Magnesium - A crucial mineral for chiropractic pat

Magnesium – A crucial mineral for chiropractic patients

Magnesium is an extremely important mineral, yet few of us doctors and virtually no patients truly appreciate its impact on human health. Back in 1994, an article entitled “Magnesium: fifth but forgotten electrolyte,” was published in the American Journal of Clinical Pathology (1). Indeed, magnesium is the forgotten mineral. For example, when you think about osteoporosis, it is calcium that comes to mind, not magnesium. Even certain researchers do not consider magnesium when studying osteoporosis. Alexandersen et al. state that, “it is not a general practice to include a magnesium supplement in osteoporosis studies” (2). Such sentiments are inconsistent with wellknown facts about calcium and magnesium metabolism. A basic endocrinology book explains that magnesium deficiency creates a deficiency in calcium that cannot be corrected until magnesium levels are restored (3). In fact, magnesium supplementation has been used in the research setting in the treatment of osteoporosis.

In a group of postmenopausal women in Israel suffering from osteoporosis who received magnesium supplements in the range of 250-750 mg/day for 24 months, either trabecular bone density increased up to 8% or bone loss was arrested (in 87%); in some cases both an increase in bone density and arrested bone loss occurred. Untreated controls, on the other hand, lost bone density at an average of 1% a year (4). In another study, postmenopausal osteoporotic women in Czechoslovakia received magnesium at  levels ranging from 1500-3000 mg of magnesium lactate per day for 2 years. Nearly 65% were classified totally free of pain and with no further deformity of vertebrae, with the condition in the remainder either arrested or slightly improved (4).

Magnesium is not limited to improving bone health. There are some 300 bodily enzymes that require magnesium, which means to suggest that magnesium is vital for most cells and tissues of the body. Deficiency in magnesium can have far reaching effects on many different tissues, to the point that a leading magnesium researcher wrote an article entitled “Magnesium deficiency: a cause of heterogeneous disease in humans” (5). Numerous conditions and symptoms can be promoted by magnesium deficiency including osteoporosis, muscle dysfunction, depression, apathy, cardiac arrythmias, hypertension, atherosclerosis, and even stress and aging (5,6).

Literally no bodily system can escape without being insulted by magnesium deficiency, even the human genome. In fact, magnesium is thought to promote genomic stability, such that DNA synthesis and repair depends on magnesium (7).

With the above in mind, one can only hope that they get adequate magnesium in their diet. Regretfully, this is not the case. Marginal magnesium deficiencies are very common. At the turn of the century (1900), magnesium intake was estimated to be 475-500 mg per day (8), which is substantially higher than today’s RDAs. The current US RDA for magnesium is 320 mg for women and 420 mg for men. Intakes below the RDA are common, if not the norm, for the people of many countries including the United States (7,8). While we cannot attribute this lowered intake as the cause of the conditions and diseases mentioned above, it certainly makes sense to increase magnesium ingestion to at least the RDA.

Researchers suggest that for every 2.2 pounds of body weight, which is equivalent to 1 kilogram (kg), we should be ingesting 6 mg of magnesium. Accordingly, a 150 pound man (70 kg) would require 420 mg/day, while a 200 pound man (90 kg) requires 540 mg/day.

As most in the US are deficient, it is suggested that we supplement 5 mg per kg of body weight to replenish what has been lost (6). Researchers have observed that between 950-1020 mg of magnesium per day is required to create a positive magnesium balance (7).

If you are presently taking a calcium supplement, it is very important to add a magnesium supplement to your regimen. The current accepted balance of calcium/magnesium intake is 2:1. At present, the average intake of calcium in the US is thought to be about 1000 mg/day or greater (which includes supplements and fortified foods) and only about 250-350 mg of magnesium. This imbalance, i.e., about a 4:1 ratio of calcium/magnesium, is thought to reduce magnesium absorption and further enhance magnesium deficiency (4).

So, for your health, consider adding a magnesium supplement to your diet. Take magnesium about 30 minutes before eating a meal. Divide your magnesium supplementation throughout the day if you are taking more than 300 mg, which will help to avoid the only side-effect to taking magnesium, that being loose stools.

References 

1. Elin RJ. Magnesium: fifth but forgotten electrolyte. Am J Clin Path 1994; 102:616-22

2. Alexandersen P, Riis B. Ipriflavone and osteoporosis. JAMA. 2001; 286(15):1836-7

3. Besser GM et al. Clinical Endocrinology. 2nd ed. London: Times Mirror; 1994: p.18.10

4. Dreosti IE. Magnesium status and health. Nutr Rev 1995; 53(9):S23-S27

5. Rude RE. Magnesium deficiency: a cause of heterogeneous disease in humans. J Bone Mineral Res 1998; 13:74-958

6. Durlach J, Bac P, Durlach V, Rayssiguier Y, Bara M, Guiet-Bara A. Magnesium status and ageing: an update. Mag Res 1997; 11:25-42

7. Hartwig A. Role of magnesium in genomic stability. Mutation Res 2001; 475:113-218. Saris NL, Mervaala E, Karppanen H, Khawaja JA, Lewenstam A. Magnesium: an update on physiological, clinical and analytical concepts. Clin Chim Acta 2000; 294:1-26