The average American consumes only 40 percent of the recommended daily allowance of magnesium. This has serious consequences, including death, in many people, according to magnesium expert Dr. Mildred Seelig. Eighty to 90 percent of the U.S. population is magnesium deficient.
Dr. John Prutting said in an issue of "Family Circle" that 70 percent of Americans had mismanaged their diets enough to have some degree of magnesium deficiency.
Magnesium activates 76 percent of the enzymes in the body according to Dr. Sonni Alvarez. Potassium is primarily concerned with the way we use calcium and sodium.
Every doctor knows about the dangers of potassium deficiency, but few recognize that almost half of the patients with a potassium deficiency will also be depleted of magnesium In fact, the low potassium state often cannot be easily corrected unless magnesium is also given.
Most mineral deficiencies stimulate an appetite for the deficient mineral, but there is no "specific appetite" for magnesium Although intravenous magnesium is the drug of choice at the onset of a heart attack, it is not mentioned in the section on arrhythmias in the 1989 "Compendium of Drug Therapy."
Magnesium is useful in preventing unwanted calcification in the kidney, bladder and in the joints.
If a diet is high in phosphorus (common in many meat dishes as lunchmeats, hot dogs, etc. and also in soda drinks), the phosphate binds up the magnesium into magnesium phosphate, which isn't absorbed. Thus, you need more magnesium for complete balance.
In disease and stress states, more magnesium is needed. If a person is using diuretics (water pills), he should make sure his magnesium intake is adequate. Potassium supplementation is usually needed also. The higher the protein you consumer the more magnesium is needed. When large amounts of calcium are consumed, you need more magnesium.
Rabbits just can't take a high-cholesterol diet. Their blood fat level goes up, and they get severe arteriosclerosis/atherosclerosis. However, if you feed them five times the recommended daily allowance of magnesium, their cholesterol goes down and they don't get arteriosclerosis.
Magnesium is a very important ingredient of the green coloring matter in plants (chlorophyll). Magnesium helps in the use of fat in the diet. In many cases of individuals suffering from irritability, the blood has shown low values for magnesium.
Normal development apparently depends on the presence of magnesium. Approximately 70 percent of the magnesium in the body is found in the skeletal system. At least half of the magnesium in the body is combined with calcium and phosphorus in the bones. The remainder is in the muscles, red blood cells and the other tissues of the body.
Magnesium ensures the strength and firmness of the bones, and it makes the teeth harder. Adequate intake of magnesium counteracts acidity, poor circulation and glandular disorders. Children with magnesium deficiency are very often mentally backward.
The absorption of magnesium from the intestines may be influenced by (1) the parathyroid hormone, (2) the condition of the intestines, (3) the rate of water absorption, and (4) the amounts of calcium, phosphate and lactose (milk sugar) in the body.
Recent studies have shown that magnesium deficiency is found in 25 percent of eating disorders, such as obesity and anorexia nervosa. Symptoms such as weakness, leg cramps, anxiety and confusion will often clear up with magnesium therapy. A magnesium deficiency in humans can occur in patients with diabetes, chronic diarrhea or vomiting.
Heart palpitations, "flutters" or racing heart, otherwise called arrhythmias, usually clear up quite dramatically on 500 milligrams of magnesium citrate (or aspartate) once or twice daily or faster if given intravenously.
The optimal daily requirement for children of 20 kilograms of body weight is 0.25 grams (a kilo is 1,000 grams, equal to 2.2046 lbs). A child of 20 kilos would weigh 44.09 lbs, and for an adult of 70 kilos the requirement is 0.35 grams. The recommended daily allowance is approximately 200 to 300 mg f