MAGNESIUM

Facts

• Magnesium is the fourth most abundant cation in the body. Approximately 60 % found in the body is contained within the bone with the remaining 40 % distributed between muscle and non-muscular soft tissue.1
• Dietary surveys consistently show that the average individual receives approximately 200 to 250 mg of Magnesium per day. The RDA for magnesium for adults is 300mg/day.
• The occurrence of sudden cardiac death is lower among persons living in hard water than among those persons drinking soft water. As a result, the higher magnesium levels in hard water have been proposed as the protective factor against cardiac deaths.2

Functions

• Magnesium is an essential nutrient required for many biologic functions in the body, including over 300 enzyme reactions. It also functions in the activation of amino acids, syntheses and degradation of DNA and has an important role in neurotransmission and immune function.1
• Numerous studies show that a magnesium deficiency may be the root cause for cardiovascular disease, hypertension, asthma, chronic fatigue and pain syndromes, depression, insomnia, irritable bowel syndrome and many pulmonary disorders.3
• Magnesium is necessary to prevent the calcification of soft tissue. It confers a protective effect on the arterial lining and protects it from stress caused by changes in blood pressure.
• Studies show that magnesium can positively affect migraine headaches.
• Accompanied by vitamin B-6 (pyridoxine), magnesium can help reduce and dissolve calcium phosphate kidney stones.3
• Supplementing the diet with magnesium may also prevent depression, dizziness, muscle weakness, twitching and Premenstraul Tension (PMT).
• It promotes the absorption and assimilation of other minerals including calcium, phosphorous, sodium and potassium and enables utilisation of vitamin B complex and vitamins C and E.4

Requirements

The Recommended Daily Allowance is 300mg for Magnesium.

Note

Stress increases the need for magnesium. According to Mildred Seelig, M.D., M.P.H., Maser of the American College of Nutrition and MRI's consultant, physical stress including exercise, working in high temperatures, surgery, trauma and psychological stress increase the body's need for magnesium. "Stress causes secretion of epinephrine(adrenaline) and corticosteroids and results in Mg loss in animals and humans."2

Other factors such as dietary fat, protein sugar and alcohol intake affect magnesium status in the body. Pregnant women and elderly persons need to ensure they are receiving enough magnesium in their diet.

Signs of Deficiency

Symptoms of a magnesium-deficiency include: confusion, insomnia, irritability, nervousness, poor digestion, rapid heartbeat, seizures, diabetes, cardiac arrhythmia, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, asthma, chronic fatigue, chronic pain syndrome, depression, irritable bowel syndrome, premature labour and pre-eclampsia, diabetes.3,5

Signs of Toxicity

Hypermagnesia or magnesium toxicity is very rare yet can occur if urinary excretion is very low or there is a considerable increase in magnesium's absorption within the body.

Current Research

Arrhythmia
Supplementation of magnesium and potassium treats arrhythmias. In a randomised, double-blind study, 232 patients with frequent ventricular arrhythmias were treated over 3 weeks with either 6 mmol of magnesium/12 mmol of potassium-DL-hydrogenaspartate daily or placebo. The researchers concluded that oral administration of magnesium and potassium salts when directed to patients with frequent and stable ventricular tachyarrhythmias had an antiarrhythmic effect. A 50 % increase in the recommended minimum daily dietary intake of the two minerals for 3 weeks resulted in a moderate but significant antiarrhythmic effect.6 Researchers at the University of California at Irvine have used magnesium to treat arrhythmia patients who did not respond to standard therapies.7

Asthma
Researchers have noted that magnesium levels are lower in persons suffering from asthma compared to non-asthmatics. "Dominguez et al. [2] report that intracellular (erythrocyte) magnesium levels are lower in asthmatic subjects and correlate with airway reactivity to methacholine in a group of asthmatic and non-asthmatic, atopic subjects with and without bronchial hyper reactivity. This is not the first study to report that intracellular magnesium levels are lower in asthmatic subjects. Lower levels of magnesium in skeletal muscle [3] and in polymorphonuclear cells [4] from asthmatic subjects have been demonstrated previously."8

Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD)
According to one study in Poland, mineral concentrations of magnesium, zinc, copper, iron and calcium in the children diagnosed with ADD was lower compared to healthy, ADD-free children. Study's authors show that it is critical to supplement trace elements in children diagnosed with ADD.9 For a copy of the Pilot Study please contact Trace Minerals (UK) Limited.

Diabetes
"Magnesium plays the role of a second messenger for insulin action; on the other hand, insulin itself has been demonstrated to be an important regulatory factor of intracellular magnesium," according to the findings of one study in Germany. The study authors state that chronic magnesium supplementation can improve the insulin action in diabetic patients.10

Epilepsy
According to researchers at the International Center for the Disabled in New York City, a deficiency of magnesium exists in the red blood cells of a number of epileptics suffering from seizures not responding to conventional drug therapy.7

Heart-Related Conditions
Several studies have demonstrated a relationship between intake of magnesium and the occurrence of cardiovascular related problems. According to Seelig, Mg, "... is accepted treatment in conditions in which arrhythmias are a risk (in congestive heart failure and after cardiac surgery) and even in forms of arrhythmia resistant to drug therapy."2 In fact, continues Seelig, "When the first analysis of Mg intakes and balances in normal young adults was published in 1964, Mg deficiency was suggested as a neglected factor in vulnerability to heart disease."2 Magnesium has been clinically shown to confer a cardioprotective effect. Several animal studies have shown that inducing a magnesium deficiency caused the formation of arterial and cardiac lesions resembling that witnessed in diseases that afflict mankind.2,11

Myocardial Infarction
According to Seelig, "there is growing evidence that Mg deficiency may be a predisposing factor for myocardial infarction and subsequent complications...addition of Mg to the postmyocardial infarction parenterally...and orally subsequently needs serious consideration."11 Congestive Heart Failure: Again, according to Seelig, in cases of congestive heart failure, "...the only antiarrhythmic intervention needed to prevent recurrence of cardiac arrest may be repletion of K(potassium) and Mg."11 Hypertension: There is a significant body of research that exists demonstrating magnesium deficiency increases high blood pressure and that increasing magnesium intake decreases blood pressure. supplementation of magnesium both intravenously and orally has been used to lower blood pressure.7,11 In hypertensive diabetic patients, one study concluded that, "magnesium administration may be useful in decreasing arterial blood pressure and improving insulin- mediated glucose uptake."12

Migraine Headaches
Several studies support the theory that an underlying magnesium deficiency is intricately involved in the occurrence of migraine headaches. Researchers have found that nearly 50 % of patients have low levels of ionised magnesium during an acute migraine headache attack.13 According to one paper, "two double-blind studies suggest that chronic oral magnesium supplementation may also reduce the frequency of migraine headaches...we feel that a trial of oral magnesium supplementation can be recommended to a majority of migraine sufferers."13 A large-scale study comprised of 500 women (300 of whom were pregnant) who suffered from migraine headaches were administered 200 mg of magnesium per day. Eighty % of women reported cessation of their migraines.7

Pre-Eclampsia and Pre-Term Labour
Pregnant women that supplement their diet with magnesium supplements do not have premature uterine contractions and have fewer complications during pregnancy.1 Pregnant women that consumed a magnesium supplement did not have premature uterine contractions and also had a reduced occurrence of calf cramps, numbness and fewer complications.1 In addition, supplementation with magnesium during pregnancy also resulted in fewer pre-term deliveries and fewer cases of intrauterine growth retardation. In Hungary, where the rate of pre-term deliveries is high, 255 pregnant women were given 300 mg/day magnesium from diagnostic confirmation of pregnancy to delivery. The pre-term birth rate for this group was 8.5%. For the 280 pregnant women who received placebo, the pre-term birth rate was 10.9%.14

Muscle Cramps
Researchers at Brigham Young University in Provo, Utah found that when pregnant women in their last trimester were given 266 mg of magnesium, it reduced their cramps by approximately 57 %.7

Pre-Menstrual Tension
Magnesium deficiency has been affiliated with premenstrual tension.14-15 According to Seelig, "the condition has been reported to respond to Mg supplements alone or in combination with trace minerals and vitamins."14

Thrombosis
Magnesium helps prevent the occurrence of thrombosis and emboli. When individuals supplemented their diet with magnesium thrombosis and embolisms were prevented. However, these conditions often recurred once the supplements were discontinued. 4,14

Osteoporosis
Women who suffer from osteoporosis have reduced serum magnesium levels compared to osteoporosis-free, similarly aged women.14 "Mg is needed for maintenance of normal bone structure, both directly for matrix formation and indirectly for mineralisation through its requirement for normal parathyroid and vitamin D metabolism," according to Seelig.14 In one study, a group of menopausal women were administered magnesium to gauge the effects of magnesium on bone density. At the conclusion of the study, researchers found that magnesium prevented fractures and resulted in a significant increase in bone density."16

1 Fischer P., Kubena K., Magnesium. http://www.nutrition.org/nutinfo/content/magn.shtml.

2 Seelig, M. Human needs for magnesium are not met by most people. Mineral Resources International, 2001.

3 Balch, J.F. and P.A. Prescription for Nutritional Healing. Avery Publishing, 1997: pp26

4 Dunne, L.J. Nutrition Almanac, 3rd ed. McGraw-Hill Publishing Company, 1990:77-79.

5 Schauss, A. Minerals and human health: the rationale for optimal and balanced trace element levels. Life Sciences Press, 1995: pp.27-29.

6 Zehender M, Meinertz T, Faber T, Caspary A, Jeron A, Bremm K, Just H. Antiarrhythmic effects of increasing the daily intake of magnesium and potassium in patients with frequent ventricular arrhythmias. Magnesium in Cardiac Arrhythmias (MAGICA) Investigators. J Am Coll Cardiol 1997 Apr 29:5 1028-34

7 Prevention Magazine Staff. Complete Book of Vitamins and Minerals. Rodale Press, 1988:pp.206-208;199-200;322.

8 Durlach, J. Commentary on recent clinical advances: Magnesium depletion, magnesium deficiency and asthma. Magnesium Res (1995) 8, 4, 403-405

9 Deficiency of certain trace elements in children with hyperactivity. Psychiatr Pol (Poland) May-June 1994, 28 (3):345-53.

10 Magnesium and glucose homeostasis. Diabetologia (Germany), 1990, 33/9:511-514.

11 Seelig, M. Cardiovascular consequences of magnesium deficiency and loss:pathogenesis, prevalence and manifestations magnesium and chloride loss in refractory potassium repletion. Am J Cardiol, 1989;63:4G-21G.

12 Hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and insulin resistance:the role of intracellular magnesium. Am J Hypertens, 1987; 10(3):346-355.

13 Mauskop, A., Altura BM. Role of magnesium in the pathogenesis and treatment of migraines; Clin Neurosci 1998; 5(1):24-7.