The Magnesium Miracle By Carolyn Dean

I am convinced that I have been magnesium deficient since at least my 30’s, possibly earlier. My first symptoms of magnesium deficiency were my eye twitches, but there are other symptoms that could point to magnesium deficiency. The funny thing is that it was a German friend who first told me I was magnesium deficient 20+ years ago. And another German that I met while traveling in Europe recently that told me about this book for arthritis relief. I am of German ancestry, so it makes me wonder if there are more Germans with the genetic predisposition to these autoimmune diseases and that is why they know about the importance of magnesium?

Changes I plan to implement after reading this book: I added magnesium supplements to my daily supplement regime. Currently taking 10 mg of manganese bisglycinate chelate in the evenings. May shift to a methylated B vitamin when my multivitamins run out.

Key Takeaways:

• Magnesium is essential to the proper functioning of our body.
• We can’t get enough from our food because the soil is depleted.
• Calcium depletes magnesium and we get too much calcium relative to magnesium. I need to check my calcium levels since I have resumed taking it twice a day during my surgery year.
• There is not an accurate test to measure magnesium in the bioavailable form our bodies use. We need free ionized magnesium for the biochemical processes in our bodies. Studies often measure total serum magnesium levels, which is difficult to correlate to disease.
• We are taking too much of some supplements.
  1. Calcium depletes magnesium, most of us are getting too much calcium relative to magnesium.
  2. High-dose Vitamin D depletes magnesium.
  3. K2 is important for proper functioning of vitamin D, calcium & magnesium & guiding calcium to bone rather than arteries.
• B6 & B2 assist with magnesium absorption. Try a methylated B multivitamin.

The Magnesium Miracle covers the correlation of magnesium deficiency with numerous diseases that are not part of my focus. If you would like to research further before buying this book, she references a free downloadable pdf book, Magnesium in the Central Nervous System.

I don’t have time to research this concept, but it is the sort of thing I uncover and wonder about and I am hopeful that this blog will connect me with others that have answers. I have an aunt with MS and I wonder if there could be any connection between MS, magnesium deficiency and our family’s genetic predisposition to these autoimmune diseases.

Some probable causes of my magnesium deficiency:

• Alcohol & caffeine cause a diuretic effect.
• Fluoride & fluorine in water & toothpaste bind magnesium.
• Roundup binds with magnesium in the soil.
• My damaged gut lining made it impossible for me to absorb the magnesium I was consuming.
• I ate too much sugar: 28 atoms of magnesium are required to process one molecule of glucose, 56 for fructose.
• Refined grains have less magnesium.
• Stomach acid deficiency due to stress decreases magnesium absorption.
• Water softeners reduce magnesium in water (20 years of softened water).

Some disease associations relative to me that could improve with magnesium supplements:

• Magnesium calms the nervous system, relaxes muscles, lowers pulse and reduces anxiety.
• Magnesium helps dissolve calcium buildup in joints.
• Magnesium might help lower my cholesterol!
• Serotonin & dopamine need magnesium-so it is good for my mild depression.
• Magnesium helps with liver detox pathways and is a co-factor in the production of glutathione which is essential for a healthy gut.
• Calcium is pro-inflammatory, magnesium is anti-inflammatory.
• Muscle spasms (eye twitch)
• Nerve problems (numbness, tingling)

I only focused on the sections of the book relative to me and my inflammatory issues. The following stood out for me.

• Osteoporosis drugs like Fosamax can cause brittle bones. The industry is focused on calcium and has missed that too much calcium can cause brittle bones!
• Magnesium supplements are very beneficial to post-menopausal women, with studies showing it can stop the progression of osteoporosis, strengthen bones, and slow degeneration of the vertebrae.

The author oversells her own supplements more than I like but she is very knowledgeable on this subject and references research to support her argument throughout the book.