Top 7 Benefits of Magnesium

Today’s blog is republished from my friends at TheAlternativeDaily, a leading publisher of daily alternative health tips that I personally read every day…The original article can be found here:

Magnesium is intimately involved in over 600 reactions in the body including the metabolism of food, the transmission of nerve impulses, the synthesis of fatty acids and proteins, muscle movements, gene maintenance and protein formation.

It is one of seven essential macrominerals that must be consumed daily in large amounts — 100 milligrams or more. We store about 25 grams of magnesium in our body with more than 50 percent of this being stored in the skeletal system. The rest goes in the muscles, soft tissues and bodily fluids.

Unfortunately, studies note that about 50 percent of the people in the United States and Europe get far less than the recommended amount of magnesium. It is important to know that magnesium levels in soil are lower than they used to be. Plus, the use of chemicals such as fluoride and chlorine in water make magnesium less available. In addition, daily use of sugar and caffeine also deplete magnesium supplies within the body. In addition, if you live a high-stress life, it is likely that you are magnesium deficient.

A magnesium deficiency can lead to a range of chronic health issues. Just to name a few: calcium deficiency, poor heart health, weakness, anxiety and high blood pressure. You can also add type 2 diabetes, respiratory issues, fatigue, poor memory and confusion to the list.

Health benefits of magnesium

Here is just a sneak peek at some of the amazing benefits of this tiny macromineral and why it is so important to be sure you are getting enough of it.

Blood Sugar Balance

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Magnesium helps manage insulin levels in the body and can prevent blood sugar spikes and crashes from occurring. It also plays a large role in blood pressure control, preventing high blood pressure from occurring, especially when combined with enough potassium in the diet. This does two things: controls stress that can elevate insulin levels and improves overall blood pressure that, when out of control, increases insulin resistance and can cause type 2 diabetes to occur more easily.

Depression

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Magnesium is essential for proper brain function and mood regulation. Research indicates that without enough magnesium, you are more prone to depression. According to the Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance, major depressive disorder impacts 14.8 million American adults.


In one study of over 8,00 people, researchers found that those 65 years old and under with the lowest intake of magnesium had a 22 percent increased risk of developing depression.

In a randomized controlled trial including older adults suffering from depression, a 450-milligram magnesium supplement improved mood just as effectively as an antidepressant drug.

Anxiety

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No one likes being anxious. If you find you are frequently in this state, you may want to try increasing your magnesium. Low magnesium levels have been attributed to an increase in anxiety. According to research, a diet low in magnesium changes the types of bacteria present in the gut and alters anxiety-based behavior.

Heart Health

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Studies indicate that even having a slightly reduced level of magnesium can cause severe changes in how the heart, blood vessels, blood cells and other tissues function. Magnesium is critical for proper electrical and mechanical functioning within tissues such as nerves and muscles (such as the heart), and blood vessels.

Migraines

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Research has shown that low brain magnesium is evident during a migraine attack. One study found that a regular intake of magnesium reduced the frequency of migraine attacks by just over 41 percent. Another study found that taking a magnesium supplement daily can help prevent menstrual-related migraines.

PMS

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According to Dr. Carolyn Dean, a magnesium expert and Medical Advisory Board member of the Nutritional Magnesium Association, magnesium could be the answer to a host of premenstrual symptoms. These include such things as mood swings, fluid retention, depression, breast tenderness, headaches, poor sleep and sugar cravings.

Brain Power

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Research has shown that mice given extra magnesium had better working memory, long-term memory and a greater ability to learn. According to head researcher Dr. Liu, “Magnesium is essential for the proper functioning of many tissues in the body, including the brain and, in an earlier study, we demonstrated that magnesium promoted synaptic plasticity in cultured brain cells.”

Signs of magnesium deficiency

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Here are just a few signs that you may be magnesium deficient:

  • Anxiety
  • Depression
  • Muscle cramps
  • High blood pressure
  • Hormone problems
  • Sleep issues
  • Low energy
  • Low vitamin D
  • Low vitamin K

Good sources of magnesium

Magnesium-rich foods are found abundantly in nature. Try these delicious options:

Spinach

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Spinach is rich in many key nutrients for your health, including magnesium, protein, vitamin E and B vitamins. Raw spinach only has about 78 milligrams of magnesium per cup, but one cup of cooked spinach contains over 760 milligrams! That’s twice the amount from kale and collards, with only Swiss chard beating spinach as the top source from leafy greens.

Seeds

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Pumpkin, sunflower, sesame, chia, hemp and flax seeds are all great sources of magnesium. Seeds are also rich in anti-inflammatory fats and high in protein. Try sprinkling a couple tablespoons of seeds onto salads, add them to a green smoothie, or toss a few in with some berries and organic Greek yogurt for a high protein, magnesium-rich breakfast or snack.

Cocoa and cacao

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Raw nibs and cacao powder are incredibly high sources of magnesium, along with dark chocolate and even cocoa powder. While you shouldn’t rely on chocolate alone for your magnesium intake, having a small square of dark or raw chocolate (or a couple tablespoons of cocoa) is certainly an enjoyable way to add more magnesium to your day!

Almonds

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Almonds are high in protein, vitamin E and the highest source of magnesium among all nuts, with cashews being a close second. Almonds contain roughly 76 milligrams per ounce (about 23 nuts), or 15 percent of your daily needs. For the best anti-inflammatory option, choose raw almonds (unroasted) or raw almond butter.

Bananas

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Bananas are often avoided for their high sugar content, but this fruit is actually the best source of magnesium among all common fruits. Bananas are also a great source of vitamin C, potassium, fiber, vitamin B6 and manganese. A medium-sized banana contains 32 milligrams of magnesium.

Coffee

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Your morning cup of java just got a bit more exciting — coffee is the highest source of liquid magnesium you can consume! It’s also higher than any food source — just in case you were wondering. Espresso has a higher magnesium content, but all coffee comes in around 1000 milligrams or more in just one eight-ounce cup. Do keep in mind that calcium from milk and refined sugar can interfere with magnesium absorption, so drink your coffee black. Also use a raw, whole-food sweetener like honey instead of sugar.

Check out this next story below if you want an innovative new way to lose weight:

> Do THIS 1 hour before bed to pee out stubborn fat in the morning


About The Watchdog

Mike Geary has been a Certified Nutrition Specialist and Certified Personal Trainer for over 15 years now. He has been studying nutrition and exercise for almost 25 years, ever since being a young teenager. Mike is originally from Pennsylvania, but has fallen in love with mountain life and now resides in the picturesque mountains of Utah. Mike is an avid adventurist and when he’s not spending his time skiing, mountain biking, hiking, or paddleboarding on the lake, he has enjoyed skydiving, whitewater rafting, piloting an Italian fighter plane (seriously), scuba diving, heli-skiing, and traveling all around the world, enjoying learning about different cultures. At the age of 40, Mike now feels healthier, stronger, and more energetic than when he was 20... All because of a healthy lifestyle and great nutrition!

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283 comments

  1. How does the Mg (magnesium) increase when you boil it? X Mg is X Mg in the plant unless you add more Mg to the system?
    “Spinach is rich in many key nutrients for your health, including magnesium, protein, vitamin E and B vitamins. Raw spinach only has about 78 milligrams of magnesium per cup, but one cup of cooked spinach contains over 760 milligrams! That’s twice the amount from kale and collards, with only Swiss chard beating spinach as the top source from leafy greens.”

    • Raw (uncooked) cellulose, is the fiber material of most all plants in general, and humans do not digest this material very well if at all, in its raw state. When cooked, this cellulose plant material is partially broken down to allows for humans to digest more of it, and therefore having greater access to the nutrients contained within. With greater access comes greater extraction and utilization of these nutrients.

    • Its not that the Mg increases when you boil it. Its that it takes sooo much more fresh spinach to make one cup of cooked. When you cook it ( its mostly water) it cooks down to nothing. It takes a whole skillet of fresh spinach (many cups) to get one cup of cooked.

    • it is quite simple really. 1 cup of raw spinach is bulky so if you cook it, it will reduce to about 1/4 cup. so logic would reason that 1 cup of cooked spinach is actually about 4 cups of raw. i prefer my spinach cooked, placing a large amount on top of a pan of food as the cooking process is finishing, in 2 or 3 minutes, it will have wilted down to quite a small serve.
      i hope this helps.

    • Because cooked spinach is more concentrated than raw spinach! The amount doesn’t actually increase…it is just that more spinach fits in the cup!!!!

    • I’m not an expert, but as a home cook, in order to get one cup of cooked spinach, it would take a considerable amount of raw steamed spinach to do so. 10 cups raw and steamed to make 1 cup cooked makes sense. I cup raw steamed makes about one bite. Just food for thought. They didn’t actually explain the full thought they were communicating is my guess…

      • I love all veggies and eat my greens in every thing. I however heard that cooked takes out the nutrients. Which is better. Cooked or fresh? I also have MS & low vitamin deficiencies. I will need to eat them either way. Thank you

        • MS is caused by a food allergy #1 food allergy is chocolate ice cream, I gave this article To a woman that had MS from a weekly news that said a woman changed her diet and cured her MS, The woman I gave the article to complained that she would have to give up red meat, and ice cream, I made the mistake of buying a box of drum stick ice cream cones that had 3 chocolate ice creams cones, I eat 1 Saturday, 1 Sunday, and 1 monday, and Tuesday morning when I got up my left leg would not support me for about 2 minutes, every time I took a step I collapsed.

        • Steam veggies with lid on and cool with lid still on to keep nutrients from going up in steam

        • Study in Sweden, pulled blood and years later compared persons who fell ill with original blood sample and saw that those with the more severe effects of MS now, had the lowest vitamin D then. Comparing rates of MS countries with largest sun levels showed least rate of MS. Surprisingly Norway with its short summer also ranked with lower levels of MS. Then it was found many ate cod fish 3 to 5 times a week. Cod is high in vitamin D
          When MS patients were given large doses of Vit D improvement was seen. Vit D signals your body to absorb calcium, but doesn’t tell it what to do with it so it hangs in the arteries. Vitamin K2,7 tells body to put calcium in bones and teeth.

      • You’re right. We love spinach. When I buy, I buy 2-4 bunches. There are 3 adults here. Same

    • Perhaps cooking it also makes the spinach release the magnesium or it makes it more absorbable?

    • Because a cup of boiled spinach there is more of the spinach than in a cup of leaf raw spinach. The cup of leaf raw spinach has a lit of air between the leaves, so less spinach there. The cup of boiled spinach is more tightly packed together, so more spinach in the cup.

    • I suspect 1cup cooked spinach vs 1cup raw spinach has so much more Magnesium because you are using so much more spinach to make 1cup cooked. 1cup raw wilts down to near nothing! It has nothing to do raw vs cooked. Cooking it does not add the magnesium. It’s the volume of raw spinach you are using.

    • I hv a question will u lose ur hair if u r low in this area?

      • i use magnesium oil rubbed o bottom of feet and sore muscle area ,seems to work the best that way , if you take a pill and put in glass of water U will see a lot don’t desolve , so know benefit U just poop them out

        • Maybe like Potassium which you should grind or smash, and stir into a glass of liquid, water, Emergen-C or juice.

        • trevor jeffrey willis

          I use mag oil, And Epson mag water filters. fit Britta jug. Works for me

        • actually, that is not a fair comparison. Your stomach uses hydrochloric acid to break down food. So you would need to put the pill into a glass of it to see what happens to the pill in the stomach!

    • YOU STILL DIDNT ANSWER HIS QUESTION .WHY DOES IT GO SO HIGH AFTER YOU COOK IT. THANKS.

    • You would need many cups of raw spinach to produce 1 cup of cooked so multiply by the number of raw cups to get 1 cooked cup, there is your answer.

    • isn’t one cup of raw –WAY less amount wise than one cup cooked

    • It takes about five to ten cups of raw to make one cup of cooked.

      • I think you should re-check your Coffee mag figures. I looked them up and there are 7 mg of Mag in a cup of coffee, not 1000. Plus magnesium and calcium need to be in a balance for them to work properly. Please update or address this so it’s more accurate. And let me know the results, I’m sure you don’t want to deliberately misinform.

    • It’s likely because cooked,ie,steamed spinach wilts and condenses; thus a cup of cooked spinach is much more concentrated than fresh loose leafy spinach.

    • im out this is stupid

    • Also keep in mind a cup of raw spinach is not the same volume as a cup of cooked spinach.

    • It has to do with bulking the plant. Raw leafs take up more space and the cup is less dense. Boiling the spinach softens the leafs and makes them more dense in a cup. Why ? Because you can stack more spinach leafs.

      Have a great day.

    • Magnesium is a mineral. It is not temperature sensitive. If you cook food, the Magnesium bonds may change, but the Mg does not disappear.

    • If you have ever cooked spinach, you must have noticed the volume-change: the raw leaves fill the cup, and cooking (e.g., in microwave oven) collapses them to ~ 1/8th. Hence the Mg concentration difference.

    • It cooks down to concentrate. So eating it cooked you are eating more.

  2. I suffer from extreme (after sleep morming tearing leg/thigh cramps; Magnesium makes me very sleepy..-so cannot stay awake when driving; I take One Chelated Potasium capsule at night–& but can I rather take 2- as thigh cramps still hugely prevelant? (Which magnesium make will not put me go to sleep (almost instantly?)

    • Leg cramps are mainly due to a lack of Calcium. There are over 275 issues that are due to low calcium levels. There are 90 essential vitamins, minerals and essential fatty acids that we need to consume every day to stay healthy. We cannot got it from our food because our soil is depleted of almost all nutrients. We MUST supplement with good quality (NOT CHEAP) supplements.

      • always try to buy from local/small farmers. and organic! they will work on improving the soil. there are some nationally known “organic” companies that i dont think are working as hard to improve the soil.

      • This is so wrong! Too much calcium and not enough magnesium to balance it, is what causes cramps. Supplementing with Mg is good and magnesium glycinate is a readily absorbable form with less side effects than other forms of Mg. But the best way to get Mg into your body is transdermally, through the skin. No risk of side effects this way. Unfortunately, you will never be able to take in enough Mg in a pill to bring your levels up enough, due to the side effects. I have been using about 1 tsp of Mg gel/oil mixed with lotion daily for awhile now and no longer get any cramps, blood pressure is below the 120/80, most of the time it is below 110/70. I sleep much better, too!

        • I was using Magnesium Glycinate for four years and felt good It was powder obtained through a Naturopath I haven’t ysed it in over a year as it wasnt available My Health has deteriorated and am having At Fibrilation and episodes of Hypertension and muscle cramps are worse even in my neck
          My family Dr says my Magnesium level,us ok from the blood work,but zi still think it’s the Magnesium that I stopped that is causing my problems Where do you buybthe Magnesium Oil and how do you use it on your skin Thanks for any help I live in Ontario

        • Where do you get this liquid Mg

        • Is there a product

        • Where can I buy mg gel/oil please?

        • dear margaret, i suffer so bad with leg cramps it scares me every time the mg oil you use topically what is the strength where can I buy it this would help me so much sometimes I dont want to go to sleep in fear I will have them . please share your remedy,
          Gratefully yours, L.Groves

        • However, calcium should NOT be taken in tablet form – ONLY from a fresh source natural source

        • Where do you buy the oil

        • So very true, too much calcium verses enough magnesium may cause cramping, all forms of constriction in the body. I carry magnesium lotion and transdermal oil which is great to use on the body or a daily foot soak is one of the best. I have a this new website in the works but for now use this web to contact me for more info on magnesium and Ill get back asap.
          Thank You for a great article.

        • Please advise brand of magnesium oil or gel you are using…lots of need to knows here..

        • Re: Magnesium lotion: I use Life-flo.com brand. I get it at my healthy-food store.

        • Magnesium can also be purchased in supplement form as a pill, capsule, or oil. Magnesium oil can be rubbed on the skin. It’s also available in spray bottles.

          Magnesium oil can be made from scratch at home by mixing magnesium chloride flakes with boiled, distilled water. You can find a recipe for preparing DIY magnesium oil.
          Magnesium Oil Recipe

          Dansk ??

          This post contains affiliate links to products that I use myself or can recommend. You can read about my affiliate policy here.

          The ocean is still a wonderful source of magnesium and trace minerals, but for those of us who don’t have daily access to a beach, transdermal magnesium oil can be the easiest and most effective way to increase magnesium levels. Read more in my post about this vital mineral.

          Or you can improve your magnesium by taking regular Epsom salt baths or footbaths. Epsom salt is a magnesium sulphate that can absorb into your body through your skin.

          I use magnesium daily in some form and use magnesium oil on my skin often. There are some really high quality pre-made magnesium oils available now, but it is also possible to make magnesium oil easily and inexpensively from magnesium chloride flakes. I use the following forms of magnesium oil:
          Easy Peasy Magnesium Mist Recipes
          Magnesium oil:

          Using magnesium topically can be an effective way to boost the body’s levels safely.
          Ingredients:

          1/3 cup Magnesium Chloride Flakes

          2/3 cup distilled water

          A glass bowl or glass measuring cup

          A glass spray bottle (plastic will work too)

          Instructions:

          Boil the distilled water. It is important to use distilled to extend the shelf life of the mixture. Put the Magnesium Chloride

          Flakes in the glass bowl or measuring cup and the pour the boiling water over it.

          Stir well until completely dissolved. Let cool completely and store in the spray bottle. Can be stored at room temperature for at least six months. I keep in my bathroom to use daily.

          How to use magnesium oil:

          Once you start using magnesium oil, do so daily – it can take time to increase magnesium levels.

          Spray directly on arms, legs, and stomach daily. 10-20 sprays per day.

          Spray on to moist or dry skin and massage in.

          Start out with a lower dose and then slowly increase over time

          Initially you may feel a slight irritation to the skin on application, however that should pass as the level of magnesium in the body builds up.

          You can leave on the skin or wash off after 20-30 minutes. I usually apply after a shower and then use coconut oil or a lotion bar to moisturize about 20 minutes later.

        • What kind of mg gel do you use?

      • Whatever it takes, if 1 cup of cooked spinach is better than raw spinach, do it if you want the benefits of all that awesome Magnesium but if your gonna complain about how much that’s gonna cost then dont do it, find your magnesium another way.

        The way I see it is this: just knowing that 1 cup of Spinach that’s cooked has an extremely more amount of magnesium in it is information I CAN USE. Thank you for publishing that about COOKED SPINACH. WE ALL NEED COOKED SPINACH. ???

      • Thank you for your help in detailing what we need to stay healthy. Would you please,break it down by vitamins, minerals, essential fatty acids & name brands, if possible what you are consuming in your personal list of supplements? I need guidance, especially in the calcium consumption, my bone density has been deteriorating rapidly and I hear the crackling of my spinal causing 3 mins of Sciatical Nerve pain 24/7 to find relief in the past 4 days needing no pain killers for the very first time, I thought I was going to die, I swear I couldn’t even feed my dogs, give them water or feed the wild birds daily. My crys were to God as he heard me & mysterious the pain is at 90% at ease now but don’t know for how long b4 it comes back. I am a diabetic, nonsmoker, female, almost 63 yrs old & I have been 100% healthy all my entire life.

        • Elsa, you need magnesium and vit K2 to get the calcium to go to your bones and teeth where it belongs. Without this, your calcium will end up in your arteries. Please do some research on this. Good luck.

        • Elsa you need vit k2 magnesium vit D3, calcium and i believe phosphorous is also needed.

      • Leg cramps are also caused by low potassium – any competent doctor ot pharmacist can tell you this. Persons who take meds. for high BP are often affected by this. Remedy? Orange juice and bananas, or a good supplement.

        • Low magnesium, potassium or calcium-one or all three will cause muscle spasms. I thought I was having a heart attack in June 2019, but after being blood tested and a few other things, I ended up getting 2 bags of magnesium by IV and had to drink a potassium concoction. I was already taking calcium citrate for something else. I get my magnesium online from Medix Select.com. Processed in USA FDA approved labs. It is made to be more absorbable and not to flush out of your body. Look it up, they have ot
          her supplements also.

        • Jeff : Per research the reason one’s potassium levels may be low is because a person is deficient in magnesium . this deficiency causes both a potassium and a calcium deficiency .

        • As I am type 2 diabetic taking 1,500 metformin, glypiside, medyprogesteron, atrovastatin, and having regular foot cramps, we began by adding 6,000iu vit D3 daily. Dr felt better doing 5,000iu daily. VitD3 tells your body to absorb calcium, but doesn’t tell it what to do with it. This can leave it in your arteries forming plaque. VitK2 7 tells your body to put that calcium into bones and your teeth. Vit A plays a role as do vit B & E. National (fermented soybean) is very high in Vitk2 7. If i were eating this i would lower Vit D to 2,000 daily.

      • Leg cramps are due to a lack of Magnesium in the system…Mike S

      • If you suffer leg cramps, do what athletes do, try to bend your foot towards you, in acute angle with your leg (that has cramps) while lying down and your leg straight or slightly bent. Don’t try to help your foot by reaching out with your hands.

        • I also use Vit B12 at lunch, not with metformin. As Metformin blocks absorption of vitimans. At night take baclofen, VitB6 & 2 or 3 hours before bed, pramipexole to ease foot cramps (nocturnal). Daytime foot cramps were often caused by working long shifts on feet. I have had ankle brachial test-normal no clots. Have MRI of lower lumbar spine. Two vertebrae early mild stenosis. One with slight rip in skin. Dr thinks I have restless legs. I don’t. If I sleep lying down in 1-2 hours I will wake sometimes dreaming having a foot cramp beginning. Get up try not to stress and walk to couch. Rest of night sleep upright feet flat on the ground. Sometimes I don’t bother using the bed. Use magnesium sulfate on feet before bed. Have had emp test on legs. Awful, just because sciatica hit mt right rear and leg two weeks prior. No foot cramps presented during 2-3 weeks of sciatica but back as soon as it cleared. Had to lie on right side for emp test ouch! Test normal neuro function. Had gone to half dose on atrovastatin as statins can cause muscle cramps , now not pn statins at all. Just read the bombshell!. Google foot cramps and alcoholic & non alcoholic fatty liver disease. I have the beginnings of the 2nd form. One of the most underdiagnosed sources of life altering painful episodes of foot & leg cramps is cirrhosis of the liver. Your liver acts on amino acids to form protein chains. Muscle weakness, and atrophy are highlights of a failing liver. So is thinning of the mycelium coating of nerve fibers creating inappropriate firing of nerves
          Interestingly pickle juice may cut transmission when it hits back of throat and short circuits cluster of nerves which abort transmission to the feet. The article notes treatment with magnesium, taurine, Vit E . Taurine especially may rebalance aromatic amino acids. Zinc is also utilized..these foot cramps will immobilize you making you stand and press down 20 minutes or so. Meanwhile you sweat. Heart may pound,, felt faint and gut explodes when you can finally move to wash room.. happens if feet are stressed, dehydrated,, too hot or too cold.. i bought new shoes.. had size 11 but left foot is 11 1/2, right foot had faciatis
          as does left plus arthritis in left big toe. Inserts in shoe causes foot to be pushed up and forward really provoking foot and calf cramp. Does this foot cramp issue strike early levels of fatty liver before cirrhosis? Ask your dr. I googled what can help restore liver function as there is otherwise no cure. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease if advanced usually is considered to be fatal in 15-20 years. Alcoholic 10. I have noticed not much is mentioned about my progression of fatty liver. I do eat avocados, known to direct liver to expel fat as does asparagus, leafy green vegetables and citrus. Such as lemon, lime juice. And very powerful liver tonic and huge source of vitimans And minerals are dandelions and dandelion powdered roots. In fact,dandelions are one of the plants that turn on cancer cell’s kill code. Activating it makes the cancer cell kill itself. Hope this helps I also don’t use Vit B12 at night as it increases metabolism and can cause insomnia.

      • Or, Organic fresh veg and fruit

    • You do know that you can take magnesium at night before you go to bed, I like to take it in a powder form because it gives me a good nights sleep.

    • Dear Sharon: Your leg cramps might also due to low intake of potassium. I suggest you to watch this issue. Bananas are a good source of potassium. One banana a day should give you enough. If you try my advice for a few days and see an improvement in your cramp ailments, that woud be it.

      • Bananas have about 150 mg of potassium each….the average person needs about 4700 mg a day. There are way better sources of potassium out there….just to name a couple dried apricots, avocados, and leafy greens

      • Bananas are good but avocados are better!! Bananas are extremely high in sugar and if someone as at risk of, or has type 2 diabetes, bananas are not a good choice.

    • Try a spoonful of mustard before bed for the cramps. I heard about this and tried it. Works great! Others have tried also with great results too!

    • Try magnesium oil , rub it on . Won’t cause sleepiness or constipation. Stops cramping in legs.

    • I have found chelated magnesium to be the best for me. I take 550 mg per day over the course of the day (to help avoid the diarrhea that can occur from too much at one time) ending with 150 mg as I turn out the lights to go to sleep. Previous to this regiment I also had leg cramps at night and sometimes during the day. Sometimes with debilitating outcome as in injury occurred and I couldn’t walk without pain for days while the muscle injury (from the cramp that wouldn’t release) healed.

      I learned that magnesium is used in the relaxing or release of the muscle while calcium is used in the contraction. So now think about it, why is the muscle contracting in the first place? Too much calcium perhaps? And then we need the magnesium to help it release. So adding calcium is NOT the answer and certainly not adding anything the FDA calls calcium which is all unnatural calcium, that which is not a part of the whole food you are eating. If it says calcium as calcium citrate or as calcium something-or-another, it is not natural calcium, and will bind differently (than natural calcium) to other minerals in your body and flush them out instead of allowing them to be absorbed. This is not rocket science, it is biochemistry 101. (Read The Calcium Lie II.)

      There are also ionized liquid spray magnesium solutions available and today some creams as well. I don’t have time for that as I would have needed to spray my whole body throughout the day. So for me the chelated pill works best.

      And yes I eat lots of raw and steamed spinach, and lots of almonds and seeds, and drink lots of organic dairy and sugar free coffee and still need 550 mg per day.

      Hope all this helps. I’m a big fan of magnesium!!! 🙂

      • I think it’s safe to say that anything the FDA recommends can be seen as a death sentence.

        • How right you are! GMTA & Great names also. My name is Krisy, Kris, Kristy, i’ve gone be MANY forms on Kristin, my complete Christian first name. So I like your name 😉

        • I agree, which includes their “vaccines” -can be deadly and the interfere with the BILLIONS of dollars in profits they get.

      • Irene altwasser

        I agree with you totally very well stated

    • Try Hyland. Leg cramp or restless leg. This stuff is a miracle . It’s holistic and made from plants. Doesn’t cause tiredness. I use them at night before bed . I also take magnesium supplements . It even worked on my 15 year old dog whose legs were also causing him trouble at night.

      • Hyland PM Is my best source of relief. I was getting horrible cramps in calves, feet and thighs that were really debilitating. After taking Hyland PM for a few days (3 under the tongue at bedtime, they stopped. Now I rarely ever have the problem. Your body absorbs this product and after a few days gives great protection. You can find it on Amazon. I would not dare go to bed without it, it is that great!!!!

        • It’s also a great source for Covid protection as it’s a natural source of the quinine in HCQ. But take zinc daily too.

      • I used to have Restless leg; when I stopped eating Wheat products and Carbs, the symptoms disappeared; because that was the root cause.

    • I take mine at night,sleep better also.

    • i found that taking few sips of water at night will also help to quell the cramps. I also have a magnesium spray I rub on my legs helps when it bothes me a lot. I seldom have the cramps now.

    • How much caffeinated coffee, tea do you drink ? I found that by only drinking decaf hot beverages eliminated my getting cramps. It made an incredibly difference.

    • I disagree my doctor recommended that I take magnesium every day to prevent leg cramps magnesium is also good if you have constipation I don’t see any of this mentioned in this article but trust me it works

    • How about using Pure Magnesium.Oil (Spray) by Life-Flow,
      Magnesium Chloride Brine

    • You are probably already deficient so it should not hurt to take more. I need to take up to 3 because that is the number that works for me. Maybe if you add 1 more and see how you feel and keep adding until the cramps stop.

      I take a medication that depletes potassium. My doctor never told me this and i ended up in the emergency room with symptoms of someone with heart problems.

      In the hospital I was on IV with potassium and they were giving me pills at the same time because I had no potassium left in my body and was a heart attack waiting to happen. This lasted from early morning to the evening before I had high enough levels for them to release me.

    • Several things can cause leg cramps … IT is a matter of balancing the ions that go in and out of the cells. Things like Potassium, Sodium, Chloride, Magnesium. Calcium and Water all contribute to balancing cells within the body. Shortages of any of these things will affect the the cells by leeching out from the cell or keeping inredients within the cell and so that muscles will not work properly. So make sure you are hydrated.

      As to magnesioum, there are 8 different types that we can take to help our bodies. Some will cause diarrhea and others not. I use magnesium glycinate that is powder and lemon flavor just adding water to it. Warm water mixes easily with it and no left over in my glass.

      • Many people take a diuretic as part of their meds. Diuretics leech out the magnesium in your body. It happens to me so I take magnesium daily.

      • This is so true, I take different magnesiums depending on whats going on, whether it’s headaches or leg cramps or just whatever….also my leg cramps were caused by not enough calcium to balance things out, had nothing to do with the magnesium or potassium levels

    • My husband’s heart surgeon told him to take SlowMag at night. It helps him sleep and he has no more cramps.

  3. Early in your blog you tell us “It (Magnesium) is one of seven essential macrominerals that must be consumed daily in large amounts — 100 milligrams or more.” Later you tell us “Almonds contain roughly 76 milligrams per ounce (about 23 nuts), or 15 percent of your daily needs.” That math would put our daily needs at closer to 500 milligrams.
    On another point…in your recommended sources of Magnesium, you tell us “coffee is the highest source of liquid magnesium you can consume!” Yet early in the blog you mention that “daily use of sugar and caffeine also deplete magnesium supplies within the body.” The two statements seem at odds with each other.

    • Michael Christopher

      I too believe the coffee magnesium amounts are way off here. 1000 mg in an oz cup matches no other reporting I find anywhere. I find in several respectable publications, a number of 7 mg per 8 oz cup of standard ground caffeinated coffee. That is miles away from 1,000 mg (1 gram) reported here.

    • I too found that 1,000 mg sounded way off for amount of magnesium in coffee along with contradicting info in different paragraphs.

    • My thoughts too. I wish someone would respond to this especially caffeine causing deficiency of magnesium, then later saying coffee has high amount of magnesium. Very contradictory

      • Hi
        I am 86 and worked all my life untill i started using doctors and script drugs, which almost killed me and very hard to get away from, { very bad health issures About this time CBD came out i started using which helped , i turned to internet finding things that i may need !
        I always knew that i needed differnte vits but did not take it to serously, my careare always ment being on my feet and moving.
        Magnessium is very important for your well being ! 1000 mg is not to much for me. so check it out on line make it like a careue to get to know your body and it will take care off you!
        There is to much missing in soil now , water to much added, all this messes up your well beining ! You see i had to go thro hell before i knew that i had to do something !
        Now at 86i am very healthy but need to start working out again !have gotten very lazy !
        How long you live and funckion depends on your care !

    • Try asking the ORIGINAL publisher of the item: TheAlternativeDaily author Susan Patterson.
      The discrepancy between magnesium amounts recommended, is likely the difference between the General conventional RDI being listed with the Almonds, but the author suggesting at the beginning of the article that a MUCH higher amount of Magnesium should be taken daily!
      The coffee issue I would ask Susan Patterson – she did the research.

      • MUCH higher amount? What the article states is that magnesium is among other macrominerals that “must be consumed daily in large amounts — 100 milligrams or more.” 100 mg doesn’t sound like a large amount, when in other sources I have read 420 mg per day for adults (which I think is a lot higher than RDA – maybe 100 mg is RDA?)

        • I use a cream and a powder to drink called “Calm”. Can be bought online. My Accupuncturist recommended and generally have good luck with them. The cream is also good for sore neck, muscles, etc.

    • I was wondering about that too. Too many contradictions. Too confusing.

  4. a rare site to know about minerals particularly magnesium

  5. What’s the ideal strength in mgs in pill form to take daily, and is it a fact one should take them at night ?

    • Ideal strength magnesium pill form daily? Best time of day?

    • What is ideal strength magnesium pill form daily? What is best time of day to take pill form?

      • 350-400 mg for women and 250-300mg for men or up to bowel tolerance. Loose stools then back off because you are now expelling mag. Evening before bed. I take chelated magnesium. Epson salt baths are a good source of mag .Taking a relaxing bath with mag in it a few times a week. When your mag levels are up Vitamin D3 works better. Magnificent Magnesium by Dr. Dennis Goodman is a great book.

  6. Even the tiniest magnesium supplement (165 mg) induces a migrain that lasts for three days!!!! Why do I and some other women I know have this “opposite” effect from taking magnesium?

    • Perhaps it’s the type of magnesium that you are taking, or the fillers that might have been added. Double check the fillers first, then try some without those fillers. Dr. Carolyn Dean has a liquid, highly absorbed form that might work for you – no fillers!

    • It may be the type of magnesium you take….there are about 7 different kinds and are used for different things…good luck

  7. daily use of sugar and caffeine (coffee) depletes magnesium, but on lower paragraph it says java aka coffee is best source of liquid magnesium…. can they make up their minds ? Nope! we do need Magnesium. by the way I’ve been drinking magnesium citrate since it’s more absorbable than the other forms, now there is magnesium chelate. OLE!

    • Cramps so bad (legs at night) wanted to call dr.for help age 77 what should I do or how much
      should I take?? Help Please. Q’ Should I have my levels checked?.tx. Ann K.

      • ann, be sure you are drinking enough water. dehydration can cause cramps. no soda! for every oz of reg coffee you drink, drink 2oz water min as coffee is a diuretic. plus your 8 glasses.

        i have had people tell me these work, but they havent worked for me:

        keep gray or pink sea salt by your bed. wet finger and dip in the salt and touch to the cramp. my cousin says this works for her.

        mustard. keep yellow mustard by your bed. put some on the cramp. i have had 3 people tell me this worked for them. gl.

        • I noticed this too. Is there a typo somewhere?

        • Gatorade or Powerade are a great sources for muscle cramps it keeps you very hydrated ! I use zero sugar though ! No more leg cramps!

        • Try pickle juice for foot cramps. I take 400mg magnesium, 5,000 Vit D, 735mg B12, Zinc 50 mg, Vit E 380mg, use magnesium sulfate foam on feet directly, Baclofen (muscle relaxant), Vit B6 100mg at night. Google alcoholic fatty liver disease & foot cramps, study done in 2017 noted liver failure in creating foot cramps. I have non alcoholic fatty liver and am not cirrhosis as were the study group. Since I take 1,500mg Metformin & glypicide I take higher levels of D&B as Metformin destroys these vitamins. Peanuts are a good source of magnesium too.

      • Buy Theraworx pump bottle at Walgreens, or drug store. It kept my muscle cramps at bay, just pump some into your hand and rub it on cramp immediately it will stop. It contains topical magnesium.
        I also started taking magnesium supplements, and that has resolved my terrible cramping completely, wish my doctor or someone had told me this info earlier.

        Good luck

      • Are you taking a statin drug? They cause leg pains and muscle cramps. Statins are not for women.

      • I’ve used dill pickle juice when I get leg cramps during the night; sounds crazy but it works like a charm
        and the cramps are gone before I get back to bed!

      • Immediate relief is pressing the thumb of the affected leg on a hard surface
        as the first sign of cramp sets in – and presto, I have had 100% relief within
        seconds. Try it.

      • I had leg and foot cramp during the night and they were so bad it would take sometimes 45 minutes walking them off. I have been taking a MG supplement for about 3 months now and it seems to be helping. I take the MG supplement in the morning but should I be taking it at night.
        About 3 months ago I was getting an eye cataracts ops and during the operations I got terrific leg cramps and I didn’t know if I was going to make it through the operations. I am 82 and I am worried if I have something else done I just may cramp up.

    • FWP – what Magensium brand is best.to drink?
      Thank you

  8. Thank you once again for your informative articles. It helps me to know more about eating the correct food and making the right choices.Greetings from Cape Town SA. Keep up the good work

  9. Paul D comments about Magnesium? You seem to not have verified his Query. What is it Large amounts of Magnesium! Is it 100mg or 1000mg? If you write a column for viewing by the public then You are responsible to supply unambiguous information……Or ignore it? RDR

    • Yes, I am confused as well. I know following keto way of eating we are told we need Potassium amd Magnesium to prevent leg cramps some ppl get from eating that way but, I also have been told how much Magenesium and Potassium we need to take depends on our age and if we are male or female.
      I am 62 and no idea how much my requirement is. I guess I will need to look it up on the internet and hope I do not find different opinions to further confuse me.

      • be careful with the potassium as it can affect kidneys. there is a number on the cbc which is connected to kidneys and mine has gone down. it is now 58 and it should be 60+ best i can tell. if i am starting kidney trouble, i dont need extra potassium.

  10. I suffer from depression, fatigue, insomnia and bloating . It is debilitating could it be a magnesium deficiency. Blood tests show a very low vitamin d count

  11. Another way is to use mineral salt of Schuessler (no.7 = magnesium).

  12. Good article if you disregard a lot of the math and other numerical figures. I have been fighting high blood pressure, as this article has also suggested, with getting enough magnesium and potassium in my food for about 2 years. I get a little leary about pills (whether a drug or supplement), so I put a lot of time into checking into how much K or Mg is in a specific food – I try to have these nutrients outweigh sodium which basically saturates everything that we would pay someone else to prepare for us to eat. Right now, my diet consists mostly of beans, potatoes, raw dairy (milk & yogurt), lean meat, and a healthy dose of fruits and vegetables as well as nuts/seeds. Cocoa and coffee are, in fact, also beans which are ridiculously good for getting enough K and Mg. It is fairly easy to find the recommended amount of magnesium for a day, but I try to shoot a bit higher since I believe that those figures were originally taken as a mean for both healthy and unhealthy individuals.

  13. Suzanne Braunschweig

    I’ve suffered with leg/foot cramps for years which kept me from getting a good night of sleep. Things became very bad about a year ago; the cramps kept me awake and caused great pain. They were in both legs and feet so walking them off was extremely painful. I was crying so much and dreaded going to bed each night, since it would almost start whenever I laid down. A friend told me about magnesium oil and it’s been the answer for me. My cramping were symptoms of Fibromyalgia which I’ve had for 35+ years. I now use Life-flo Magnesium Oil Night Spray which is 8 oz. Rub it into your legs and feet, especially the toes and bottom of the feet. I can’t tell you what a difference it made in my life and I hope it’ll help you also. I also take about 4 magnesium supplements at night with some other supplements. I struggle with ongoing constipation and I think the magnesium helps that issue. Good luck and God bless!

  14. Great article…I too take Magnesium every day. it helps me a lot…How can I post this on FB?..share button doesn’t work.

  15. When I was 16, I suffered severe leg cramps in the middle of every friday night( after cheerleading at football games). My coach told me to drink more milk especially on Fridays. iwas already drinking at least a glass a day. i increased that to a quart a day, and i have never had any more cramps. i am now 85, healthy, strong, med free, and pain free.I have always drunk only whole milk from healthy pasture fed cows.I have also always eaten spinach at least twice a week.I also have always eaten a lot of pecans from native trees and a lot of home grown veggies.

  16. i often have calf/ankle/foot/toe cramps at night. i generally take 1000mg magn daily in addition to what i get from foods. i drink at least 1 cup of decaf a day (use hvy cream not milk in it–is that ok?) and no sugar.

  17. If I want to supplement with a magnesium pill, what would be the best one to take? There are so many different ones. I am interested in lowering sugar, belly fat, better sleep. Which one should I take

  18. She needs to go somewhere away from Washington

  19. My Chiropractor suggested I take Calcium/Magnesium to avoid “acid reflux”. For years I’ve been taking Omopromazole, but my Pharmacist son has studies that show the danger which cause stomach cancer and other disorders.
    Thanks for the article!

  20. I take magnesium, Calcium, & Zinc – 3 in 1 vitamin daily.
    I am instructed (on the vitamin bottle) to take 1 /3 times
    a day. I take 3 at one time. Is this okay or should I take 1
    3/T.A.D.?

    Also, I read testimonials on your post that Magnesium helps with sleep. Should It be taken right before going to bed.
    Melatonin is helping me to sleep right now.

    Lastly, how many milligrams of Magnesium should be taken daily.
    Does Magnesium help with Lupus?

  21. Bless all of you holistic doctors and nutritionists that are keeping us all alive and heathier .
    If had followed my conventional doctors advice when I was 30 (list of aliments too long to share ) I would have died 40 years ago for sure.
    At 84 after 6 surgeries in the last 2 years the holistic “quackery “as it called makes me more focused and more energetic and heathier than at age 15. Yes I do look like an old lady but I feel great . Not at athlete but take no pain medication that I had been using for more then 40 years .Bless you all

  22. Michael Christopher

    The 1,000 mg of magnesium per cup of coffee reported here seem very suspect. Cannot verify this anywhere else???

  23. In addition, daily use of sugar and caffeine also deplete magnesium supplies within the body

    How could coffee be good for you when in your article it says “CAFFEINE DEPLETES MAGNESIUM SUPPLIES”.

    It makes absolutely no sense.

  24. Yes, depleted minerals can result in leg cramps. However, many people find that Vitamin D helps with leg cramps. I take both, a mineral supplement and Vitamin D, and haven’t had leg cramps for a very long time.

    • The supplement that I tried gave me the diarrhea so bad I had to stop taking it. What would be the best kind of magnesium for me that wouldn’t cause this problem?

  25. DAVID RODGER MOCSNY

    Calcium supplement is stored in the body & excess causes muscle cramps & is easily over consumed. Magnesium excess
    is immediately excreted & relaxes muscles, regulates calcium. Mg is brain & heart healthy. Most people are deficient
    (rarely listed as a processed food ingredient). I take 400 mg via pure mg bisglycinate powder (mildly sweet) b4 sleep.
    Individual requirement varies & is quickly safely determined.

    • If u have ever had kidney stones,or gravel, u should NEVER take calcium supplements, including Tums w/calcium, because it will trigger kidney stone attacks. I know that for a fact and was confirmed by my GI doctor. Calcium from yogart,whole milk, dark leafy greens is the healthiest

  26. Did any of you ever think of turning to God as they did in the Bible instead of material substances as MUSTS in your lives & look how long the lived without troubles as you are making for yourselves! The Drs & media just has this drummed in you head because this is how THEY make THEIR money & YOU lose YOU money paying for all these pills which you could EASILY live without! But NOOOOOOOO it SO much easier to pop a pill than it is to worship GOD. Well the after this life it is HELL & DAMNATION for you. Pick your choice for eternity now. Jesus said “you must go through ME.” If you desire Hell, continue you material pills & go to Hell. It won’t hurt me any. But it will fill the doctors & media’s pocketbooks with YOUR hard earned money & get you nowhere.

    • Diane I agree with your comments. God knows your body better than anyone, including ourselves. He will answer!!!

    • just what we need now is another religious zealot. Let people do as they want to do with their body and you do what you want with yours.!!! You ever hear of the Amish and other groups like that? The real ones do not use lights, ride in cars, have TV and do not go to the doctors. And guess what? A lot of them die that could have been saved. Ignorance is bliss I guess. Now your reply will be that “well, God called them home “. That is bullshit. God gave us Free will and is no there to hold our hands and show us the way. He has shown what he wants people to live by but i have never seen anywhere in the Bible where God says to be stupid and die and not use modern medicines to heal yourself. Look at it another way. If we were not to use our brain that God gave gave us to make our lives better, why did He give us a brain to think and learn among other things? But one thing I think God does not like is zealots and people who take HIS words to extremes for some agenda of the person doing so.

      So to sum this long winded bit of majestic bot of wisdom 🙂 you live your life your way, I will live mine my way and if i live and you die, then I was right and if you live and i die, well i fucked up.It is a personal and there is nothing worse than a self righteous person preaching from the pulpit to the masses.

  27. It may be that the majority need magnesium, but for me, I seem to have too much even though I take no magnesium supplements. My experience is, that if I eat too much high magnesium foods I get a bout of Atrial Fibrillation. I don’t have any of the signs that you mention of being magnesium deficient.
    I do train a lot in resistance training, indoor rowing and athletic field events.

  28. Does magnesium cause alittle diarrhea??

  29. I have read it is more beneficial to take vitamin D and magnesium together, is this correct? If so, are they better to be taken in the evening as magnesium is supposed to help with better nights sleep?

  30. THANKS !

  31. I had critical low magnesium that caused bad memory loss and eventually led to me having a seizure that was very bad. This was all caused by my being on protonix a ppi for heart burn too long. The FDA did a study on this 9 years ago and found this out ppi’s can cause other issues but the doctors out there don’t care.

  32. When I take magnesium supplements 300g I get loose bowels resulting in several trips to the bathroom in a single day. I stop taking them for this reason and only take the occasional one when I am constipated. Is this normal.

    • No this is not normal!!

      Everyone should understand the functions of their body´s cellular and organ systems, as they are aware of how their car functions, when do you need fuel, diesel or petrol? Over heating? Flat tyres? Backfiring exhaust?
      But most people have no idea, and many more cannot be bothered.
      Do you know what your body´s delivery service provider is for example; UPS, FEDEX, DHL?
      A clue for you would be to visit the website, the biography of A certain Doctor from Germany, who moved to the USA, Doctor Max Gerson, but before visiting the designated web site which represents his Gerson Therapy protocol, become familiar with how he developed and why he developed his protocol, reading most of these postings most of you are expressing a blinkered point of view, you need to remove the blinkers. Your starting point for addressing any personal health issues, and generally I feel sure you would agree that babies are not born suffering muscle cramping?
      So something which you are doing daily is establishing inside your body conditions for muscle cramping to exist and occur, the expressed interests from everyone in either Magnesium or Potassium, is not the question which you should be addressing. Your first, primary concern and interest should be concerning you body temperature…..is it 37 degrees centigrade?
      Should it not be 37 degrees then you are placing your body in “Reaction Mode”, which will be stressing certain organs within your body notably your endocrine system to re-establish your body´s temperature at 37 degrees, which is the `Homeopathic´ reference for HOMEOSTASIS of your body.
      According to your age and diet the intake of fuel producing substrates will influence how your body functions, as your car will have its performance affected if you put diesel into the tank and it has a petrol engine, or you ignore the oil warning light, temperature gauge, the steering wheel pulling to your right or left, your body has a warning light system, you need to understand what they are.
      Blood is your body`s delivery system so if you have consumed/eaten `RUBBISH` then your body will transport this rubbish around your body, or should I say the requisite substrates your body requires to receive daily for your body organs to function normally (no muscle cramping) by eating rubbish the depleted substrates which get transported around your body within your circulating blood circulatory system will be insufficient for the cells of your body to maintain `HOMEOSTASIS´!!
      SUGAR is the main cause of many endocrine breakdown, or should I say providing the wrong sugar, making the wrong sugars being synthesised to provide your body cells allowing them to inter communicate optimally as they should do and are meant to.
      Protein(s)
      Carbohydrates
      Fat (lipid)
      Milk from a cow introduces sugar into the human body, this type of sugar source is intolerable for the human body.
      OSE, Glucose ends in OSE, this is a sugar reference, refined sugar should be banned as it is 100% addictive amongst humans, this addiction begins with the addiction of small children. Heroin is less addictive amongst humans than sugar!
      Rice and Wheat should also not be consumed due to the animal and insect repellent lectins that these plants naturally provide which ensures the plant species to survive against predators, generally human cannot tolerate these lectins.
      You are aware that Protein (s), carbohydrate (s) and Fat (s) are part of your body`s sugar supply chain?
      Did you know this?
      ATP is the fuel for your body to function, it is important for you to understand what this ATP actually consists of ?
      Doctor Max Gerson is a very advanced visionary who has passed away however his legacy lives on, his biography as I have said previously should be read prior to visiting the web site dedicated to his homeopathic legacy for your body to achieve Homeostasis.
      Good reading, enjoy your coffee.

  33. Maybe that is why coffee makes people poop??? Who knew?

  34. I have been told to limit my consumption of magnesium as I am taking blood pressure medication is this correct and if so why ??

  35. I find that my leg cramps go away when I rehydrate with spring water so I keep it right by my bed. I normally take 400 mg magnesium citrate before bed. The Mayo Clinic did a study on heart attacks and found that most of them happened between 3-4 in the morning and mostly in poorly hydrated people. So I always drink 2-3 c right before bed. I’ve had 3 different docs tell me that almost all adults in the US need 400 mg. I think they think that the common ratio of Calcium to Magnesium is wrong and that it’s eequal parts or maybe reversed. Magnificent Oxide is useless and the carbonate is probably harmful.

    • Please somebody help me for my restless legs .this syndrome I got for 50years I have tried prmipoxle tablets no relief only one thing is helping me taking cocodamol every night.even sometime that doesn’t help

    • I have been using CRAMP DEFENSE for 2years. Go to the web site for very good information on magnesium. I take 9- 70 mg magnesium malate daily for cramps, but you have to stay hydrated too

  36. God’s not going to send you to hell for using knowledge and wisdom and good nutrition to improve your health so you can serve him. Taking magnesium, potassium and other supplements has helped to dramatically improve my health.

    Magnesium: Ionic Fizz Magnesium(works really fast), Triple Magnesium from Swanson, Magnesium Spray(low itch).
    Potassium Citrate
    Hawthorn Berry for heart regulation
    Hyland Leg Cramp pills

    All of these work great at bedtime. Since magnesium relaxes your muscles, it improves your sleep.

  37. I take Magnesium Asporotate 400mg after lunch . One a day

  38. MAGNESIUM SUPPLEMENTS ARE AVAILABLE FROM NUMEROUS COMPANIES. WHICH SUPPLEMENT IS BEST ABSORBABLE? MAGNESIUM OXIDE, OR MAGNESIUM CITRATE ?

    • magnesium citrate is more absorbable than any other type. as per my pharmacist. One of my sons is a dr. in new york. Believe it or not my pulmonogist told me years ago to take 250 mgs twice a day I have been doing that for years. I’m 83 now. Take no medications, feel great and never get leg cramps. I drink i or 2 cups of black coffee a day but if I want coffee after 7pm I will drink dcaf. No problem falling asleep. Also just a little hint to stay strong and flexable walk walk walk its the very best exercise. No need for a gym. Also take care of your microbiome and it will take care of you. Take care and stay safe.

      • Thanks for the info, Elaine. Good to read how simple it is to take care of yourself. I find the simpler things are, the more I’m apt to stick with it.
        Take Care,
        Elaine Miller

      • i want to know if you drink instant coffee or brewed coffee

      • i USED TO COMPLAIN ABOUT WALKING DOWNHILL TO MY MAILBOX AND THEN WALKING BACK TO THE HOUSE. i HAD LEG CRAMPS FOR YEARS, AND NOW i AM 84. i STARTED WALKING DOWN THE HILL AND BACK EVERY DAY, IN THE MORNING TO AVOID HEAT, AND i AM AMAZED TO REPORT THAT i NO LONGER HAVE LEG CRAMPS AT ALL. I iNO LONGER EVEN NEED MY HALURONIC ACID INJECTIONS EVERY 6 MONTHS IN MY KNEE JOINTS. NO PAIN. USE IT OR LOSE IT (FUNCTION)

      • Great comment.?

      • Elaine, I liked your comment. It was very no-nonsense, and it inspired me. It would be fun to have conversations with you.

      • My previous comment is for Elaine P.

  39. How can coffee that has caffeine be the best source, when initially you said that caffeine and sugar will deplete your magnesium source? Please explain?

  40. black coffee is the magnezium hero…..hurray….it works,,,,,just don’t put sugar or other junk in the coffee!

  41. The older I have gotten the worse my Cramps have got . I get them Every where . They are really bad and hard to describe just how bad . It’s like a Torture . The last 6 months I have been trying the only thing that has seemed to help. I still get them every now and then but not as Painfull as they were . They are Cramp Defense -High Absorption And Fast Acting . You can find out about them online .

    • I suffer from leg cramps too.i also take vitamin D and Magnesium supplements. I keep a dry bar of soap (any brand) on my bed table and rub in on my leg where it cramps. It goes away instantly. Try this it works. Don’t know how, but it works for me.

  42. just don’t overdose the magnesium daily dose. As it will cause you have diarrhea daily till you shit it out of your system. To much magnesium is also bad for you and gives you the shits so don’t exceed the daily recommended dosage.

  43. willie l mcduff

    I NEED TO GET THIS

  44. I highly recommend that you look up Dr. Shealy’s Biogenics lotion on utube. This doctor is amazing. You can look at his videos – you can find them when you go into the search. He is so knowledgable on this subject and other natural remedies and health information. And you can order this lotion on Amazon. His information answers all of the above questions.

    • Margaret Laubach

      Can’t sleep at night go to sleep around five in the morning I am 84 will this help

      • When I cannot sleep I drink a glass of milk or have a bowl of cereal and am asleep almost immediately after getting back in bed. It has worked for me for many years.

  45. CALM is the best product for me, its an organic powder of magnesium you just put teaspoon or tablespoon into hot water in am/ I do every day with lemon cleanse and it helps a lot. I also eat tons of dark leafy salads with romaine, dandelion and water cress and more lemon on them and olive oil.

  46. what magnesium are you making reference to ; for I kow there are many kinds that work very diffent

  47. Magnesium chelate, as the Mg-glycinate form was the most efficiently absorbed form in the GI tract. Magnesium oxide was the least efficiently absorbed. It is not how much one consumes, it is how much gets absorbed after taking it. Amino acid chelates worked the best in research I did 30 years ago. I administered various chemical forms of Mg and measured blood levels one hour later. Mg Glycinate was the top performer.

  48. Why when I take a supplement pill of magnesium do I get headaches. Am I overdosing

  49. If it makes you sleepy take it at night before you go to bed. That way you get a good nights sleep and problem solved.

  50. Richard Sentner, Jr.

    The very best magnesium product is produced by Standard Process. It is called Min Tran. They only sell to medical officials, but most chiropractors carry this and many other very powerful supplements from Standard process.

  51. “coffee comes in around 1000 milligrams or more in just one eight-ounce cup.”
    No. Espresso coffee – 24mg.

  52. First of all thank you everyone for your comments! Thank you Alternative Daily for your article which brought me to The Nutrition Watchdog. I am 67 and when I was about 50 I had kidney stones and was given a urine analysis which revealed that I had a deficiency in Magnesium, but the supplement that I begin to take caused my legs to cramp. After reading this article and all the comments my take-away is that I was not using the right type of magnesium supplement. I now think the kidney stones are back, along with some new ailments. I am definitely getting back to a magnesium supplement quickly. I appreciate all of you and feel really blessed that I was directed here today.

  53. I am aware that there are a several different types of MAGNESIUM!
    Are there any differences & which is best to take.
    I am 84 years young & taking 400mg of MAG OX daily at dinner to help me sleep.

    • I take Magnesium Citrate as I read that it is the most absorbable. You should check out which is the best for yourself.

  54. excellent info

  55. I have been taking high doses of magnesium for some time I have tried every cramp pill,rub, spray and also a foam rub .I still suffer with cramps nothing helps I even drink quinine water. So to .e this is crap!

    • Hi!
      Have you tried magnesium oil? I make my own and spray it on my legs and let it soak in. Sometimes supplements are not absorbed properly or maximally for one reason or another. You can take any calcium supplements 4-6 hours apart from the magnesium to keep from interfering with the mineral absorption of both minerals.
      I look up absorbability of something when I start taking it so I know what things might interfere with absorption. For example, some medications require that one not consume grapefruit or grapefruit juice as it interferes with the mechanism of the drug. Minerals and other supplements can be the same way.

      • I buy a nice natural pure magnesium oil spray that I purchase from Amazon (Seven Minerals) and it’s very inexpensive as well. It’s pharmaceutical grade magnesium chloride and made in the USA. I also take a Mg supplement that contains all three Mgs in it, plus zinc, and D3 (they say for enhanced absorption).
        I drink diet tonic (quinine) as well. I should do all this on a more regular basis, of course. Bottom line (for me), it’s the sugar that makes the nocturnal cramps worse and they are already unbearable. I have cut way back, and notice a big difference when I overdo the sugar. I think Potassium level makes a big difference as well. Some things work differently for all. It’s nice to share ideas.

    • Try B-12 it helps relieve cramps.

    • Hi my friend reason because you have not taken the right magnesium my best advise for you is to TAKE ” MAGNESIUM GLYCINATE ” 1000 mg plus VITAMIN D supplement daily for 7 days then see how you react i live in AUSTRALIA NSW i am taking this stuff for almost 2 years.

    • Do you have fatty liver disease? Google foot cramps and cirrhosis. Use of Vit E, Taurine, and magnesium and Zinc may help if you do.

  56. Everyone should read the book the Calcium Lie…he has book one and two. We are lacking all the minerals not just magnesium.
    In the mean time I take a magnesium power 2x and I keep at my night stand a homeopathic remedy by Hyland’s restless leg and or leg cramps,
    I take 1 and sometimes 2. In his book he recommends having your hair analyze., which I just did and now waiting for my text results to come back. Great book…well worth reading.

    • I’ve read his book and even had the hair analysis done as he says most people have too much calcium so get calcium from food, never supplement. Having osteoporosis, I was told to never take calcium carbonate which is in many nut milks. My hair analysis came back high in calcium but low in magnesium.
      I take magnesium glycinate, 6 tablets throughout the day and it doesn’t give me any issues.

  57. Jagdish Vasantlal Jariwala

    Magnesium is one of the most important element essential for human body it fights against many diseases

  58. My endocrinologist put me on a prescription magnesium about a year ago and it has been very good for me. I suggest that you speak with your doctor and see if you can get one. It is well worth it. Magnesium has a lot of health benefits all around. It is well worth speaking to your doctor about.

  59. HOW MUCH MAG. SHOULD I TAKE IN A PILL

  60. Dr V.P, Singhania

    wud like to try. where do i get it?

  61. I am taking a blood thinner and prohibited from eating Vitamin K. Spinach is high in Vitamin K. Too bad for me.

    • Me too… Articles forget to mention that. I love spinach and do eat it once in a while.

    • That is because Vit k is a natural blood thinner as well as natural Vit. E. Not synthetic vit E as most over the counter. Vit E supplements are.

      I often wonder why doctors don’t prescribe the natural forms of blood thinners because they do not have the awful side effects of prescription blood thinners.

      • Big Pharma can’t get rich off that, that’s why. My uncle vomited a bucket of blood on 2 of their blood thinners. He’s now just been put on a third one to try that one!
        You wouldn’t think, wouldn’t you? … 🙁

      • Red clover tea is known to be a great blood thinner which I drink often
        It’s free since it grows all over the place as a weed. I pick the pink flower with 2 or 3 leaves attached, dry it and store in a jar

  62. I hiked the Grand Canyon. Horrified I might not be able to move the next day, I soaked in Epsom salt bath immediately upon return to my home. Magically at age 68 leading a semi active life I was normal the next day after 4 days hiking.

  63. Why would you write “daily use of sugar and caffeine also deplete magnesium supplies within the body” at the beginning of this article only to later state that “coffee is the highest source of liquid magnesium you can consume”? Sounds like sugar is the problem, not the caffeine. Or is it the caffeine too and the coffee should be decaf. Which is it?

  64. There are a lot of things that relieve symptoms in one person, that may not work for someone else. I’m grateful to learn of things that work for others as I often need tips myself. (I have MS). Having said that, MS is NOT caused by chocolate ice cream and there is no ONE definitive answer to how we get this, so throwing out statements like that are irresponsible and incredibly uninformed. AND, they help no one.

  65. 1 oz. of Pumpkin Seeds have more magnesium than a cup of cooked spinach. Also, I never heard of coffee having that much magnesium in it. Whether that is true or not, you don’t need to drink your coffee black! its important to get the correct balance of calcium to magnesium. A good rule of thumb is a 2:1 calcium-to-magnesium ratio. For example, if you take 1000mg of calcium, you should also take 500mg of magnesium. I highly doubt your splash of milk or cream in your coffee is going to mess up the absorption. Gonna do more searching on the coffee thing. Sounds too good to be true.

  66. I totally agree about the need for magnesium as long as it’s a reputable company that provides it in liquid or capsule form. My husband used to suffer from violent leg cramps at night but no longer after I give him daily magnesium which has helped with high blood pressure and stress too.
    However I think we have to be careful about ‘super foods ‘ which don’t necessarily agree with everyone. For example, if you have digestive issues like IBS etc, Avocados, soya, cauliflower and stone fruits, pulses etc are not good. Also, spinach has high levels of oxalic acid which can cause damage to cells etc. This is present in large amounts in Kale, chard, and many dark green veg etc & rhubarb. In very small amounts, if you can take it, it’s fine but it can wreck your health. If you use search engines like Ecosia etc which aren’t controlled by Big Pharma etc etc you can find good articles on this. I cut spinach out of my diet, though I love it, because every time I eat it , my knees swell and really becomes inflamed. I tried a small amount again this week, next morning I could hardly walk till I’d massage Bio Freeze into my knees which were again red and puffy and painful. In his very interesting book, The Plant Paradox, Dr Steve Gundry explains why certain plants like beans and dark green brassicas etc are problematic. His argument is that plants existed 60 million years before insects so were reasonably safe. Once the plagues of insects started devouring the plants, the plants quickly produced poisons that affected the neurological function to paralyse the attackers and stop them from eating the plants. Some plants, he argues, have an interest in being eaten like certain fruit trees etc, but annuals like beans, annual brassicas etc did not benefit from being eaten and they are the ones with the highest levels of nasties like oxalic acid etc.

  67. There is a magnesium that is called THINK. Crosses the blood brain barrier. Supposedly helps to prevent Alzheimmers.

  68. The best source of magnesium bar none is magnesium citrate. It is available as a bulk powder at very low cost. Taking 1/2 tsp per day with water will give you most of the RDA. A bonus is that the citrate helps prevent the formation of kidney stones.

    Beware of spinach! It is one of the highest oxalate containing of all food items. Red beets are also extremely high. Best to avoid high oxalate foods, they can contribute to the formation of calcium oxalate kidney stones. Get your B vitamins elsewhere.

    • It helps to cook the spinach and beets in water, then drain and rinse as a good portion of oxalates will get dumped down the sink

  69. I have a doctor’s appointment on December 22. It will be interesting to ask him about Magnesium, and to see what his reply will be!! Rachel says bananas are not the best choice for eating. (in connection with magnesium.) I’m sad about that because I love bananas!

  70. PS for previous comment from Susan: I have Diabetes, and somebody did say bananas have lots of sugar.

  71. Dolores Witherspoon

    I get jumpy legs at night and then realized I was not drinking enough water. So, when I get that uncomfortable, annoying feeling, I down 16 to 24 ozs. of water before I go to bed and in only a matter of minutes my legs relax. Of course, you will have to get up in the middle of the night to do you know what.

  72. Magnesium works with many other key minerals in the body, and is a key mineral itself. It’s ideally gotten through diet but it can also be supplemented. The best way to supplement is with a whole food vitamin with the rest of the essential minerals.

  73. Harvard says coffee contains about 7 mg of magnesium per cup, while the article says it’s 1000 mg. I think I know which study I believe.

  74. Apple Cider Vinegar & honey, good for cramps. My aunt always took ACV & honey night & morning. Her doctor asked her how she was not getting cramps anymore. She told him. I don’t know the quantity. I’d say 1/2 teas, honey, 1/4 cup ACV 3/4 water. Good luck with it

  75. I would like to know what is the best multivitamin out there for a youngman of 56? I drink alot of soda. dew. like 2 littler a day. can some help me?

  76. I eat all the foods recommended to provide magnesium, so why do I have a shortage? I am diabetic, have high blood pressure, and get severe nighttime leg cramps when I miss a magnesium pill. Do diabetes and high blood pressure mean I need more magnesium than a healthy person? Does age affect the absorption of magnesium from food? If I take too much magnesium, i spend too much time in the bathroom. I am just trying to understand why I seem to need this mineral. My doctor is no help and doesn’t understand or believe that the supplement is beneficial.

  77. sound like a good poduct i would like to try it magnesium citrate

  78. is frozen spinach better than any other spinach

  79. Please provide links for obtaining pure magnesium tablet or liquid.

  80. I had been taking magnesium by pill form and my daughter said no, take the powder. So I ordered some and havnt had a cramp since the first dose. I used to have cramps in my legs, feet, ribs, fingers and thumb. God bless my daughter for knowing that.

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