Guest guest Posted December 15, 2001 Report Share Posted December 15, 2001 " How can one simple element have such diverse and potent physiological actions? One important way that magnesium works its miracles is through its influence on and regulation of calcium, a mineral that's gotten than its share of media play in recent years. You'd have to have been locked in a cave on the most remote corner of Bora-Bora not to have heard the hype - particularly aimed at women over forty - about taking more calcium to prevent deficiency and keep bones strong. And so now we have the entire nation chomping calcium antacids by the handful, drinking calcium-fortified orange juice, downing calcium supplements of all kinds in an effort to raise their intake of calcium. But guess what the calcium hype fails to point out? It takes both calcium and magnesium (along with vitamin D) as well as an entire intricate symphony of bit players (molybdenum, boron, phosphorous, adequate protein, and bone-building hormones) to properly build and maintain bone. In fact, high levels of calcium in the blood can actually weaken bone and make it more brittle! And to make matters worse, taking excessive calcium without magnesium will promote magnesium deficiency, leading to the development of any of the host of diseases we mentioned earlier. While its true that our bones need plenty of calcium to make them strong, if it reaches excessive levels *within other cells*, its quite harmful - a situation that can easily arise in the face of an unbalanced intake of calcium and magnesium. Let's see how this works. Beyond its role in making bones hard, calcium serves as a critical stimulating component in the generation of electrical impulses in many tissues throughout the body - notably, the heart, the muscles, and the brain and nerves. Calcium resides in the tissues in the fluid that bathes the outside of the cells - and that's where the cells want calcium to stay until it's called for. When its needed for the generation of an electrical impulse, the cells open tiny channels in their membranes - called, appropriately enough, the calcium channels - to admit a controlled number of calcium ions. The inrush of these calcium ions alters the electrical charge within the cells and creates the spark for transmission of an electrical impulse. As soon as it has done its job, however, the cell hustles the calcium back out. In fact, calcium inside the cell is so toxic that the cells expend an enormous amount of energy keeping it in its proper place - on the outside. When too much gets in and remains inside the cell, bad things happen. Many disease processes occur because the tight regulation of the calcium channel fails, permitting calcium ions to flow into the cells unabated. Rising calcium levels within a cell activate its energy-production systems, setting in motion a variety of effects depending on the tissue in question. For example, calcium flowing unrestricted into the smooth muscle cells in the coronary arteries of the heart can bring on arterial spasm and the chest pain called angina. Calcium overstimulation of the cells in the muscular layer of the temporal arteries (or others supplying blood to the brain) can cause migraine headaches. Excess calcium entering the cells of the smooth muscles surrounding the small airways in the lung causes constriction - called bronchospasm - and the resultant wheezing of asthma and other restrictive lung disorders. If too much calcium flows into the delicate cells of the brain, the repeated discharge of energy that follows may deplete their energy stores, killing the cells! Pharmaceutical companies have developed an entire family of drugs to prevent this excess flow of calcium into the interior of the cells. These drugs, called calcium channel blockers, are among the most versatile drugs on the market, currently approved for a wide range of medical indications. This single class of drugs can reduce or eliminate the chest pain from heart disease by preventing coronary arterial spasm, alleviate the blinding pain of migraine headaches and prevent their onset, treat high blood pressure, reduce asthmatic attacks, and even relieve vasomotor rhinitis, the drippy nose often associated with severe allergies. All these disparate diseases respond to a single action: preventing excess calcium from entering the cell by blocking the calcium channel. Ah, the miracles of modern medical technology! But here the story gets even more interesting, and its one reason we titled this chapter " The Magnesium Miracle. " Magnesium is nature's calcium channel blocker, acting as a natural retardant to the flow of calcium ions into the cells. Adequate magnesium levels on the inside of the cell prevent calcium's entry from without, and all is well within the cell. If the interior of the cell becomes magnesium deficient, however, watch out! Calcium can then enter at will. Medical researchers have repeatedly demonstrated a low level of magnesium inside the cells in virtually every disorder treated by calcium channel blocking drugs. So why don't doctors treat these patients with magnesium instead of the terribly expensive prescription medications? For one thing, because drug companies can't patent natural substances, there's no army of pharmaceutical representatives knocking on the doctor's doors, crowing about the advantages of simple, cheap magnesium in treating these disorders. But the information does slowly trickle down, and the good news is, many physicians are beginning to use more magnesium in the treatment of disease. In the emergency room, physicians now routinely give magnesium directly into the vein to relieve chest pain, stabilize the heart rhythm, and reduce or prevent the death of heart muscle cells during a heart attack. And more and more in the ER, astute physicians, recognizing the power of magnesium to relax the spastic respiratory muscles and open the airways, have begun to give it by the IV route to break asthmatic attacks. (Several research studies have demonstrated that magnesium deficiency occurs nearly uniformly among asthma sufferers and that replacing it will reduce the number of attacks.) Obstetricians have been on the magnesium bandwagon since long before we did our medical training, routinely giving intravenous injections of magnesium sulfate to treat toxemia of pregnancy, rapidly reducing the malignant high blood pressure sometimes associated with labor and delivery. And since the discovery that virtually every patient admitted to the medical intensive care unit is deficient in magnesium, its intravenous (IV) supplementation in these critically ill people has become commonplace. Unfortunately, most physicians don't yet use magnesium to prevent these disorders, mainly relying on it to treat diseases after they're present. As is too often the case with modern medicine, we close the barn door after the horse has gotten away. But that approach, we hope, is changing. " source: Protein Power LifePlan p207-209 Rob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 15, 2001 Report Share Posted December 15, 2001 Are there any benefits to taking magnesium glycinate ? donna In a message dated 01/15/12 1:07:32 PM, rob.bartlett writes: << ological actions? One important way that magnesium works its miracles is through its influence on and regulation of calcium, >> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 15, 2001 Report Share Posted December 15, 2001 Rob, Good Afternoon! Thank you for the clear and concise information. This confirms what I have heard from a variety of sources regarding excess calcium intake. Why take calcium channel blockers when we have one in nature (magnesium)? Just one way that the public are being led astray in regards to their health info! As the article states...the groups with special interests are the purveyors of that information. It takes groups like these to get the real truth out! Thanks again!! :-) JoAnn P.S. My son prints newsletters for retirement centers. According to this report, they are being given false information in the health section of the magazine. Really pathetic! This quote especially interested me. " But guess what the calcium hype fails to point out? It takes both calcium and magnesium (along with vitamin D) as well as an entire intricate symphony of bit players (molybdenum, boron, phosphorous, adequate protein, and bone-building hormones) to properly build and maintain bone. In fact, high levels of calcium in the blood can actually weaken bone and make it more brittle! And to make matters worse, taking excessive calcium without magnesium will promote magnesium deficiency, leading to the development of any of the host of diseases we mentioned earlier. While its true that our bones need plenty of calcium to make them strong, if it reaches excessive levels *within other cells*, its quite harmful - a situation that can easily arise in the face of an unbalanced intake of calcium and magnesium. " " Rob Bartlett " <rob.bartlett@s...> wrote: > " How can one simple element have such diverse and potent physiological > actions? One important way that magnesium works its miracles is through its > influence on and regulation of calcium, a mineral that's gotten than its > share of media play in recent years. > > You'd have to have been locked in a cave on the most remote corner of > Bora-Bora not to have heard the hype - particularly aimed at women over > forty - about taking more calcium to prevent deficiency and keep bones > strong. And so now we have the entire nation chomping calcium antacids by > the handful, drinking calcium-fortified orange juice, downing calcium > supplements of all kinds in an effort to raise their intake of calcium. > > But guess what the calcium hype fails to point out? It takes both calcium > and magnesium (along with vitamin D) as well as an entire intricate symphony > of bit players (molybdenum, boron, phosphorous, adequate protein, and > bone-building hormones) to properly build and maintain bone. In fact, high > levels of calcium in the blood can actually weaken bone and make it more > brittle! And to make matters worse, taking excessive calcium without > magnesium will promote magnesium deficiency, leading to the development of > any of the host of diseases we mentioned earlier. > > While its true that our bones need plenty of calcium to make them strong, if > it reaches excessive levels *within other cells*, its quite harmful - a > situation that can easily arise in the face of an unbalanced intake of > calcium and magnesium. Let's see how this works. > > Beyond its role in making bones hard, calcium serves as a critical > stimulating component in the generation of electrical impulses in many > tissues throughout the body - notably, the heart, the muscles, and the brain > and nerves. Calcium resides in the tissues in the fluid that bathes the > outside of the cells - and that's where the cells want calcium to stay until > it's called for. > > When its needed for the generation of an electrical impulse, the cells open > tiny channels in their membranes - called, appropriately enough, the calcium > channels - to admit a controlled number of calcium ions. The inrush of > these calcium ions alters the electrical charge within the cells and creates > the spark for transmission of an electrical impulse. As soon as it has done > its job, however, the cell hustles the calcium back out. In fact, calcium > inside the cell is so toxic that the cells expend an enormous amount of > energy keeping it in its proper place - on the outside. When too much gets > in and remains inside the cell, bad things happen. > > Many disease processes occur because the tight regulation of the calcium > channel fails, permitting calcium ions to flow into the cells unabated. > Rising calcium levels within a cell activate its energy-production systems, > setting in motion a variety of effects depending on the tissue in question. > > For example, calcium flowing unrestricted into the smooth muscle cells in > the coronary arteries of the heart can bring on arterial spasm and the chest > pain called angina. Calcium overstimulation of the cells in the muscular > layer of the temporal arteries (or others supplying blood to the brain) can > cause migraine headaches. Excess calcium entering the cells of the smooth > muscles surrounding the small airways in the lung causes constriction - > called bronchospasm - and the resultant wheezing of asthma and other > restrictive lung disorders. If too much calcium flows into the delicate > cells of the brain, the repeated discharge of energy that follows may > deplete their energy stores, killing the cells! > > Pharmaceutical companies have developed an entire family of drugs to prevent > this excess flow of calcium into the interior of the cells. These drugs, > called calcium channel blockers, are among the most versatile drugs on the > market, currently approved for a wide range of medical indications. This > single class of drugs can reduce or eliminate the chest pain from heart > disease by preventing coronary arterial spasm, alleviate the blinding pain > of migraine headaches and prevent their onset, treat high blood pressure, > reduce asthmatic attacks, and even relieve vasomotor rhinitis, the drippy > nose often associated with severe allergies. > > All these disparate diseases respond to a single action: preventing excess > calcium from entering the cell by blocking the calcium channel. Ah, the > miracles of modern medical technology! But here the story gets even more > interesting, and its one reason we titled this chapter " The Magnesium > Miracle. " > > Magnesium is nature's calcium channel blocker, acting as a natural retardant > to the flow of calcium ions into the cells. Adequate magnesium levels on > the inside of the cell prevent calcium's entry from without, and all is well > within the cell. If the interior of the cell becomes magnesium deficient, > however, watch out! Calcium can then enter at will. Medical researchers > have repeatedly demonstrated a low level of magnesium inside the cells in > virtually every disorder treated by calcium channel blocking drugs. > > So why don't doctors treat these patients with magnesium instead of the > terribly expensive prescription medications? For one thing, because drug > companies can't patent natural substances, there's no army of pharmaceutical > representatives knocking on the doctor's doors, crowing about the advantages > of simple, cheap magnesium in treating these disorders. But the information > does slowly trickle down, and the good news is, many physicians are > beginning to use more magnesium in the treatment of disease. > > In the emergency room, physicians now routinely give magnesium directly into > the vein to relieve chest pain, stabilize the heart rhythm, and reduce or > prevent the death of heart muscle cells during a heart attack. And more and > more in the ER, astute physicians, recognizing the power of magnesium to > relax the spastic respiratory muscles and open the airways, have begun to > give it by the IV route to break asthmatic attacks. (Several research > studies have demonstrated that magnesium deficiency occurs nearly uniformly > among asthma sufferers and that replacing it will reduce the number of > attacks.) > > Obstetricians have been on the magnesium bandwagon since long before we did > our medical training, routinely giving intravenous injections of magnesium > sulfate to treat toxemia of pregnancy, rapidly reducing the malignant high > blood pressure sometimes associated with labor and delivery. > > And since the discovery that virtually every patient admitted to the medical > intensive care unit is deficient in magnesium, its intravenous (IV) > supplementation in these critically ill people has become commonplace. > Unfortunately, most physicians don't yet use magnesium to prevent these > disorders, mainly relying on it to treat diseases after they're present. > > As is too often the case with modern medicine, we close the barn door after > the horse has gotten away. But that approach, we hope, is changing. " > > source: Protein Power LifePlan p207-209 > > Rob Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 16, 2001 Report Share Posted December 16, 2001 There needs to be, once and for all, some general consensus about what the best forms of magnesium are. - <dfnewman Saturday, December 15, 2001 2:30 PM Re: magnesium - part 3 > Are there any benefits to taking magnesium glycinate ? > donna > In a message dated 01/15/12 1:07:32 PM, rob.bartlett writes: > > << ological > actions? One important way that magnesium works its miracles is through its > influence on and regulation of calcium, >> > > > > Getting well is done one step at a time, day by day, building health > and well being. > > To learn more about the Gettingwell group, > Subscription and list archives are at: > Gettingwell > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 16, 2001 Report Share Posted December 16, 2001 In a message dated 12/15/01 9:33:59 PM Pacific Standard Time, counterpnt writes: > There needs to be, once and for all, some general consensus about what the > best forms of magnesium are. I vote for magnesium aspartate. Maybe different forms are for different purposes. Starris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 16, 2001 Report Share Posted December 16, 2001 My question is what is magnesium glycinate used for? thanks Donna In a message dated 01/16/12 3:47:34 PM, Starrisg writes: << I vote for magnesium aspartate. Maybe different forms are for different purposes. >> Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 16, 2001 Report Share Posted December 16, 2001 I keep hearing that magnesium aspartate is a desireable form of magnesium. - <dfnewman Sunday, December 16, 2001 12:09 PM Re: magnesium - part 3 > My question is what is magnesium glycinate used for? > thanks > Donna > In a message dated 01/16/12 3:47:34 PM, Starrisg writes: > > << > I vote for magnesium aspartate. Maybe different forms are for different > purposes. > >> > > > > Getting well is done one step at a time, day by day, building health > and well being. > > To learn more about the Gettingwell group, > Subscription and list archives are at: > Gettingwell > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted December 30, 2001 Report Share Posted December 30, 2001 I keep hearing that magnesium citrate is a desirable form of magnesium. - <dfnewman Sunday, December 16, 2001 12:09 PM Re: magnesium - part 3 > My question is what is magnesium glycinate used for? > thanks > Donna > In a message dated 01/16/12 3:47:34 PM, Starrisg writes: > > << > I vote for magnesium aspartate. Maybe different forms are for different > purposes. > >> > > > > Getting well is done one step at a time, day by day, building health > and well being. > > To learn more about the Gettingwell group, > Subscription and list archives are at: > Gettingwell > > Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You are posting as a guest. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.
Note: Your post will require moderator approval before it will be visible.