Magnesium – The Relaxation Mineral

If part of you is tight, irritable, crampy, or stiff – whether it is a body part or even a mood – you may may need magnesium – the relaxation mineral!

Dr Mark Hyman calls magnesium the “secret weapon against illness” in his practice.  He says magnesium isn’t a drug – It’s more powerful than a drug!

I have been taking pico-ionic magnesium or magnesium glycinate for a couple of years.  My experience has been that it delivers as advertised and I am delighted to list it as part of The Wellness Repair Plan.

Magnesium can make you feel better quickly.

What Magnesium does

Magnesium is responsible for over 300 biochemical reactions and is a vital mineral for optimal health.  Here are some of it’s functions:

• Helps digest proteins, carbohydrates, and fats – Required in metabolism
• Regulates blood sugar levels and blood pressure
• Promotes proper bowel function
• Assists glutathione production – the master antioxidant
• Activates and helps maintain muscles and nerves
• Activates adenosine triphosphate (ATP) to create energy for cells in the body
• Serves as a building block for RNA and DNA synthesis
• Acts as a precursor for neurotransmitters like serotonin

Magnesium helps with digestion, regulates blood pressure, gives energy and makes you feel good. Share on X

Signs and factors of magnesium deficiency

Most Americans don’t even meet the recommended daily allowance (RDA), which is already too low.

Magnesium deficiency is difficult to measure with blood testing. According to Dr. Joseph Mercola, “Only one percent of magnesium in your body is distributed in your blood, making a simple sample of magnesium from a serum magnesium blood test highly inaccurate.  This leaves you with looking for signs and symptoms of deficiency.”

Medical and naturopathic doctor, Carolyn Dean has spent fifteen years researching magnesium and is the author of The Magnesium Miracle (Revised and Updated Edition).  Dr. Dean lists 100 factors that will help you decide whether or not you might be deficient.  The list is adapted from her web site and from some podcasts where she was interviewed.

Dr. Dean advises to print the list and “put a big check mark by your magnesium deficiency factors. Start taking magnesium. In a few weeks pull out a fresh sheet and mark it up. Compare both. If you still have many symptoms remaining, increase your magnesium.”

Signs of magnesium deficiency

• Anger
• Angina
• Anxiety
• Apathy
• Arrhythmia
• Asthma
• Blood tests
  • Low calcium
  • Low potassium
  • Low magnesium
• Bowel Problems
  • Undigested fat in stool
  • Constipation
  • Diarrhea
  • Constipation/diarrhea
• Bronchitis, chronic
• Chronic fatigue
• Cold extremities
• Concentration poor
• Confusion
• Convulsions
• Depression
• Fibromyalgia
• Food cravings
  • Craving Carbohydrates
  • Craving Chocolate
  • Craving salt
• Gagging or choking
• Headaches
• Heart – rapid rate
• High blood pressure
• Homocysteinuria
• Hyperactivity
• Hyperventilation
• Infertility
• Insomnia
• Irritability
• Kidney stones
• Memory impairment
• Menses pain/cramps
• Migraines
• Muscle Problems
  • Cramps
  • Spasms
  • Twitching
  • Tics
  • Weakness
• Numbness hands/feet
• Osteoporosis
• Paranoia
• Parathyroid (hyper)
• PMS
• Preeclampsia/eclampsia
• Postpartum depression
• Restlessness
• Sex drive low
• Shortness of breath
• Tingling hands/feet
• Tremor of hands
• Wheezing

Migraines, twitching, cramps or high blood pressure? You may have a magnesium deficiency. Share on X

Factors that block or deplete magnesium

• Alcohol – More than 7 drinks/wk
• Bowel Problems
  • IBS
  • Crohn’s
  • Colitis
• Brain trauma
• Caffeine – More than 3 per day
• Diabetes
  • Type I
  • Type II
  • Gestational diabetes
• Food intake
  • Eating produce with pesticides
  • Eating junk food
  • Fructose in excess
  • Limited greens
  • High protein
  • Limited nuts/seeds
  • phosphoric acid in colas
  • Salt in excess
• Heart disease
• Malabsorption due to gluten or other food sensitivity
• Medications
  • Digitalis
  • Diuretics
  • Antibiotics
  • Steroids
  • Oral contraceptives
  • Indomethacin
  • Cisplatin
  • Amphotericin B
  • Cholestyramine
  • Synthetic estrogens
• Mercury fillings
• Mineral supplements
  • Calcium w/o mag
  • Zinc w/o mag
  • Iron w/o mag
• Mitral valve prolapse
• Parasites in the intestines
• Polycystic ovaries
• Pregnancy
  • Currently pregnant
  • Multiple pregnancies
  • Child with cerebral palsy
• Radiation therapy
• Raynaud’s syndrome (causes vasospasms)
• Smoking
• Startled easily
• Stressful life
• Stroke
• Sugar intake high
• Sweating profusely
• Syndrome X
• Thyroid hyperactivity
• Transplants: kidney/liver
• Water contamination
  • Flouride
  • chlorine
  • calcium

Herbicides, like glyphosate effectively block the uptake and utilization of minerals. Glyphosate, like all herbicides, is a chelator. It binds to minerals, including magnesium, in the soil and can persist as the new chelated compound for decades.

Transporting food often involves refrigeration and storage that can result in loss of magnesium.

Food processing like roasting, milling and cooking cause magnesium to be reduced.

There is Magnesium in unfiltered drinking water, but it becomes harmful rather than helpful in the presence of fluoride.  According to the Weston Price Foundation, magnesium binds with fluoride to form magnesium fluoride, “a nearly insoluble mineral compound that ends up deposited in the bones, where its brittleness increases the risk of fractures”.

Approximately 20% of pharmaceutical drugs contain fluoride that will drain the body of magnesium.

As the Weston Price Foundation states:

“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 Campbell-McBride, the body requires at least twenty-eight molecules of magnesium to metabolize a single molecule of glucose. Phosphates in carbonated 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.”

Lunch meat, hot dogs and soda steal your magnesium. Share on X

A typical depletion scenario that is diagnosed as high blood pressure

Dr. Dean explains what magnesium depletion can look like:

“The scenario that I like to talk about is very basic. You will recognize it immediately in either yourself or your family members. You go to your doctor. You’re under massive stress. Massive stress means you’re losing magnesium. You’re burning magnesium out of your body, because it helps support your adrenal glands. It helps keep you away from anxiety and depression. It helps relax your muscles. 

If you’re all tight and stressed, your magnesium is being lost, [which makes] the muscles of your blood vessels tighten. That tightness is going to cause increased blood pressure. Your doctor… will say, ‘Oh, your blood pressure is elevated. We’ll give you a diuretic.’ 

A diuretic will drop the fluid level in your body to take the pressure off your blood vessels, so your blood pressure will drop. But diuretics also drain off your magnesium… A month later you come back, and the doctor finds your blood pressure’s even more elevated. Yes—because you’ve just lost more magnesium! Your doctor then puts you on a calcium channel blocker. Now, they have that part right. They know that without magnesium, your calcium is going to become elevated and will tighten up your blood vessels, so they try to block calcium. But they don’t know that magnesium is a natural calcium channel blocker. 

Your doctor may also put you on an angiotensin-converting-enzyme (ACE) inhibitor, another blood pressure drug… So, you go away with three drugs now. After two or three months, you come back and have blood taken to make sure that drugs aren’t hurting your liver… All of a sudden, your cholesterol is elevated. All of a sudden, your blood sugar is elevated. What does the doctor say? ‘Oh, we caught your cholesterol. We just caught your blood sugar. We can put you on medications.’ But they didn’t catch them; they caused them.” 

Tightness caused by magnesium deficiency can cause high blood pressure. Share on X

Dietary Sources of Magnesium

There are some foods that *can* be high in magnesium when grown in healthy soil and not harmed with processing or cooking.  Organic foods may contain more magnesium, particularly if the farmer replenishes his soil with magnesium-rich fertilizers.

• Green, leafy vegetables like spinach and Swiss chard
• Seaweed
• Rice, wheat or oat bran (avoid wheat)
• Some beans
• Artichokes
• Avocados
• Dried herbs
• Squash, pumpkin and watermelon seeds
• Dark chocolate, cocoa powder
• Flax and sesame seeds
• Brazil nuts
• Sunflower seeds
• Sesame seeds
• Salmon
• Beef
• Almonds, mixed nuts, pine nuts
• Homemade bone broth

Dietary sources of magnesium include dark chocolate, green leafy veggies, avocado and salmon. Share on X

The Proper Dosage of Magnesium

Dosage:  600-800mg / day

I’ve seen recommendations as high as 1000mg per day.  Dr. Dean suggests starting on the lower side and increasing slowly because correcting the imbalance will wake up a lot of enzymes and processes.  It can take time to adjust.

If you can’t get the dosage high enough to make your symptoms go away without too much of a laxative effect, try spreading the dosages out throughout the day, usually with meals.

The body will self regulate the amount of magnesium it stores.  If you take too much all at once, cells won’t be able to process it quickly enough and the result will be diarrhea… and continued magnesium deficiency.

Increase the total daily dosage slowly and steadily until the symptoms go away.

Note that oral magnesium supplementation can take 6-10 months to properly raise your magnesium levels to a normal range.

The dosage for magnesium is 600-800mg/day. Start lower and increase until symptoms go away. Share on X

Best Forms of Magnesium

Everyone has different magnesium requirements, so one particular magnesium may not work for you.  If it doesn’t, just try another.

There is no such thing as a 100% magnesium supplement (except pico-ionic magnesium).  Magnesium must be bound to another substance, which impacts bioavailability.

I have not been successful locating high quality magnesium supplements locally.  All of the magnesium options at department stores, grocery stores and chain pharmacies tend to be the harmful kind of magnesium or have junk listed in the other ingredients.  Even Vitamin Shoppe didn’t carry any options that I found recommended by doctors who are also concerned about gut health.  I ordered mine from Amazon.  I’m using Good State – Liquid Ionic Minerals – Magnesium 200. My dosage is 1 cap-full mixed with 16 oz of purified water, twice daily (so 2 cap-fulls per day for me). I’ve also had great success with Pure Encapsulations Magnesium (glycinate), which comes as capsules and is more expensive.

Pico-Ionic Magnesium – The purest form with supposedly 100% absorption at the cellular level.  Good for avoiding the laxative effect.  It is said that 100 mg of Pico-Ionic magnesium has the same beneficial effect as 5-10 times the other forms of magnesium. This is the form I use most of the time, mixed with 2 cups of filtered water with a little salt added (as recommended by Dr. Dean). Recommended brand: Good State – Liquid Ionic Minerals – Magnesium 200

Magnesium Arginate – This form is favored by bodybuilders because the extra Arginine is good for increasing blood flow. Should be taken with meals throughout the day due to the possibility of increased energy. I have not yet found a brand to recommend.

Magnesium Ascorbate – Magnesium and vitamin C. Has laxative effect. Taken before bed. Recommended brand: Now Foods Magnesium Ascorbate Powder

Magnesium Carbonate – Least recommended. This form has antacid properties and contains 45 percent magnesium. Makes a good laxative. Taken before bed. I was not able to find a credible brand recommendation.

Magnesium Citrate – Magnesium with citric acid.  Recommended by Dr. Dean. Commonly used for it’s laxative properties.  Take with meals because the extra citric acid will increase stomach acid and assimilation. Recommended brand:  Pure Encapsulations Magnesium Citrate

Magnesium Chloride – Only 12 percent magnesium, but absorbs better than magnesium oxide.  If you have GERD or stomach problems, this form may be for you.  It must be taken with food because the extra chloride makes extra HCL in the stomach.  Magnesium oil (from magnesium chloride) can also be used as a spray and absorbed through the skin. When using the spray version, wash it off after 30 minutes or so. All the absorption is done by then anyway. Recommended brand:  Life-flo

Magnesium Glycinate – This is the most often recommended form in capsules and what I take when I need a form in capsules.  While chelated with glycine, (see below for when chelated is bad), the glycinate form tends to provide the highest level of absorption and bioavailability.

According to Kaayla T. Daniel Ph.D., C.C.N., “Glycine, the simplest amino acid, also constitutes a basic nitrogen pool for manufacture of other amino acids, and it is used in the synthesis of hemoglobin, creatine, porphyrin, bile salts, glutathione and the nucleotides DNA and RNA. It is involved in glucogenesis (the manufacture of glucose), and low levels may produce hypoglycemic-like symptoms. Glycine also enhances gastric acid secretion and has a long history of helping patients with gastrointestinal disorders.   Yet, another vital function is detoxification. The human body requires copious amounts of glycine for detoxification after exposure to chemicals, and it conjugates directly with the widely used food preservative benzoic acid.  Finally, glycine plays a vital role in recovery from wound healing, jaundice, acute and chronic illness and malnutrition. In such cases, it is almost impossible for the body to make all it needs.”

Glycine can also help with sleep and feeling calm.  It has the least laxative effect.  Take right before bed or through the day. Recommended brand:  Pure Encapsulations Magnesium (glycinate)

Magnesium Lysinate – Magnesium bound to the amino acid lysine. Lysine is an excellent anti-viral. Taken before bed. I have not yet found a brand to recommend.

Magnesium Malate – May also be called “dimagnesium malate” or “dimalate”.  This form can be helpful for people who have a lot of fatigue or suffer from Chronic Fatigue Syndrome. Magnesium Malate should be taken during the day with meals. The extra malic acid will increase stomach acid and assimilation. Recommended brand:  Jigsaw Magnesium w/SRT

Magnesium Sulfate – The common name for this is Epsom salt and it is absorbed into the body through your skin.  Taken by soaking in a bath.  Also used by medical doctors to stop pre-eclampsia. Recommended brands: Epsoak Epsom Salt

Magnesium Taurate – When magnesium is bound with the amino acid, taurine, it is called magnesium taurate.  This combination tends to provide a calming effect.  The extra taurine as an amino acid helps the heart function better also. Taken at bedtime. I have not yet found a brand to recommend.

Magnesium Glycinate is typically considered ideal for those trying to correct a deficiency. Share on X

Magnesium with special uses

Magnesium Threonate – Dr. Mercola says this is, “a newer, emerging type of magnesium supplement that appears promising, primarily due to its superior ability to penetrate the mitochondrial membrane.”  Dr. David Permutter has a post about the developing research. L-Threonate is an isomer of ascorbic acid that may help with cognitive function. Taken at bedtime. Recommended brands:  Life Extension Neuro-Mag Magnesium L-Threonat

Magnesium 2-AEP – Chelated with phosphorylethanolamine, which is a component of the structure and integrity of cell membranes. Has been theorized to help patients with MS because it can help with cellular function and integrity and can help protect myelin. It has been implicated in possibly suppressing the immune system. Taken with meals during the day. Recommended brand: Advanced Research 2-AEP Magnesium

Magnesium Peroxide – Use only as a colon cleanser. Taken before bed. Recommended brand: New Earth’s Bounty Oxy-Cleanse

Useless or harmful magnesium you should avoid

Magnesium Amino Acid Chelate, Chelated Magnesium, or Magnesium Chelate – USE CAUTION! Think of the word “chelate” as meaning the same as “compound”.  It means “magnesium compound” and is a way to hide a host of harmful ingredients like aspartate.  Not all chelates are bad, but you need to be certain of what has been added to the compound.

Magnesium Aspartate – Causes extra Aspartic Acid. Too much Aspartic Acid is neurotoxic and associated with making depression symptoms worse. This includes magnesium ZMA supplements.

Legal aliases for the words “glutamate” or “aspartate” include:

• glutamate – modified food starch
• chelate
• caseinate
• textured protein
• natural flavoring
• yeast food
• autolyzed yeast
• hydrolyzed protein
• hydrolyzed vegetable protein
• yeast extract
• hydrolyzed yeast
• natural chicken or turkey flavoring
• spices, and
• modified food starch

Magnesium Hydroxide – Not absorbed well and most of the magnesium is released into the bowels. Most commercial products (Milk of Magnesia) have sodium hypochlorite added (bleach). Dr. Mercola warns it is easy to overdose so only use as directed.

Magnesium Lactate – Bound with lactic acid, which is not something you want to be supplementing. Not taken at all.

Magnesium Oxide – The worst form of magnesium. This form in non-chelated and bound to an organic acid of fatty acid.  Oxide is the least expensive form and only about 60% magnesium.  It is also very poorly absorbed.  Your body only absorbs about 4%.  The remaining 96% goes through the intestines and tends to have a laxative effect.  This can be useful, but not as your main magnesium strategy.

Magnesium Pidolate – Produces extra free glutamic acid. Too much free glutamic acid can be excitotoxic and neurotoxic.

Check labels when buying magnesium. Avoid aspartate and oxide as they can make things worse. Share on X

The ratio between magnesium and calcium is vital

Dr. Mercola lays it out clearly: “Calcium without the counterbalance of magnesium can lead to a heart attack and sudden death.”

Dr. Weston A Price was a dentist that lived from 1870 to 1948.  He is often called the “Isaac Newton of Nutrition.” The quarterly publication of the Weston A. Price Foundation first published this in an article called Magnificent Magnesium:

“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.”

In fact, while you may have always heard that calcium is the mineral associated with strong bones and healthy teeth, calcium depends on magnesium to function properly. It is actually magnesium that is largely responsible for your bone health and strong teeth. The Weston Price Foundation states:

“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.” 

Dr. Mercola offers this recommendation about calcium: “So if you decide to supplement with magnesium it is important to understand that its complementary partner is calcium. Ideally you should have a source of both, but if you are eating raw dairy there is typically no reason for oral calcium supplementation.  Typically you would use twice as much elemental magnesium relative to the elemental calcium. That ratio seems to work quite well for most people.”

Calcium without the counterbalance of magnesium can be deadly. Share on X

Vitamin K2 and D Ratios are also important

Calcium and magnesium also need to be balanced with vitamin D and K2.  Dr. Mercola says a high dose of vitamin D can overwork magnesium and lead to magnesium deficiency.  “These four nutrients perform an intricate dance together, with one supporting the other. Lack of balance between these nutrients is why calcium supplements have become associated with increased risk of heart attacks and stroke, and why some people experience vitamin D toxicity.”

“Part of the explanation for these adverse side effects is that vitamin K2 keeps calcium in its appropriate place. If you’re K2 deficient, added calcium can cause more problems than it solves, by accumulating in the wrong places.”

“Similarly, if you opt for oral vitamin D, you need to also consume it in your food or take supplemental vitamin K2 and more magnesium. Taking mega doses of vitamin D supplements without sufficient amounts of K2 and magnesium can lead to vitamin D toxicity and magnesium deficiency symptoms, which include inappropriate calcification.”

Anytime you’re taking magnesium, calcium, vitamin D3, or vitamin K2, it is important to take all the others into consideration as well, because they all work synergistically with one another.

Calcium and magnesium need to be balanced with vitamin D and K2. They all work synergistically. Share on X

If magnesium makes you feel worse

Dr. Dean has a blog post called When Magnesium Makes Me Worse.  Here are her suggestions:

1. You’re not taking enough – Enzyme processes are jump started and want more magnesium.
2. You’re taking to much too soon – This usually happens if you have (adrenal) fatigue and weakness from magnesium deficiency.  You may feel anxious or depressed.  Start with a quarter of the recommended dose and work up slowly.
3. You have low blood pressure – Begin by supplementing at about one quarter the recommended dose of magnesium and slowly build up.
4. You’re on heart medications – According to Dr. Dean, “…as your health conditions improve, your meds are becoming “toxic.” That’s because you may not require them anymore! Check with your doctor when you are using magnesium to treat health conditions and want to wean off your meds.”  Start magnesium very slowly.
5. You’re on fluoridated medications – As fluoride binds to the magnesium, you can become magnesium deficient even while taking magnesium.  Fluoride acts like an antidote to magnesium.  You can view a full list of fluoridated pharmaceuticals on the FTRC website.  Some of the common drugs with fluoride are:  Prozac, Paxil, Lipitor, Cipro and Diflucan.
6. You’ve started taking iodine – In doses above the RDA, iodine speeds up your metabolism giving you heart palpitations that have nothing to do with magnesium deficiency.
7. You’re taking too much vitamin D – Dr. Dean advises, “Never take Vitamin D without magnesium.”  She recommends no more than 1,000-2,000 IU of Vitamin D daily.  For more read Too Much Vitamin D? and The Vitamin D Debate.
8. Your’e taking too much calcium – Calcium pushes out your magnesium. Read Why I Hate Calcium to understand why the most prescribed mineral is actually dangerous.
9. You’re taking magnesium and becoming dehydrated – This comes from not taking in enough other trace minerals and is a common problem with filtered water.  Drink half your body weight in ounces of water each day and add 1/8-1/4 tsp of sea salt to every pint of water you drink.
10. Magnesium is getting into your cells and detoxifying chemicals and heavy metals – The symptoms can be an increase in muscle pain, joint pain and even skin rashes. Build up your dosage of magnesium slowly as the cells detoxify and are finally able to work efficiently.
11. You have IBS – Take the most absorbed form of magnesium and increase the dosage very slowly.
12. You’re taking a magnesium glutamate or aspartate – Dr. Dean warns against taking these forms of magnesium in her post called Glutamates in Magnesium Chelates.
13. You are taking high doses of magnesium and not getting enough calcium in your diet – The correct ratio is about 1:1 or even 2:1 in favor of magnesium.  The commonly published calcium-high recommendation given by most doctors is based on a mistranslation of a French document.
14. You are taking thyroid medication and you suddenly feel you are taking too much (increased pulse, feeling hot, hyperactive) – You may benefit most from Pico-Ionic Magnesium.

If you have kidney or Heart disease

People with kidney disease or severe heart disease should take magnesium only under a doctor’s supervision.

Now I would like to hear from you

Do you suffer from any of the symptoms mentioned?

Do you currently take a magnesium supplement? What results have you noticed?

Which of the tips mentioned above do you plan to try?

Please share your thoughts by leaving a comment below.

Also, if you would like to keep up with more content like this, please subscribe to my email list and be part of the Wellness Repair tribe!

Additional Resources

Dr. Carolyn Dean with Dr. Joseph Mercola

Dr Josh Axe