If you’re on a grain-free diet, or have “leaky gut” or a damaged gut, you need to read this post, as you are high risk for magnesium deficiency.
Are you deficient in magnesium? The chances are good that you are, as it turns out that the majority of Americans are deficient in magnesium.
The latest government study shows a staggering 68% of Americans do not consume the recommended daily intake of magnesium. Even more frightening are data from this study showing that 19% of Americans do not consume even half of the government’s recommended daily intake of magnesium. (Source)
My Story
I recently found out I am deficient in magnesium, which was surprising to me, since I eat a pretty healthy diet.
It was my insomnia that helped me to self-diagnose my magnesium deficiency. (Blood tests are not accurate for magnesium deficiency; the best way to tell if you are deficient is by paying attention to symptoms.) Insomnia is a symptom of magnesium deficiency. It is also commonly caused by hypoglycemia, which I also have.
I spent decades skipping meals. I also explored intermittent fasting. I just wasn’t hungry (loss of appetite is also a sign of magnesium deficiency — a vicious cycle!) I was also drinking alcohol and eating sweets pretty much every evening (the alcohol and sweets were a way to self-medicate low blood sugar and low serotonin). And up until a year ago, I drank coffee daily.
Thankfully, I’m on the right track now. To combat my hypoglycemia and insomnia, and in turn, heal my adrenal glands, I recently started eating every 2-3 hours every day and began taking amino acids, thanks to Julia Ross’s book, The Mood Cure.
In the past couple weeks, I’ve probably doubled what I eat every day. I’m eating a lot more complex carbs including sprouted/soaked whole grains, partly to get more minerals, particularly magnesium. I have also started supplementing with minerals, especially magnesium and zinc (I am deficient in both).
I’ll share my results so far at the end of this post.
The Importance of Magnesium
I recently read a fascinating book, The Magnesium Miracle,
In this post I’ll share what I learned about magnesium deficiency from Dr. Dean’s book, as well as from other sources.
Magnesium is the fourth most abundant mineral in the body and is essential to good health. Approximately 50% of total body magnesium is found in bone. The other half is found predominantly inside cells of body tissues and organs. Only 1% of magnesium is found in blood, but the body works very hard to keep blood levels of magnesium constant.
Magnesium is needed for more than 300 biochemical reactions in the body. It helps maintain normal muscle and nerve function, keeps heart rhythm steady, supports a healthy immune system, and keeps bones strong. Magnesium also helps regulate blood sugar levels, promotes normal blood pressure, and is known to be involved in energy metabolism and protein synthesis [2-3]. There is an increased interest in the role of magnesium in preventing and managing disorders such as hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. Dietary magnesium is absorbed in the small intestines. Magnesium is excreted through the kidneys. (Source)
Minerals like magnesium are also required in order to utilize fat soluble activators like vitamin D:
Magnesium status is critical for normal vitamin D metabolism, insulin sensitivity, and overall health. Supplemental magnesium blocks atherosclerosis in multiple animal models. — Whole Health Source blog
What Causes Magnesium Deficiency?
A hundred years ago, it was easy to get enough magnesium just by eating a variety of foods and drinking water. However, our modern soil is very depleted. This is due to modern farming methods which employ chemical fertilizer, and due to monocropping.
“The soil in every country in the world except Egypt has been farmed to a point of magnesium depletion.” – Dr. Norman Shealy, M.D. Ph.D (Source)
Magnesium deficiency in a banana leaf
Not only is the soil depleted, but so is the water.
Our human ancestors evolved in a world in which healthy drinking water came directly from streams, rivers, and lakes, rich in mineral content. The human body became reliant on obtaining a considerable proportion of its daily mineral needs from natural water sources.
Fast-forward to the twenty-first century. We obtain drinking water from a spigot or a plastic bottle. Pesticides and other chemicals seeping into the water supply have made everyone suspicious of water quality. As a result, municipal water-purification facilities have intensified their efforts to remove contaminants like lead, pesticide residues, and nitrates from drinking water. Unfortunately, these modern water-treatment methods also deplete drinking water of desirable minerals like calcium and magnesium.
Exacerbating this problem is that many Americans, distrustful of the purity and safety of municipally treated water, have added home water filters and purifiers that efficiently extract any remaining minerals from the water, thus converting “hard” into “soft” water. In fact, the manufacturers of these devices boast of their power to yield water free of “contaminants” — including minerals like magnesium. Thus, the magnesium content of the water that passes through most commercial filters is zero. (Source)
Magnesium is also not very easily absorbed by the digestive tract. If you have digestive problems, such as a “leaky gut” and food allergies, you may not be absorbing much magnesium at all.
Even people with a healthy gut who eat a balanced high-magnesium diet with magnesium-rich vegetables, whole grains, nuts and seeds, may not be able to rely upon food alone to provide sufficient magnesium levels. Absorption is a huge issue. According to Sally Fallon Morell in Nourishing Traditions,
Mercury fillings and other forms of exposure to mercury also prevents magnesium from being absorbed and utilized by the body. Fluoride also binds with magnesium and prevents absorption. (Source)
Eating a diet high in fat can also interfere with magnesium absorption (Source). Vitamin D deficiency also affects magnesium absorption. Eating a lot of dairy products and other foods high in calcium can also affect our magnesium levels.
Drinking caffeine, carbonated soft drinks, and alcohol waste magnesium. So does eating sugar. So while cocoa is a good source of magnesium, it is rarely ever eaten without sugar, which wastes magnesium. So, sorry to say, chocolate is not recommended as a source of magnesium. (Sorry, raw cacao is out, too, as it is very high in phytic acid, which binds with minerals and prevents absorption.)
There are also a number of drugs that interfere with magnesium absorption and utilization, including the birth control pill, antibiotics, antihistamines and aspirin.
Last but not least, stress uses a lot of magnesium. If we are under stress, we need more magnesium. Not that any of us every experience any stress. 
Signs and Symptoms of Low Magnesium
Do you crave chocolate? Do you get leg cramps or suffer from headaches? Do you have insomnia, body odor, or chronic constipation? These are all signs of magnesium deficiency.
Aggression
Anorexia or loss of appetite
Back pain
Body odor
Confusion, brain fog
Constipation
Coronary spasms
Cravings for chocolate
Difficulty swallowing
Exhaustion from exercise
Fatigue
Growth retardation or “failure to thrive”
Hyperactive reflexes
Impaired memory and cognitive function
Impaired muscle coordination (ataxia)
Insomnia
Irregular or rapid heartbeat
Insulin resistance
Involuntary eye movements
Irritability and anxiety
Muscle cramps, twitches
Muscle weakness, fatigue
Nausea and vomiting
PMS – including menstrual pain and irregularities
Seizures
Spasms
Stiff and aching muscles
Tics
Tremors
Vertigo
Diseases and Conditions Associated with Magnesium Deficiency
Here’s a list of diseases and disorders associated with magnesium deficiency:
ADD/ADHD
Alzheimer’s
Angina
Arrhythmia
Arthritis – Rheumatoid and Osteoarthritis
Asthma
Autism
Auto immune disorders – all types
Cavities
Cerebral Palsy – in children from magnesium deficient mothers
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
Congestive Heart Disease
Crooked teeth – narrow jaw – in children from magnesium deficient mothers
Depression
Diabetes – Type I and II
Eating disorders – Bulimia, Anorexia
Fibromyalgia
Gut disorders – including peptic ulcer, Crohn’s disease, colitis, food allergy
Headaches
Heart Disease – Arteriosclerosis, high cholesterol, high triglycerides
Heart Disease – in infants born to magnesium deficient mothers
High Blood Pressure
Hyperactivity
Hypocalcemia
Hypoglycemia
Impaired athletic performance
Infantile Seizure – in children from magnesium deficient mothers
Kidney Stones
Loss of Appetite
Lou Gehrig’s Disease
Migraines – including cluster headaches
Mitral Valve Prolapse
Multiple Sclerosis
Myopia – in children from magnesium deficient mothers
Obesity- especially obesity associated with high carbohydrate diets
Osteoporosis
Parkinson’s Disease
PPH – Primary Pulmonary Hypertension
Raynaud’s
Restless Legs Syndrome
SIDS – Sudden Infant Death Syndrome
Stroke
Syndrome X – insulin resistance
Thyroid disorders – low, high and auto-immune; low magnesium reduces T4
(Sources: http://www.krispin.com/magnes.html and http://www.mgwater.com/index.shtml)
Food Sources of Magnesium
How to get more magnesium into your diet? The easiest way is to eat whole grains, such as whole wheat bread and brown rice. Because I am magnesium deficient, I am now eating whole grains (properly sprouted, soaked and fermented) at least 2 or 3 times per day.
Soaked nuts and seeds are also a great source of magnesium, as are legumes and greens such as kale and Swiss chard. Wild bitter greens such as dandelion and nettles are very rich in magnesium. I don’t personally eat a lot of dandelion, kelp and other sea vegetables, but if you enjoy them, go for it!
Whole wheat sourdough bread
“… If farm soils are well-mineralized, leafy green vegetables, seeds, tree nuts and whole grains are fairly good sources of magnesium. Certain wild-crafted forage foods really stand out, however, such as nettles (860 mg per 100 grams) and chickweed (529 mg per 100 grams), and add many tonic and nutritive benefits to both human and livestock diets largely due to their high mineral content. Kelp, ancient denizen of the sea, contains spectacular levels, as do most sea vegetables. Remember that they are continually bathed in a solution whose third most abundant mineral is magnesium. And authentic, unrefined sea salt is a very good source of magnesium, along with trace minerals. Utilizing bone broths on a daily basis will provide another excellent source of minerals, including magnesium, in a highly assimilable form.” – Katherine Czapp (Source)
Sprouted Whole Grain Spelt Flour from To Your Health Sprouted Flour Co.
If you eat whole grains, nuts, seeds and legumes to get magnesium, it is critical that you properly sprout and or soak them. Phytic acid binds with minerals. When a mineral binds to phytic acid, it becomes insoluble which means it will not be absorbed by the intestines. Please see my article, Soaking Grains: A Traditional Practice.
Where to Find Sprouted Grains, Nuts & Seeds
Please see my resources page for sources of sprouted whole grains as well as sprouted nuts and seeds.
Magnesium Supplements
You may want to consider supplementing with magnesium. However, not any supplement will do.
I’m currently taking Now Foods True Balance
In addition, I’m also taking ionic magnesium from Trace Minerals (Trace Minerals Research Liquimins Ionic Magnesium)
Visit my resources page for sources of magnesium oil and magnesium flakes.
I am averaging about 1000-1200 mg of magnesium per day just from the supplements, plus I get more from food. I will continue to gradually increase the dosage until my stool becomes loose.
I really think the magnesium oil is the best way to go if you have any issues with your gut. I’m playing around with different supplements and amounts to see how much I need and how it absorbs. It is safe to experiment — just pay attention to your stool and you’ll know if you are taking too much.
Note: You can also add magnesium oil to your bath if you find that you don’t like spraying it on — some people find that it’s itchy or that it stings a little)
I learned a lot about magnesium supplementation from this article on the Weston A. Price Foundation website: Magnificent Magnesium. Here are a few excerpts, but I recommend reading the whole article as there is a lot of information (too much to cover here):
Even with ideal digestive conditions, only a percentage of magnesium in foods will be absorbed less when amounts in the body are adequate and more if there is a deficiency… For the average person, magnesium supplementation is safe to experiment with on your own, especially if you know you have symptoms that could be related to magnesium deficiency or are under extra stress, and so on. Excess magnesium is excreted in urine and the stool, and the most common response to too much magnesium is loose stools. Those with renal insufficiency or kidney disease, extremely slow heart rate, or bowel obstruction should avoid magnesium therapy.
General dosage recommendations range from about 3 to 10 milligrams per pound of body weight, depending upon physical condition, requirements for growth (as in children), and degree of symptoms.
Oral magnesium supplements are available in organic salt chelates, such as magnesium citrate and magnesium malate. These are fairly well absorbed, especially in powder forms to which you add water and can tailor your dosage. It is important to divide your dosage during the day so that you do not load your body with too much magnesium in any single dose. Carolyn Dean recommends taking your first dose early in the morning and another in the late afternoon—these correspond to times when magnesium levels are low in the body. Is it just a coincidence that these times of low magnesium and low energy also correspond to the cultural rituals of morning coffee and afternoon tea?
Loose stools indicate you are not absorbing the magnesium, but that it is acting as a laxative.
Yet another option for oral magnesium supplementation is ionic magnesium in liquid form, such as that offered by Trace Minerals Research. This is a sodium-reduced concentration of sea water from the Great Salt Lake in Utah…
Another potential way to get more magnesium into your system is via the pleasant method of soaking in a bath of magnesium sulfate, otherwise known as Epsom salts… A couple of cups of Epsom salts added to a hot bath will induce sweating and detoxification; after the water cools a bit, the body will then absorb the magnesium sulfate. According to Mark Sircus in Transdermal Magnesium Therapy,
the effects from a bath of Epsom salts, although pleasant, are brief as magnesium sulfate is difficult to assimilate and is rapidly lost in the urine. Magnesium chloride, which can also be used in baths, is more easily assimilated and metabolized, and so less is needed for absorption.
Finally, magnesium may be applied topically in a form commonly called magnesium “oil.” This is actually not an oil at all, but a supersaturated concentration of magnesium chloride and water. (Source)
Visit my resources page for sources of magnesium oil and magnesium flakes.
My Results So Far with Magnesium Supplementation
I’ve been supplementing for about two weeks now, in addition to eating a LOT more food (I’m eating 3 meals plus 3-4 snacks per day; this is up from just 2 small meals per day) and I’m avoiding alcohol, sugar and caffeine.
First and foremost, I’m beyond thrilled that I have an appetite! I can’t tell you how AMAZING this is!
You see, I drank coffee every morning since I was about 16 until I quit just last year. Caffeine is a strong appetite suppressant, and it also depletes magnesium. I think that was what initially messed up my appetite. On top of that, I smoked cigarettes and drank Diet Coke (I quit both of those in 2006 when I got pregnant). Cigarettes and soda are both appetite suppressants and they also deplete magnesium.
Low magnesium causes a loss of appetite. I wasn’t hungry so I’d skip meals and when I did eat, I didn’t eat enough, which led to hypoglycemia which led to craving wine and sugar at night — more wasting of magnesium, hence more appetite loss. No wonder I wasn’t hungry!
I’m thrilled to report that I wake up in the morning absolutely FAMISHED now. This is amazing to me! I can’t tell you how frustrating it is for a person who LOVES food to not be able to eat very much. Couple that with a metabolism that moves at a snail’s pace and life really sucks. Big time!
Nowadays, I have to eat a snack as soon as I get out of bed (usually a piece of fruit and some nut butter, or some soaked nuts and cheese, or a glass of raw milk and nuts) then I eat a big breakfast 2 hours later (typically 2-3 eggs plus oatmeal or whole wheat toast). I’m starving again by lunchtime, and always need an afternoon snack to get me through until dinner. It’s 9 pm now and I just had an evening snack of grass-fed cheese and whole wheat crackers. I’ll probably have a glass of raw milk before bed, as well. Hooray, I can eat again!
My insomnia is about 90% gone. I still wake up occasionally but it is usually because of a noise or my daughter waking me up. And I go right back to sleep within 15 minutes (it used to take hours).
I’ve also noticed that my elimination has improved. It was good before, but it is fabulous now! Sorry if this is TMI for some people, but my stools are so fabulous, I actually get excited about them.
My stools used to range from a Type 3 to a Type 4, but now they are consistently looking more like a Type 4, and sometimes even a 5. According to Konstantin Monastyrsky in his book, Fiber Menace,
I’ve noticed another benefit of taking magnesium. I no longer need deodorant. My body odor has completely disappeared. Carolyn Dean mentions this in her book, The Magnesium Miracle,
I’m also taking magnesium to help regulate my blood sugar and nourish my exhausted adrenal glands. Magnesium is called the calming mineral, so it definitely helps if you are under stress and/or have stressed adrenal glands. Magnesium also plays a central role in the secretion and utilization of insulin, facilitating sugar metabolism.
It’s too early to tell how my change in diet and supplements are helping with my hypoglycemia (low blood sugar) and adrenal fatigue, but this was astounding to me: in the past two weeks, I have lost a half inch in my waist and a quarter inch in my hips. Yes, this happened despite the fact that I have doubled my caloric intake and have been eating whole grains and other complex carbohydrates at pretty much every meal.
My theory, which I am still testing, is that my hypoglycemia (caused by fasting and not eating enough) has been causing cortisol surges, which result in weight gain around the mid-section. My hunch is that if I continue to nourish myself with plenty of good food and take supplements, I will sleep better, my cortisol will become regulated, my adrenals will heal, and the spare tire around my middle will melt away. Yes, I’m an n of one, but if I can get rid of my belly fat, that’s good enough for me. We’ll see how it goes.
To read more about my insomnia and belly fat, check out these posts: How Intermittent Fasting Caused My Insomnia and Belly Fat and Is It Wheat Belly? Or Cortisol Belly?
Do You Think You Might Be Magnesium Deficient?
What do you think? Do you think you might be low in magnesium? Have you had success with supplementing with magnesium?
Please share your comments below.
Photo credit: Sourdough whole-wheat boule by tmoertel, on Flickr
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{ 191 comments… read them below or add one }
What are your thoughts on the magnesium oils containing mercury? I just saw it remarked on in multiple reviews for different brands, including the one you use, on Amazon. Thanks so much for sharing on this topic!
I looked but I didn’t see any comments like that. Can you show me where?
okay, so I did more of my own research (yay, me!) and it sounds like mercury IS an issue for many brands, but NOT for Genuine Zechstein™ by Ancient Minerals. They address the mercury issues here: http://www.ancient-minerals.com/products/zechstein-pure-magnesium-oil/
Oh that is interesting. Did you find out anything about Swansons? I think Swansons uses the magnesium oil from the same source.
Yes, they do use the same source. I did a lot of research before buying the swanson one myself. The oil made my skin incredibly dry, though, so I stopped using it.
Interestingly, Matt Stone was the first one to call my attention to the fact that low-carb diets increase cortisol levels. The fact that you added back in more carbs may be a key reason you are losing belly fat. Great that you’re having such good experiences with the diet and supplements.
I want to go with Swanson’s Ultra because it’s cheaper.
Hi Ann Marie,
Thanks for this post! I found whole wheat sourdough bread at a local bakery that only sells food from local farmers. They use a long fermentation process to make a true sourdough bread. They stone ground their bread fresh every day. However, they don’t take out anything from the flour prior to making bread. I would believe this would include all of the bran, which contains the nutrients as well as anti-nutrients. Do you think this bread is fine, or are there still a lot of anti-nutrients from the bran in the bread despite the fermentation process? Thanks!
If they are using whole wheat and a long fermentation process with sourdough, it should be fine.
Here are a few excerpts from Rami Nagel from a great article he wrote about phytic acid in whole grains, nuts, seeds and legumes:
“Sourdough fermentation of whole wheat flour for just four hours at 92 degrees F led to a 60 percent reduction in phytic acid. Phytic acid content of the bran samples was reduced to 44.9 percent after eight hours at 92 degrees F. The addition of malted grains and bakers yeast increased this reduction to 92-98 percent. Another study showed almost complete elimination of phytic acid in whole wheat bread after eight hours of sourdough fermentation (See Figure 6).”
He also mentions that it’s a good idea to eat dairy with whole wheat sourdough bread:
“Phosphorus in the diet (at least from grains) needs some type of calcium to bind to. This explains the synergistic combination of sourdough bread with cheese. Historically, the cultivation of grains usually accompanies the raising of dairy animals; high levels of calcium in the diet mitigates the mineral-depleting effects of phytic acid.”
Read more here: http://www.curetoothdecay.com/Tooth_Decay/whole_grains_cause_tooth_decay.htm
Thanks! Seems like To Your Health Sprouted Flour Co. sales will increase dramatically after this post
I love To Your Health Srouted Flour. It’s yummy. And I’ve spoken with the woman who owns it twice and she’s nothing but nice and helpful. I just recently stopped using her flours though. I’ve read that you need to use grinded flour as quickly as possible (or freeze or put in fridge asap) or the flour will go rancid (because of the oils.) I understand she grinds the same day she sends out your order and you can freeze it when you get the flour. But I’m still concerned that the flour is rancid by the time I get it. I really, really wish there was a way to know whether the flour has gone rancid or not. Because, honestly, I loved supporting this business and it’s SO SO SO much easier getting the flour and then fermenting it to make yummy foods. But even Sally F. says to grind one’s own flour. I’d be more likely to get the flour if it came on ice. Right now, I’m spoaking, sprouting, dehydrating, and fermenting my own grains.
Tina,
This is what it says on the Creating Heaven website:
All flours are perishable foods. They have oils that can go rancid and over time their vitamins and minerals can deteriorate. We recommend a three month shelf for the retailer and this will allow another 3-7 month life for your flour at home.
The side panel gives suggestions for proper storage, but basically, all flours should be stored in air-tight glass or plastic containers in a cool, dark place, fridge or freezer. You can expect your flours to be fine for months: in a cool, dark place for 3+ months, in the fridge for 5+ months and in the freezer for 7+ months. (Source)
If you are still worried about buying sprouted flour, you can always buy sprouted grains from To Your Health and grind them yourself.
My concern is that between the time the flour gets sent out and I get it, it’s already rancid. That’s why I really wish there was a way to check for rancidity of the flour. If I knew the flours weren’t rancid, I’d definitely buy it. I just may get the sprouted grains though. That’s a good idea.
I will ask Peggy.
From http://www.realbreadcompany.com/exposing_enrichment.html
“As long as the bran is intact, and the grain kept relatively cool, dry and rodent or bug free these “seeds” will store indefinitely with no nutrient loss. Once the kernel of wheat is broken open, however, as in milling, the protection of the bran is gone and many of these nutrients, now exposed to oxygen, are lost by oxidation. In fact, once milled, as much as 45% of the nutrients are oxidized in the first day alone. In 3 days 90% of the nutrients are lost to oxidation alone.”
Wonderful article! Thank you!! This really helps piece things together for me. I recently went grain free but was concerned about having developed stool issues and having other deficiency problems. I had never even considered the affect on my sleep! (I require ten hours every night.) Back pain, check. Moodyness, check. Cocolate cravings, CHECK!
Thanks for the recommendations. Oh, side note. My ND says magnesium supports the liver. Well obviously it supports a lot of things, but that really just jumps out at me since the liver is an incredibly important organ, responsible such things as detoxification.
Such great info! Do you know if Natural Calm by Natural Vitality is a good supplement?
Hi,
I have some of that in my cupboard and I used it initially when I was experimenting with magnesium supplementation.
It is probably the worst absorbed out of all the magnesium supplements so I would not recommend it for most people. I gave it to my husband — just 1 tsp — and he had diarrhea for HOURS (he does not have a healthy gut).
If you have a healthy gut, it might be fine. It was OK for me, but I was not able to take enough without getting loose stools (which means I was not absorbing it).
As a result, I am not taking it anymore. Instead, I am taking the ionic magnesium, plus using the transdermal magnesium oil. In addition I am taking Total Mins and True Balance.
Total Mins contains magnesium from magnesium oxide, taurinate, citrate, alpha-ketoglutarate, and aspartate. True Balance has magnesium from oxide and aspartate.
Thanks so much! I will ask my doc if I can take those during pregnancy.
Wow! Another great post…Thank you, Thank you!!! More research to do! I love it!!!
And yes, I think I am deficient in magnesium as well….;)
Very timely post for me, I just started reading the magnesium miracle and my medical mind (a former RN) loves it. We are just doing the transdermal magnesium for now hoping it will help my daughter sleep better. I was just diagnosed with mitral valve prolapse (a recent occurence) and wonder if its related to magnesium deficiency, as I didn’t have it prior to GAPS. Thanks for the info!
Mitral valve prolapse is related to magnesium deficiency.
http://www.mgwater.com/prev1808.shtml
Interesting. My mom has this, plus migraines, plus I inherited a narrow jaw (which luckily was expanded with orthodontia). Not 100% sure if I’m magnesium deficient (although I think I am), but my mom must be!
Great article! I too am the magnesium deficiency poster child, lol! I recently bought the spray you mentioned, but find that I get all wound up from it, even have frequent panic attacks when I use it, something I never have experienced before. I read that this can be a symptom of too much magnesium. Have you ever heard of this side effect from the spray? Any oral supplements I take give me horrible indigestion, so it’s very frustrating!
Hi, Tina,
How much did you use?
If anything, magnesium does typically calm people. I read this post on EarthClinic.com about someone who had a negative reaction with transdermal magnesium:
06/20/2011: Amberdim6 from Yakima, Wa replies: “I seem to have all the signs of a magnesium deficiency, migraines, cold hands and feet, muscle spasms and cramps, irregular hearbeat, kidney pain, anxiety attacks, etc. I try to use magnisium oil but if I put more than one drop on my feet I get very bad side effects, my pulse races out of control, I get all sweaty, my whole body throbs. I can’t believe that I am overdosing on so little an amount, is there any reason for this? I don’t eat dairy products so is my calcium ratio out of balance. If anyone has some insight on what might be causing this and anything I can do to figure this out, I would greatly appreciate it.”
06/30/2011: Tish from Candia, Nh Usa replies: “All the symptoms you describe are Lyme disease. You need a Western Blot blood test submitted to IGenX lab in Palo Alto, California. You also need a CD57 blood test to test your immune system. The norm is 200. My immune system tested at below 20 so it is also a confirmation of severe illness. You need to find a Lyme literate doctor.
Your severe reaction to the magnesium might be because it was helping your system attack the Lyme and other possible co-infections. Good luck!”
I’m not sure if Lyme could be an issue for you. Google Lyme disease, magnesium, and Jarisch-Herxheimer reaction (die-off or healing crisis).
I have Chronic Lyme disease and was excited about the possibility of easing so many of the symptoms with magnesium oil after reading the list. Thanks for posting info about the extreme reaction. I didn’t think about it but am glad I’ll be prepared if it happens. Sadly, it’s one of those organisms that really likes to fight back, so it’s rare to find something to help you feel better without experiencing a lot of distress, too.
Oh, I know I am! I’ve been having sinus issues for almost a year that cause pressure all over my head and in my ears. It causes anxiety attacks sometimes and I’ve been wondering if I just plain don’t eat enough. I’ve got three children that I pour my time into when it comes to feeding them well, that there’s just not much time left to nourish myself! I also have been fairly low grain for several years which is probably why I’m always constipated! This post has really got me thinking. I’d also like to know what you think about Natural Calm. Is it okay to take every day?
My 8 year old has facial tics and is very low weight for his age. I’m definitely trying magnesium therapy on him!
Thanks so much!
Christy
I know you know this but it bears repeating: You must make time to nourish yourself first, because if you are not healthy, you have nothing to give to others.
I am not really a fan of Natural Calm as it is very hard to absorb. See my comment above to Jeanette.
Wow! I have the sinus thing. I almost have a sinus type headache once a week if not more. I have two small children and I’m SURE I don’t sleep enough. But I do sleep enough I think, maybe it has to do with magnesium. I’ve suspected a magnesium difficiecy since I’ve read in Nourishing Traditions about chocolate cravings equal that. Hmmmm. Now I’m really intrigued about this. Let me know about your sinus pain. I just keep wondering why I get it, first I thought allergies, then dairy, now magnesium.
I meant to say… I could use more sleep but think I get enough to get by. What I wrote didn’t make sense
Great post on the importance of magnesium. However, why do you say skipping meals=intermittent fasting? Intermittent fasting is not just “skipping meals,” but carefully timing fasting and nutrient intake to benefit health and fat loss. There are several intermittent fasting plans, but none advocates just skipping meals whenever and not having an appetite, nor undereating calories. I am concerned that readers unfamiliar with intermittent fasting might come away with the wrong impression of it.
Thanks for your comment. I’ll change the post to reflect that skipping meals and intermittent fasting are not the same thing.
That said, I have done intermittent fasting before in an attempt to lose weight. I believe it was detrimental as I have hypoglycemia.
They are two different things but the result is the same — deprivation of nutrition. I am not a fan of any kind of fasting.
Thanks for clarifying that. I totally agree that for some people intermittent fasting can be detrimental to their health (it’s not for those with blood sugar issues, adrenal fatigue, etc), but for those who can tolerate it, it does seem to have some specific hormonal benefits (these have been backed up by studies). Fasting does not lead to deprivation of nutrition when done right.
What a great article and this may be me. I am gluten intolerant and I don’t eat much bread and grains except when I’m having a craving for pizza a few times/month. I do take 125 mg. of magnesium each night before I go to sleep and I sleep like a log most nights. My body is lapping it up.
My hypoglycemia totally went away since I have been doing a primarily Primal diet although I do have dairy in my two cups of coffee every morning and full fat yogurt. I have gone off coffee from time to time (for months) and my issues don’t change. So I slide back in with drinking the coffee. Maybe I’ll try quitting it again.
I have Julia’s book. I’ll read it again and this time pay closer attention to it. Thanks for writing this and alerting us about the mag deficiency.
Wow! This is so interesting! Thanks! I’ve been having periods of insomnia since having my first son in 2009. I always chalked it up to hormones (since I’ve been BFing or pregnant for the past 3 years), but now I’m wondering if I have magnesium deficiency. My dad has always had loose stools and insomnia, so I’m going to recommend this to him too!
Great info. thanks for sharing all of this. I’m gonna look into more mag. I have had leg cramps for years & tried powdered mag & topical, but looks like there is still room for improvement. Btw, my leg cramps started, I believe, when on low-carb.
Scary to think of adding more food, esp. carbs, but you are making me think it is WORTH a shot, and have seen this, too, on 180 degree site. (I have adrenal issues).
Thanks for taking the time to share with us.
Thank you for the very informative post. I follow a Paleo diet which has improved my health tremendously. It stands to reason, in part, because I have Celiac Disease (just found out a couple of days ago), so the elimination of gluten is a major part of my improvement. But I also started supplementing with Natural Calm brand of ionic magnesium. My diet is very nutrient dense and I do not generally take supplements. However, I have seen a real difference in my sleep from magnesium. My insomnia disappeared and so did intense leg cramping. It has really been a life saver.
I can take a magnesium supplement just fine, but twice I’ve given one to my husband and he has thrown up within 20 minutes. Nothing else different on those days, just the magnesium and pretty soon after. Any thoughts why? I’m wondering if one of the other forms (other than a tablet) would help…
Yes, I commented above that my husband got diarrhea when I gave him magnesium citrate (he was not happy with me!
.)
Try one of the other forms. I am going to start putting magnesium chloride flakes in my daughter’s bath and I am going to make my husband start using the magnesium oil. This way it bypasses the digestive tract and is absorbed directly into the bloodstream.
You can also make magnesium oil with the flakes. Just add magnesium flakes to boiling distilled or RO (reverse osmosis) water and boil until dissolved.
Oh and here’s a link to the magnesium flakes: http://astore.amazon.com/cheeseslave-20/detail/B001G8LKBS
Thank you! He was definitely not happy. I can probably convince him to do foot baths with the magnesium flakes, though….
I got the oil and the salts – and gave him a backrub using the oil as the massage oil. It made his lips tingle, oddly, but he has survived. Now the trick will be to not have to give him a backrub every night!
I take epsom salts baths (not too hot) at least once or twice a week and soak for 20 minutes or sometimes longer. Epsom salts are magnesium sulfate and you can get plenty of magnesium this way … I sleep like a baby when I do this! Epsom salt soaks also open the elimination channels and are a great way to gently detox.
Can we get the same benefit from a foot soak with epsom salts?
Yes, you can. This is especially helpful if you have cramping in the feet, or diabetic naropathy.
However, I have read that the the extremities absorb the least magnesium so it would be better to take a bath.
According to Dr. Mark Sircus:
“The physical condition of the skin at the point of external application is another significant variable. The skin of an infant or child is more permeable than that of adults. The skin over the organs in decreasing order of permeability is genitals, head and neck, trunk, arm and leg.[6] Skin abrasion allows a locally applied substance to come directly in contact with subcutaneous tissue and blood vessels. Absorption is at a much higher rate than in healthy skin. Inflammation leaves the skin leaky and allows larger molecules to be absorbed.”
I imagine putting magnesium oil in your mouth would be as effective or nearly as effective as applying to the genitals (and I wouldn’t try spraying the oil directly on the genitals — it would sting!), because of the mucous membranes in those places. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mucous_membrane
Epsom salt baths are OK but they are not the best way to absorb magnesium.
According to the Weston A. Price Foundation (as I quoted above in the article):
Another potential way to get more magnesium into your system is via the pleasant method of soaking in a bath of magnesium sulfate, otherwise known as Epsom salts… A couple of cups of Epsom salts added to a hot bath will induce sweating and detoxification; after the water cools a bit, the body will then absorb the magnesium sulfate. According to Mark Sircus in Transdermal Magnesium Therapy, the effects from a bath of Epsom salts, although pleasant, are brief as magnesium sulfate is difficult to assimilate and is rapidly lost in the urine. Magnesium chloride, which can also be used in baths, is more easily assimilated and metabolized, and so less is needed for absorption.
In other words, it is better to add magnesium oil or magnesium flakes to the bath. The magnesium oil and magnesium flakes contain magnesium chloride, which is better absorbed than magensium sulfate.
Here is a link to the magnesium flakes, which are cheaper than the magnesium oil (I’m also going to write a post about how to make your own magnesium oil with the magnesium flakes): http://astore.amazon.com/cheeseslave-20/detail/B001G8LKBS
I was about to post the same thing, but then I saw in her post that apparently magnesium sulfate is excreted pretty quickly, and so it’s difficult to get long-term benefit. I have used primarily epsom salts for magnesium, too, so this was news to me! But I also made my own magnesium chloride oil long ago, so I think I’ll dig that out and use it some too.
This itrndouecs a pleasingly rational point of view.
Supplementation with Natural Calm stopped my frequent heart palpitations. I can’t get it into my kids, though, because of the taste. I’ll have to try other things – we’re increasing how much bone broth we eat around here, although my younger daughter isn’t thrilled with soup. I might also try the Mg oil for topical use. My 10yo frequently wakes during the night and can’t get back to sleep. My 6yo has a lot of aggression issues and chronic constipation. I would love to see how magnesium supplementation helps both of them. Thank you for this post.
Try adding the magnesium oil or magnesium flakes to bathwater. I’m going to start doing this with my daughter on a daily basis.
Do you think you might have insulin resistance?
This all sounds so familiar, I have taken magensium supplements for years to help me sleep, plus constipation problems brought on by candida, hypoglycemia, also I am sure I have adrenal fatigue, even though no dr. has told me I do. I am glad to know that it is better to take magnesium in the morning, I am going to try that.
My cholestrol levels are indicative of inflamation, which I am sure is the insulin resistance. slightly high total chol, high HCL, slightly elevated LDL and low triglycerides.
I have recently read an article by Barry Groves about a high fat, (only good fats), medium protein and very low carbs diet. I have been trying it for a week now…… I don’t know how good it is, but I sure am satisfied. Fat has the least amount of impact on insulin, carbs always have an effect on insulin and protein has quite an impact on insulin also. I know my blood sugar is much more stable on a high fat diet, but fat is harder to digest too………it makes me wonder what is happening to all the fat I am eating. Is it staying as fat in my body? or?? is my body burning that for energy because of the lack of carbs for energy? I am going to try this for awhile anyway and slowly add more bread to my diet and see what happens.
I have upped my digestive enzymes because of the increase in fat in my diet. (I am not eating a lot more, probably 2 T more) I love how I feel so satisfied, I don’t have that constant reaching for food, usually carbs, that I always have, even though I have a sit-down job. I am still on the bone broth/gelatin challenge w/ myself. I don’t feel I have lost any weight, but my thighs feel thinner.
Thanks for sharing this, it’s an eye opener for me. Always something to learn.
Just my 2 cents here b4 I get back to bed after putting little ones to sleep.
I have all kinds of mineral issues and adrenal burnout as well and I was hypoglycemic. I have talked a bit about the adrenals on my site but I have been working w/ a practitioner long distance who has been helping me w/ the adrenals and natural metal detox and it has been fascinating. I would be happy to talk w/ anyone who wants to hear more. I get nothing from referrals- just one beggar telling another where to find bread. From what I can tell, my hypoglycemia is gone and the burnout is slowly going away.
I really enjoyed this post and forwarded it onto her since she is quite familiar w/ the Mg issue and I take some. She did mention that taking too much can slow down the adrenals and thyroid too much so it is good to use caution. I will be interested to see what she thinks of this info and if I should tweak my protocol at all.
Also, one of my friends was taking a bunch of Mg and had heart racing as a result. There is a clear label on the Mg flakes saying that you can get that kind of a reaction from too much.
Adrienne-
You work w/ Theresa right? I think I saw that on your blog. I’ve been working w/ her for a year and a half- she’s the best! Can you expound on the high doses of mag slowing down the adrenals/thyroid?
Are you aware that you can make your own magnesium oil for much cheaper than they sell it? It’s pretty expensive to buy it made, but it is also the best way to supp. The cheapest way is to buy Nigari, which is the magnesium chloride that is used for making tofu. You can get it at your local asian market. Or you can buy magnesium chloride by Swanson, which sources its magnesium chloride from a very pure source: Magnesium Chloride Flakes 2.2 lb
Either way you get the magnesium chloride, you mix it 1:1 with water and wait a few days for it to fully incorporate. It turns into an oily liquid. You can spray it on your skin or rub it on your skin.
I did this on my own with minimal instructions a while ago, but I just googled now and found this GREAT article on how to do it:
http://www.justlovinglife.com/2011/06/13/how-to-make-magnesium-oil-using-magnesium-chloride/
Yes, I have been reading about that. I plan to try making my own magnesium oil, as from what I have read, it seems easy to do and it is much more economical. I will write a post about it.
Dr. Mark Sircus who wrote the book, Transdermal Magesium Therapy, recommends the Ancient Minerals brand. I’ll have to continue to read about the Swanson’s brand of flakes and oil and see if it is as good as Ancient Minerals.
Be careful about buying other sources of magnesium chloride (not sure about the Nigari you referenced). You want a pure source that does not contain heavy metals.
Does the homemade mag. oil sting like the ancient minerals brand?
April, does it?
I don’t know as I haven’t made it yet.
I imagine that it would.
From what I have read, if it stings, you are just not used to it yet (and are likely deficient). Over time, the stinging will reduce and even go away as you become saturated with magnesium and your body gets used to it.
I think the flakes or oil in the bath would also be easier on the skin, as the magnesium oil is very concentrated.
Yes, it does sting. That’s why I stopped doing it and went to mainly epsom salts baths. But now, reading how quickly the epsom salts are excreted, I think I’ll dig out my oil again.
The article I linked says that the Ancient Mineral mag flakes and the Swanson mag flakes source from the same place — the Zechstein Seabed in Europe.
I used Nigari when I made mine a while ago, but maybe I should order some new purer stuff.
@April
Yes, I see that they both come from the same place. I think they are probably both good. I’m just going w/ Ancient Minerals because that is what Dr. Mark Sircus recommends. I haven’t read his book yet — it’s on it’s way from Amazon.
What about bone broths? Wouldn’t one get a good amount of magnesium from them?
Bone broth is very rich in minerals including magnesium. We do not know exactly how much magnesium it contains, however.
Here’s a video by Amanda Rose, in which she says that bone broth does contain minerals but she doesn’t know how much: http://www.rebuild-from-depression.com/blog/2010/01/bone_broths_mineral.html
Here’s another link:
http://www.jadeinstitute.com/bone-broth-health-building.php
This is interesting:
“There are a few food supplements that are very rich in magnesium. Bone meal is one of them. More than 60 percent of the magnesium in the body of man or animal is in the bones and teeth. So, we must take bone meal (which is pulverized young beef bone) not only for its calcium and phosphorus, but also because of the magnesium and the amount of valuable trace minerals it contains.
Considering that long-simmered bone broth (with added vinegar to extract the minerals) is basically just bones concentrated in water, it seems to me that bone broth would be very rich in magnesium.
http://www.mgwater.com/rod09.shtml
Bone broth has the added benefit of enhancing digestion. I think everyone should eat bone broth every day, ideally with every meal. Not only for the magnesium and other minerals, but also to help improve absorption of all nutrients.
Unfortunately, most of us do not eat anywhere near enough bone broth, as it is hard to come by in restaurants and grocery stores, and the stuff you do find is not long-simmered (most bone broth made in restaurants or sold in stores is only simmered for a short time so it is greatly lacking in terms of mineral content).
I have just recently started a new practice. I learned from Monica Corrado in one of her classes that bone broth will keep longer in the fridge if it is very gelationus (i.e. if you use a lot of oxtail bones or chicken feet and heads in the stock). So last week I reduced about 8 cups of chicken stock to about 3-4 cups and I added enough gelatin to make it gel. It is just like JELLO. I now leave that in the fridge and I serve it over roast meats as a gravy, or add it to soups. An easy way to boost the nutrition in a meal!
That’s a great tip. In that gelatinous form, how long can it be kept in the refrigerator, Ann-Marie?
I don’t know — until it goes bad!
I’ve had good luck just re-boiling any bone broth I have made, a couple of days after I make it, and then it keeps a long time (weeks?)
Hi Ann Marie – I’m glad you’ve had such good results with the magnesium. Unfortunately, I’ve had the opposite effect when taking magnesium. Earlier this year, I was having some terrible health issues which I could not get to the bottom of, no matter what I tried. I was having panic-like symptoms and anxiety that was affecting me night and day, and was keeping me awake for nearly 3 months. I was experiencing internal shaking and racing heart episodes so badly, I thought I was going to lose my mind. I’ve been on a whole foods diet since 2005, and started traditional foods in 2009. In November of last year, my work load increased and I was spending long days on the computer (even longer than normal) and this continued for a couple of months. Despite my good diet, our family has been under tremendous financial strain for nearly three years, and this year has been exceptionally brutal in terms of lack of income and stress. I think all of these things combined together over-rode the fact that I was eating well, and truth be told, my long hours in front of the computer equated to my skipping some meals and not drinking enough liquids, etc.
When this all started, I had been seeing a nutritional therapist who is my next-door neighbor and on various supplements. In January, I started seeing a friend of mine who is an MD, and also board certified in naturopathic care and homeopathy. I was also seeing an acupuncturist from last fall for infertility, and started going to her again hoping I could get things in my body back to normal so I could sleep again.
For two months I had appointments with these two practitioners, and I was never advised to take magnesium, but I decided to take it on my own. I tried multiple brands such as Concentrace Trace Minerals, and Angstrom liquid magnesium – which are supposed to be easy to absorb since they are liquid minerals. I struggled with diarrhea for some weeks and kept tapering off and then would have constipation. I could never get my bowel movements normal. Then I decided to try Jigsaw magnesium malate, suggested by Dr. Carolyn Dean in her book that you referenced. In the meantime, my MD thought my symptoms were consistent with heavy metal toxicity so she started me on chlorella, and it almost immediately caused me to become completely constipated. I hardly ever have trouble with constipation, so I knew something was wrong. So I did some enemas which helped tremendously. However, the magnesium never helped my symptoms, in fact, things were only getting worse. Then my MD started DMSA injections under my skin for heavy metals. That didn’t work. Then she started me on ozone treatments. That didn’t work. We tried various homeopathic remedies as she also does homeopathy. Those didn’t work. She also gave me 5Htp and herbal supplements for adrenal exhaustion. No change. I also have Julia Ross’s book The Diet Cure and started amino acid therapy as recommended in the book. No results.
In early January my MD had tested me for thyroid issues, including Hashimoto’s. Auto-immune came up negative but she said my numbers indicated I was still hypothyroid (I had the same test a year and a half earlier with the same results). I didn’t want thyroid medication so I ordered Dr. Ron’s dessicated thyroid and started to take that. No change. I know I’ve got major hormonal imbalances for years, and have also had a large cyst in my breast for 7 years. I started taking Iodoral 2 years ago (4 per day) and never noticed any changes whatsoever. I was muscle-tested multiple times for this supplement (and also Lugol’s) by the MD, the acupuncturist, and NT who all said I wasn’t absorbing it at all. I was also muscle-tested for FCLO, which I had been taking for over a year and had increased my dose over the winter, and was told I wasn’t absorbing that either – and yet my blood test for Vitamin D showed my levels were very low. This is one of the reasons I decided I must be low in magnesium. But if you are low in magnesium, you are probably also not getting enough Vitamin B either…so I started taking Vitamin B complex supplement. Again, no results. I also did the epsom salt baths for about 2 months nearly every day for awhile, and then tapered off to a couple times a week. Nothing I tried, and I tried EVERYTHING I could think of, made any alterations in my panic episodes and sleepless nights. I got so desperate, I even tried medication, and I’m a person that will take no meds for any reason whatsoever…but of course that didn’t work either.
Finally I decided to take my husband’s advice which was to stop taking most of my supplements and see if that helped. He believed I was taking way too many things and that it was affecting me. I stopped and had a very slight change, but not enough to make things better. Then I decided to start GAPS in late April. I noticed changes almost immediately and started sleeping better. Hallelujah! I’ve been off grains for longer than I started GAPS because I’ve not done well on them for some years, and I’ve continued to avoid them. I do cultured vegetables and bone broths every day, and I have also been drinking nettles lately. I also do cultured dairy from raw milk nearly every day as well in the form of yogurt, kefir, or sour cream and I often make smoothies with a lot of other ingredients like coconut oil, raw egg yolks, and avocado. I try to eat frequently, but I’m sure sometimes I don’t eat as often as I should. However, I always eat 3 meals daily and sometimes snacks. I used to be insulin resistant, but my blood test in January showed that this was no longer the case.
I’m now doing better than I have in a very long time. But I still have very light periods and fibrocystic breast cysts…I’m pretty much out of ideas on how to deal with that. We also have struggled with infertility for about 7 years and I have completely given up on getting pregnant again because I can’t keep going through disappointments each month, it’s just too devastating. I had extenuating circumstances with my first pregnancy which nearly killed me as my son was born 9 weeks premature because my appendix ruptured and I nearly died due to incompetent medical diagnosis and treatment. For years my husband has believed I have some complex mechanical issues (involving my fallopian tubes perhaps) from that experience which are likely preventing me from conceiving, and I I now agree with him 100 percent. I eat plenty of foods with iodine like seafood and Kerrygold butter which is from Ireland and cows on grass with iodine since it is near the sea.
Here’s what I’ve concluded from my experience: supplements don’t really work for me very well, and I’m scared to death to take them again. I also think it’s not a great idea to take something that’s isolated without co-factors and enzymes necessary to assimilate the nutrients. The only things I take now are probiotics, hydrochloric acid, digestive enzymes, and FCLO (which is actually a food). GAPS has helped me where nothing else has. Four years ago I did a candida cleanse that lasted nearly 2 years, but anytime I’d eat grains or carbs, my symptoms would return. So I’m going to continue with GAPS for the next year or two and see what happens.
I’ve been thinking about consulting with a classical homeopath which has been highly recommended to me by a good friend who has had results, but this will have to wait for when we have income again. Two years ago I consulted with a different classical homeopath for the fibrocystic cysts, but after 6 months and no results, we ran out of income and I had to stop my treatment. What was really disappointing was that when I told her I was out of money, she dropped me like a hot potato. Not cool. So for now, I’m just going to continue my GAPS regimen. I’m not at all convinced that supplements for for everyone, based on my experience…but I think they can for certain individuals, depending on their individual issues and body’s needs. Anyone have any thoughts?
Raine,
Have you ever considered that you might have Lyme disease?
I ask because I just found a post from someone saying they had a negative reaction to magnesium — see my comment above in reply to TinaC.
Also because some of the symptoms you mention sound like Lyme: heart racing, shaking, and insomnia. I also know from people I have met who have Lyme that they have to stay on a very strict GAPS diet.
I know very little about Lyme disease but I just heard a lecture from last year’s conference about Lyme by Dr. Rind. Did you listen to that one yet?
Hypothyroidism is also associated with Lyme disease.
http://www.stopthethyroidmadness.com/lyme-disease/
Cysts in the breast can also be related to Lyme:
http://cassia.org/essay.htm
Raine-
I can relate to a lot of what you’ve been through health wise. I was very sick for 4+ yrs. and wondered about limes as well. I saw 7 different practitioners before I finally found someone who has been able to help me. I did everything-a acupuncture, muscle testing, GAPS, homeopathy, and on and on. I finally happened upon this article (link 1.) and w/in a few months started working with Theresa Vernon (link 2.). She is the BEST! I have been working with her for a little over one year now and things are improving- it’s a slow process but what matters is i’m moving forward. She is also the most affordable practitioner I have worked with and she will work with you if you don’t have a lot of extra money. She does use supplements but the way she works is like no one else I’ve worked with. I would never take another isolated supplement without running it by her first. Supplements can really screw us up if taken improperly. Anywyas, just wanted to pass this info along in the event that you might be interested.
1.http://www.westonaprice.org/mentalemotional-health/metals-and-the-mind
2. http://www.tvernonlac.com/
Hi Maria.
I can’t believe it – how wonderful. Theresa is whom I am working with as well. It is NOT an easy road. But the results are so far undeniable.
Adrienne,
Sorry, never saw this comment. Yes, T is wonderful, so happy to have found her! Nutritional balancing takes patience and dedication but it feels like the healing that takes place is deep and lasting!
Hello Raine,
I would be happy to correspond w/ you as well. I had a myriad of symptoms and from what I can tell now, it is heavy metals. But the woman whom I am working w/ would never recommend DMSO. It could be that you are so sensitive that you need a mch gentler approach.
Amazing that as I am typing this I read that 2 commenters below, a woman named Maria, is working w/ the same person whom I am working with – Theresa Vernon. I would love to talk / email. Just contact me please. Take care!
I caused myself to be hypothyroid by taking iodine. I stopped taking it (and went on GAPS for a while, under Dr. Cowan’s care) and my TSH is normal now. Iodine is not helpful with thyroid issues in some people.
Awesome, another excuse to take nice long soaks in a hot bath!! I started supplementing with mag after reading the artile about it Wise Traditions (the WAPF journal). Also adding Ancient Minerals trace minerals you mention in my water, morning noon and night. I micro dose everything too, soups, raw milk kefir, whatever. I have noticed a lot of improvements – esp in my sleep. Up until about 5 yrs ago I would hit the pillow and sleep for 9 hours straight. Over the past 5 yrs I noticed I was waking at night, and just not sleeping as soundly. It is a combo of things of course, but the mag is a bit player and now I sleep soundly again. I also use the mag oil spray after my weekly shower, I take an espom salt bath plus add a cap full of the mag oil to the water, almost everyday. I DO NOT rinse after my bath, I slather myself with coconut oil afterwards.
BTW, are you familiar with the work of Dr. Stephanie Seneff and her hypothesis regarding sulfer deficiency? She is my latest discovery and I am so blown away by her razor sharp mind. Check out her interview with Jimmy Moore and/or Dr. Mercola. This is the shorter inview here: http://www.thelivinlowcarbshow.com/shownotes/4805/505-mits-stephanie-seneff-and-naturopath-dr-tom-ballard/
After listening to these and reading her work, I find I have yet another reason to keep up those daily Epsom Salt baths – cause it contains mag sulfate!! Also, coconut contains it.
Minerals, minerals, minerals, minerals, the catalysts of life. Thanks for the great article!
Thank you! I will listen to that show today!
She is speaking at the Weston A Price Foundation conference this fall and I am really looking forward to her lecture.
Hey cheeseslave…you need to learn about fertilizer. Chemical fertilizers? Fertilizer are nutrients. It doesnt matter if the source is organic or inorganic. The plants cant tell the difference. We add magnesium to the soil (by using both manure or other fertilizer sorurce) that grains and other crops take out of the soil and onto your table. If we wouldnt use fertilizer to replace these valuable nutrients, the crops (including grain that you suggest to eat as a source of magnesium) would develop magnesium and other nutrient deficiencies as the years go by. Much of the magnesium fertilizer that we use comes from Carlsbad New Mexico and is naturally mined called potassium magnesium sulfate. Heres the link to read about it. http://www.kmag.com/granular.htm. Really, it’s just fertilizer mined and sized. Spooky word fertilizer is huh. Educate yourself at http://www.nutrientsforlife.org.
Thanks and we’ll keep replacing the nutrients by using fertilizer that humans and animals take out of the soil to feed the world.
Pete
Hi, Pete
I am not an expert in farming, organic or otherwise. I do not claim to be. But I do know there is a difference between chemical fertilizers and organic fertilizers.
I can also see from your link provided that your organization is funded by fertilizer corporations:
William J. Doyle – Foundation Chairman; President and CEO, PotashCorp
Michael L. Bennett – President and CEO, Terra Industries
Daniel Clauw – Executive VP and COO, Yara International ASA
Du Keping – President and CEO, Sinofert
Lawrence S. Hlobik – President and CEO, J.R. Simplot Company
Steve L. Packebush – President, Koch Nitrogen
James T. Thompson – Executive VP, The Mosaic Company
John Van Brunt – Director Emeritus, Agrium Inc.
Michael M. Wilson – President and CEO, Agrium Inc.
Stephen R. Wilson – President and CEO, CF Industries
Ford B. West – President, The Fertilizer Institute
http://www.sourcewatch.org/index.php?title=Nutrients_for_Life_Foundation
Magnesium sulfate is Epsom salt. People are bathing it in an earlier blog. We use magnesium sulfate in fertilizer blends. Really, a nutrient is a nutrient. It’s one and the same. The fertilizer companies are trying to educate consumers about food. When is the last time you have heard of people dying from eating a plant fertilized with fertilizer? Fertilizers are not pesticides but the get thrown into the same category for some reason.
I AM a gardening expert and former extension agent, and what you say, Pete, is only partially true. Organic farmers do use mineral fertilizers like greensand, limestone, rock phosphate and magnesium sulfate just like chemical farmers do. Farm soils need minerals, period. These particular fertilizers are INORGANIC chemicals, meaning they contain no carbon. In this case, the words “organic” and “inorganic” are chemistry terms that have nothing to do with certified organic or conventional farming.
However, this is where the similarities between organic and conventional farm fertilizers end. Soils also need nitrogen, and how that nitrogen is sourced and then supplied to the soil varies greatly between the two systems (though there is some overlap). Natural, renewable, and more stable forms of nitrogen such as cover cropping, crop rotation, and proper use of composted manure are environmentally and economically superior to fossil-fuel based nitrogen fertilizer on every level. From manufacture to application, to their effect on soil tilth and waterways (via leaching and run-off), not all nitrogen fertilizers are equal.
Thanks for pointing that out Dawn. Nitrogen is the key element most plants need alright. However when we use compost as our only source to product healthy, quality crops, it isnt good for the environment long term. Most compost contains a higher content of phosphorus and potassium than nitrogen. If we used nothing but compost, we accumulate too much phosphate and potassium in the soil than the majority of crops use. I have seen soil samples of continuously manured or composted fields in the 1,000 ppm range. Most soils are high at 100 ppm. These fields have too much organic fertilizer and then bacterial concerns start to surface. Just like the e coli outbreak in the organic spinach and the recent listeria in the cantaloupe. Both were traced back to manure sources. Proper fertilizer use whether inorganic or organic is the key to food and environmental safety. Good soil tilth can be obtained in an inorganic practice as well by utilizing good tillage practices and other good management techniqes Anyway, back to my original point, the plant can’t tell the difference between organic nitrogen and inorganic nitrogen. Both sources leach and volitilize as you well know from your experience of being an extension agent.
Pete
Here’s a possibly unexpected question. Is this manure generally from grain-fed cows? If so, could the e. coli and listeria growth be attributed to that, to the fact that the manure is from unhealthy cows?
Ann Marie – I have read about Lyme’s Disease over the years, but wasn’t convinced that this was my problem…however, based on the matching information, it’s entirely possible. I’m still not clear on how to treat it though. It seems like most of what I’ve read is consistent with taking medication. I think I need to read up on this. One thing is for sure…it all sounds very complicated and involved with testing. So it may have to wait until we have income. Thanks for mentioning this, it looks like I have some research to do!
I swear that every time I read you Ann Marie, I am stuck by the parallel things we both have going on! I’m currently on month 7 of GAPS, and just realized that I have depression/anxiety/PTSD issues that are vastly helped by reading The Mood Cure and now taking 5-HTP and True Calm (for the GABA). I’m still not on DLPA, but I need to get there to help with endorphin problems.
Anyways, the interesting part is that I have heard many people talking about magnesium lately and I have been wondering if I should try it. When my son was born with a cleft lip/palate and other health issues, another problem was if he pooped often enough. Funnily enough, my chiropractor said to give him Natural Calm, because once he reached a threshold for how much he could absorb, the extra magnesium would make him poop. Interesting!
I have had sleep problems for the majority of my life: staying up late, waking up frequently, etc. That was how I slept my whole life until I had kids and got so tired that I developed adrenal fatigue (about 6 years ago). I was so tired all time that I didn’t stay up anymore, but I did still wake up a lot at night. I used to joke that my kids cured me of that! Eventually, because of the adrenal fatigue, I tried GAPS and started to sleep great at night, and had more energy during the day.
For the first 3-4 months on GAPS I felt increasingly more energetic. But it didn’t last. As soon as I had enough energy to handle the day, I started staying up late again like the old days. Then I started joking that GAPS healed me to where I could choose my favorite vices again! And now I’m tired again. Is it a self-control thing? Is is magnesium? I can’t tell. (The True Calm and 5-HTP help, but they aren’t fool-proof)
I think I suffered from adrenal fatigue and related issues including sleep problems for most of my life as well. I remember being a kid and staying up late to watch Late Night with David Letterman. I also remember that whenever I got a suntan as a kid, I used to get hyperpigmentation, which is a sign of adrenal fatigue.
I am super focused now on protecting and nourishing my adrenal glands. NO coffee or caffeine (except for occasional chocolate — like maybe once per week at most). I do my best to get in bed by 10, but if I can swing it, I try to make it 9 pm. It is HARD, especially if you are used to staying up — people w/ adrenal fatigue experience a rush of energy late at night. I read that if you can get in bed early and dim the lights, you can bypass the energy rush that comes later. Lately I’ve been getting into my pajamas right after dinner, which is often as early as 7 pm! LOL!
I also sleep with a sleep mask (my daughter likes the light on because of monsters). ANd I even got a free program for my computer called Flux. It dims your computer right after sundown, so you can produce more melatonin. http://stereopsis.com/flux/
That’s a good idea to get into pj’s right after dinner. I love it! And I still haven’t tried a sleep mask, but I really need to.
I had no idea that the rush of energy was related to adrenal fatigue. I had also hoped I was beyond adrenal issues at this point, but I think it’s yet another reminder that these things take time. Just because GAPS and coconut oil have helped with detoxing and energy levels, doesn’t mean my adrenals are completely healed. I’m better at managing stress now, and baths at night REALLY help, but I need to remember that it’s a long process. It warrants a lifestyle change, not a time to put my dues in and then resume my late-night tendencies.
Actually, my maternal grandmother was the same way. She used to always say that sleeping was a waste of time. We were two peas in the pod, loving to stay up late! She died last year, and she wasn’t very old, barely 70. So I can see the legacy of stress on our bodies from not sleeping. She and my mom both also have anxiety and are considered “high-strung”. And because I was born to an extremely abusive family, on top of coming from a long line of stressed out bodies, I think I just finally hit a breaking point when I shifted to a WAPF diet. This may take some time to undo.
Do you sleep with your daughter? I NEVER get a good nights sleep with my kids in bed. Especially my 7-yr old. She is a horrible kicker and tosses all night long. If I want a good nights sleep I make sure to have my girls sleep in their own bed!
Bruce just said he thinks there’s no way I could have Lyme Disease because if I did, I’d be really sick or dead. But I’ve heard that various people can have this disease and not feel terribly sick. I’ve actually been feeling great these last few months…so I really have no idea.
Hi Raine,
Dr. Ron Schmid had Lyme disease. He is able to control it almost entirely. He wrote this article back in 2004 regarding his condition and the solutions he took to control it: http://www.westonaprice.org/miscellaneous/diet-and-recovery-from-chronic-disease
It’s really common for Lyme disease to go unrecognized and undiagnosed for years and even decades.
Here are a couple stories I found online:
http://technorati.com/women/article/svmoms-2009-04-im-diagnosed-with-a-terrible-disease-and-im-so-happy/
http://www.crookstontimes.com/news/x2084232182/Woman-opens-up-about-her-Lyme-disease-undiagnosed-for-26-years
I have not seen this movie about Lyme yet but it is on my Netflix instant queue:
http://www.underourskin.com/
Excerpt: “A gripping tale of microbes, medicine & money, UNDER OUR SKIN exposes the hidden story of Lyme disease, one of the most serious and controversial epidemics of our time. Each year, thousands go undiagnosed or misdiagnosed, often told that their symptoms are all in their head. Following the stories of patients and physicians fighting for their lives and livelihoods, the film brings into focus a haunting picture of the health care system and a medical establishment all too willing to put profits ahead of patients.”
There’s a suspense novelist who has battled Lyme herself, written a novel based on it, and has a blog that hosts many stories of other Lyme sufferers. http://forensicsandfaith.blogspot.com/2010/05/new-blog-lyme-over-edge-launches.html Some of those stories might help those who are wondering about the disease.
Thank you Lori, that sounds very interesting!
I just watched Under Our Skin a few days ago. Man!! did I end up angry!!!!! As a trained RN with my heart and focus on natural/nutritional medicine now – I think I got even more angry because I could read between the lines on much of what was said about the guidelines.
It is definitely an eye-opener, especially the stats on the spread of the disease and how regularly it is considered “not possible here”. It’s incredibly similar to syphilis – and dangerously discounted.
In my profession, we were trained to change one thing at a time. Otherwise, you don’t know what worked and what didn’t work. The same is true of experimenting with ourselves with foods and supplements.
It sounds like GAPS was definitely a good move. Hurray! And ending all the supplements for now seems like a good move, too. Sounds like you were overwhelmed with so much going on. I hate when I feel like that — of course, then, nothing works!
My mentor told me to try things for three months, then decide if I wanted to keep doing that thing. I use this method for adding or taking away supplements and making dietary changes. I try to change only one thing at a time. Being Type A, that ain’t easy, lol!
I also take iodine (quite a bit) and about 20 supplements a day including enzymes. I make my own mag oil and use that rather than take mag internally. It’s been wonderful for me. Who knows? Maybe once your gut issues are cleared up — and if the gut ain’t healthy, nothing is going to be absorbed anyway, right? But maybe after some time, you can start adding things, see what works.
Good luck, Raine. I hear you on the money issues. One day at a time.
Many thanks Sally, you too!
Thanks for the link, Erica! I was reading an article on Dr. Ron’s web site about Lyme Disease about 45 minutes ago, and I searched for one on the WAP site and didn’t find this one. He’s very wise about so many different health issues, and I’ve been of the mind for the last year or so that supplements aren’t always useful, so that’s why I’ve been sticking with foods to heal my body. I think perhaps once I’ve been on GAPS for a period of time longer I’ll be able to do some quality supplements again. I’ve already seen amazing things with GAPS thus far, and I expect more in the future.
I would also like to say to anyone who has commented here who has experienced these types of problems…since going on GAPS and addressing the deficiencies in my body, I’ve had more energy and vitality this summer and fall than I’ve had in years. We got a dog in August, and he has been instrumental in getting me to go outside and walk and hike every day. I’ve even started doing some running, but I’m not pushing myself. I only do it when I feel like it, and I’ve never been a person who has enjoyed running at all until now. I’ve also had a lot of sun exposure this year (as compared to last year), and I think that has made a huge difference as our winters are starting to get periods of clouds that go on for days and days…which has not been typical of Boise weather the whole time I’ve lived here (and I’m 42).
That is wonderful, Raine!
By the way, Dr. Rind uses teasel weed to treat Lyme. He talks about it in the lecture I referred to above. If you don’t have that lecture let me know and I will get you a copy.
I take Pure Encapsulations Magnesium Glicinate- the glicinate form helps prevent loose stools. You can also take colostrum pills if you continue to have trouble w/ your bowls even on the glicinate. The colostrum can sooth the digestive tract and help alleviate the loose stools problem.
Yes, the glycinate is good.
Thanks for the tip about colostrum — that makes sense!
Thanks much Erica, Maria, and Ann Marie for the links and info! Ann Marie, yes, I’d appreciate a copy of that lecture. Thanks for offering it!
It has been really difficult for me to stop night-owling, even though I’ve been doing the GAPS diet for nearly 6 months. I think it’s left over from my days as a music promoter/event coordinator in the underground music community. Usually I’m just watching Netflix, trying to unwind from the day. I never had trouble giving up caffeine, I did that years ago when I was in my 20s. But I’m sure that is all part of my adrenal exhaustion/hormonal imbalance syndrome. Still, I’m able to go to sleep without much trouble and stay that way for most of the night. I’ve been sleeping better these last few months than I have for years. Sometimes I find that I will wake up and not be able to go back to sleep, but I’m always calm and it’s usually closer to dawn now…as opposed to when I used to wake up at 1, 2, or 3 a.m. and be in full panic mode and not be able to sleep for hours. I’m just so glad to be sleeping now as I was ready to be committed to the loony bin back in the beginning of the year when I was awake every night for hours at a time.
Yes, me too, Raine! I woke up this morning at around 5 am but that is way better than 1 am and not being able to go to sleep for hours!
Cheeseslave-wow, you have really been hitting homeruns for me lately, starting with the Mood Cure and now the magnesium info. I have been dealing with OCD for the last 5 years or so and am absolutely desperate to find answers in treating it that DON’T involve an SSRI! My husband and I have definitely been eating better the last couple of years (switching to raw milk, natural fats and getting off veggie oil, etc.), but I think that when you’re really deficient (like I obviously am with all I’m dealing with), just eating better isn’t going to cut it.
Enter the Mood Cure-after reading your post, I ordered the book and have been reading thru it the last few weeks. I immediately started myself on 5HTP and GABA and have since added the other aminos (I was low in everything). I also went to see an ND who started me on a candida supplement and a couple things to help with my digestion. Based on the info in the Mood Cure, I am ordering the multi this week and just started on a B complex, acerola and of course FCLO (high dosing it).
All that to say that I was HIGHLY interested when I started reading your postings on magnesium, as that certainly sounds like something I am low in as well. When I googled “OCD and magnesium” I was surprised at how many links I found on the subject, as it is also related to a whole host of mental issues (ADD, OCD, tics, etc.). I did manage to find some magnesium oil and started using that 2 nights ago, so we’ll see.
I really do feel like I’m on a mission to figure this out right now, and because of the info you’ve been presenting lately, you’ve been a huge help in giving me some direction in looking for natural ways to treat this. Not only that, but all along, I’ve felt that “something just isn’t working right in my brain”, but the only answers I’ve been given are to do exposure therapy and take an SSRI, neither of which are particularly helpful for me (3 years ago when I was at my worst, I was started on Lexapro and took it for about a year, but I never felt comfortable taking it at all, much less long-term). However, all the research I’ve been doing the last few weeks has given me new hope, that this really IS a physical/brain issue that I’m dealing with and not just an emotional one (yeah, exposure therapy doesn’t really work for me either).
I am curious to see that you are taking magnesium orally AND via the oil plus an additional mineral supplement? I do worry about going too far overboard on the supplements, as I am already taking so many. I realize that it is a temporary thing to correct an imbalance and that everything I’m taking has a specific purpose, but yeah, I had to order a pill case on amazon to keep up with everything!
@Robin LOL! Yes, I bought a pill caddy too! I even travel with it — it’s like what old people use. Only I’m not filling it with drugs; it’s all vitamins!
Please keep me posted on how you are doing.
Hugs!
So I ordered the book on amazon and got it yesterday. So interesting!!! In the first chapter, she is talking about several patients, and in the case of Sam, she writes “When he read that magnesium deficiency is also associated with muscle pain, especially back pain, that really got his attention, since he had begun having back pain four or five months before he developed chest pain.” That really got MY attention, because when I read that, I immediately thought back about 10 years ago when I actually developed severe chronic back pain that lasted at least a couple years or so. When it first started, I had recently taken up running for the first time that summer, and even made several visits to a chiropractor which never really helped. I did actually get an MRI which showed a bulging disk, but I was never really convinced that that was completely the problem. However, after reading that statement in “The Magnesium Miracle” I had a lightbulb moment, as the onset of my low back pain wasn’t THAT long before the start of my OCD onset.
THEN, on the next page, she goes on to describe the correspondence between type A personalities and magnesium deficiency (it would be fair to say I’m pretty much type A) with the clencher soon to follow, where she writes “sweat loss during heavy exercise (cycling and jogging) and working in the heat deplete magnesium”. WOW. Remember that the onset of my low back pain started the summer I took up running? Well I was actually training for a sprint-distance triathlon and working out constantly in the heat outside, biking, running and swimming.
All of this really makes me think that maybe the low back pain I was experiencing was actually my first real sign that something was wrong (i.e. magnesium deficiency plus who knows what else?), with the OCD stuff to follow later. A few more pieces of the puzzle clicking into place. What’s amazing is that I would have NEVER made this connection otherwise (who knew back pain and OCD could be related???), but I felt like I have lightbulbs flashing off in my head when I read that. Awesome stuff.
So I was curious about the source of my magnesium oil (which I found at a store here locally), since it is not the ancient minerals brand (it’s made by Life-flo). Turns out it actually is from the same source, the Zechstein Sea. However, I also noticed that it is significantly less expensive, as you can purchase a pack of 2 (8 ounce bottles) for $11.58 on amazon, compared to $15 for just one 8-ounce bottle of the ancient minerals.
Seems like the ancient minerals bath flakes are also more expensive compared to other brands that also source from the Zechstein Sea. Any idea why they are more expensive? Just want to make sure I’m not missing anything…
i ordered the life flo brand from Amazon too, because of the price difference.
Do you know anything about Natural Calm Magnesium Supplements?
Yes I commented about it above. Do a search on the page for magnesium citrate — it is one of the hardest to digest and many people have trouble absorbing it.
Thank you for the info! I’ve been looking forward to this post, and you certainly didn’t disappoint.
I was wondering about the danger of oversupplementing. Do you know how much is too much and what problems that could cause? I’m especially wondering about my kids. I hate to take risks with them, you know? I’m far more comfortable using myself as a test subject.
I’d have to look it up… You really should get the book, The Magnesium Miracle.
BTW she lists a bunch of drug interactions you have to watch out for and any possible conditions that you should be careful if you are supplementing. I recommend reading the book.
I wonder if it is drug interactions with my husband. I’ll get the book and run a search, I think – gotta love the Kindle and its searchability.
I self-diagnosed magnesium deficiency during my first pregnancy, due to headaches, eyelid tics, muscle cramps, and constipation. Unfortunately I had no idea how to add more magnesium to my diet! I did get some relief from eating more nut butter and blackstrap molasses. But these are all such good ideas! And no wonder I felt so good all summer — I was eating lots of bitter greens.
Great post! I have known for a while that I was magnesium deficient, but was unsure what to do about it. Do you know if we will eventually be able to stop taking the magnesium supplements? If so, how will we know when to stop? I am currently on the GAPS diet and need to try the intro one more time before trying to get pregnant. It appears gluten was keeping me from being able to get pregnant, so I need to stay gluten free until after we get pregnant. I will have to find a supplement that would be safe while pregnant too.
Thank you for your post.
I plan on continuing to add ConcenTrace mineral supplements to my water indefinitely. I will also continue to use the magnesium oil indefinitely.
I hope you will stay off gluten even after you get pregnant. I was able to recover from my gluten intolerance but it took me a couple years of following a gluten-free diet and taking strong probiotics.
Thank you for the advice with the gluten. I do plan on staying off of the gluten if at all possible. I am a diabetic too and my blood sugars do so much better without the added carbs. I am pretty sure that I will need to do the full GAPS for the full 2 years too. I do hope that I can add the sour dough bread back in about then. I do love sour dough pancakes too.
The coconut flour pancakes are delicious!
I love your site. I have a question. I have had a horrible time with insomnia and I usually am not hungry until late afternoon. But when I do eat, man do I eat. I eat like there is no tomorrow. So I wonder if I fit the profile. I have got to figure out how to get a good nights sleep. Interesting also is the carbs. I used to grind my own wheat and now hardly eat bread at all since following N.T.
Any thoughts out there would be appreciated.
I used to be the same way. I was never hungry in the morning.
Do you drink coffee or tea? Caffeine is a strong appetite suppressant.
Do the zinc tally to see if you are low in zinc. http://astore.amazon.com/cheeseslave-20/detail/B001ED1DYY
You also may be low in magnesium.
Both magnesium and zinc deficiency can result in a loss in appetite. It is not normal to not be hungry in the morning. If you start supplementing with zinc and/or magnesium (if they are needed) you may find that your appetite comes back just like I did. It’s amazing! I NEVER ate breakfast before and now I’m starving every morning.
I wish I had known this years ago!
Something else I was going to mention about eating in the morning is that no one in our house is ever hungry before 9 a.m. But right about that time (and sometimes just before) we all become interested in food. I used to skip breakfast years ago or just eat really late, but I always eat breakfast now. On page 153 of Dr. NCM’s book Gut and Psychology Syndrome, she specifically states that our bodies are detoxing from 4 to 10 a.m. and that eating during that time can cause interference with detox. She says to drink filtered water, freshly pressed juices, and take probiotics during this time. I always wondered for years why I was not hungry during this time, and now I know. I always become hungry, just like clockwork anytime between 9 and 10.
Yes that is true and I think it’s important when youre on GAPS and detoxing. However, if you have low adrenal function and even more especially hypoglycemia like I do, it’s important to eat right away when you get up
Can you supplement magnesium while nursing? My daughter is 14 months old.
Thanks!
I’d have to look it up in the book but I’m sure it’s safe. Read the Magnesium Miracle.
I took Peter Gilham’s Mama Calm while I was pregnant and nursing with great results. I had to take it every night or I would jump out of bed during the night with horrible leg cramps. As long as I took my Calm… no leg cramps! It’s a great magnesium. My daughter takes Calm regularly. She loves it!
Thanks for posting this info and all the great links! Congrats on finding the cure to your belly fat.
Girl, you hit it on the head here: “My theory, which I am still testing, is that my hypoglycemia (caused by fasting and not eating enough) has been causing cortisol surges, which result in weight gain around the mid-section.”
I think these are my issues, too. I’m going to try some magnesium oil to help with absorption.
Great post! I am working on adding more magnesium and fats as well into my diet. Never did low fat or anything, but with my 3rd pregnancy I’m finding I am having to consume a lot more fat (lot’s of organic, pastured cream butter and coconut oil). Those two things combined with increasing my intake of CLO is really making a difference with my sleep and skin irritation that I was suffering from. I’m still struggling with nausea, yesterday was a particularly bad day, but I also didn’t take as much magnesium. This little child growing is really putting a demand on my system and I am having to be much more careful about what I eat. I too have cut out most sugar, except the occassional treat most often made with raw honey or grade B maple syrup and besides a half glass of green tea in the morning I don’t drink caffeine. There are plenty of mornings I don’t have any caffeine. Anyways, with that all said, it’s amazing to see the difference in how I’m feeling. No longer feeling like I want to sleep 24×7. Now if only more midwives or even dr.s knew info like this. I’m on the search to find a midwife that has more knowledge in natural nutrition, neither of the midwifes in my last two pregnancy knew anything and the first one basically had a midwife title, but was more or less used the typical western medical approach.
Oh and one question. Any recommendations in how to increase the kiddos magnesium intake? I am almost certain both my kids are suffering in this area. However, it’s far more difficult to get some of the magnesium foods in them. I tried looking for supplement, although personally I’m still not sure about giving them vitamins ( although I would consider minerals) and still do not do so for them or myself. I’ve read far too much info. that talks about how much whole food is more beneficial even with it lacking the nutrients because of soil depletion and often our bodies don’t absorb the nutrients in vitamins or at least very little. (Actually read stuff along this line just on the WAPF site.) I do have concentrace minerals, but need to be better about giving it to them in their food. Think that would be enough?
In the book, Carolyn Dean says to try kids on the magnesium citrate or milk of magnesia. I’m starting my daughter today on the magnesium citrate. She has a pretty strong gut (thanks to years of Biokult and raw milk) so she should be fine. I will try giving her the Natural Calm since it is sweet and she will probably like the taste. dean says it’s best to split up the dose throughout the day to prevent loose stools.
She says 6 mg per pound of bodyweight for hyperactive kids. My daughter is not hyperactive but she has a very tough time going to sleep at night. I’m going to start with 200 mg per day (she’s about 43 pounds) and go up to 250 if she needs it.
For kids who can’t handle those, I would add magnesium oil or flakes to the bath water.
Great, thanks, I’ll check into those recommendations.
UPDATE: I just gave Kate some of the Natural Calm (magnesium citrate) and she liked it! I only gave her 1/2 rounded teaspoon which is only about 80 mg. I’ll see how she does with that and then give her more tomorrow. If it works well to help her sleep, and she absorbs it well, I’ll give her a little each night as her “special drink”. If she doesn’t absorb it well, I’ll switch to the magnesium oil in the bathwater.
If she gets loose stools just reduce her dose until she gets used to it. Most people make the mistake of taking too much too soon, before their bodies adjust.
I thought you said you didn’t like Natural Calm? Is that just for adults?
I think it is hard to digest. This is what Carolyn Dean said in her book.
I do think the magnesium oil in the bath water would be better.
could you give an update on Kate? I have a 1 and 3 year old and am trying to determine what to buy for them.
I was using milk of magnesia topically (on my face – it really works on acne!) until I read it inhibits absorption of folic acid. Have you read about this and what do you think?
I craved beef stock and sea salt a month ago…and chocolate. This was in the last month or so of pregnancy and the first couple months postpartum. At first it was insomnia, which disappeared after only a few weeks, then constipation and irritability. Those are gone now too, as are cravings. I ate dark chocolate (very, very dark) always with nuts. Lots of nut butter, tons of beef-stock-containing meals, sea salt as needed, and I started to experiment a lot with various soaked grain recipes. I seemed to “need” to. I kept soaked pita bread around, to make quick pizzas or spread with butter, nuts, and cinnamon for a snack. Now I feel good and have none of those symptoms. I had figured out a few weeks in that I was dealing with adrenals and then magnesium, so I knew what to do. Pregnancy takes a huge toll on magnesium, too. So important!
Hi Ann Marie,
I’ve read that Natasha Campbell McBride stated that it’s best for people to wait until 10 am to eat. Most of the time, I’m usually hungry between 6 and 7 am. Is it fine to eat breakfast at this time if one is hungry?
I don’t get it. Why would you force yourself not to eat? Shouldn’t we strive to listen to our bodies & if our body is telling us we’re actually hungry (empty stomach), then we should eat something? Just curious how ignoring our body’s signals would be considered healthy?
Both Steve and I started Magnesium last night. We both slept WELL!
Isn’t it wonderful?!
Peter Gilham’s Natural Calm has been my leg cramp saver for several years. Since I no longer eat sugar I don’t need to take NEARLY as much anymore. I also put a few drops of Concentrace Minerals (concentrated from Utah’s Great Lakes – I take the Swanson brand since it is SO MUCH cheaper!!!) in every jar of water I drink to replace the minerals removed by R.O. I drink out of a quart jar to make sure I drink enough throughout the day. I’ve started putting the liquid minerals on my calves since they are extremely tight and pull my feet out of adjustment all the time so I can’t run. It really helps my calves. I put it on just like topical magnesium and it doesn’t itch like transdermal magnesium does. It has lots of magnesium, but balanced with the other minerals so it doesn’t get out of proportion so much.
Hi, what did you mean to say in the last sentence where it reads, “Yes, I’m an n of one”? Did you know that in an earlier paragraph you say you “drank smoked cigarettes”? That is a funny picture to imagine! :p
N=1 means the sample size (N stands for the number of people in the experiment) is one, so the test was only tried on – and the results can only be certain for – Ann Marie.
Thanks Lauren!
I’ll go fix that other typo…
Wow! This sounds just like me. In particular, the hypoglycemia, insomnia, and chocolate craving. (Not to mention the chronic fatigue and mental fog.)
WOW… i have been awaken, woke up… slept until… my alarm clock went off… i think 3 days in a row now… in other words… i think this magnesium stuff is working… i am soooooooooooooooo stinkin’ excited!!!!! i can’t remember when it started… but it’s been a looooooooooooooooong time since i’ve been sleeping all nite long… i still get up to go to the bathroom once BUT… i am able to go back to sleep and fairly quickly.. and my mind doesn’t race and keep me awake for hours… at least i thought it was my mind.. maybe it was my body .. and it was low on magnesium… thank you cheeseslave, for posting this!
How much are you taking, Tammy – I lay awake for hours with my mind racing. I want to sleep too!
I have been taking extra minerals that include magnesium, but the magnesium I ordered hasn’t come yet…
Hi Ann Marie,
Do you know who sells flour products that are sprouted and fermented as well?
Thanks, Denise
(An aside, re: the Fido jar full of stock that wouldn’t open without a mess– I soaked it upside down in hot water for a while and it popped right open when i carefully lifted it out of the pan.
)
Hi There! I am confused – first you said that Natural Calm isn’t the best absorbed and you were prompting people to read your earlier comments about it, but now you are giving it to your daughter? Maybe I read wrong? THank you!
Hi There!
I am confused as I thought you stated earlier that Natural Calm was not easily absorbed and now you are giving it to your daughter? Can you please comment on this? Thank you!
This is what Dr. Dean recommended in her book. If your child has any gut problems, I’d use the magnesium oil in the bath.
Denise ~
I don’t know of any organic, sprouted flours and fermented flours; only sprouted flours. But fermenting sprouted flours would be super easy to do on your own. Or at least it would be easy to me since I soak, sprout, dehydrated and grind my own flour with a coffee grinder no less.
I have been using Milk of Magnesia for several months as deodorant, and it works great! I am wondering if I am getting absorbing enough this way to benefit from the magnesium, I quit supplementing with magnesium when I started doing this. My second thought is perhaps I could get too much this way… Any thoughts on this?
You’ll know if you’re getting too much if you have loose stools. I doubt it though.
I heard you could also use Milk of Magnesia on your face — instead of powder. It is supposed to take away the grease on your face and make it smooth.
Anybody know anything about magnesium lotion?- my Dr recommended it to me.
Tana, see the various comments above on this.
Yes I think you might have hit the nail on the head for me. We’ve been on GAPS (full) for 5 or 6 weeks now, and just recently I have been getting chronic constipation. My stools used to be a 3 or sometimes a 4, but now they are stuck at 1… I’m miserable. I also have deep bone aches! Couldn’t figure out what was causing that. I also recently discovered that my adrenal glands are just not too happy. I did not know that losing the grains could cause magnesium deficiency, and I also did not know that coffee can do that too. (I cheat and drink some coffee, one a day or so.)
So thanks for this post. I’ll up my magnesium intake, and make sure my kids are getting enough too.
Good luck! Let me know how you do.
And drink more broth!
Did you gain your appetite back right away, or did it come back after you forced yourself to eat more regularly?
I was forcing myself to eat at first.
My appetite did not come back until I had been supplementing with magnesium and zinc for a couple weeks.
Oh, and after I stopped drinking every day! It took about 3 weeks after I cut out the alcohol and adding in the zinc + magnesium.
As a long time restelss leg sufferer and not a good sleeper I read this blog with interest. I’ve been doing the GAPS diet for about 10 months now, have had a lot of improvements but not so with the sleep, restelss legs are improved but not gone. Interestingly when I ate raw vegan all of this went away and I had loads of energy – not sustainable though. So my question is, are you saying that GAPS, with its no grains is a bad idea? Very interested in your opinion particularly considering you followed GAPS yourself for the two years.
No, I’m saying you need to eat more broth. Broth is rich in minerals including magnesium. Dr. Natasha says we need to be eating at least 3 cups of broth per day on the GAPS diet.
Also, beans contain magnesium (white beans and lentils are allowed on GAPS,) as do nuts and seeds. Soak and dry your nuts and seeds for best absorption. You can add beans to soups and stews and add nuts to salads or eat nut butters. You can also drink homemade almond milk.
You may also want to add Concentrace or another mineral supplement to your water supply. And if you need to, take a magnesium supplement. You might do best with the magnesium oil, as it does not need to be absorbed via the intestines.
And just to clarify, I did not follow GAPS for 2 years, but something similar. GAPS wasn’t around in 1995 when I healed my gut.
Thanks so much, very helpful and good to know I’m on the right track. I easily have three cups of broth a day but will look at adding beans and up the anti with the seeds. Love your blog, it’s been very helpful, particularly the coconut flour recipes! I will definitely keep checking in on a regular basis, thanks, Sarah
Great article Ann Marie!
I have a question for you. Have you ever heard of anyone suffering from insomnia only at certain times of their cycle? My insomnia shows up like clock work every month. Nothing seems to help. I’m assuming some sort of hormonal imbalance. In this situation, do you believe Magnesium could help?
Hi Kelli,
I have had the same thing, and I have recently read this ariticle on the WAPF website: http://www.westonaprice.org/metabolic-disorders/low-metabolic-energy-therapies which helped me understand the whole thing. This past week, I have really upped my magnesium and am sleeping much better (thanks from me as well for writing this Ann Marie!).
A.
Thank you so much for this well written and thoughtful post. Your story has been my story. I’ve recently started magnesium supplements and it is helping tremendously. I never could figure out why I craved suger and wine in the evening. Now I know! Thank you!
i have also noticed… along with a good nite’s sleep, that the tingling in my hand(s) has subsided. i used to wake up with my left hand feeling tingling.. kinda like it had “fallen asleep”… but i hadn’t been laying on it to cause the tingling. could the magnesium supplementation have improved this also?
i used to eat black beans and brown rice everyday for lunch. i’ve gotten away from that… guess i need to get back .. i am so amazed at the quick results i’ve gotten from the magnesium i’ve been taking..
Yes I think it could have helped. Tingling in the extremities is a common symptom of magnesium deficiency.
I was thinking that finally eating fat cured my hypoglycemia. Now I’m thinking it has more to do with eating beef in the morning (not meat or protein, BEEF). I usually eat a hamburger in the morning.
I can eat just veggies for lunch if we’re having an early dinner, but if I plan on having a later dinner I need to beef at lunch as well.
Chicken, milk, tuna, etc. that kind of protein just is not enough for me. I wonder if I’ll ever get over this or if it’s my bodies way of making of for not eating enough protein when I was younger.
I used to be low in magnesium. I buy the Now Foods magnesium citrate and take it without a problem (there is a noticeable difference when I don’t take it).
Julia Ross says we need 20-30 grams of protein 3 times per day, just to maintain our current brain chemistry. She recommends eating a balanced diet of protein, fat, and complex carbohydrates at each meal.
Magnesium does impact blood sugar. In the book Carolyn Dean goes into great detail about how insufficient magnesium causes hypoglycemia and diabetes.
Hi Ann Marie,
Wondering if you’ve heard/read anything about Magnesium Lactate, made by Standard Process? The “Lactate” form is supposed to be highly absorbable, but as with most Standard Process supplements they’re very low dose, and you need to take quite a few.
Standard Process is recognized as a WAPF supporter.
I can’t remember if Dean mentioned that in the book. I’d have to look it up. I like Standard Process.
May I share a link to a close friend of mine here who has recently developed a fabulous Magnesium Oil to market?
http://www.absorbatherapy.com/
Her website is new but she is taking orders so please contact her if there are any issues ordering through the site. She has many other transdermal products in store for the future.
Laura is a naturopath here who does muscle testing and the like, and is just amazing in her methods and protocol. She speaks to clients all the time about magnesium deficiencies and because she finds that most people have gut issues, needed magnesium is not absorbed. This is among the many other reasons to use an oil spray as you have mentioned as well. I have had her oil for some time now and I carry it around in my purse like I do my salve. We use it ALL the time!
In particular, it stops muscle aches and pains in a pinch, immediately. This helps when my daughters are at their dance classes and have achy feet. I love this stuff.
Tell her you heard about her from here. I emailed her to get her website to post about it here. She is very excited about her product and we are excited to get the word out for her!
Nickole
Hi Ann Marie,
I was so excited to read this post as I’ve been wondering if magnesium deficiency was part of my issue. I too struggle with hypoglycemia and belly fat. I started on the liquimins ionic magnesium and had very loose stools after only one dose. I don’t struggle with any other health issues and I’ve never thought I could have gut issues. I have no symptoms and no skin issues and I’m otherwise very healthy. I eat fermented foods and drink plenty of raw milk. If the loose stools happened so quickly with a very absorbable product, I’m wondering if it is a gut issue or whether that product just doesn’t happen to work for me.
I can definitely try the magnesium oil but, now, I’m curious why I had this reaction to an absorbable type of magnesium. Do you have any thoughts for me?
I didn’t mean to make it sound like magnesium is the cure-all for belly fat and hypoglycemia. This stuff is all interconnected. If you go back and read my other posts I linked to above, you can see that there’s more to it than just the magnesium. You may not be low in magnesium but you may have adrenal exhaustion and/or low thyroid function.
Do you have symptoms of low magnesium? Do you have high cortisol? Have you had your adrenals and thyroid tested? Do you have symptoms of hypothyroidism or adrenal fatigue?
Also how much did you take when you tried the magnesium? You may want to try one of the other forms of oral magnesium and see what happens.
Oh, yes, I definitely understand that it’s all connected. I’ve been supplementing with amino acids per the protocol in The Mood Cure and magnesium supplementation seemed like the best next step for me given my symptoms of insomnia and lack of appetite. I did take the full 400mg dose at one time so, I’m going to try spacing out the dosage the way Carolyn Dean describes to see if that helps.
Thanks so much!
If you are eating well and already taking other supplements you may not need 400 mg. If you get a loose stool, you may be taking too much. It’s very individualized — depends on the person. Just take less and work up to the point where your stool is perfect.
So, oral magnesium made my husband vomit, so I tried the oil. That made his lips – thought not his skin – tingle. Just looked at his back a day later and he has blotchy red eruptions all over his back that weren’t there yesterday – some sort of reaction. I guess I’ll just have to force-feed him broth. A LOT of broth. But I can’t figure out why he would be having such a reaction to magnesium.
I had the same reaction on my chest so I don’t put it on my chest.
How much did you give him? Maybe you gave him too much.
Sounds like it could be a healing crisis — “This phenomenon is known as the Jarisch-Herxheimer Reaction (JHR). JHR is believed to be caused when injured or dead bacteria release their endotoxins into blood and tissues faster than the body can comfortably handle it ”
Does he have gut problems? Has he been tested for parsites or Lyme?
AnneMarie – finally got to reading this LONG great post
Thank you so much. I take ALOT of oral Mg2+ in the form of citrate to help with bowel motility… but MAYBE I should try the other forms of Mg2+ that you are recommending that absorb better!
Hello, Loved this article. You know your stuff. I thought you might be interested in another magnesium supplement worth checking out. http://www.goldenherbs.net sells a Magnesium called Liquid Life Mineral Water. It is a pure crystalline form that is absorbed instantly into the body. It is so small and pure, it is easily utilized and leaves zero residue. I have been taking it regularly to promote bone mass and my mom has used it to almost eliminate her heart issues (magnesium regulates the electrical system of your heart and helped her with her irregular rythms). There is a number on that site you can call for more info, but seriously worth checking out. Great blog! viva raw milk!
I have had many of the symptoms listed in your article I went away for a week forgetting to take my magnesium supplements I was not able to sleep along with a great deal of muscle and joing discomfort along with constipation, when I came home I started back into my routine my muscles, joints, and bowel movements started back to what they were before going away. I really learned more about what is going on with me after reading this article thank you for what you are sharing with us.
is it best to use the magnesium oil spray at night?
Interesting article. I found out from my rheumatologist that many people with fibromyalgia also have IBS. I think its true, as I go to a narcolepsy board and over 50% of us also have fibro. and about 35% of the people with narcolepsy also have IBS. Its like a triangle. Sleep disorders (narcolepsy and also fibromyalgia) and IBS. Some receptors in the brain are damaged for all three illnesses or syndromes.
My rheumatologist checked my blood and found out I was deficient in magnesium and also vitamin D3. Now I take a decent vitamin for seniors, and a 2000 mg D3 (I found them in gummy worms at the store, yum). since I have IBS, I also take MOM capsules when having difficulties.
There is so much more about these difficulties than we know. Your breads look wonderful. I love whole grain breads, additives to the breads, that is one of the things I could live on.
I just started using the magnesium oil. I really don’t have trouble sleeping, but since applying Magnesium I can’t sleep. Its been 3 days and first night I got tired really tired within an hour went to sleep and then woke a few hours later not able to sleep for a few hours and finally went to sleep. The second and third night I felt very alert after taking it and lay in bed for hours finally falling asleep only to wake around 2:00 am and stay away till 4:00 am. Just wondering if maybe I don’t need it. Doing about 24 sprays or maybe I should apply it in the am. I’m waiting for the book you suggested to come in. Thought it might help with pain from menopause and underactive thyroid.
Sam – I would definitely use it in the morning or afternoon. I sleep well, too, but I use it when I first get up so it doesn’t disturb my sleep.
March of 2011 I went on the Master Cleans diet (the lemonade fast). This was my 5th time doing it over many years. This time around at the end of the 10 days I was left with panic attacks and just felt out of sorts. I would wake up at 3:00 am every night and couldn’t go back to sleep. This was taking it’s tole on me. It has been a long year working on a recovery that isn’t complete. Went to the doctor and everything test fine according to her, but I still felt awful. About 3 mo ago I discovered Natural Calm. The first few weeks of taking it, I slept better then ever and started feeling much better in my days. Slowly the old sleep pattern started up and found myself back where I was. I started reading more about magnesium and thought I probably wasn’t getting enough. I switched to magnesium glycinate which really gives be a sense of comfort in my days but as mentioned by Sam, for the 3 days that I have been taking it (800 mg daily or 2 pills), I wake up a 2:00 am and then can’t go back to sleep. Last night when I woke up at 2:00 am, I drank 1 tsp of natural calm. After about an hour, I went back to sleep but it wasn’t great sleep.
Can you elaborate on the sleep issue. Thanks for you great blog.
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