Health Conditions Associated with Magnesium Deficiency

 Magnesium is responsible for over 350 Bio-Chemical processes and over 800 Enzyme processes in the body.  Magnesium is a direct factor in many of the biological processes such as, creating ATP energy in the mitochondria of each cell in the body and a co-factor in many other processes. Magnesium decreases the excitation of nerves and muscle contractions.

Acid Reflux - can be caused by the Spasm of the lower esophageal sphincter, magnesium relieves esophageal spasms.

Adrenal Fatigue - follows after a time of chronic stress, anxiety, and panic attacks. Stress causes excess elimination of magnesium through the urine. The more magnesium the body loses the more stressed our body becomes, it's a vicious cycle.

Alzheimer's Disease - Magnesium blocks the neuro-inflammation caused by the inappropriate deposition of calcium and other heavy metals in brain cells. It's guarding the cell ion channels and not allowing heavy metals to enter.

Angina - The pain of angina is caused by severe muscle spasm in heart muscles, which in turn is caused by magnesium deficiency. The heart ventricles have the highest levels of magnesium in the whole body, which is why magnesium is critical for the pumping function of the heart.

Anxiety and Panic attacks - magnesium deficiency causes the fight-or-flight hormones (adrenaline and noradrenaline) to become more easily triggered, the surge causes a rapid pulse, high blood pressure, and heart palpitations. The more magnesium deficient one is, the more exaggerated is the adrenaline release. Magnesium calms the nervous system and relaxes muscle tension, helping to reduce anxiety and panic attacks.

Arthritis - Pain and inflammation are two major symptoms of arthritis that are amenable to treatment with magnesium.

Asthma - Histamine production & bronchial spasms (in the smooth muscles of the bronchial tract) both increase simply as a result of magnesium deficiency.

Atherosclerosis with calcium deposits - Magnesium is necessary to help dissolve calcium and keep it soluble in the bloodstream. Magnesium along with vitamin K2, helps direct calcium to the bones, where it belongs.

Blood Clots - Magnesium does not act like blood-thinning drugs but instead helps prevent blood clots by preventing excess calcium from triggering them, and it naturally balances the blood clotting factors in the blood as required.

Bowel Disease - Magnesium deficiency slows down bowel peristalsis, causing constipation, which could lead to toxicity as well as symptoms of colitis, diverticulitis, and Crohn's disease.

Brain Dysfunction - See the book Magnesium in the Central Nervous System (2011) https://www.adelaide.edu.au/press/titles/magnesium/magnesium-ebook.pdf

Cholesterol elevation - Magnesium is responsible for slowing down HMG-CoA reductase (This enzyme is in the liver and is where cholesterol is made) activity when cholesterol is present in sufficient quantities. This is the same enzyme that statin drugs target for destruction, while creating magnesium deficiency.

Cystitis - Magnesium deficiency causes bladder spasm during an infection. A spastic bladder can cause urinary frequency at any time.

Depression - Serotonin which elevates mood, is dependent on magnesium.

Detoxification - Magnesium is crucial for the removal of toxic substances and heavy metals such as mercury, aluminum, and lead from the body.  Magnesium is a co-factor in the production of glutathione and the function of the P450 detoxification systems in the liver. Magnesium-ATP (energy) energizes the important GSH and thiol detox pathways.

Diabetes - Magnesium enhances insulin secretion, facilitates carbohydrate metabolism, and allows insulin to transfer glucose into cells. Otherwise, glucose and insulin build up in the blood causing tissue damage. Tyrosine kinase, the enzyme that allows insulin entry into the cell, is magnesium dependent. Seven of the ten enzymes needed to metabolize glucose are also magnesium dependent. You can not make or secrete insulin without magnesium.

Fatigue - Magnesium-deficient patients commonly experience fatigue because dozens of enzyme systems are under functioning. The most important factor in energy production is ATP, which much be bound to a magnesium ion in order to be biologically active.

Headaches - The muscle tension and spasm in neck and head muscles can be alleviated with magnesium therapy, which can be applied locally and taken orally.

Heart Disease - The Heart, specifically the left ventricle has the highest amount of magnesium in the whole body. Taking magnesium can reduce the risk of heart disease. IV magnesium can prevent myocardial infarction damage and cardiac arrhythmia if given at the onset of a heart attack. Unfortunately, most of the drugs used in treating heart disease drain magnesium from the body. The statins are especially damaging because they are mostly fluoride compounds that bind magnesium, making it unavailable in the body. 

Hypertension - with insufficient magnesium and too much calcium, the muscles in blood vessels can go into spasm and cause high blood pressure. If cholesterol also rises, due to magnesium deficiency, it can bind to calcium in the blood vessels, worsening high blood pressure. creating the beginning of blockage in the arteries.

Hypoglycemia - Magnesium balances the release of insulin so that inappropriately large amounts don't cause the blood sugar to drop suddenly, resulting in symptoms of low blood sugar.

Indigestion - The gastric proton pump that acidifies the contents of the stomach is dependent on magnesium.

Inflammation - The February 2004 issue of Time warned the public about "The Secret Killer: The Surprising Link between Inflammation and Heart Attacks, Cancer, Alzheimer's and other Diseases.  Most drug companies are now embracing inflammation and not cholesterol as the cause of heart disease. They claim they don't know what's really causing the inflammation, but that doesn't stop them from producing drugs to suppress it.  What they don't acknowledge is that calcium is extremely pro-inflammatory and magnesium is very anti-inflammatory. The research of William Weglicki and Terry Phillips, who proved that the entire inflammatory cascade (substance P, interleukin's, tumor necrosis factor, chemokines, and cytokines) escalate when magnesium is deficient. Inflammation is triggered by magnesium deficiency and the relative calcium excess.

Insomnia - Magnesium prevents muscle tension that can prevent restful sleep. Also, sleep-regulating melatonin pathway production is disturbed without sufficient magnesium.

Irritable Bowel Syndrome (IBS) - Magnesium is good for treating the pain and spasm of IBS. the more laxative forms of magnesium can also treat IBS-related constipation.

Kidney Disease - Magnesium deficiency contributes to atherosclerotic kidney failure.

Kidney Stones - see chapter 11 for info.

Migraine - Serotonin balance is magnesium-dependent. Deficiency of serotonin can result in migraine headaches and depression. Blood clots are said to clog up tiny brain blood vessels, leading to migraines. Magnesium prevents calcium from causing excessive blood clotting. IV and oral magnesium can treat and prevent migraine headaches.

Musculoskeletal conditions - Insufficient magnesiu and the relative excess of calcium will cause sustained muscle contraction in any muscle of the body. All of the following musculoskeletal conditions are amenable to magnesium therapy:

• Muscle cramps
• Fibrositis
• Fibromyalgia
• GI spasms, gallbladder spasms can lead to surgery.
• Tension headaches
• Muscle spasms, muscle contractions in any muscle of the body
• Chronic neck and back pain

Nerve problems - Insufficient magnesium and the relative excess of calcium will cause sustained nerve excitation in any nerve cells of the body.  Magnesium alleviates the following nerve disturbances that can occur throughout the body.

• Burning
• Muscle Weakness
• Numbness
• Paralysis and sensitivity
• Pins and needles sensations
• Seizures and convulsions
• Twitching
• Vertigo and confusion

Obstetrical and gynecological problems - Magnesium helps prevent and treat the following:

• Premenstrual syndrome
• Dysmenorrhea (cramping pain during menses)
• Female infertility (by relieving fallopian tube spasm)
• Premature contractions (which can be triggered by magnesium deficiency muscle spasms)
• Preeclampsia and eclampsia in pregnancy (treating fluid retention, high blood pressure, and seizures)
• Cerebral Palsy
• Sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS)
• Male infertility (magnesium and zinc are present in significant quantities in healthy semen)

Osteoporosis - High dose calcium with or without vitamin D without a balancing amount of magnesium triggers a cascade of events leading tobone loss.

Parkinson's Disease -  Magnesium blocks the neuroinflammation caused by calcium deposits in the brain.

Raynaud's syndrome - Magnesium helps relax the spastic blood vessels that cause pain and numbness of the fingers.

Sports injuries - Pain, inflammation, muscle spasm, muscle tension, and scarring can all be treated with magnesium.

Sports recovery - Magnesium reduces lactic acid buildup that can result in post exercise pain.

Tooth Decay - Magnesium deficiency causes an unhealthy balance of phosphorus and calcium in saliva, which damages teeth.