Magnesium - Major Mineral Component

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Magnesium - Major Mineral Component

JoAnn Guest

Dec 17, 2003 19:31 PST

 

 

Magnesium is a major mineral component. It is absolutely essential

for life and required for every biological process, the electrical

stability of cells in the heart, the maintenance of membrane

integrity, muscle contraction, nerve conduction, and the regulation

of vascular tone-

all of which have a direct bearing on the health of the heart muscle.

 

" Magnesium appears to regulate the " gate " through

which calcium enters the cells to " switch on " vital functions such

as the heartbeat. "

It is vitally important that magnesium and calcium be in balance for

the heart to beat regularly.

Administration of Magnesium has been shown to improve various types

of irregular heartbeats and arrhythmias, including:

 

* Rapid beating of the heart chambers

* Fibrillation of the heart chamber

* Irregular heartbeat originated in the smaller chambers of the

heart situated above the main chambers.

 

One of the causes of ischemic heart disease (heart attack) is that

the coronary arteries fail to provide all of the *oxygen* the heart

demands! The result is a spasm in the smooth muscles of the artery

walls.

 

Inadequate Magnesium has been related to greater susceptibility to

muscle " spasms " .

Thus, an increase in magnesium can be beneficial to counteract heart

and blood vessel spasms.

 

This same principle applies to the overall heart muscle.

Calcium is crucial for the heart muscle to work properly,

BUT IF TOO MANY calcium IONS enter the heart cells--because

magnesium is in short supply,then the effect can be disruptive--

....including toxid,....Killing forms of oxygen.

Some researchers suggest that this may be the very root of

heart-tissue DEATH,and thus, of myocardial infarction (heart attack).

 

Sheldon Hendler, M.D.,Ph.D., holds to this position, and also

believes that the resulting *magnesium-calcium* imbalance may also

be the main obstacle to overcome in helping the heart to heal after a

heart attack.

 

Upon close examination of clots found to be present in the arteries

of

middle aged women, it was discovered that the offending blood clots

were

made up primarily of calcium deposits.

 

Once calcium has the upper hand, it is all the more difficult for

magnesium to promote the nucleic acid and protein synthesis

necessary for the mending process of the heart muscle.

 

Dr. Hendler says,

" We do know that magnesium deficiency predisposes humans to

potentially FATAL disruptions

of normal cardiac rhythm (cardiac dysrhythmia).

 

Investigators have successfully treated ventricular dysrhythmias

with Magnesium! These disorders have NOT been improved by

conventional

DRUG therapy.

 

 

 

Heart attacks and Intravenous Magnesium--

Recent studies in the Lancet have shown that those that have ACUTE

heart attacks have a much higher survival rate, or fewer life

threatening dysrhythmia incidents,if magnesium is intravenously

administered immediately following the attack.

 

There was a very interesting program on the PBS recently in which the

patient in the throes of a heart attack was rushed to the ER.

An attending physician immediately began to intravenously administer

magnesium! The administration of magnesium stopped the attack and

prevented any further damage to the heart.

 

This is very important since 300,000 heart attack victims die before

they reach the hospital! Stephen Gottlieb M.D., is quoted

in " Emergency

Medicine " as saying,

" It (magnesium) is So safe and inexpensive that I can't think of a

reason NOT to give it! "

 

Are we missing something here?

 

 

Some additional facts to ponder:

Your body contains between 20 and 28 grams of magnesium. Half of

thisamount is found in the bones.

The remainder " activates " hundreds of enzymes throughout the body

and is critical for proper cell function!

 

Magnesium plays an important role in maintaining the function of the

nerves as well. It stabilizes the enzymes that produce cellular

energy,

and is actively involved in energy regulation and metabolism.

It plays a role in proper insulin production and finally, this

nutrient may

prove useful in preventing certain complications of pregnancy, such

as prematurity and intrauterine growth retardation.

 

It has been estimated that as much as *60 percent* of the U.S.

population is at risk for magnesium deficiency.People using a number

of

*drugs*,including antibiotics and

*diuretics* inevitably have depleted magnesium.

Oral contraceptives too, have been found to lower blood magnesium.

 

Since low magnesium levels result in blood clots, this may help

explain why there is a higher incidence of *thrombosis* (blood

clots)among women on the pill

 

In addition, magnesium may be too low in people with malabsorption

syndromes or gastrointestinal disorders such as Crohn's.

 

We are also beginning to recognize that bulimics are at risk for

magnesium deficiency because of prolonged episodes of diarrhea

and/or

vomiting.

 

Stress has also been implicated in depleted magnesium levels which

may account for the typical " Type A " personality's increased risk

forcardiovascular disease.

One study suggested that stress may also be in part responsible for

the lowered magnesium levels in women with

premenstrual tension.

 

The RDI for magnesium is 400 mgs for men and women, and 450 mgs >

for pregnant and lactating women.

 

Magnesium works together synergistically with other nutrients, such

as calcium and vitamin D. The consensus is that the calcium to

magnesium ratio should be equal.

 

Low magnesium levels appears to be associated with psychiatric

problems.In a study of 165 boys, it was found that those with

symptoms

of depression, schizophrenia, and sleep disturbances all had

lower levels of magnesium in the blood than did boys without these

disorders.

In another study, it was found that the average magnesium levels of

autistic children were also well below average.

There is multiple evidence that autistic children may improve

when given large doses of magnesium in conjunction with optimal

levels

of vitamin B6.

 

Magnesium----along with sodium, potassium, and calcium -appears to

affect the muscle *tone* of the blood vessels,which may explain why

magnesium supplementation has been shown to

help control cardiovascular disease and high cholesterol.

 

In adults, insufficient magnesium may be accompanied by a loss of

sensation in the extremities and if severe,

-- tremors, convulsions, muscle contractions, confusion, delirium,

and behavioural disturbances.

 

One study found that psychiatric patients who had attempted suicide

had lower magnesium levels than did nonsuicidal psychiatric patients

and healthy individuals.

 

Food Sources:

 

Magnesium is widely distributed in foods. These foods with the

highest magnesium content include certain seafoods, nuts, blackstrap

molasses, non-gmo soybeans, seeds, and wheat germ.Red and black

grapes

and wine are also excellent sources.

Magnesium is also present in whole grains such as oatmeal. amaranth

and brown rice. Dark leafy greens, purslane and green beans are also

good sources.Bear in mind, however, that the magnesium content of

food

varies

considerably with the magnesium content of the soil in which the

foods are grown. In addition, much of the magnesium in foods are

lost during processing.

For example milling removes 59 percent of the magnesium from whole

wheat. However, cooking in water(boiling) destroys the magnesium

content

of foods.

 

One of magnesium's most important roles is that of helping the

muscles to RELAX. When calcium flows into muscle tissue cells or

blood

vessels, the muscle CONTRACTS.When calcium leaves and magnesium

replaces

it, the muscle RELAXES!

These functions are no doubt related to the association of magnesium

deficiency with the occurance of heart and blood vessel spasms,

tremors and convulsions.

 

Many professionals now successfully use magnesium malate

supplements---a combination of magnesium and malic acid-in the

treatment of fibromyalgia,a disorder charactierized by many tender

knots

in the muscles, and

in the treatment of chronic fatigue, which may also involve muscle

aches and pains.

 

Like calcium and phosphorus, magnesium is required for strong,

healthy bones and teeth. This mineral plays an important part in

bone growth, and helps prevent tooth decay by holding calcium in

tooth

enamel.

Understandably, poor magnesium intake has been implicated in

disorders such as Osteoporosis as well.

_________________

 

The Magnesium Lottery

 

Magnesium deficiency is common and deadly Diuretics, heart

conditions,exercise, and the ECA stack influence magnesium status.

The processing of food results in large losses of vital nutrients.

For example, white bread contains about 40% less magnesium than

whole wheat bread.

 

In addition, since World War II, the amount of magnesium in our

food has steadily declined due to farming methods and the use of

fertilizers that only replenish nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium

(9-BK).Thus, there is reason to doubt whether even the best diet can

provide an optimum amount of magnesium.

In light of all this, it is amazing that Big Brother actually tells

people NOT to take supplements.

Lets face it, Big Brother can tell people to eat 3,000 servings of

fresh vegetables a day till he's blue in the face, but how many

people are going to choose broccoli over pizza?

 

Thus, most of the people who listen to the official party line about

supplements are left in the following predicament:

" In developed countries, the Mg [magnesium] intake [from food] is

oftenmarginal and the Mg intake coming from drinking water

represents

thecritical factor through which the Mg intake is deficient

orsatisfactory

.. . . all [Mg studies have] shown a reverse correlation between

cardiovascular mortality [death] and the Mg level " .

Isn't that amazing?

 

Unless you take supplements or eat an extraordinarily good diet, you

are participating in the magnesium lottery -- gambling your life on

the

quality of the WATER in your town.

 

Yikes! When you hear some " expert " parroting the old line about how

we *can* get all the nutrients that we need from food, what they are

really saying -- to the vast majority of people -- is that instead of

taking supplements (the dangerous practice of " self-medication " ),

we should

just hope and/or pray that there is enough magnesium in the water.

If you listen to these clowns, you are playing the magnesium

lottery.

And if you get a losing ticket in THIS lottery, you die.

 

Written Aug 2000 Last Update Aug 2000

A Bunch Of Scary Studies

OK, now I know it's easy to criticize epidemiological studies.

Actually, there is also quite a bit of clinical and laboratory

research supporting the need for magnesium supplementation.

 

However, since the magnesium lottery is a global water quality game,

we really should dive in a little deeper (sorry):

 

" A consistent pattern has emerged, indicative of a global

phenomenon,which illustrates the importance of waterborne magnesium

in

protecting against cardiovascular trauma and other ailments " .

 

Here are the lottery results from Sweden:

" The odds ratios for death from acute myocardial infarction in the

groups were inversely related to the amount of magnesium in drinking

water " .

Scientists in Taiwan studied over 17,000 cerebrovascular deaths and

found that the unlucky people who lived in low magnesium areas were

more likely to die of strokes:

 

" there is a significant protective effect of magnesium intake

from drinking water on the risk of cerebrovascular disease " .

 

The scientists in Taiwan have been quite busy. They also found that

low magnesium levels in drinking water are related to the risk of

death

from hypertension (6), diabetes mellitus (, and an astonishing " 42%

excess

risk of mortality from esophageal cancer " .

 

In light of the uncertainties of the magnesium lottery, it should

not be too big of a surprise to find that magnesium deficiency has

been

found in a large percentage of hospital patients

(I'll spare you the joke about hospital food) -- and this has been

linked to " cardiovascular abnormalities, ranging from cardiac

arrhythmias and atrial fibrillation to hypertension " .

 

In addition, low serum magnesium levels are associated with

thickening of the carotid wall and high fasting insulin levels.

 

The elevated insulin levels reflect an attempt to compensate for

impaired insulin receptor function caused by magnesium deficiency.

Proper insulin function requires a LOT more than popping a chromium

pill everyday.

 

I could go on and on, but Altura et al. did a good job of summing up

the

overwhelming evidence of the health problems that are related to

magnesium deficiency:

 

" It is now becoming clear that a lower than normal dietary intake of

Mg [magnesium] can be a strong risk factor for hypertension, cardiac

arrhythmias, ischemic heart disease, atherogenesis and sudden

cardiac death.

 

Deficits in serum Mg appear often to be associated with

arrhythmias, coronary vasospasm and high blood pressure " (15).

 

http://www.drumlib.com/dp/000014.htm

_________________

 

MAGNESIUM: Miracle in Minutes

 

DID YOU KNOW?

Very few people are aware of the enormous role magnesium plays in

our bodies.

After oxygen, water, and basic food, magnesium may be the most

important element needed by our bodies.

So vitally important, yet hardly known.

 

Magnesium is by far the most important mineral in the body,

activating over 300 different biochemical reactions in your body all

necessary for your body to function properly.

 

Magnesium is more important than calcium, potassium or sodium and

regulates all three of them. When we get too low on oxygen, water or

food, the consequences are serious. Yet, we often don't realize the

consequences of magnesium deficiency.

 

The improper use of magnesium among health professionals and the

population in general, is deeply responsible for many of the

failures encountered daily in treating chronic health conditions

nationwide.

---

 

What are the symptoms of a magnesium deficiency?

 

Millions suffer daily from:

 

Insomnia

Sleep-disorders

Fatigue

Body-tension

Headaches

Heart-disorders

Low energy

High Blood Pressure

PMS

Muscle tension

Backaches

Constipation

Kidney stones

Osteoporosis

Accelerated aging

Depression

Irregular-heartbeat

Anxiety

Muscle cramps

Spasms

Irritability

 

and the list goes on....

 

90-95% of the population is deficient, including many of those who

already supplement it. Why?

 

Due to the misleading information presented in common magnesium

texts.As a result, magnesium remains largely misunderstood, largely

misused and the problem goes on undetected.

 

CALCIUM WARNING –

 

The use of magnesium today is often incorrect, resulting in frequent

failure to improve common conditions and complaints.

 

One reason is this: Calcium needs magnesium in order to assimilate

into the body.

However, when too much calcium is consumed, it will pull magnesium

out of the body parts in order to assimilate.

 

This creates a magnesium deficiency and the person will get worse

andfeel accordingly.

---

 

" Contrary to common belief, magnesium deficiency is very common even

amongst those who supplement it regularly "

---

 

Excess calcium -(in the wrong form for proper assimilation) in

the body results in calcium deposits on joints (often called

arthritis).

 

All of these have been known to disappear after taking

extra magnesium, especially the liquid form.

 

 

BECOME AN EXPERT –

 

After reading this data you will become your own expert on how to

handle a magnesium deficiency, which strikes most of our unknowing

population.

 

This data is vital for everybody to know. It has changed

the lives of many. It may change your own as well.

 

The fact remains that many of us suffer for months and years from

chronic conditions, which no one seems to detect the source of (not

even the so-called experts).

 

With all the myriad of solutions we have sought, only a lucky

handful amongst us realize that the true source of these conditions

lies with a mineral deficiency.

 

Many of these conditions listed before are caused primarily by

magnesium deficiency. This information may bring new hope to those

who have already grown hopeless about improving their condition.

 

90-95% of the population is deficient, and many of them have thought

that regular magnesium supplements will fix magnesium deficiency.

 

Unfortunately, this isn't the case. Read on to understand this in

full, and why water soluble magnesium (angstrom in size) is the

answer.

 

To understand the importance of magnesium let's consider this:

 

Magnesium is the most important mineral in the body, activating over

300 different processes in your body;

 

Among these functions are digestion, energy production, muscle

function, bone formation, creation of new cells, activation of B

vitamins, relaxation of muscles, the functioning of your heart,

kidneys, adrenals, brain, as well as the nervous system.

****************

 

The Mineral That Could Have Saved 4 Million Women

by Bill Sardi

 

Modern medicine has made a remarkable admission.

 

Its failure to utilize a simple, inexpensive intravenous mineral

drip might have saved the lives millions of women over the past

century.

 

Modern medicine knew about the cure since 1906. [New England Journal

Medicine 333: 201-05, 1995]

 

Around 210 million women become pregnant annually around the world

and every minute a woman dies in pregnancy or childbirth, with a

quarter of these deaths due to a condition called pre-eclampsia

which can lead to the more severe and mortal condition called

eclampsia.

 

Women may develop high blood pressure during pregnancy (pre-

eclampsia) and during or prior to birth may experience life-

threatening seizures (eclampsia).

About 5-10 percent of women in their first pregnancy develop pre-

eclampsia.

 

Over the past century, drugs rather than minerals have been employed

to treat eclampsia, Diazepam (Valium) in 1968 and then phenytoin

(Dilantin) in 1987. During the period 1905 to 1987 an estimated 42

million women may have undergone eclamptic convulsion and possibly 4

million died.

 

The modern therapy for eclampsia now includes calcium-blocking

drugs and a host of anti-hypertensive agents. Drugs may reduce the

risk of severe high blood pressure, but not the overall rate of

hypertension nor the risk of eclampsia.

 

[The Cochrane Library, Issue 2, 2002] Yet the anticonvulsant drugs

continue to be employed with little reliable evidence that they

work.

 

Finally, a just-released study of 10,141 women in 33 countries has

shown beyond a " reasonable doubt " that intravenous magnesium reduces

the risks of eclampsia among women with pre-eclampsia.

 

The relative risk of eclampsia was reduced by 58 percent and the

mortality rate nearly cut in half among women receiving

magnesium ...compared to those who receive a saline drip.

 

The authors of the study concluded that " magnesium sulfate is

remarkably effective at reducing the risk of eclampsia. " [The Lancet

359: 1877-90, June 1, 2002]

 

Not The First Time –

 

This wasn't the first study to conclusively show magnesium sulfate

is a remedy for eclampsia. In a 1995, a study heralded as the most

important obstetric trial of the 20th century, magnesium sulfate was

found to be the most effective approach to controlling convulsions

during childbirth.

[british Medical Journal 311: 702-03, 1995] By 1998 data from

numerous studies had been analyzed and it was known that magnesium

was superior to any anticonvulsant drugs. [Cochrane Review 2002]

This

evidence still didn't convince most obstetrical doctors.

 

Seven years after the report showing magnesium reduces the risk of

mortality from eclampsia, a report endorsed by the World Health

Organization (WHO), UNICEF and the WORLD BANK, magnesium sulfate is

still not available to millions of women worldwide.

 

British medical researchers are pleading with the World Bank and

WHO to fund and disseminate treatment kits. [The

Lancet 359: June 1, 2002]

 

Clues Were There -

It wasn't as if physicians had no clues as to the cause of

eclampsia. The worldwide mortality rates from eclampsia vary widely

from country to country.

The mortality rate from eclampsia ranges from 0 to 13.9 percent.

[European Society Cardiology 21st Annual Congress, Sept. 1, 1999] So

there are obviously some modifiable factors involved in the

development of eclampsia among pregnant females.

 

Pre-eclampsia and eclampsia are the most important causes of death

during pregnancy in the United Kingdom, USA and Nordic countries,

nations that consume the most *calcium-rich* DAIRY products.

 

Calcium and magnesium must be maintained in a proper ratio to

maintain proper muscle tone and prevent convulsive muscle spasms.

Furthermore, estrogen and progesterone levels, which increase as a

pregnancy advances, elevate the body's demand for magnesium.

 

[Journal American College of Nutrition 12: 442-58, 1993] Magnesium

is a natural calcium blocker. [American Journal Medicine 96: 63-76,

1994]

 

 

Magnesium Shunned For Heart Disease Too –--

This isn't the first time magnesium has been shunned in favor of

prescription drugs.

 

In the 1990s a preliminary report showed that intravenous

magnesium reduced mortality rates following a heart attack.

This was apparently perceived as a threat to the sale of calcium-

blocking drugs used for the same purpose.

 

Medical researchers, financially backed by a pharmaceutical company

that produces calcium-blocker drugs,

deliberately chose to use an " excessive " dose of *intravenous*

magnesium to " prove " it was of *no value* during the post-heart

attack period.

 

[Townsend Letter for Doctors, October 1998]

 

The sale of calcium-blockers never faltered.

 

There are more than 64 million annual prescriptions for calcium

blocking drugs (Procardia,Cardizem, Norvasc, Verpamil, Adalat,

Dilacor,

Verelan, Calan), with sales exceeding $2.5 billion. [American

Druggist

1997]

 

Magnesium May Prevent Sudden-Death Heart Attacks –

(NOTE: Dr. Shealy emphasizes this in his book--- " HOLY WATER, Sacred

Oils)

Magnesium is not limited to treating heart disease after a heart

attack. A shortage of dietary magnesium has been repeatedly shown to

be associated with an increased risk of sudden-death heart attack.

 

 

Unequivocally, a shortage of magnesium from the American diet, in

particular the absence or shortage of magnesium in drinking water,

is directly related to sudden-death heart attack.

 

[Epidemiology 10: 31-36, 1999; Heart 82: 455-60, 1999; American

Journal Epidemiology

143: 456-62, 1996]

 

Out of 750,000 heart attacks in the USA annually, an estimated

340,000 deaths occur within one hour of a heart attack. [Journal

Nutrition Health Aging 5: 173-78, 2001]

 

One study showed the relative risk of sudden-death heart attack is

more than 1.5 times higher among adults who consume on average 105

milligrams of magnesium a day compared to adults who consume 233

milligrams a day.

 

[Magnesium Trace Element Research 9: 143-51, 1990]

 

Recently researchers reported on the effects of slowly withdrawing

magnesium from the diet of postmenopausal women.

 

Women began to exhibit abnormal heart rhythms as circulating

magnesium levels declined.

 

[American JournalClinical Nutrition 75:

550-54, 2002]

 

Of the minerals removed during water softening, magnesium is the

only mineral found to be deficient in the heart muscle of sudden-

death heart attack victims.

[science 208: 198-200, 1980]

 

In an animal experiment, no rodents experienced a sudden-death

heart attack when magnesium levels were adequate, whereas 4 of 11

rodents with low magnesium levels experienced a sudden lethal heart

muscle spasm.

[Journal American Collage Cardiology 27: 1771-76,

1996]

 

For comparison, there are about 50,000 tobacco-related deaths per

year in the USA and consequently massive smoking-cessation efforts

are undertaken.

 

There are more than 200,000 to 300,000 avoidable sudden-death heart

attacks that could be prevented by the provision of an inexpensive

mineral, yet public health authorities do nothing to stop the

problem.

 

This amounts to over 500 *needless* deaths per day in the USA

The current approach to cardiovascular disease is to reduce

circulating cholesterol levels which has been shown to reduce the

incidence of heart attacks but has not reduced mortality rates.

 

Sudden fatal heart failure may be related to magnesium deficiency

rather than cholesterol levels.

 

[Medical Hypotheses 43: 187-92, 1994]

 

Widespread Dietary Deficiency –

 

1994 Gallup poll found that 72 percent of Americans don't consume

sufficient amounts of magnesium. The widespread consumption of

processed foods has led to a progressive decline in dietary

magnesium.

 

While nuts and green leafy vegetables are good sources of magnesium,

the shortage of magnesium in the American diet, about 200-300

milligrams per day, is not likely to be made up through foods alone.

 

Progressive decline of dietary magnesium consumption years Magnesium

intake milligrams per day

1900-08 475-500

1909-13 415-435

1925-29 385-398

1935-39 360-375

1947-49 358-370

1957-59 340-360

1965-76 300-340

1978-85 225-318

1990-2002 175-225

 

[Magnesium Trace Elements 10: 162-28, 1997]

 

Supplementation Advised –

 

Only universal magnesium supplementation is likely to make up

for such a widespread mineral deficiency.

 

Foods cannot easily be fortified with magnesium because it is a

bulky mineral that would alter the consistency and taste of flour

and foods.

Magnesium cannot be added to tap water because it would erode

piping.

 

Either magnesium pills or magnesium added to bottled water would

make up for this mineral deficiency.

Currently, only 5 major brands of bottled water provide a desirable

measure of more than 75 milligrams of magnesium per liter and only

one brand has a

ratio of magnesium that exceeds that of calcium. –

 

Bloodtests for magnesium are notoriously inaccurate.

 

Only 1 percent of the total body magnesium pool exists outside of

living cells. So blood serum levels are notoriously inaccurate.

 

[Clin Chem Lab Med 37: 1011-33, 1999]

 

Only red-blood cell magnesium levels accurately determine the risk

for pre-eclampsia and/or magnesium deficiency, but this test is not

commonly performed in laboratories. [American Journal Hypertension

13: 765-69, 2000]

 

 

A bias against the use of intravenous magnesium sulfate by modern

medicine has taken a terrible toll on humankind. Magnesium sulfate,

also known as Epsom salt, is not absorbed orally and attracts water

in the colon and would thus act as a laxative. So Epsom salts are

not recommended orally.

 

 

Magnesium pills are recommended (200-400 milligrams per day).

Magnesium has been called the " The Forgotten Mineral " and the " 5-

Cent Miracle Tablet " by medical researchers.

 

Numerous researchers have reported that the provision of this

mineral in the population at large would greatly diminish the

incidence of kidney stones (1 in 11 Americans), calcified mitral

heart valve (1 in 12 Americans), premenstrual tension, constipation,

 

miscarriages, stillbirths, strokes, diabetes, thyroid failure,

asthma, chronic eyelid twitch (blepharospasm), brittle bones,

chronic migraines, muscle spasms and anxiety reactions.

 

[Pediatric Asthma, Allergy Immunology 5: 273-79;

Journal Bone Mineral Research 13: 749-58, 1998; Magnesium 5: 1-8,

1986; Medical Hypotheses 43: 187-92, 1994]

 

That's a lot of health benefits for a nickel. Sufficient provision

of magnesium in the American population would likely reduce health

care costs by billions of dollars.

 

June 4, 2002

End of article

**************

HEART BECOMES

IRRITABLE WHEN DEPRIVED OF MAGNESIUM

 

The Human Nutrition Research Center in Grand Forks, North Dakota has

released an alarming report that reveals when humans are deprived of

magnesium they may begin to experience abnormal heart beats.

[American Journal Clinical Nutrition 75: 550-54, March 2002]

 

The heart muscle of people who experience sudden-death heart attack

has been found to be low in magnesium. Areas of the world where

drinking water is low in magnesium (soft water areas) have higher

rates of heart attacks.

 

Magnesium is a muscle relaxant, while calcium is a muscle

constrictor.

 

Low magnesium intake is associated with muscle spasm, tremors and

convulsions.

 

Most Americans, particularly women, have been advised to consume

1200-1500 milligrams of calcium daily.

 

Virtually none of these women have been told that calcium in single

doses that exceed 500 milligrams

are *not absorbed* and that they " only " need an additional 400-600

milligramsof supplemental calcium since their diet already provides

about 800 milligrams of this

mineral.

 

 

Since 99 percent of magnesium resides inside living cells, blood

serum levels are not a good indicator of magnesium deficiency.

 

In other words, your doctor can't easily tell you by a blood test if

your magnesium levels are low.

 

Most Americans, 8 in 10, do not consume enough magnesium.

 

The countries that have the highest mortality rates in the world are

the Scandinavian countries and New Zealand where more calcium is

consumed from dairy products,

while for comparison the lowest mortality rates in the world are in

Portugal and Japan

where calcium-rich dairy products are not consumed regularly.

 

Americans consume about 800 milligrams of calcium daily (milk

drinkers may get 1200-1500 mgs from their diet alone),

but only consume about 275 milligrams of magnesium.

 

 

Thus the dominance of calcium over magnesium produces symptoms of

muscle spasm.

 

Migraines, eyelid twitch, heart flutters, back aches, premenstrual

tension, leg cramps and constipation are all linked to calcium

overload.

 

Excessive calcium may also result in kidney stones (1 in 11

Americans) and heart valve calcifications (mitral valve, 1 in 12

Americans).

 

A significant percentage of American adults consume more than 2000

milligrams of daily calcium, the point where side effects of

overdosage begin to be reported. More than 300,000 sudden-death

heart attacks are reported annually in the US (more than 80 per day)

which are believed to be related to

excessive calcium and a shortage of magnesium.

 

 

Modern medicine's answer to the problem is to prescribe billions of

dollars of calcium-blocker drugs.

 

 

Magnesium is a natural calcium blocker, but this goes unrecognized

by most physicians

 

 

 

Researchers warn that adults who consume excessive amounts of

caffeine or alcohol, or who take water pills (diuretics), are prone

to

experience irregular heart beats and should consume more magnesium.

 

The same is true for diabetics and people with low thyroid.

 

Most Americans consume tap water that has been softened

(sodium added) which worsens the problem. Sodium depletes magnesium

levels.

 

American adults need to supplement their diet with 200-400

milligrams of magnesium. The only side effect of too much magnesium

is loose stool.

 

Reducing dosage resolves this problem.

Written By: Bill Sardi

_________________

Magnesium Deficiency and Sudden Death

Reprinted from:

http://www.drgrisanti.com/magnesium.htm

---

The Grisanti Report

A Reliable Source for Alternative Medical Advice

Report #1260

---

MAGNESIUM DEFICIENCY & SUDDEN DEATH

Written and Researched by Ronald J. Grisanti D.C., D.A.B.C.O.

 

An athletic 20 year man is playing basketball and suddenly collapses

on the court and dies.

 

On a hot July day, a young and vibrant college football player

suddenly makes a great tackle and never gets up.. only to be

pronounced dead 5 minutes later.

 

High School track runner dies after finishing second in a race.

 

The sad truth is 1 out of 50,000 young adults will fall victim to

Sudden Death.

 

Most sudden deaths have been linked to a thickened, enlarged heart

called hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM), or by a condition that

disturbs the rhythm of the heart called an arrhythmia.

 

When one sweats, a significant amount of magnesium is lost.

Magnesium is the most under-recognized electrolyte disorder in the

U.S. Dr. Mildred Seelig, one of the country's leading authorities on

magnesium suggests that 80%-90% of the population is deficient is

magnesium

 

It is beyond the extent of this article why the public is being

denied the truth of the seriousness of magnesium deficiency and

sudden death. The amount of medical research could fill a book, but

it is unfortunately being ignored.

 

According to Micheal A. Brodsky M.D., associate professor of

medicine at the University of Medicine and the director of the

Cardiac Arrhythmia Service at the University of California.. mineral

imbalances interfere with the heart's normal nerve function.

 

While most athletes have been conditioned to drink a potassium rich

drink after sweating.. very few have been educated on the dangers of

a magnesium deficiency. Dr. Brodsky states that arrhythmia therapy

should focus on replenishing two key minerals: potassium and

magnesium.

 

Almost all physicians have known for some time just how vital

potassium is for normal heartbeat. Magnesium is an entirely

different story, however. According to Carla Sueta M.D., Ph.D.,

assistant professor of medicine and cardiology at the University of

North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Medicine " apparently, many

doctors still don't realize how important a role this mineral can

play in some heart patients. In fact, most never check the magnesium

level. She has shown through her research that magnesium reduced the

incidence of several types of ventricular arrhythmia by 53 to 76

percent.

 

Magnesium deficiency can be induced by the very drugs meant to help

heart problems. Some types of diuretics (water pills) cause the body

to excrete both magnesium and potassium, as does digitalis. And

magnesium deficiency is often at the bottom of what's called

refractory potassium deficiency. The amount of magnesium in the body

determines the amount of a particular enzyme that determines the

amount of potassium in the body, " he explains. So if you are

magnesium-deficient, you may in turn be potassium-deficient, and no

amount of potassium is going to correct this unless you are also

getting enough magnesium.

 

The Best Test To Determine Your Level of Magnesium

 

Although most physicians rarely check this important mineral, the

few that do usually rely on test called Serum Magnesium.

Unfortunately, this test only measures approximately 1% of the

magnesium in your body.. a poor test at best. The " Gold Standard "

and the most accurate test is the RBC Minerals or more commonly

called Elemental Analysis in Packed Erythrocytes. This test examines

the levels of eight minerals and seven toxic heavy metals. The

erythrocyte is the red blood cell that floats in our serum to carry

oxygen to our cells. The minerals this test analyzes from inside the

red blood cell includes magnesium, manganese, molybdenum, potassium,

selenium, vanadium and zinc. Another test which has proven to be

extremely valuable in detecting magnesium deficiencies is called the

Urine Magnesium Loading Test. In this test, the patient collects a

24-hour urine sample and the total magnesium is measured. The

patient is then given a dose Magnesium Chloride 18% and another 24-

hour urine specimen is collected. The magnesium is again measured.

If the body retains more than a certain amount of magnesium, then it

is concluded that the body is magnesium deficient.

 

Common Symptoms of Magnesium Deficiency

 

The most common symptoms include back and neck pain, muscle spasms,

anxiety, panic disorders, Raynaud's spastic vessels, arrhythmia,

fatigue, eye twitches, vertigo, migraines.

 

Best Sources of Magnesium

 

The best way of insuring enough magnesium is to eat a variety of

whole foods, including whole grains, nuts, seeds and vegetables,

preferably food grown on naturally composted soil. The green color

of green vegetables is due to chlorophyll, which is a molecule that

contains magnesium. Avoid refined processed foods, especially white

sugar and white flour products, as most magnesium is removed from

them.

 

Dr. Grisanti's Comments:

 

If you are suffering with a heart problem and have not had your

magnesium checked, then I want to urge you to have your physician

order the two tests listed above. Unless you have proof that your

magnesium is within normal levels, I want you to realize that you

are playing with your health!

 

 

 

References

 

1:Eisenberg MJ, Magnesium deficiency and sudden death (editorial),

AM Heart J 1992 Aug; 124(2):544-9

 

2:Magnes Res 1994 Jun;7(2):145-53

 

3:Tzivoni, Dan, M.D. and Keren, Andre, M.D., " Suppression of

Ventricular Arrhythmias by Magnesium " , The American Journal of

Cardiology, June 1, 1990;65:1397-1399.

 

4:Miner Electrolyte Metab 1993;19(4-5):323-36

 

5:Keller, Peter K. and Aronson, Ronald S., " The Role of Magnesium in

Cardiac Arrhythmias " , Progress in Cardiovascular Diseases, May/June

1990;32(6):433-448.

 

6:Biochim Biophys Acta 1993 Oct 20;1182(3):329-32

 

7:Biochim Biophys Acta 1994 Jan 11;1225(2):158-64

 

8: " Practical Briefings: Clinical News You Can Put Into Your Practice

Now. Ventricular Arrhythmias and Magnesium " , Patient Care, October

15, 1990;16-20

 

9:Magnes Res 1993 Jun;6(2):191-2

 

10:Hennekens (1987) Epidemiology Medicine, p.54-98

11:Schriftenr Ver Wasser Boden Lufthyg 1993;88:474-90

 

12:Am J Cardiol 1992 Oct 8;70(10):44C-49C

 

13:Fiziol Zh SSSR Im I M Sechenova 1992 Jul;78(7):71-7

 

 

 

© 2001 Ronald J. Grisanti D.C., D.A.B.C.O

NOTICE: This information is provided for educational purposes. Any

medical procedures, dietary changes, or nutritional supplements

discussed herein should only be undertaken on the advice of a

qualified physician.

 

Ronald J. Grisanti, D.C., D.A.B.C.O

The Grisanti Center of Integrative Medicine

4200 East North Street, Suite 14 • Greenville, SC 29615

(864) 292-0226 • FAX: (864) 268-7022

 

 

Reprinted from:

http://www.drgrisanti.com/magnesium.htm

 

 

Mineral Supplements: In regards to Absorption

 

The digestive tract goes like this: mouth, esophagus, stomach, small

intestine, large intestine, and out.

 

Mineral absorption means transferring the mineral from the digestive

tract through the wall of the intestine, into the bloodstream.

 

You really have to picture this: the digestive tract is just a long

tube,

from one end to the other. As long as food and nutrients are inside

this tube,they are actually considered to be still outside the

body,because they haven't been absorbed into the bloodstream yet.

 

This isan essential concept to understanding mineral absorption.

 

Minerals can't do any good unless they make it into the bloodstream.

 

This is exactly why most minerals bought at the grocery store are

almost

worthless: they pass right through the body -in one end and out the

other.

 

It's also why many nutritionists' and dieticians' advice is

valueless;

 

they commonly pretend everything that is eaten is absorbed.

 

Two main reasons for lack of absorption:

- the pill never dissolved

- the mineral was in its elemental form (non-nutrient, e.g., iron

filings)

 

Let's say these problems are overcome;neither is true.

 

Or let's saythe mineral is contained within some food, such as iron

in molasses, or potassium in bananas.

 

Food-bound minerals are attached or complexed to organic molecules.

Absorption into the blood is vastly increased, made easy.

 

The mineral is not just a foreign metal that has been ingested;it is

part of food.

 

Fruits and vegetables with high mineral contentare the best way to

provide the body with adequate nutrition.

 

Food-bound minerals are the original mode.

As already cited above, however, sufficient mineral content is an

increasingly rare occurrence.

 

Foods simply don't have it.How little,what portion of normal depends

on what studies one finds.

 

Soon the necessity for supplementationbecomes obvious: if the food

no longer has it,

and we need it, pass the supplements, please.

 

At that point, the marketplace assaults one's awareness and we're

almost back to the days of the tonics, brews, toddies, and snake

potions of yesteryear.

 

1. ELEMENTAL

 

Let's look at the four types one by one.Least beneficial are the

supplements containing minerals in the elemental form.

 

That means the mineral is just mentioned on the label.

 

It's not ionized, it's not chelated,it's not complexed with an oxide

or a carbonate or a sulfate, or with a food.

 

Like under " ingredients " it just says " iron " or " copper, "

or " calcium, " etc.

Elemental minerals are obviously the cheapest to make.

 

A liquid wouldonly have to be poured over some nails to be said to

contain iron.

Elemental minerals are the most common in grocery store supplements.

 

They may not be toxic, as long as only the minerals mentioned on

the label are included in the supplement.

 

The problem is absorption: it's between 1 and 8 percent. The rest

passes right through.

Not only a waste of money; also a waste of energy:

it has to be processed out of the body.This can actually use up

available mineral stores.

 

2. IONIC

 

Next comes ionic minerals. Usually a step up.

Ionic means in the form of ions.Ions are unstable molecules

that want to bind with other molecules.

 

An ion is an incomplete molecule.There is a definite pathway for the

absorption of ionic minerals through the gut (intestine) into the

blood.

 

In fact, any percent of the elemental minerals

that actually got absorbed became ions first,

by being dissolved in stomach acids.

 

Ionic minerals are not absorbed through the intestine intact.

 

The model for mineral ion absorptionthrough the intestine is as

follows.

 

Ions are absorbed through the gut by a complicated process involving

becoming attached or chelatedto some special carrier proteins in

the intestinal wall.

 

Active transport is involved;meaning, energy is required to bring

the ionic mineral from inside the intestine through the lining, to

be deposited in the bloodstream on the other side.

 

Ionic minerals may be a good source of nutrients for the body,

depending upon the type of ions, and on how difficult it is for the

ion to get free at the appropriate moment and location.

 

Minerals require an acidic environment for absorption.

 

Remember low pH (less than 7) is acidic;high pH(above 7) is

alkaline.

As the stomach contents at pH 2 empty into the small

intestine, the first few centimeters of the small intestine is the

optimum location for mineral absorption.

 

The acidic state is necessary for ionization of the dissolved

minerals.

 

If the pH is too alkaline, the ions won't disassociate from whatever

they're complexed with, and

will simply pass on through to the colon without being absorbed.

 

As the mineral ions are presented to the lining of the intestine, if

all conditions are right,and there are not too much of competing

minerals present,

the ions will begin to be taken across the

intestinal barrier,making their way into the bloodstream.

 

This is a complicated, multi-step process, beyond the scope of this

article.

 

Simply, it involves theattachment of the free mineral ion to some

carrier proteins within

the intestinal membrane, which drag the ion across and free it into

the

bloodstream. A lot happens during the transfer, and much energy is

required for all the steps.

 

Just the right conditions and timing are necessary -proper pH,

presence of vitamins for some,and the right section of the small

intestine.

 

Iron, manganese, zinc, copper - these ions are bound to the carrier

proteins which are embedded in the intestinal lining.

 

The binding is accomplished by a sort of chelation process,

which simply describes the type of binding which holds the ion.

The carrier protein or ligand hands off the

mineral to another larger carrier protein located deeper within the

intestinal wall.

 

After several other steps, if all conditions are favorable,the ion

is finally deposited on the other side of the intestinal wall:

the bloodstream, now usable by the cells.

 

Ionic mineral supplements do not guarantee absorption by their very

nature, although they are certainly more likely

to be absorbed than are minerals in the raw, elemental state.

 

 

However, ionic minerals are in the form required for uptake by the

carrier proteinsthat reside in the intestinal wall.

 

The uncertainties with ionic minerals include how many,

how much, and what else are the unstable ions likely

to become bound to before the carrier proteins pick them up.

All ionic supplements are not created equal.

Just because it's an ion doesn't mean a supplemental mineral will be

absorbed.

 

Too many minerals in a supplement will compete for absorption.

 

Too much of one mineral will crowd out the others.

 

The idea is to offer the body an opportunity for balance; rather

than to overload it with the hope

that some will make it through somehow.

Minerals are biologically active in tiny amounts.

 

 

 

3. COLLOIDAL

 

Speaking of overloading, the third type of supplemental minerals is

the one we hear the most about: colloidal.

 

What does colloidal really mean?

 

Colloidal refers to a solution,a dispersion medium in which mineral

particles are so well suspended that they never settle out:

you never have to shake the bottle.

 

The other part of the dictionary definition has to do with diffusion

through a membrane:

" will not diffuse easily through vegetable or animal membrane. "

 

Yet this is supposed to be the wholerationale for taking colloidal

minerals - their absorbability.

 

 

Colloidal guru Joel Wallach himself continuously claims that it is

precisely the colloidal form of the minerals that allows for easy

diffusion and absorption

across the intestinal membrane, because the particles are so small.

 

 

Wallach claims 98% absorption,but cites no studies, experiments,

journal

articles or research of any kind to back up this figure.

 

Why not? Because there aren't any.

The research on colloidal minerals has never been done. It's not out

there.

 

Senate Document 264 doesn't really cover it.

 

In reality, colloidal minerals are actually larger than ionic

minerals, as discussed by researcher Max Motyka, MS.

 

Because of the molecular size and suspension in the colloid medium,

which Dorland's Medical dictionary describes as " like glue, "

absorption

is inhibited, not enhanced.

 

No less an authority than Dr. Royal Lee the man responsible for

pointing out the distinction between whole food vitamins and

synthetic

vitamins, stated:

 

" A colloidal mineral is one that has been so altered that it will no

longer pass through cell walls or other organic membranes. "

 

 

Does that sound like easy absorption?

 

Stedman's Medical Dictionary talks about colloids " resisting

sedimentation, diffusion, and filtration "

 

Again, resisting diffusion seems to indicate inhibition of

absorption, not increased absorption, wouldn't you think?

 

As Alexander Schauss and Parris Kidd both explain,colloids are

suspensions of minerals in clay and water.

Clay often has levels of aluminum as high as 3000 parts per million,

 

with safety levels set at 10 ppm or lower(Kidd).

 

 

Aluminum has been proven to kill nerve cells, which we now see in

the pathophysiology of Alzheimer's.

 

 

Dr. Schauss characterizes the aluminum content as the big problem

with colloidal minerals.

 

He cites a standard geology reference text -Dana's Manual of

Mineralogy - describing clay as primarily aluminum:

 

" Clay minerals are essentially hydrous aluminum silicates. "

- Dana's Manual, p436

 

And another geology text:

 

" [clays] are essentially hydrous aluminum silicates and are usually

formed from the alteration of aluminum silicates. "

 

- Mineral Recognition p 273

 

 

Schauss finds references as high as 4400 PPM of aluminum in

colloidal

clay.

 

Schauss states that he has done an exhaustive search for any

human studies using colloidal minerals and after searching 2000

journals,

like everyone else, has come up with zero.

 

For a mineral to be absorbed, it must be either in the ionic state,

or else chelated, as explained above.

 

 

The percentage of colloidal minerals wich actually does get absorbed

has

to have been ionized somehow, due to the acidic conditions in the

small intestine.

 

Only then is the mineral capable of being taken up by the carrier

proteins in the intestinal membrane, as mentioned above.

 

So why create the extra step?

 

Ionic minerals would be superior to colloidal, because they don't

have

to be dissociated from a suspension medium, which is by definition

non-diffusable.

 

All this extra work costs the body in energy and reserves.

 

In an editorial in Am J of Nat Med, Jan 97, Alexander Schauss

further

points out the error of Wallach's claims.

 

Wallach states that colloidals are negatively charged, and this

enhances

intestinal absorption.

The problem is his science is 180* backward:

 

Wallach claims the charge of the intestinal mucosa is positive, but

all other sources have known for decades that the mucosal charge is

negative. (Guyton, p13)

 

This is why ionic minerals are prsented to the intestinal surface as

cations

(positively charged ions).

 

Opposites attract, like repels - remember? Another big minus for

colloidals.

 

QUALITY CONTROL

 

Consistency of percentages of each mineral from batch to batch. Very

simply, there isn't any with the mega mineral supplements, as the

manufacturers will themselves admit.

 

 

The ancient lakes and glaciers apparently have not been very

accommodating when it comes to percent cmposition.

 

Such a range of variation might be acceptable in, say,

grenade tossing or blood dilution in seawater necessary to attract a

shark, or IQ threshold of terrorists, or other areas where high

standards of precision are not crucial.

 

But a nutritional supplement that is supposed to enhance health by

drinking it - this is an area in which the details of

composition should be fairly visible, verifiable, the same every

time.

 

In these 80-trace-mineral toddies, there is no way of testing

the presence or absence of many of the individual minerals.

 

Many established essential trace minerals do not even have an agreed-

upon recommended daily allowance, for two reasons:

 

-the research has never been done

the amounts are too small to be measured.

 

 

How much less is known about the amounts and toxicities of those

unknown minerals which have never been studied, but are claimed to

be

present in these " miraculous " toddies?

 

 

TOXICITY AND COMPETITION

 

Some essential minerals are toxic in excess, but essential in small

amounts.

 

Iron, chlorine, sodium, zinc, and copper are in this category.

 

Toxic levels have been established, and resulting pathologies have

been identified:we know what diseases are caused by their excesses.

 

How risky is it to take in 40 or 50 minerals for which no toxicity

levels have ever been set?

 

The problem is selective utilization, as explained by Dr. Parris

Kidd.toxic trace minerals may closely resemble the essential

minerals in

atomic configuration.

 

The result is competition for enzyme sites by

two similar minerals only one of which is beneficial:

 

" aluminum competes with silicon

 

cadmium competes with zinc

 

tellurium competes with selenium

 

lanthanum competes with calcium "

 

- Kidd, p42

 

We also know that zinc competes with iron. (Erasmus)

 

A separate hoax is being played out with

 

 

COLLOIDAL SILVER,

used by many as a " natural antibiotic. "

 

Extremely uninformed physicians recommend daily doses of colloidal

silver, in order to " prevent " colds,in the absence of any studies or

trials

whatsoever.

 

As Dr. Kidd points out:

 

 

" the body is not well-equipped to handle silver.

 

This element can poison the kidneys,become deposited in the brain,

and even give to the skin gunmetal type of gloss. "

 

 

Doug Grant, a nutritionist, cites several minerals which frequently

appear on the ingredient labels of certain mega-mineral products -

 

they ctually admit their supplements contain or " may contain " some

of the

following: (the phrase " may contain " has always been scary for me.

 

If hey're not sure, then what else is there that this product " may

contain " that theydon't know about?)

 

 

Aluminum:

 

Documented since the article in Lancet 14 Jan 1989 to be

associated with Alzheimer's Disease,

as well as blocking absorption of esential minerals like calcium,

iron, and fluoride.

 

Silver:

 

questionable as a single-dose antibiotic,

consistent intake of silveraccumulates in the blood-forming organs -

spleen, liver, and bonemarrow-, as well as the skin, lungs, and

muscles.

 

 

Serious pathologies have resulted-

blood disorders, cirrhosis, pulmonary edema, chronic bronchitis,

and a permanent skin condition known as argyria, to name just a few.

 

 

Silver isbetter left in the ancient lakes, and in tableware.

 

Gold: Manufacturers of mega-minerals hawk that " there's more gold in

aton of seawater than there is in a ton of ore. "

 

So what?

 

Our blood is not seawater-it evolved from seawater.

Gold used to be used to treat rheumatoid rthritis, but has largely

been abandoned when they proved that it

caused kidney ell destruction,

bone marrow suppression, and immune abnormalities.

 

Lithium:

Rarely used as an antipsychotic medication, lithium

definitely can cause blackouts, coma, psychosis, kidney damage, and

seizures.

 

Outside of that, it should be fine.

 

The list goes on and on.

 

These are just a few examples of mineral oxicities about which we

have some idea.

But for at least half the minerals inthe mega toddies, we know

nothing at all.

 

4. CHELATED

 

The fourth form of supplemental minerals is the chelated variety.

Someclarification of this term is immediately necessary.

 

Chelated is a generalterm that describes a certain chemical

configuration, or

shape of a compound n which some molecule gets hooked up with some

other chemical structures.

 

When a mineral is bound or stuck to certain carrier molecules, which

are knownas chelating agents, or ligands, and a ring-like molecule

is theresult, we say that a chelate is formed.

 

Chelate is from the Greek word forclaw, suggested by the open v-

shape of the two ligands on

each side, withthe mineral ion in the center.

 

Chelation occurs in many situations. Many things can be chelated,

including minerals, vitamins, and enzymes. Minerals in food may be

boundwith organic molecules in a chelated state. Many molecules in

the

body arechelated in normal metabolic processes.

 

The carrier proteins in the

intestinal wall discussed above, whose job it is to transport ionic

minerals - these chelate the ions. Another sense of the word

chelation asexemplified in a mainstream therapy for removing heavy

metals from the bloodis called chelation therapy.

 

The toxic metals are bound to

a therapeuticamino acid ligand called EDTA. With a Pac-Man action,

the metals are thusremoved from the blood.

 

Molecular weight is measured in units called daltons. The ligands or

binding agents may very small (800 daltons) or very large (500,000

daltons)

resulting in a many sizes of chelates. Mineral + ligand == chelate.

 

Generally the largest chelates are the most stable, and also the

most

difficult to absorb. Ionic minerals absorbed through the intestine

are

chelated to the carrier proteins, at least two separate times.

 

Using the word chelated with respect to mineral supplements refers a

very specific type of chelation. The idea is to bind the mineral ion

to ligands that will facilitate absorption of the mineral through

the

intestineinto the bloodstream, bypassing the pathway used for ionic

mineralabsorption. Sometimes minerals prepared in this way are

described as

" pre-chelated " since any ionic mineral will be chelated anyway once

it istaken up by the intestinal membrane.

 

 

After decades of research at Albion Laboratories in Utah, it was

learned that small amino acids, especially glycine, are the best

ligands for chelatingminerals, for three reasons:

 

 

- bypasses the entire process of chelation by the intestine's own

carrier proteins

 

- facilitates absorption by an entirely different pathway of

intestinal absorption, skipping the intermediate steps which ionic

mineralsgo through

 

- the chelate will be the at the most absorbable molecular weight

for intestinal transfer: less than 1500 daltons

 

 

It has also been established beyond controversy that certain pairs

ofamino acids (dipeptides) are the easiest of all chelates to be

absorbed,often easier than individual amino acids.

 

Proteins are made of amino acids.

 

Normal digestion presumably breaks down the proteins to its amino

acidbuilding blocks so they can be absorbed. But total breakdown is

not always necessary. It has long been known that many nutrient

chains of two or three

or even more amino acids may be absorbed just as easily as single

aminoacids.

 

Food-bound copper, vitamin C with hemoglobin molecule, animal

proteinzinc, are some examples of amino acids chelates that are

easily absorbed ntact.

 

To take another example, in abnormal digestion it is well known that

chains of amino acids - dipeptides, tripeptides, even polypeptide

proteins -

sometimes become absorbed intact in a pathology known to

gastroenterologistsas Leaky Gut Syndrome.

 

Obviously it is not healthy and has many adverse consequences, but

the point is that

amino acids chains are frequentlyabsorbed, for many different

reasons. It's not always like it says in the

boldface section headings in Guyton's Physiology.

 

The reason these dipeptide chelates are absorbed faster than ionic

minerals is that the chelated mineral was bonded tightly enough so

that itdid not dissociate in the acidic small intestine and offer

itself for

capture by the intestinal membrane's carrier proteins. That whole

processwas thus avoided.

The chelate is absorbed intact. An easier form.

 

This is avast oversimplification, and the most concise summary, of

why

chelatedminerals may be superior to ionic, provided it's the right

chelate.

 

Only aspecific chelate can resist digestion and maintain its

integrity as

it isabsorbed through the gut. Again, all chelates are not created

equal.

 

Inferior chelates, used because they are cheaper to produce, include

thefollowing:

 

- carbonates

- sulfates

- chlorides

- phosphates

 

If the label gives one of these chelates, it means the mineral is

bound either too strongly or not tightly enough, and will be

released at thewrong time and the wrong place. Chelation of minerals

in nutrientsupplements is a very precise science, yielding chelates

superior to those ccurring naturally in foods.

 

Intact absorption is faster, easier, and requires less metabolic

energy, provided the chelate is about 1500 daltons.

 

To compare chelated and ionic minerals, once the research is

presented, there is really not much of a dispute about which is

absorbed

faster, ionic minerals or dipeptide-like amino acid chelates.

 

Meticulousisotope testing has shown the following increases in

percent

absorption ofchelates, as compared with ionic:

 

Iron 490% greater

Copper 580% greater

Magnesium 410% greater

Calcium 421% greater

Manganese 340% greater

 

- Source: Journal of Applied Nutrition 22:42 1970

 

 

Again, this is just the briefest glance at the prodigious amount of

research comparing ionic with chelated minerals, but the results are

uniform. The winner of the bioavailability contest is: chelated

minerals,

provided the chelate was maintained as small as possible, generally

usingglycine as the amino acid ligands, at a total weight of about

1500 daltons.

 

FOOD-BOUND CHELATED MINERALS

 

Often you will hear this or that company claiming that " organic "

minerals contained in food are the best, cannot be improved upon,

and are superior to all possible types of mineral supplements.

This is almost true.

 

The only exception is glycine-chelated minerals, for two reasons:

 

- the exact amount of minerals in any food is extremely variable and

difficult to measure, even if there is high mineral content of the

soil.

 

Pesticides destroy root organisms in the soil. These bugs play a

major role in selective mineral absorption.

 

(Jensen p 55)

- the ligands that bind the mineral in the food chelate may be too

strong or too weak to dissociateat exactly the right time for

maximum absorption in the human digestive tract.

 

Glycine chelates are uniform and easily measurable.

No question about dosage.

 

Marketing is a wonderful thing - two different companies are now

attributing the longevity of the Hunza tribe in Pakistan to two

entirely different properties of their water:

one, the minerals; the other, molecularconfiguration.

 

A classic error in logic is described as " post hoc, ergopropter

hoc " - after this, therefore because of this.

 

Maybe it was theweather that made the Hunzas live longer, or their

grains, or the absence oftoothpaste or webservers or Marketing is

the art of persuasion by suspending logic.

 

The average lifespan of an American is about 75 years. No one has

everproven that taking mineral supplements will extend life. Many

old

peoplenever took a mineral or a vitamin in their life.

 

It really comes down toquality of life. Incidence of disease during

the lifespan. For how many daysor months of the total lifespan was

the person ill? We are the walking petri

dishes of Alexis Carrel - remember?

 

Carrel was the French biochemist, aNobel prize winner, who did the

famous experiment in which he kept chicken

heart cells alive in a petri dish for 28 years just by changing the

solutes every day.

 

Could've gone longer, but figured he'd proven his point.

Mineral content factors largely in the quality of our solutes: the

blood - the milieu interior, the biological terrain.

 

The U.S. has the highest incidence of degenerative diseases of any

developed country on earth.

 

In addition, the infectious diseases are coming back; antibiotics

are getting less effective every year.

 

Americans'confidence in prescription drugs is weakening. Allow me to

disabuse you of unfounded hopes:

cancer and AIDS will never be cured by the discovery ofsome new

drug.

 

It's not going to happen. There probably will never beanother

Alexander Fleming - turns out penicillin was just a brief detour

anyway. Bacteria have had 50 billion years to figure out ways to

adapt.

 

The only way that anyone recovers from any illness is when the immune

system vercomes the problem.

 

Allergy shots never cured an allergy -

people whot ake allergy shots always have allergies.

 

Our only hope of better health is to do everything possible to build

up our natural immune system.

 

One of these preventative measures is nutritional supplementation.

It may not be dramatic, but daily

deposits to the immune system bank account will pay off down the

road. Healthy people don't get sick.

 

With respect to minerals, then, what are our goals?

 

My opinion is that having once realized the necessity for mineral

supplementation, our objectives should be simple:

 

- Take only the minerals we absolutely need

- Take the smallest amounts possible

- Nothing left over ( no metabolic residue)

 

Some of the above ideas may seem strange and difficult to

understand,on first reading. But it is truly a very simplified

version of what actually takes place.

 

Most of the technical details were omitted for the sake of clarity

and brevity. However, the correctness of the above basic

framework is verifiable.

 

We are living in the age of the Junk Science Hustle.

 

Everybody's an expert, often quoting shaky sources, shaky facts, and

shaky claims which may have no foundation in physical reality.

 

JoAnn Guest

mrsjo-

DietaryTi-

http://www.geocities.com/mrsjoguest/Magnesium.html