Magnesium make certain you're getting enough

PRIME – August 2014 By Jonathan Evans Herbal Information Specialist, the Herbarium It is the dog days of summer, and I am revisiting many subjects and information that seems to be timeless. I hope you cut this article out and refer to it many times, Heaven knows I repeat this stuff a dozen times a day… Magnesium myths I cannot tell you how many times I have spoken about magnesium on the radio over the years. I cannot count the thousands of informational sheets I have handed out about this mineral at the Herbarium, and at public talks. And, after my experience with two customers recently, I feel it is necessary to remind all of you readers of the importance of magnesium. Case #1: An older woman with osteoporosis is told to stop wasting her money and get rid of magnesium supplements and instead, to add more calcium carbonate to her diet. I have a sheet, given to me by a medical doctor who also holds a degree in nutrition. It explains why calcium carbonate (Tums, Caltrate, Oscal) is a very poor choice of calcium supplement. According to researchers at the Cornell Medical Center, University of North Carolina, University of California, Irvine, and several other centers of medical research on the need for magnesium, you have to have adequate amounts of magnesium to absorb your calcium, and to activate the vitamin D. To make matters worse, by overloading on calcium, you flush out the magnesium in your system. According to Dr. Carolyn DeMarco, MD, author of "The Bone Building Solution" (2006), "The body cannot absorb more than 500 milligrams of calcium at one time. More doesn't equal better: Consuming over 3,000 milligrams of calcium daily exhausts the age-related osteoblast replicative capacity, down-regulating the ability to heal micro-fractures." You may find 3,000 milligrams is a lot, and you would never take that much, but so many foods are fortified with calcium – how do you know how much you are ingesting? Most people are deficient in magnesium. We do not eat enough magnesium rich foods, and even if you did, you have to eat an awful lot of food to get minimum amounts. For example, 1 cup of cashews delivers only 374 milligrams. 1 pound of shrimp has 190 milligrams, one avocado gives you 70 milligrams, 4 ounces of salmon has about 40 milligrams. The recommended daily allowance (RDA) is 400 milligrams, which is bare minimum. Most people take 600 to 1,000 milligrams of magnesium. Signs and symptoms of magnesium deficiency include: stress, fatigue, low energy, inability to sleep, muscle tension, cramps, headaches, PMS, hormonal imbalance, abnormal heart rhythms, weakening bones, and calcification of organs. Does any of this sound familiar? Watch the evening news and see how many pharmaceutical commercials mention these symptoms. Case #2: A woman came into the shop with a notebook. On one page were her list of medications. There were at least nine, and probably many more. The other page listed her medical conditions, which was even longer. She was desperate. She was in constant pain and felt like a zombie. I suggested she sit down with her doctor and see if all those medications were needed. When she went down her list of ills, I was able to show her that nine of her conditions were influenced by a lack of magnesium. Can you imagine? Nine problems! Could this person be you? Here is a list of some of the conditions that are associated with low magnesium: Angina anxiety, asthma, depression, diabetes, fibromyalgia, high blood pressure, heart attack, high cholesterol, infertility, insomnia, migraines, osteoporosis, constipation. For more info. on magnesium, visit www.nutritionalmagnesium.org. Are you getting your D? Vitamin D … it's more important than previously thought. It is necessary for overall health, strong bones, muscle function, cardiovascular health, brain development, immune function and anti -cancer activity. Several years ago, the government was prepared to lower the recommended levels of vitamin D. Then, suddenly, everything reversed. Doctors were, and still are, prescribing massive doses of vitamin D. It seems 50,000 units are what most people have received, although I have had a tough time trying to figure out how that number came up. According to vitamin D researchers, 5,000 units seem to be a new recommendation. Depending on individual situations, 2,000 to 4,000 units as a supplement of D-3 seems to be a good level. As you may have noticed in the previous story, without magnesium, many people are not absorbing vitamin D well. This could be one of the reasons people who are getting the 50,000 units are still testing as deficient. For more info on vitamin D and health, go to www.vitamindcouncil.org. Antibiotics and probiotic use Finally, when taking an antibiotic, it is important to take a good probiotic, and to take it properly. After taking your medicine, wait at least two hours before taking the probiotic. It will give you a chance to replenish some good bacteria to help with absorption of your nutrients, help immune function, and reduce the chance of developing a yeast infection. When you have completed any prescribed course of antibiotics, make sure to take a strong enough probiotic blend which contains 30 to 50 billion or more organisms, and contains a good mix of lactobacillus, and bifidobacterium strains. These good bacteria are very specific to the small and large intestine. Just eating yogurt is not doing enough to rebalance your system. – Jonathan Jonathan welcomes reader's questions. Please send your questions on botanical remedies to Natures Rx: Jonathan Evans via email at herbarium258@gmail.com, or by regular mail to: The Herbarium, 264 Exchange St., Chicopee, Mass. 01013. If requesting additional information from Evans, please include a self-addressed stamped envelope. Editor's Note: The North American Menopause Society released a report on July 23 tying the use of high-dose calcium supplements without sufficient minerals to increased kidney stones and other health problems in women.