Magnesium....as important as Vitamin D?

desertrat · Post by **desertrat** » Thu Feb 07, 2013 12:24 pm

Magnesium, magnesium, magnesium. That's all I am hearing about lately. It's being touted as important as Vitamin D.

I do take magnesium, and my blood test show within low normal range. However, I have been reading that blood serum tests of magnesium are not as accurate as taking one that is called RBC Magnesium.

( ”RBC” (red blood cell) measures the intracellular levels of magnesium–a more accurate picture than a blood serum measurement of your magnesium, which only measures 1% (and sadly, most doctors only measure your serum levels). i.e. even if your serum measurement was normal, your cellular levels may NOT be.)

Has anyone ever taken a RBC magnesium test?

Also, has anyone taken magnesium oil, since it bypasses the gut, and what results/effects did you notice?

CuriousMandy

Zizzle · Post by **Zizzle** » Thu Feb 07, 2013 12:46 pm

I'm pretty sure my integrative medicine doctor ordered that magnesium test, and expected my levels to be very low. He was surprised I was in the low-normal range. I take a cal-mag supplement, but not as often as I should.

guitarlover · Post by **guitarlover** » Fri Feb 08, 2013 11:11 am

Zizzle wrote:...I take a cal-mag supplement, but not as often as I should.

Hi Zizzle,

I haven't reviewed the information in my book on magnesium (The Magnesium Miracle) in a long time, but I'm pretty sure that it advises taking those two minerals separately from one another, at times well apart. I think it essentially said that if you took these two different minerals together, they'd combine intestinally/internally and you'd miss the benefits of either one. The book recommends taking magnesium once or twice a day.

I take mine at bedtime, in the magnesium citrate form, one of the forms the book recommends over magnesium stearate. For calcium, I take the calcium citrate form just before meals. I've also read elsewhere that both these minerals (in those particular forms) can help with combining with oxalate toxins before they can leak through your gut and cause organ problems, and that this kind of dosage schedule will do the best job with that goal.

birdlover3 · Post by **birdlover3** » Fri Feb 08, 2013 11:45 am

I stopped the magnesium that was with my Calcium supplement because I had read that it can cause "D".
Hmmmmm.....

Zizzle · Post by **Zizzle** » Fri Feb 08, 2013 12:18 pm

Yes, too much magnesium can cause D, especially the magnesium sulfate form. It's a delicate balancing act, figuring out how much supplemental magnesium you can tolerate without causing D.

Regarding the taking of it seperately, I thought I'd read calcium and magnesium should be taken together whenever possible, because they act together to help you absorb the calcium, etc.

JFR · Post by **JFR** » Fri Feb 08, 2013 12:34 pm

Magnesium glycinate does not have the laxative effect of other types of magnesium. It is what I have taken for years.

Jean

birdlover3 · Post by **birdlover3** » Fri Feb 08, 2013 12:51 pm

Yes, I WAS taking the Calcium Citrate with Magnesium until I read this, then dropped that and started the Calcium Citrate with D3. I have to admit I don't know the differences concerning the D vitamins but since it's with the calcium it must be good (gee, am I that naive LOL).

I'll check the bottles in the store again and see what TYPE of magnesium they show.

Does anyone know the best "D" to take for bones? Is the D3 the right one?

Zizzle · Post by **Zizzle** » Fri Feb 08, 2013 1:04 pm

Yes, it must be D3 not D2. I take 5,000 IU/day.

birdlover3 · Post by **birdlover3** » Fri Feb 08, 2013 1:15 pm

Great...thanks for letting me know about the D3.

brandy · Post by **brandy** » Fri Feb 08, 2013 4:11 pm

Mandy,

I sleep much better when I use the magnesium oil but I'm not crazy about the delivery system. I switched over to the magnesium glycinate pills that Jean recommended and use them primarily. I'll use the magnesium oil when I'm in a mini flare, sleep deprived or have more time in the evening to deal with showering after applying the magnesium oil.

I would not recommend the magnesium oil for anyone with very thin skin as I think it would be too rough.

Regards, Brandy

Zizzle · Post by **Zizzle** » Sat Feb 09, 2013 7:39 pm

Jean,
Which brand and dose of mag-G do you take? I tried to buy some online, but wasn't sure which brand and tablet v caplet would be best.

Gabes-Apg · Post by **Gabes-Apg** » Sat Feb 09, 2013 7:54 pm

Zizzle
do you have a compounding pharmacy nearby to your home or work?

i get magnesium glycinate as compound. It costs me $15 for 100grams. I use 2 grams a day (i think we figured out that gave me about 600mg of elemental magnesium per day)

so it lasts me almost 2 months

All the compounds i get here in Aus are from a Houston Texas producer
PCCA- www. pccarx.com

JFR · Post by **JFR** » Sat Feb 09, 2013 8:35 pm

Zizzle,

I've been buying magnesium glycinate from Kirkman labs

http://kirkmanlabs.com/ProductKirkman/1 ... llergenic/

They are capsules and I take 3 a day which is 300 mg of elemental magnesium daily.

I use Fitday to get a sense of the nutritional content of the foods a I eat and supplement based on that.

Jean

Zizzle · Post by **Zizzle** » Sat Feb 09, 2013 9:46 pm

Jean,
That looks like an excellent line of supplements. Thanks. Do you use other supplements by Kirkman? Their GI supplements seem interesting...I'm in the business of reducing the number of pills I take, but I want more than diet alone to address my intestinal permeability, so a combo supplement would be great. Ever try one of these?

http://kirkmanlabs.com/ProductKirkman/1 ... 20Support/

• marshmallow root, which provides gastrointestinal mucosal protective actions and immune support
• cat’s claw bark, which also provides gastrointestinal mucosal protective actions, as well as immune support
• quercetin, a bioflavonoid, for immune support
• slippery elm bark for its emollient and soothing properties
• turmeric (curcumin) for healthy intestinal mucosal support
• ginger root for its secretory properties

http://kirkmanlabs.com/ProductKirkman/1 ... 20Support/

• L-glutamine, which provides gastrointestinal mucosal protective actions and immune support
• n-acetyl glucosamine for supporting healthy gut mucosa
• quercetin, a bioflavonoid, for immune support
• slippery elm bark for its emollient and soothing properties
• turmeric (curcumin) for healthy intestinal mucosal support
• ginger root for its secretory properties

What about any of their probiotics? I want to get more aggressive than my current Culturelle and low-dose acidophilus. Now that I'm on prednisone, D is not an issue, and yeast overgrowth can be. I want to be in optimum GI shape by the time I taper off...

http://kirkmanlabs.com/ProductKirkman/1 ... ;0442-120/

JFR · Post by **JFR** » Sat Feb 09, 2013 10:31 pm

Zizzle,

I also get calcium from them:

http://kirkmanlabs.com/ProductKirkman/1 ... llergenic/

I do take their Probiotic ProBioGold. I haven't had any problem with it.

I haven't used either of the two other supplements you mention. I tend to avoid supplements with a lot of ingredients.

Jean