| T O P I C R E V I E W |
| jenbove |
Posted - Feb 19 2008 : 1:13:11 PM
From the Ground Up: Simple Steps to Natural Health
By Jennifer Bové
“Miraculous Magnesium?”
I was at the local health food store yesterday looking for a calcium supplement. I don't really believe in overloading on supplements, but since I don't drink a lot of milk, I thought it might not hurt to up my calcium intake and see if I noticed any amazing results. While I was mulling over the different brands, a store associate explained the important role of magnesium in the absorption of calcium. Basically, calcium can't get into our bones without the help of magnesium. So, when we're low on magnesium, calcium builds up in our soft tissues and can have negative effects like muscle weakness, fibromyalgia, arthritis, and osteoporosis as well as artery blockage and heart disease.
But there's more to magnesium than just calcium absorption. Magnesium helps maintain normal muscle and nerve function, supports a healthy immune system, helps regulate blood sugar levels (diabetes included), and promotes normal blood pressure. It has a calming effect because it relaxes muscle tension, and it can also help with mood swings, irritability, constipation, migraines, cramps, sleep disorders, and depression! For women in particular, magnesium can ease PMS symptoms and menstrual cramps.
Many Americans get excess calcium from dairy products but aren't getting enough magnesium because of all the processed foods we eat. Green vegetables are good sources of magnesium and so are legumes (beans and peas), nuts and seeds, and unrefined grains. But if these foods aren't the bulk of your diet, your body may have less than optimal stores of magnesium. And older adults are at increased risk for deficiency. Early signs of magnesium deficiency include low energy and weakness, tension, headaches, crankiness, muscle cramps, appetite loss, and nausea. Of course, many of these symptoms can result from a variety of medical conditions, so it's important to talk to your doctor to pin down the cause.
The best way to make sure you're getting enough vitamins and minerals is to eat foods that haven't been changed much since they were harvested. “Whole food” may be a new-fangled term, but fresh veggies, crunchy grains and nuts, whole beans, unprocessed meat, and straight-from-the-chicken eggs have been keeping us alive and fit for eons. On the other hand, if you regularly eat packaged foods with a bunch of unrecognizable ingredients, you may want to consider supplements to make up for the good stuff that gets lost in favor of a longer shelf-life.
So, anyway, the health food store set me up with a powdered calcium supplement, which can be absorbed better than pills, and a couple samples of naturally fizzy-flavored magnesium. Will it be the end of my occasional migraines and tiredness? I don't know. Wrangling three kids and staring at a computer screen may be more to blame that magnesium. But since there's no real risk in taking a bit of extra magnesium, I think I'll give it a try.
You can find the recommended dietary allowances of magnesium for children and adults by asking your doctor or going to http://dietary-supplements.info.nih.gov/factsheets/magnesium.asp.
Jen
GOT A "WILD HAIR"?
COME VISIT MARYJANE'S OUTPOST! 
www.maryjanesoutpost.com
Farmgirl Sisterhood Member # 9
My Blog: The View From My Boots
www.bovesboots.blogspot.com |
| 6 L A T E S T R E P L I E S (Newest First) |
| Sage |
Posted - Feb 27 2008 : 3:41:12 PM
Thanks :) I'm really glad to see you are putting information out there that will help others stay healthy. Thank you for that!!! Sage
Farmgirl sister #140
www.heritagedesigns.etsy.com |
| jenbove |
Posted - Feb 27 2008 : 3:19:00 PM
Wow, Sage. The info about the caregiver condition is really interesting. Whatever the case, I sure am glad you're here too!
Jen
GOT A "WILD HAIR"?
COME VISIT MARYJANE'S OUTPOST!
www.maryjanesoutpost.com
Farmgirl Sisterhood Member # 9
My Blog: The View From My Boots
www.bovesboots.blogspot.com |
| Sage |
Posted - Feb 27 2008 : 10:25:33 AM
Jen; There is no way to know what happened but now I have to take supplements daily to regulate my heart rhythm. I was taking Vioox but the doctors won't admit that it caused the heart problems. I was also taking a menopause supplement with black cohosh and I found out that black cohosh can cause heart palpitations.
The other complication was that we had been taking care of my father in law at our home and he had just passed away about 6 weeks before. He was an invalid in the end stages of diabetes and heart failure. I did a lot of research after I got out of the hospital about caregivers and their health problems. I found out that primary care givers of terminally ill family members have a dramatic increase in critcal illnesses and even death up to six months after the death of the patient they were taking care of.
I guess it pays to be informed about our changing health needs and to be very careful about what we eat and the supplements we take. I feel very fortunate to still be here. Sage :)
Farmgirl sister #140
www.heritagedesigns.etsy.com |
| jenbove |
Posted - Feb 20 2008 : 12:44:39 PM
Scary stuff, Sage! Any idea why your levels got so low?
Jen
GOT A "WILD HAIR"?
COME VISIT MARYJANE'S OUTPOST!
www.maryjanesoutpost.com
Farmgirl Sisterhood Member # 9
My Blog: The View From My Boots
www.bovesboots.blogspot.com |
| Sage |
Posted - Feb 20 2008 : 09:50:13 AM
I had a very scary heart episode three years ago - three days in the hospital and two of those in the ICU. My doctor said a large part of the problem was that I was severely low in magnesium and calcium. Magnesium and calcium are needed together and calcium can't be absorbed without vitamin D. I now take supplements which help so watch those levels. A local health fair is an afforable way to get checked once a year. Sage
Farmgirl sister #140
www.heritagedesigns.etsy.com |
| Alee |
Posted - Feb 19 2008 : 7:34:18 PM
Thanks for the great information Jen! Magnesium is vital for heart rhythm, too!
Alee
Farmgirl Sister #8
Please come visit Nora and I our our new blog:
www.farmgirlalee.blogspot.com |
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