Magnificent Magnesium

by Dennis Goodman

  Transdermal Magnesium Supplements

  While pills and other oral supplements offer convenience and precise doses, there are other advantages to forms of magnesium that can be absorbed transdermally, or through the skin. These methods can be useful for people who prefer not to take pills, or for people who are interested in reaping the additional benefits that transdermal applications have to offer.

  Magnesium Oil

  Magnesium oil is not actually an oil at all, but rather a highly concentrated suspension of magnesium chloride in water. It is meant for topical applications only, and should not be taken internally. Instead, magnesium oil can be rubbed directly onto your skin, where it is absorbed and immediately transmitted into your bloodstream, which will transport this magnesium compound to your tissues and cells. For best results, apply the oil to your chest, abdomen, arms, or legs, and allow it to dry fully, maximizing absorption. Then wash off any residue that remains. Magnesium oil is useful not only for increasing your general magnesium intake, but also for remedying superficial cuts and scarring.

  You can also use magnesium oil to create a restorative footbath, adding one or two ounces to enough hot water to cover both of your feet in a tub or soaking pan. Simply soak your feet until the water cools, which usually takes about twenty minutes. There is no need to air-dry your feet, as with the magnesium oil above; you will have gotten all the magnesium you need during the soak itself. Ideally, you should do magnesium oil rubs or footbaths once a day, or at least three times a week.

  Epsom Salt Baths

  Epsom salt baths are another excellent way to obtain more magnesium, while also soothing muscle aches and pains. Epsom salt is made up of a form of magnesium called magnesium sulfate, and is readily available at just about every local drugstore in the nation. To prepare an Epsom salt bath, simply add one to two cups of Epsom salt to a bathtub filled with warm water, along with one cup of baking soda (not baking powder). Then enter the bathtub and soak your body for thirty to forty minutes. For best results, try taking at least one Epsom salt bath each week.

  It is difficult to quantify the exact amounts of magnesium you will receive from these transdermal applications, but the results will speak for themselves. By adding magnesium oil and Epsom salt baths to your supplementation regimen, you will not only help to optimize your magnesium intake, but you will also obtain a variety of other benefits for your skin, muscles, and overall stress levels.

  Cautions and Contraindications

  Although magnesium supplements are generally very safe to use, there are a few side effects and precautions to consider when taking magnesium. People with kidney disease should not take magnesium except under a doctor’s supervision, because their kidneys may not be able to excrete excess magnesium. Children and the elderly should also avoid using magnesium supplements without doctor supervision.

  As mentioned earlier, the most common problems associated with magnesium supplementation are stomach upset and loose bowels, both of which will usually subside quickly after either reducing the magnesium dosage or switching to a better tolerated form of magnesium, such as a timed-release formula.

  Other side effects are rare, but can be serious. They include nausea, vomiting, unhealthily low blood pressure levels, confusion, slowed heart rate, respiratory problems, and deficiencies of other minerals. These problems usually develop as a result of extremely high magnesium consumption. If they occur, stop supplementing with magnesium and seek immediate medical help.

  Magnesium can also interfere with certain pharmaceutical drugs, and therefore should never be used in supplement form without your doctor’s permission and oversight. The specific drugs or classes of drugs for which magnesium may be contraindicated include:

  •Antibiotics: Magnesium may reduce the absorption of certain classes of antibiotics, including aminoglycosides (Amikin, Garamycin), fluoroquinolones (Cipro, Levaquin), tetracyclines (Tetracycline, Doxycycline), and nitrofurantoins (Macrodantin, Macrobid). Magnesium should therefore be taken one hour before or two hours after taking these medications.

  •Beta blockers: Magnesium can slow heart beat abnormally and reduce overall cardiac output when taken with this class of drugs, which includes labetalol (Trandate) and atenolol (Tenormin). Magnesium can also interfere with the absorption of beta blockers.

  •Biphosphonates: Magnesium can interfere with the absorption of osteoporosis drugs, including alendronate (Fosamax) and risedronate (Actonel). For this reason, magnesium supplements should be taken one hour before or two hours after taking these medications.

  •Calcium Channel Blockers: Magnesium may increase the risk of dizziness, nausea, and fluid retention when used with this class of antihypertensive drugs, which includes nifedipine (Procardia) and amlodipine (Norvasc).

  •Corticosteroids: Magnesium may increase muscle relaxation and blood clotting when used with this class of drugs, which includes prednisone (Deltasone) and dexamethasone (Decadron). In addition, corticosteroids can deplete magnesium levels.

  •Diabetes Medications: Magnesium may interfere with the ability of these drugs to control blood sugar levels. Medications include glipizide (Glucotrol) and glyburide (Micronase/ Glynase).

  •Digoxin (Lanoxin): Low blood levels of magnesium can increase digoxin’s side effects, including heart palpitations and nausea. In addition, digoxin can cause more magnesium to be lost in the urine. People taking digoxin may need to take a magnesium supplement, and should have their magnesium levels monitored by their doctor.

  Magnesium Supplementation and Safety Issues

  When used as directed, mineral supplements pose virtually no safety risks. To reach levels of toxicity (overdose), you would need to ignore our directions and consume massive amounts of minerals for prolonged periods of time. This explains why there are no confirmed records of serious adverse side effects resulting from people taking reasonable doses of magnesium.

  While it is thus highly unlikely that you will ever take too much magnesium, there are some issues to take into consideration before beginning a supplementation program. As discussed in Chapter 2, several factors can affect the bioavailability of magnesium—for example, pharmaceutical drugs can limit the absorption of magnesium, while regular exercise can increase it. In addition, magnesium can potentially interact and interfere with the proper functioning of certain drugs (see page 146). People with kidney disease should also avoid magnesium, as their bodies are no longer capable of excreting excess amounts of this mineral.

  If you have any doubts about taking magnesium, you should consult your physician, who will take your personal medical history into account and help you determine how much magnesium is right for you.

  •Diuretics: Like diogoxin, diuretics like furosemide (Lasix) and bumetanide (Bumex) can also deplete magnesium levels, thus requiring magnesium monitoring and the likely use of magnesium supplements.

  •Levothyroxine (Synthroid, Levothroid): Magnesium may decrease the effectiveness of this drug, which is primarily used to treat hypothyroidism.

  •Penicillamine: Magnesium can decrease the absorption of this drug, which is used to treat rheumatoid arthritis and Wilson’s disease, particularly when high doses are used over a long period of time. In turn, penicillamine can also decrease the absorption of magnesium.

  If you are currently using any of these drugs, consult your doctor to determine whether it is still advisable to take magnesium. Most of the time, it is perfectly safe to do so; many drug interactions can be avoided simply by staggering the times you take magnesium and your pharmaceuticals. That said, you should always use caution when beginning any supplementation program. Even if you have no contraindications for magnesium, proceed slowly in the beginning. Start by taking a single dose of magnesium and wait twenty-four hours to make sure you have no adverse reactions. Contact your doctor immediately if any severe reactions do occur.

  It’s important to note that not only are the above drugs contraindicated for use with magnesium, but many of them also serve to rob you
r body’s existing magnesium stores. In addition, some of these drugs are prescribed to perform tasks that could potentially be done by magnesium itself. For these reasons, you may want to avoid using pharmaceutical drugs if at all possible. Talk to your healthcare provider about the option of using magnesium as an alternative to these drugs; a good doctor will be receptive to the idea. If it is not advisable to use magnesium as an alternative, you may need to boost your intake to account for the deficiency that these pharmaceutical drugs can cause.

  MONITORING YOUR PROGRESS

  As your supplementation program continues, be sure to monitor your progress. Consult regularly with your physician, and take follow-up RBC-Mg tests every year to keep an eye on your current magnesium status. Doing so will provide you with a clearer understanding of the progress you are making, and will indicate whether you need to adjust your magnesium dosage levels. You may need to periodically reassess your magnesium needs, which will change as the number of stressors in your life increase or decrease.

  Keep in mind that magnesium, like all other nutrients, works from the inside out, meaning that its benefits begin at the cellular level and start to become more outwardly apparent once the health of the cells improve. This means that you may not notice any benefits initially. Be patient. Depending on your current health condition, it may be a few months or more before you notice all of the improvements that magnesium provides to your heart and overall cardiovascular system, as well as to your muscles, immune system, nervous system, and other areas of your body.

  CONCLUSION

  Now that you have read this chapter, you know what you must do to ensure that your body gets all of the magnesium it needs. Start by determining your body’s current magnesium status—order an RBC-Mg test and discuss the results with your doctor. Then, objectively evaluate your magnesium burn rate, considering the number of stressors to which you are regularly exposed and appraising their intensity levels.

  From there, increase your intake of magnesium-rich foods, including them in every meal; your diet is the foundation upon which your health rests. Then, if necessary—and for the vast majority of people, it will be—add magnesium supplements according to the guidelines and precautions provided here. As you do so, listen to your body, note how you feel, and periodically retest your magnesium status as you go you along.

  If you follow these simple steps, magnesium can make a tremendous impact on your health. By being proactive about your magnesium status, you put your health into your own hands. The key is to be consistent about supplementing—and to be patient as you allow magnificent magnesium to go to work for you.

  Conclusion

  Over the years, Americans have spent trillions of dollars in order to treat cardiovascular disease with expensive, ineffective, and often dangerous drugs. Yet heart disease continues to be the number one killer in the United States. Why is this? Is it possible that we have failed to locate the true source of the problem? With new research pouring in every day, the evidence has become increasingly clear. As the starved heart model indicates, one potential cause of heart disease is a deep-seated condition whose ill effects extend to every cell in your body—magnesium deficiency. Magnesium deficiency is a major cause of inflammation, which then sets the wheels in motion for the development of atherosclerosis and all its complications—especially heart attacks and strokes.

  If you’ve read this far, you know that there is an easy way to combat this insidious problem—get more magnesium in your life! Research overwhelmingly indicates that you can prevent or protect against most forms of heart disease with the effortless addition of a little magnesium to your daily routine. By increasing your intake of magnesium, you can vastly improve your risk of heart disease, and even help reduce any conditions you might already have.

  The solution is so simple, yet its significance for your health is immense and far-ranging. This humble nutrient can make a huge difference not only for your heart, but for every other major organ system in your body, allowing you to reverse or ward off many other serious conditions, including type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, fibromyalgia, and insomnia.

  This book had two main goals. One, to provide you with the information you need to better understand your cardiovascular system and the various types of heart disease. Two, to share with you the most relevant studies that show how magnesium is linked to your heart’s health.

  But a book is only as good as the lessons you learn from it—and put into action. Having read this book, you’ve taken the first step toward improving your health. Now it’s time to take the next steps! Let’s review what you must do to increase your magnesium levels and decrease your risk of heart disease and other conditions.

  Begin by reducing or eliminating the factors in your life that contribute to magnesium deficiency. As you’ll recall from Chapter 2, a primary cause of magnesium deficiency is stress. Your job, your romantic situation, your diet, your exposure to different chemicals or heavy metals—all these can act as stressors, depleting your body’s natural supplies of magnesium. Identify the stressors in your life, and attempt to resolve or reduce them.

  Next, learn to monitor your body’s magnesium levels. You can do this by ordering a magnesium red blood cell (RBC-Mg) test. The test results will let you know if you, like most Americans, are magnesium deficient. Then, following the guidelines offered in Chapter 6, assess your magnesium burn rate (MBR), and use it to determine the amount of magnesium your body needs to function optimally. Whether by eating more magnesium-rich foods or by taking oral or topical magnesium supplements, you can quickly and easily reverse any level of magnesium deficiency you might have.

  Finally, continue to monitor your magnesium levels, adjusting your intake according to the amount and intensity of stress you encounter. Because your stress levels are constantly fluctuating, your magnesium needs will also vary; depending on the kind of day you’re having, you may want to take more or less magnesium. As you increase your magnesium intake, it won’t be long before you notice improvements in your energy levels and your overall health, particularly where your heart is concerned. The more diligently you commit yourself to following the guidelines set forth in this book, the better the results will be.

  Will a single pill cure all your health problems? Absolutely not. You must take responsibility to eat appropriately and exercise regularly. But by working with a health professional and assuming responsibility for your own well-being, you can add many happy, active years to your life.

  I dream of a time when heart disease is largely a thing of the past. It is precisely this vision that has guided me as I wrote this book. I firmly believe that this dream can one day become a reality. By raising a groundswell of public awareness as to the importance of magnesium for heart health—by making it common knowledge, one person at a time—I hope to end our nation’s greatest epidemic for good.

  Perhaps one day, popping a magnesium supplement in the morning will be as common as taking a baby aspirin to protect yourself from a heart attack. Change begins with you, the reader. Armed with the knowledge you have gained from this book, you have all the tools you need to take the next step and build long, healthy lives for yourself and your loved ones.

  If you need advice or encouragement, feel free to contact me through my website, www.dennisgoodmanmd.com. I can help—but only you can make the decision to improve your well-being with magnesium. The choice is yours.

  ______

  Resources

  The Author’s Website: Dennis Goodman, MD, FACP, FACC, FCCP

  www.dennisgoodmanmd.com

  Shares important information on integrative medicine and heart health.

  Additional Information on Magnesium

  Jigsaw Health

  15863 North Greenway-Hayden Loop, Suite 120

  Scottsdale, AZ 85260

  (480) 951–0840

  (866) 601–5800

  www.JigsawHealth.com

  Provides extensive information on the benefits of taking magnesium; also contain
s resource guide to under standing many common ailments. Manufactures high-quality magnesium supplements with proprietary sustained release technology (SRT).

  Magnesium Advocacy Group

  www.gotmag.org

  Run by former hospital executive Morley Robbins and supported by a scientific advisory board of ten acclaimed health professionals, the Magnesium Advocacy Group seeks to raise awareness and educate the public on magnesium deficiency.

  The Magnesium Online Library

  www.mgwater.com

  Contains a comprehensive collection of articles and studies about magnesium, as well as a complete book by pioneering magnesium researcher Mildred S. Seelig, MD. Also has links to over 300 other articles about magnesium and magnesium deficiency.

  The Nutritional Magnesium Association

  www.nutritionalmagnesium.org

  Provides up-to-date information on using nutritional magnesium for overall wellness as treatment for a number of serious health conditions, including autism, asthma, cancer, diabetes, and heart disease.

  Organizations That Promote Integrative Medicine

  While the physicians who belong to the following organizations place an emphasis on nutritional medicine, individual members may not be aware of the wide range of health benefits that magnesium offers. Therefore, when choosing a physician to work with, be sure to inquire about their expertise in this area.

  American College for Advancement in Medicine (ACAM)

  2350 Highway 138 NW

  Monroe, GA 30655

  (949) 309–3520

  www.acamnet.org

  The American College for Advance ment in Medicine (ACAM) provides continuing education for doctors in complementary, integrative and alternative medicine. Their website provides many resources for patients, including a directory of ACAM members.