The Life-Saving Mineral

The Life-Saving Mineral

In this newsletter I want to share some life-saving information on a mineral that has been called the “lamp of life.”

One doctor calls it “the most important mineral to human beings and all other living organisms.”

This mineral is the second most abundant element inside our trillions of cells. But unfortunately, about 70-80% of us are deficient in it.

But please wait before you rush out and buy a magnesium supplement. With most magnesium supplements, you only assimilate about 4%. And some, like magnesium oxide or magnesium aspartate, are best avoided.

There is so much important information on magnesium that in this newsletter I will start by covering the first two of six categories of major illnesses and symptoms caused by magnesium deficiency.

I will also give you a list of magnesium-rich foods, plus the most effective magnesium supplement to take, and why.

Magnesium orchestrates the exact amount of calcium needed in cells to cause them to contract. Magnesium flushes extra calcium out of the cells to prevent uncontrollable contraction and spasm. Both calcium and magnesium are essential, but they are needed in a 1:1 ratio. In the USA most people have a 10:1 calcium to magnesium average ratio – and even a 15:1 ratio… which may cause any of the following problems.

Musculo-skeletal conditions
Insufficient magnesium and excess calcium cause sustained muscle contraction. The inability of muscles to relax may lead to cramping, fibrositis, fibromyalgia, chronic neck and back pain, jaw tension, and muscle spasm in any muscles in the body. Also exhaustion caused by the loss of energy used for maintaining muscle contraction.

Osteoporosis
One of the major functions of magnesium is to send calcium to the bones and teeth, where it belongs. Without magnesium, calcium may be deposited in the blood vessels and tissues, where it causes hardening and contraction. Magnesium has been successfully used for sore joints, tendon rupture and osteoporosis.

For osteoporosis due to a lack of calcium in the bones, Dr. Dean recommends that it is better to take magnesium rather than sodium fluoride, which is usually prescribed by doctors. The fluoride binds with the magnesium, creating magnesium fluoride, which takes the place of magnesium in the hard tissues of the bones and cartilege. Because magnesium fluoride is brittle, it makes bones susceptible to fracture. A 2005 report states that there is a strong correlation between fluoridated water and ostiosarcoma – a type of bone cancer.

Neuralgia and nerve problems
Low magnesium and relative excess of calcium cause excitation of nerve cells. Cells irritated by calcium fire electrical impulses repeatedly, depleting their energy store and causing cell death. Excess calcium can lead to burning pain, muscle weakness, numbness, sensations of pins and needles, skin sensitivity, tingling, twitching, dizziness, confusion, seizures, convulsions and paralysis.

Inflammation
The cause behind any disease symptom is inflammation. Inflammation is triggered by magnesium deficiency and excess calcium – calcium being inflammatory and magnesium being anti-inflammatory.

Arthritis
Magnesium helps dissolve calcium that builds up in the joints and treats arthritic pain and inflammation.

Artherosclerosis
Magnesium dissolves calcium, keeping it soluble in the bloodstream. Along with vitamin K2, magnesium directs calcium from the blood to the bones.

Blood clots
Calcium buildup in the blood triggers blood clots. Magnesium prevents this calcium buildup.

Incontinence
Calcium buildup in the lining of the bladder and urethra causes irritation that mimics cystitis. Magnesium dissolves calcification in the bladder tissue and eliminates this type of incontinence.

Kidney problems
Lack of magnesium can lead to calcium buildup in the renal arteries. Magnesium combined with vitamin B6 has been successfully used for preventing and treating kidney stones.

Hypertension
Excess calcium and deficient magnesium can cause the smooth muscles lining blood vessels to go in to spasm and cause high blood pressure. If cholesterol combines with calcium, it can cause atherosclerosis in the blood vessels, which worsens blood pressure. High cholesterol levels may also be caused by a deficiency of magnesium.

Tooth decay may be caused by excess calcium in the saliva.

All muscular spasms are related a magnesium difficieny.

Angina pain is caused by severe spasms in the heart muscles. Not only is magnesium a natural muscle relaxant, but the heart ventricles have the highest level of magnesium in the whole body.

40-60% of sudden deaths from heart attack, may occur with no artery blockage, clot formation or heart rhythm abnormalities. It is probable these deaths are caused by spasm in the heart’s arteries, related to a magnesium deficiency.

Vigorous exercise uses up magnesium. It is worth looking at the number of people who suddenly die of heart attack after doing the Heart Stress Test – and receiving a clean bill of health. If already deficient in magnesium, the Stress Test may push people over their magnesium reserve.

Sports. Magnesium is lost in sweat, so anyone doing vigorous exercise needs to ensure proper magnesium intake. In addition, magnesium reduces the build-up of lactic acid, which occurs with exercise. Pain, muscle spasms, muscle tension, inflammation and scarring have all been helped with magnesium.

Chest pain is often due to an electrical imbalance rather than blocked arteries. Electrical imbalances are driven by a mineral deficiency – most commonly magnesium.

Other heart issues,  such as premature ventricular contractions and atrial contractions, tachycardia and palpitations, are often due to a magnesium deficiency. Seven major clinical studies show that intravenous magnesium reduced the risk of death from acute heart attack by 55%.

Asthma and bronchial problems. Asthma is caused by histamine and bronchial spasm of the smooth muscles of the bronchial tract, often relieved with magnesium.

Cystitis is often caused by bladder spasm, which causes urinary frequency. 

Headaches. Spasms in the head and neck can cause tension headaches, which are relieved with magnesium. (Different from migraine headaches)

Teeth grinding is caused by clenching jaw muscles, due to anxiety, anger or stress. Any muscle tension is the result of magnesium deficiency. In addition, stress uses up magnesium.

Raynaud’s Syndrome is caused by spastic blood vessels, which cause pain and numbness of the fingers — which has been relieved with magnesium. 

Most of the above symptoms are corrected by taking magnesium of the right quantity and quality over time. Some improvements are experienced within a few days or weeks, but with chronic problems of many years standing, it may take a person 1-2 years to reach correct magnesium saturation in the body.

“Magnesium is found in green pigments, in the leaves of all plants, in chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is an organic molecule — carbon, hydrogen & nitrogen & in the middle is an atom of magnesium — it is chlorophyll which captures the sunlight and transfers it eventually to cause the reaction of carbon dioxide and water to make all the sugars and other things in the plant — if that didn’t happen none of us would be alive because we all rely, either directly or indirectly, on plants to give us the energy to live.”

Prof Martyn Poliakoff, The University of Nottingham Magnesium – Periodic Table of Videos

* indicates ones that have more magnesium – all need to be organically grown

Sea vegetables like *dulse, *kelp, nori, alaria, wakame, hijike

Bran: *wheat bran, *wheat germ, *brewers yeast

Green leafy vegetables:  spinach, collard greens, chard, curly lettuce 

Seeds, raw unsalted: sunflower, pumpkin, sesame, cacao beans

Nuts, raw unsalted: *almonds, *cashews, *pecans, walnuts

Blackstrap molasses: organic, unheated

Dark chocolate without sugar

Grains: *buckwheat, *millet, amaranth, quinoa, brown rice, rye

Dried fruit: figs, dates, prunes

Avocado