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Dr. Bob is Robert Hsiung, MD,
bob@dr-bob.orgShown: posts 1 to 4 of 4. This is the beginning of the thread.
Posted by saturn on July 22, 2007, at 20:25:01
I know Magnesium has been covered a zillion times here, but I'm really overwhelmed with all the information on it.
Could anyone summarize the best form and dosage, and if there is a need to balance it with calcium?
Thanks...Saturn.
Posted by JLx on July 25, 2007, at 13:51:52
In reply to Magnesium, posted by saturn on July 22, 2007, at 20:25:01
> I know Magnesium has been covered a zillion times here, but I'm really overwhelmed with all the information on it.
>
> Could anyone summarize the best form and dosage, and if there is a need to balance it with calcium?
>
> Thanks...Saturn.Hi Saturn,
I've been taking supplemental magnesium for several years now and have experimented with various forms and read a lot. Some thoughts:
Best (absorbable) forms -- Magnesium citrate, magnesium taurate, magnesium glycinate, magnesium orotate, magnesium malate, magnesium chloride.
Much less absorbable but MAY be ok depending on your own personal chemistry, is the commonly found (because it's cheap) magnesium oxide.
Avoid magnesium glutamate, magnesium asparate and magnesium carbonate.
As for which form and what dosage is best for YOU, what are you trying to address?
In terms of calcium, my understanding is that this is a very complex ratio and no one seems to be able to say for sure exactly what one should do. Some say to take it in equal measures and some to take it in 1:2 ratio OR 2:1 ratio, which is not very helpful. I think the question again, is what are you hoping to accomplish? What's your starting point? Have you been taking calcium supplements? Do you eat a lot of calcium rich foods? Do you eat magnesium rich foods?
This website explains the different variables which can enter in to how magnesium may be depleted and how much you may need depending on body weight: http://www.krispin.com/magnes.html
(Scroll down to about the half page.)This page is about magnesium in food primarily: http://www.whfoods.org/genpage.php?tname=nutrient&dbid=75#summary It can help you assess how much you may already be getting in foods or give you ideas about increasing your magnesium intake that way.
It's my personal opinion that most people don't realize how helpful magnesium may be to their overall health, don't realize how little they may be getting in their diet, don't realize how easily magnesium is depleted by stress and other factors, and don't realize how rotten too much calcium/not enough magnesium can make you feel.
I used to be hideously depressed and a tearful, nervous, insomniac, noise-sensitive wreck from too much calcium (and had a calcium kidney stone!) before I started taking magnesium. I cut out dairy products and took 800-1000 mg of magnesium glycinate during the day for many weeks before I started to feel more in balance.
JL
Posted by saturn on July 26, 2007, at 18:56:32
In reply to Re: Magnesium » saturn, posted by JLx on July 25, 2007, at 13:51:52
>>>I think the question again, is what are you hoping to accomplish?
Primarily anxiety relief and secondarily ADHD.
>>>>What's your starting point?
If I take magnesium oxide (about 250 mg/day) once every few months it works like magic for anxiety and adhd for a day or two...then nothing, and also likely some hypotension.
>>> Have you been taking calcium supplements?
No.
>>>Do you eat a lot of calcium rich foods?No.
>>>Do you eat magnesium rich foods?
Not regularly. Almonds sometimes (which seems to have the same effect of working short term and then having little if any beneficial effect).
Thanks for your response and website reference...Peace...Saturn.
Posted by JLx on July 26, 2007, at 19:32:24
In reply to Re: Magnesium » JLx, posted by saturn on July 26, 2007, at 18:56:32
Hmm...sounds like maybe you don't need it then.
You could try taking it with calcium and see if that had a more lasting effect. Calcium is found to be calming by some people, although I'm sure not one of them.
For your purpose perhaps one of the magnesium chelates with a calming amino acid would be helpful (magnesium taurate, magnesium chelate).
I think magnesium orotate is a type of magnesium often overlooked. It's said to be especially helpful for the heart, but Larry Hoover speculated once in a discussion we had that the orotic acid itself might be helpful. I bought some mg orotate in bulk as it's not too expensive that way and put it in capsules myself.
Magnesium is not for everyone. My sister finds it so stimulating that if she takes an Epsom Salt (magnesium sulfate) bath she can't sleep following it!
JL
> >>>I think the question again, is what are you hoping to accomplish?
>
> Primarily anxiety relief and secondarily ADHD.
>
>
>
> >>>>What's your starting point?
>
> If I take magnesium oxide (about 250 mg/day) once every few months it works like magic for anxiety and adhd for a day or two...then nothing, and also likely some hypotension.
>
> >>> Have you been taking calcium supplements?
>
> No.
>
>
> >>>Do you eat a lot of calcium rich foods?
>
> No.
>
> >>>Do you eat magnesium rich foods?
>
> Not regularly. Almonds sometimes (which seems to have the same effect of working short term and then having little if any beneficial effect).
>
>
> Thanks for your response and website reference...Peace...Saturn.
This is the end of the thread.
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