Fwd: [MC_USA] Magnesium, The Thyroid, and Health

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Wayne Fugitt

Mon, 02 Feb 2004 23:45:00 -0600

[MC_USA] Magnesium, The Thyroid, and Health

 

Magnesium, a Very Important Mineral

 

 

Magnesium: Importance and Measurement

 

My interest in nutritional medicine has been active and growing for many years.

Once in a while, I find a new technology, which really makes a difference in my

clinical practice. Several weeks ago, at a nutritional medicine conference, I

evaluated a new way of testing for important minerals inside the cells. The

usual blood tests look at the level of electrolytes in the blood. These levels

are inexpensive and easy to test. The blood serum levels of potassium, sodium,

chloride, and carbon dioxide are very important for helping physicians determine

what types of IV fluids or other medications are needed to maintain proper

electrolyte balance. For example, potassium is very often depleted by diuretics,

which are often used in the treatment of heart failure or hypertension. Serum

sodium may be low with liver disease or overuse of diuretics.

Another mineral, magnesium, can also be measured in the blood serum. However,

almost all of the magnesium in the body is inside the cells Approximately 60

percent is in bone, 26 percent in muscle, and the rest in soft tissue. It is

most important in the most metabolically active and important organs such as the

liver and kidney brain and muscles, including the heart.

 

Only a very small amount of magnesium is dissolved in the blood, and therefore

magnesium blood levels are misleading and clinically almost useless. Potassium

is also found mostly in the cells. It is tied to the main electrolyte found in

the blood, sodium, and therefore the potassium serum level is very important and

clinically useful. The amount of potassium inside the cells is also important,

but is much more difficult to measure. Just as potassium and sodium are

metabolically linked, magnesium and calcium inside the cell have a reciprocal

arrangement. Magnesium belongs inside the cells; almost all the calcium belongs

outside.

 

Magnesium plays a critical role in energy production. It is a vital part of more

than 300 cellular processes; many of the most important of these are found in

the mitochondria, the energy production units in our cells. Magnesium is vital

for the " pumps " that keep sodium and calcium out of the cell, retaining the

magnesium and potassium. When calcium and sodium " leak " into the cells, and

there is not enough magnesium and potassium, these enzymes work less efficiently

and energy production decreases. This manifests most seriously in the heart,

blood vessels, kidneys and liver.

Magnesium deficiency is very common in our society, especially in the elderly.

This may be because of in adequate intake or reduced ability to absorb the

mineral from the intestines. Increased magnesium loss in the urine can result

from alcohol, diuretics, liver or kidney disease or too much calcium in the diet

(Magnesium should always be taken along with calcium supplements.).

 

Low intracellular (in the cells) magnesium is associated with heart disease,

hypertension, kidney stones, menstrual cramps and PMS, chronic diarrhea, muscle

cramps, migraine headaches, diabetes, chronic fatigue and fibromyalgia, and

asthma.

Symptoms of low magnesium include fatigue, irritability, weakness, irregular

heartbeat, nerve conduction problems, insomnia, stress, and decreased appetite.

The daily requirement for magnesium is 350 milligrams daily. High levels of

magnesium are found in nuts, wheat bran and wheat germ, and soybeans, molasses,

and to a lesser extent in been as, sweet potato, beans and other green

vegetables. Milk has only low levels of magnesium. Most Americans do not get

adequate magnesium as part of their daily diet. It is therefore important take

supplemental magnesium if you are in a higher risk group, or have low

intracellular magnesium levels. Women who are taking extra calcium for

prevention or treatment of osteoporosis also must take magnesium in a ratio of

two parts calcium to one part magnesium.

Magnesium is available in many different varieties. The best absorbed and most

easily used by the body are magnesium (often mixed with potassium) malate,

aspartate, succinate, and citrate. These compounds, called intermediaries, are

part of the critical cellular energy producing reactions, known as the Krebs

cycle. There is evidence that minerals that are " chelated " to these compounds

are more easily absorbed into the body from the intestines and are brought

directly into the cells than the inorganic forms of magnesium, such as magnesium

oxide. There is most likely less diarrhea and other side effects with these

forms as well. The Krebs intermediaries, especially in the form of

potassium-magnesium aspartate, can decrease fatigue themselves in many cases.

Most people can easily replenish their magnesium stores with these oral

supplements. Many others, however, cannot correct chronically low magnesium

levels. They may need IV infusions of minerals and vitamins to regain proper

balance. IV magnesium is used in the acute treatment of heart attacks and

irregular heart rhythms, asthma, migraine headaches, and toxemia of pregnancy.

In the past we have measured the magnesium content inside red blood cells

(RBC's). These are easy to sample by just taking a tube a blood. RBC's are not

typical cells and therefore may not reflect the level of magnesium in active

normal cells. They are produced in the bone marrow and then live approximately

120 days, eventually to be eliminated in the liver and spleen. A better cell

type that is easily obtained can be found in the floor of the mouth. A small

painless scraping of the cells is placed on a slide. The cells are preserved in

the same way as a Pap smear.

The cells are then placed under electron microscope, which spectrographically

determines the exact amount of magnesium, calcium, potassium, sodium, and

chloride in the cells. The tissue scraping is easily done in any physician's

office. These levels are accurate and correlate very well in both human and

animal studies to clinical situations in which the intracellular magnesium level

is important. This test called the Exatest is performed by Intracellular

Diagnostics. (WWW.exatest.com)

 

I have been using this test with great success in my patients who I suspect have

low intracellular magnesium levels. These include those with migraine headaches,

asthma, GI problems, heart failure, those taking diuretics, chronic fatigue and

muscle aches, as well as those who may have malnutrition and other vitamin

deficiencies. This has allowed me to prescribe more accurate treatment and has

resulted in better clinical results.

 

Remember that serum magnesium levels are not reflective of true magnesium status

and therefore a normal serum magnesium level has little clinical relevance. In

general, those with low serum potassium levels almost always need extra

magnesium has well. If you take potassium along with a diuretic, unless you have

serious kidney problems, you probably need extra magnesium. If you take calcium

supplements for prevention or treatment of osteoporosis, take magnesium, along

with zinc and other trace minerals also. These minerals, as well as calcium, are

important for bone health and maintenance. They are inexpensive and taking them

really pays off.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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