Content provided in partnership with

MAGNESIUM

Nutrition Action Healthletter, Dec, 1998 by David Schardt

<< Page 1 Continued from page 2. Previous | Next

(1) Hypertension 21 (6 Pt 2): 1024, 1993.

(2) J. Amer. Med. Assoc. 277: 472, 1997.

(3) Diabetes Care 20(4): 545, 1997.

(4) Diabetes 46 (Suppl 1): 20A.

(5) Hypertension 27: 1065, 1996.

(6) Circulation 86: 1475, 1992.

(7) Annals of Epidemiology 5: 96, 1995.

(8) Hypertension 31 (Part 1): 131, 1998.

(9) Hypertension 32: 260, 1998.

(10) British Medical Journal 307: 585, 1993.

(11) Cephalalgia 16: 257, 1996.

RELATED ARTICLE: GETTING ENOUGH?

Last year, the National Academy of Sciences announced new recommended intakes for magnesium. Women need 310 mg a day (ages 19 through 30) or 320 mg (over 30). Men need 400 mg (19 through 30) or 420 mg (over 30).

Most Popular Articles in Health: Fuel your workout: exercisers who eat before they work out have more energy ...; Soothe a dry, itchy scalp: 5 easy expert solutions; Cocktails and calories: Beer, wine and liquor calories can really add up. ...; The sour truth about apple cider vinegar - evaluation of therapeutic use; The, six best supplements you've never heard of: these secret weapons can ...; More »

How much magnesium are you getting? And is it enough to keep you from running short?

"Unfortunately, there isn't a reliable test of magnesium deficiency that's widely available," says the University of Southern California's Robert Rude. "About all a primary care physician can do is measure the level of magnesium in the blood. But that doesn't tell you if the level of magnesium is adequate within the cells, which is where it's critically important."

"I think that magnesium should be obtained from the diet, if possible," says Jerry Nadler of the City of Hope Medical Center in Duarte, California. "That's because many magnesium-rich foods are the healthier foods to eat." But if someone can't get enough from food (see "Magnesium Counts," p. II), "then taking a magnesium supplement clearly is better than nothing."

Multivitamin and mineral supplements seldom contain a day's recommended dose of magnesium, simply because the 300 or 400 mg necessary won't fit into a pill small enough for most people to swallow. So if you want more than 25 percent or so of a day's supply from a supplement, you'll probably need to buy it separately.

Don't worry about how the magnesium is bundled--whether it comes in an oxide, chloride, or any other form. "There's no convincing evidence that one is better-absorbed than another," says Connie Weaver of Purdue University. And don't be afraid to get your calcium and your magnesium in a single supplement. "Calcium doesn't interfere with magnesium absorption, as some people believe," says Weaver.

But not all magnesium supplements are equal. Dolomite (a naturally occurring calcium-magnesium combination) is more likely to contain lead than other kinds of magnesium.

Can you get too much magnesium? "Taking too much from magnesium-confining antacids or drugs causes diarrhea," says magnesium expert Mildred Seelig. "So most people find out quickly when they've exceeded a safe dose."

No cases of magnesium toxicity from food have ever been reported, says the National Academy of Sciences. As for supplements, the NAS recommends a ceiling of 350 mg a day as a Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL).

MAGNESIUM

Nutrition Action Healthletter, Dec, 1998 by David Schardt

Find Research Guides for:

Find Featured Titles for: Home & Garden

Most Popular Articles in Health

Most Popular Publications in Health