks to modern farming

practices, but also have less soluble calcium as a result of the

denaturing of the enzyme phosphatase during pasteurization. Calcium that is

not

soluble precipitates out to soft tissue, such as the vascular system, and can

contribute to a cascade of ominous events linked to heart disease.

We might surmise from these observations, then, that dairy products must

be produced with reverence not only to the beast herself, but also to the

soil that feeds the pasture that feeds her. When all nutrients are in balance

with one another we can expect the food to have the power to truly nourish

us.

Countless stressors in life today increase the body’s demands for magnesium

—by our challenged endocrine systems, by environmental poisons that must

be neutralized, by excess refined carbohydrates in our diets, to name a few.

The balance of nutrients provided in the foods in the groups that Dr.

Price visited was also in felicitous balance with those peoples* physical,

emotional, and social ecologies. We can only strive, both as consumers and

producers of food, to achieve that equilibrium in the ecologies we inhabit.

FOOD SOURCES OF MAGNESIUM

In milligrams per 100 grams

Kelp

760

Pecan

142

Beets

25

Wheat bran

490

Walnut

131

Broccoli

24

Wheat germ

336

Rye

115

Cauliflower

24

Almonds

270

Tofu curdled by Mg nigiri

111

Carrot

23

Cashews

267

Coconut meat, dried

90

Celery

22

Blackstrap molasses

258

Collard greens

57

Beef

21

Nutritional yeast

231

Shrimp

51

Asparagus

20

Buckwheat

229

Corn, sweet

48

Chicken

19

Brazil nuts

225

Avocado

45

Green pepper

18

Dulse

220

Cheddar cheese

45

Winter squash

17

Filberts

184

Parsley

41

Cantaloupe

16

Peanuts

175

Prunes

40

Eggplant

16

Millet

162

Sunflower seeds

38

Tomato

14

Wheat whole grain

160

Sweet potato

31

Milk

13

MAGNESIUM SUPPLEMENTATION CAN BE TRICKY

Even when it seems obvious that magnesium supplementation is called for to

alleviate typical deficiency symptoms such as anxiety or heart

palpitations, finding the best means to raise intracellular levels can be

difficult.

Most often, oral supplements will cause laxative effects at levels too low

to restore magnesium supplies to the cells, where it is needed. Marina,

whose husband was recovering from heart surgery, had to be persistent. **I

noticed in the hospital that he was given intravenous magnesium during

intensive care, but the doctors never mentioned it later on, when was

overcome with panic attacks, bouts of low energy, hypertension and arrhythmia.

We were offered drugs for all of these conditions, but we both wanted to

avoid the medications if at all possible, although we couldn’t at first. A

couple of alternative doctors had mentioned magnesium along with other

supplements that could help, but with no particular emphasis on the magnesium,

so it was by trial and error that we discovered just how effective the

magnesium could be. But first we had to find the best way for to take it.

**Capsules of magnesium citrate and magnesium taurate both caused diarrhea

at only a quarter of the recommended dose. I learned that chronic

magnesium deficiency can unfortunately leave you with a much reduced capacity

for

intestinal absorption, and it was likely that had been deficient for a

long time. This was hard for me to accept at first, since he had been

eating a superb diet for many years—full of mineral-rich bone broths, soups

with seaweeds and nettles, and no sugar or caffeine. But his history included

decades of intense stress and obvious signs of adrenal exhaustion.

**I next tried liquid ionic magnesium, which included trace minerals as

found in the Great Salt Lake in Utah. I felt that magnesium in isolation

might not be the best way to try to absorb it. Starting with just a few drops

in his soup, was able to take more magnesium over time in this fashion,

although we still had to be very careful not to exceed a certain amount or

the diarrhea would return. Nevertheless, we were starting to see positive

results. First came better sleep. had been waking every ninety minutes

during the night -- he*d get up to pee, come back to bed and struggle to

fall asleep only to wake again in ninety minutes to repeat the process. He

was certain his prostate was failing, but after about a month with the ionic

magnesium, he was able to sleep uninterrupted for three-, then four-, then

six-hour spans. We realized his prostate was fine, but his traumatized

adrenals had been regularly firing an adrenaline rush to jolt him awake. When

they began to be pacified his sleep finally became restful; he now usually

only wakes once during the night and can easily return to sleep. And, dare

I say, he sleeps better these days than he has for years. Also, with a

good night’s sleep his daytime energy level is much improved.

** still had bouts of arrhythmia which had been very frightening at

times, and although his hypertension was improving with energy work and

flower essences, we knew there was a nutritional component that needed to be

addressed. A friend happened to suggest using homeopathic magnesium to help

with absorption—she herself was starting to use magnesium supplements and was

also experiencing the common problem of loose stools when this solution

dawned on her. The concept was brilliant—we needed a way to gently get the

cells to accept the magnesium, and so we began using the tissue salts

Magnesia phosphorica in the 6X potency. After the very first dose had

improvement with his stool and was able to keep up the same dosage of the ionic

magnesium. It was as though a key had opened a lock, and the magnesium was

now entering the cells where it could do its good.

**One day casually mentioned that he hadn*t had a single moment of

arrhythmia in a week. This was stunning news, since he had had at least

slight arrhythmia daily for months. Everyone told us this was extremely common

after heart surgery and we thought we*d have to accept this fact. Encouraged

by his progress, I next purchased some magnesium ‘oil’ in order to have

yet another means to deliver the magnesium without involving the intestinal

tract at all.

**Our current protocol includes a once-daily use of the magnesium oil. I

add ionic magnesium drops to our drinking and cooking water, as well as to

every pot of soup, pan of sautéed vegetables, tray of stuffed peppers. I

call this ‘microdosing’ and it is in addition to using sea vegetables and

plenty of bone broths. Along with the Magnesia phosphorica, takes the

tissue salt Kali phosphorica (potassium phosphate) which is indicated for all

conditions of nervous debility; the two together make a very good heart

tonic. At bedtime, has a single dose of magnesium citrate with a food

complex vitamin C powder. This is a relaxing evening ritual and now causes no

intestinal upset.

**The only medication still takes is a beta-blocker for hypertension—

a small dose that we hope to be able to quit soon. If you supplement with

magnesium and have hypertension you will need to pay close attention to your

blood pressure. You will have to reduce your medication accordingly or

your blood pressure could get too low too fast! You must do this slowly,

though, to give the vascular tissue time to recondition itself and regain

elasticity—as it will.

**Finally, himself wanted me to add that the magnesium therapy

allowed him to shift the intensity of his focus from his physical condition to

his spiritual life, and sparked new creativity. He has begun to write and

will be publishing the first in a series of his memoirs early next year.

Truly, who would have thought so much healing could be initiated by finally

replenishing this neglected mineral?â€

REFERENCES

The Magnesium Miracle, by Carolyn Dean, M.D., N.D., Ballantine Books,

2007.

Transdermal Magnesium Therapy, by Mark Sircus, Ac., O.M.D., Phaelos Books,

2007.

Magnesium Therapy, by Ann Braun, M.D. http://

pbraunmd.org/magnesium.htm.

Magnesium: The Nutrient that Could Change Your Life, by J.I. Rodale

_http://www.mgwater.com/rod06.shtml_ (http://www.mgwater.com/rod06.shtml)

Leaky gut and magnesium deficiency:

_http://magnesiumforlife. com/medical-application/magnesium-and-autism/_

(http://magnesiumforlife.%20com/medical-application/magnesium-and-autism/) .

The dangers of magnesium deficiency in endurance athletes:

_http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FDL/is_4_14/ ai_n24940334/_

(http://findarticles.com/p/articles/mi_m0FDL/is_4_14/%20ai_n24940334/) .

Primal Body-Primal Mind, by Nora Gedgaudas, Primal Body-Primal Mind

Publishing, 2009.

Healing Wise: Wise Woman Herbal, by Susun S. Weed, Ash Tree Publishing,

1989.

Put Your Heart in Your Mouth, by Dr. Natasha - McBride, Medinform,

2007.

This article appeared in Wise Traditions in Food, Farming and the Healing

Arts, the quarterly magazine of the Weston A. Price Foundation, _Fall 2010_

(http://www.westonaprice.org/journal/journal-fall-2010-the-essential-fatty-a

cids) .

About the Author

Czapp was raised on a three-generation, self-sufficient mixed

family farm in rural Michigan. After studying Russian language and

literature at the University of Michigan, she is gratified to discover that the

skills and experiences of her anachronistic upbringing are useful tools in the

21st century. She works independently as a three-season organic gardener

and WAPF staff editor. She and her husband Garrick live the slow life in Ann

Arbor, Michigan. To learn more about authentic sourdough bread recipes and

to obtain a live culture starter, visit _www.realsourdoughbreadrecipe.com_

(http://www.realsourdoughbreadrecipe.com/) .