Did you know that magnesium is called the “Spark of Life” because it is essential to all cells in the body and supports over 700 enzymatic reactions? Magnesium is the ninth most abundant element in the universe; the fourth most common element on Earth after iron, oxygen and silicon; and the eleventh most abundant element in our bodies! Every chemical reaction in our body requires protein molecules known as enzymes. Hundreds of these enzymes directly require magnesium and thousands more depend on magnesium as a co-factor.
Magnesium, by activating enzymes, helps in the process of digestion, absorption and the utilization of proteins, fats and carbohydrates. The most important enzyme reaction involves the creation of energy by activating adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the fundamental energy molecule of the body. Therefore magnesium is required for the body to produce and store energy. Without magnesium there is “no energy, no movement, no life”!
In synergy with dozens of other minerals and vitamins, magnesium is used to turn foods into the building blocks that sustain our bodies. It is also critical in transmitting nerve signals to and from the brain. It permits small amounts of calcium to enter the nerve cells, just enough to allow electrical transmission, then forces it back out.
Where calcium causes contraction in the skeletal muscle fibers, magnesium causes the relaxation of those fibers. When there is too much calcium and insufficient magnesium inside a cell, we get sustained muscle contraction, twitches, spasms and possible convulsions. This can cause smooth muscle symptoms such as asthma cdue to the tightening of the bronchial tract, cramping in the uterus and painful periods, and spasms in the blood vessels resulting in hypertension and possible heart attack. Unfortunately, most Americans are deficient in dietary magnesium because our farm lands are depleted of minerals from over use of chemical fertilizers. Also, a diet that is high in processed foods causes further depletion of magnesium.
Other causes of magnesium deficiency include:
• Alcohol
• Caffeine
• Fluoride
• Medications:
Diuretics
Proton pump inhibitors i.e. Prilosec,
Nexium
Digitalis
Antibiotics
Steroids
Oral contraceptives
Non steroid anti-inflammatory drugs i.e. Ibuprofen, aspirin, naproxen
To test for magnesium deficiency, a serum magnesium level can be drawn to get an assessment of the magnesium plasma level. However, the body will pull magnesiumfrom the soft tissue and bones to maintain levels, so this doesn’t give a truly accurate inter-cellular reading. Outside of the research-onlyIonized Magnesium Test, a less common test that isolates magnesium ions, there is the Magnesium RBC (Red Blood Cells), which can provide an earlier indicator of magnesium deficiency than a standard blood test by measuring the levels of magnesium in red blood cells. The replacement of magnesium is also very challenging because the body can only absorb so much magnesium orally before we get loose stools – we get approximately 25% absorption from our GI tract. The other replacement therapy is from transdermal magnesium applied directly to the skin to get up to 75% absorption. May we all look further on the importance of magnesium for health and wellness and understand how this mineral is truly the “Spark of Life”!
John Strader, PA-C, is a physician assistant with over 36 years as a practitioner and researcher in the fields of infectious disease, cancer and physical medicine and rehabilitation. He was involved in the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the U.S. and the ebola epidemic in West Africa. He is presently working in public health to address the opioid epidemic in the United States and serving as Medical Director for Mg12 Magnesium Oil.
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Please call for current deli counter service hours. Grab and go options available until closing.
2951 S. 38th Street
Tacoma, WA 98409