or men and 300 mg for women, although specific requirements depend upon body size.
A diet which is high in calcium increases the body's need for magnesium and also may increase the excretion of phosphorus and calcium; however, dietary intake of magnesium remains relatively low. The chemical reaction of magnesium is alkaline (acid binding). It regulates the acid-alkaline balance of the body.
Magnesium is one of the nutrients needed to lose weight. Undulant fever is said to clear up if above-adequate amounts of magnesium and manganese are given.
Without sufficient magnesium, one cannot control the adrenals, and this lack of control can result in diabetes, hyperexcitability, nervousness, mental confusion and difficulty coping with simple day-to-day problems. Depressed and suicidal people often display inadequate levels of magnesium.
Magnesium helps induce passage of nutrients in and out of cells and thus affects the life process. It also controls metabolism of proteins, fats, and carbohydrates, resulting in more normal nutritional levels. Japanese investigators have discovered that magnesium will relieve asthmatic attacks. They give it intravenously for acute asthma and orally for prevention.
The power plant of human cell is called the "mitochondrion." The mitochondrion is what generates energy for the cell to use. What everyone refers to as "energy" is derived from the oxidative reduction of the cellular respiration. This is done through the mitochondria.
But the problem arises when the cell is low in magnesium, relative to calcium. Adenosine triphosphate, the "energy currency" of the cell, is magnesium dependent. This means it is obvious that the calcium pump at the cell membrane is also magnesium dependent.
Without enough "biologically available" magnesium, the cellular calcium pump slows down. Thus a vicious cycle is established. The low levels of available magnesium inhibit the generation of energy, and the low levels of energy inhibit the calcium pump.
The end result? The mitochondrion, the powerhouse of the cell and the entire body, becomes calcified. This is the beginning of aging. It all starts in the cell. First the cells age. This leads to organ aging. And after the organs age, individual aging occurs. Since calcium is readily accumulated by mitochondria, this ion is potentially capable of antagonizing the activating influence of magnesium on many intramitochondrial enzyme reactions.
This means that every function of your body can be inhibited when the mitochondria calcify. It's like going through life with the emergency brakes on. Calcium is the brake. Magnesium is the accelerator. To be in optimal health, there must be a balance between the two.
Both minerals are vitally important, but there must be that critical balance.
Andre Voisin in his book "Soil, Grass and Cancer" wrote: "Calcium content cannot be considered separately without taking the other mineral elements into account. It is the equilibria, and not the individual elements, that govern the phenomena of life." That's the magic word - "equilibria."
Everyone today is concerned with their chronological age. But they should be equally concerned with their "biological" age. The ratio of calcium to magnesium within your cells is your "biochemical age."
Tragically, in many cases, children are now starting to show high cellular calcium levels. For many people, eating a diet high in calcium and low in magnesium amounts to "cellular suicide."
Calcification can cause a thousand illnesses. As the body grows, the calcium migrates from the hard tissues (bones) to the soft tissues in your body. Few understand the full scope of this program. It is the most prevalent clinical finding in industrial cultures.
Where the calcium buildup occurs depends upon your individual biochemistry. Calcium deposits in the joints are called arthritis; in the blood vessels it is hardening of the arteries; in the heart it is heart disease, and in the brain it is senility.
The calcification process develops slowly. It occurs gradually over 10, 20, 30 years or more. It can begin in childho