IT'S MAGNESIUM.
A simple, cheap mineral you can get at Walmart, or Amazon, or any local grocery store. (Yes, there are great food sources too, like bone broth. But I personally need more than I'm getting from my food, so I take a supplement.)There are different kinds of magnesium and some work better than others for different health issues, so I'll get into that in a minute. So if you're on a mag supplement and it's not doing much for you, do more research. Or, maybe you're not deficient. But I think most people are ;) You can read why HERE.
So, it's been four or five months since I started taking magnesium citrate, and now chelated mag. And I am living my life relatively anxiety free for the first time in years! (I am a special needs mom, after-all, so life still throws curve balls my way regularly.) And I saw a difference in about 3 days! Seriously! I actually got angry at all the past doctors who never even brought this up to me. I have experienced some health issues for over 10 years now, that all greatly improved the week I started taking a magnesium supplement! I didn't realize some of these issues were even related at all. I have experienced regular headaches, even migraines, irritable bowel syndrome, insomnia, eye twitching, menstrual cramps, kidney stones, weird random muscle and joint aches, and the biggest issue - ANXIETY.
Four years ago, I was having weekly panic attacks and experiencing so much anxiety that there were days I couldn't leave the house. I would sometimes even drive out of my driveway and turn around and go back home. I saw a psychiatrist and a psychologist and even took Lexapro for a while. I discovered things that did help, like essential oils, exercise, & diet changes. And I was doing better. But I still had some anxiety, and all the gut issues related to it. I felt nauseated and had a stomach ache so much of the time.
Then one day I was surfing the net and came across a few articles on the signs and symptoms of a magnesium deficiency. BINGO. I had sooooo many of these symptoms. I had brought them up to doctors in the past, but no one ever mention magnesium. And apparently I'm not alone. Because even if doctors do blood tests, it won't show a deficiency. Because only 1% of mag is found in the bloodstream. Read more about that HERE.
On a side note, I immediately told some family members about this as I was researching. My brother started on a supplement as well. His daily migraines stopped! He stopped taking the mag, thinking it was a fluke, and they returned ;)
My regimen:
Take at least 500-700mg per day of magnesium citrate, or chelated magnesium!As mentioned above, there are many kinds of magnesium. I wanted to focus on anxiety, because I know so much of my gut issues are related to stress and anxiety. I have read in several places that mom's of special needs kiddos often experience PSTD, and I have to agree. We are always on alert. Our bodies are always in fight or flight mode.
So I started taking 500-750mg of MAGNESIUM CITRATE per day.
Now, remember, magnesium can cause diarrhea, so don't take it all at once. Take it throughout the day. You may need to build up to a higher dose. I read that some people need as much as 1400mg/day. If you don't see a difference with 500mg, take more. If you get diarrhea, you know your taking too much at once, or you don't need that much on a daily basis. Back off and build up.
As I did more research, I came a cross some info that said chelated magnesium was easier to digest. So after I finished the bottle of magnesium citrate, I switched to chelated magnesium, specifically Dr's Best (it had the highest ratings on Amazon).And honestly, I didn't see a difference. They both work for me.
Besides taking a supplement, another way to improve your magnesium level is to take regular Epsom salt baths or foot baths. Epsom salt is a magnesium sulfate that can absorb into your body through your skin. Magnesium oil (from magnesium chloride) can also be used for topical application and absorption. I bought Life-flo brand. I wanted to flood my body with mag in the beginning. But this far out, the capsule works fine without needing the spray.If you don't like pills, I've read great things about Natural Vitality Calm. It comes as a liquid or a powder, and in a variety of flavors. It's what I would recommend for kids!
Sooooo, if you're experiencing any of the symptoms below, try magnesium!!! It may become your new best friend. It's cheap. It's worth a shot.
Signs and symptoms of low magnesium:
Dr. Carolyn Dean, author of The Magnesium Miracle, (I highly recommend this book - I checked it out at my local library) lists these 100 signs/reasons that you are magnesium deficient:
She suggests to put a big check mark by your magnesium deficiency factors. Start taking magnesium. In a few weeks print out a fresh sheet and mark it up. Compare both. If you still have many symptoms remaining, increase your magnesium. {I had roughly 25 checkmarks on this list.} FYI, the list may look weird because it's from her book - like #1 is drinking alcohol. Low mag doesn't cause you to drink - ha; but if you drink that much, you will be lower in magnesium. So look at the list twofold - if you have these things going on in your life, it causes lower mag levels, and if you are experiencing other things on the list, they are signs that you may be deficient. Make sense? You can read more on her website HERE.
| 1. Alcohol >7 drinks/wk | 22. Food cravings | 42. Muscle problems |
| 2. Anger | a. Carbohydrates | a. Cramps |
| 3. Angina | b. Chocolate | b. Spasms |
| 4. Anxiety | c. Salt | c. Twitching |
| 5. Apathy | d. Junk food | d. Tics |
| 6. Arrhythmia | 23. Gagging or choking | e. Weakness |
| 7. Asthma | 24. Headaches | 43. Numbness hands/feet |
| 8. Blood tests | 25. Heart disease | 44. Osteoporosis |
| a. Low calcium | 26. Heart – rapid rate | 45. Paranoia |
| b. Low potassium | 27. High blood pressure | 46. Parathyroid (hyper) |
| c. Low magnesium | 28. Homocysteinuria | 47. PMS |
| 9. Bowel problems | 29. Hyperactivity | 48. Polycystic ovaries |
| a. Undigested fat in stool | 30. Hyperventilation | 49. Pregnancy |
| b. Constipation | 31. Infertility | a. Currently pregnant |
| c. Diarrhea | 32. Insomnia | b. Preeclampsia/eclampsia |
| d. Constipation/diarrhea | 33. Irritability | c. Multiple pregnancies |
| e. IBS | 34. Kidney stones | d. Postpartum depression |
| f. Crohn’s | 35. Medications | e. Child with cerebral palsy |
| g. Colitis | a. Digitalis | 50. Radiation therapy |
| 10. Brain trauma | b. Diuretics | 51. Raynaud’s syndrome |
| 11. Bronchitis, chronic | c. Antibiotics | 52. Restlessness |
| 12. Caffeine >3 per day | d. Steroids | 53. Sex drive low |
| 13. Chronic fatigue | e. Oral contraceptives | 54. Shortness of breath |
| 14. Cold extremities | f. Indomethacin | 55. Smoking |
| 15. Concentration poor | g. Cisplatin | 56. Startled easily |
| 16. Confusion | h. Amphotericin B | 57. Stressful life |
| 17. Convulsions | i. Cholestyramine | 58. Stroke |
| 18. Depression | j. Synthetic estrogens | 59. Sugar intake high |
| 19. Diabetes | 36. Memory impairment | 60. Syndrome X |
| a. Type I | 37. Mercury fillings | 61. Thyroid hyperactivity |
| b. Type II | 38. Menses pain/cramps | 62. Tingling hands/feet |
| c. Gestational diabetes | 39. Migraines | 63. Transplants: kidney/liver |
| 20. Fibromyalgia | 40 Mineral supplements | 64. Tremor of hands |
| 21. Food intake | a. Calcium w/o mag | 65. Water contamination |
| a. Limited greens | b. Zinc w/o mag | Flouride, chlorine, calcium |
| b. High protein | c. Iron w/p mag | 66. Wheezing |
| c. Limited nuts/seeds | 41. Mitral valve prolapse |
Different kinds of magnesium:
It’s believed that magnesium in citrate, chelate and chloride forms are absorbed better than magnesium supplements in oxide and magnesium sulfate form. Here’s a bit about the different types of magnesium supplements that you’ll likely come across. If you want to know which will help you, I suggest Googling 'magnesium for anxiety', or 'magnesium for restless legs', etc.
Magnesium Oxide
Magnesium Oxide (MgO) is simply bonded to oxygen, which is obviously also something your body needs so there is nothing unnecessary in the product. The oxygen is useable by your body but will not strongly affect the way you feel taking the Mg. This is the least absorbed form, but also has one of the highest percentages of elemental magnesium per dose so it still may be the highest absorbed dose per mg. This is a great general purpose magnesium if really Mg is all you need. It makes a simple muscle relaxer, nerve tonic and laxative if you take a high dose.
Magnesium Citrate
This is one of the most common forms of Mg on the commercial market. This is Mg bonded to citric acid, which increases the rate of absorption. Citrate is a larger molecule than the simple oxygen of oxide, so there is less magnesium by weight than in the oxide form. This is the most commonly used form in laxative preparations.
Magnesium Glycinate and Magnesium Amino Acid Chelate
In this form, Mg is bonded to the amino acid glycine. Glycine is a large molecule so there is less magnesium by weight, but the glycine itself is a relaxing neurotransmitter and so enhances magnesium’s natural relaxation properties. This could be the best form if you’re using it for mental calm and relaxation. Magnesium amino acid chelate is usually bonded to a variety of amino acids, which are all larger molecules. In this form there is less magnesium by weight but the individual amino acids could all be beneficial for different things. Every formula is different so if you need both Mg and a particular amino acid, then this could be the way to go.
Magnesium Taurate
This is a less common form, and is typically taken for cardiac conditions and heart function in general. Magnesium helps the heart muscle relax, as well as the blood vessels that feed the heart to open and deliver more blood to the heart tissue itself. Taurine is an amino acid that is known to feed cardiac muscle and enhance the quality of contractions of the heart so if you’re taking Mg for heart function this is probably the best form for you. Again, taurine is a larger molecule so there is a lower Mg by weight.
Magnesium Sulphate and Magnesium Chloride
These forms are both typically used topically, although there are some oral preparations as well. Mg sulphate is best known as Epsom salts. If you’ve taken this internally you know it tastes horrible and has a very strong laxative effect, but when used in a bath or soak it is extremely relaxing to the muscles and can ease aches and pains. Epsom salts baths can also help to lower high blood pressure and reduce stress levels. Magnesium chloride is more common in the lotion, gel and oil preparations that can be used topically for muscle cramps and relaxation.
Generally magnesium is one of those universally necessary elements that needs to be in your body for proper function, no matter what. Great dietary sources include coffee, tea, chocolate, spices, nuts and, of course, green vegetables with chlorophyll. Good body stores of magnesium will improve your health, mood and general functioning so finding the best kind of magnesium for you is tremendously important.
Magnesium L-threonate A newer player on the magnesium front is magnesium threonate, or magnesium L-threonate. This form effectively crosses the blood brain barrier and so has recently been studied for uses such as patients with Alzheimer’s disease and other forms of cognitive decline. A recent research study published in the medical journal Neuron showed that magnesiumthreonate creates improvement in learning abilities, working memory and both short and long term memory. Additionally it has the same benefits as any other magnesium including enhancing sleep quality.
