TAKE YOUR CALCIUM is the sign I read every trip to my gynecologist.  There is never a fine print message that says anything about magnesium.  The fact of the matter is you can eat all the calcium you want, but you will never assimilate the calcium and allow the body to use it unless there is magnesium in the system to help break it down.  Americans are one of the largest consumers of pasteurized dairy products and one of the largest contenders for heart disease and osteoporosis.  If we were getting plenty of calcium in all that dairy, why would we have the highest rate of osteoporosis?  In one word: Magnesium.

Deficiencies or imbalances of magnesium can cause:

·        Adrenal Fatigue and Stress

·        Anxiety

·        Constipation

·        Headaches

·        Heart problems

·        Insomnia

·        Kidney problems (including stones)

·        Muscle spasms or stiffness (think Charlie Horses)

·        Osteoporosis

·        PMS

·        Tension

·        Weak Bones

Because calcium has been big news in the health industry it has ended up in everything from antacids to cereal.  This huge amount of calcium and sometimes the wrong kind of calcium is creating a magnesium imbalance.  Calcium must be balanced with magnesium to be properly assimilated.  Magnesium, on the other hand, can do its job without calcium…so this begs the question why are we putting calcium in everything without a proper ratio of added magnesium?  The only answer I have is that it originated as the knee-jerk-medical reaction to osteoporosis.  Ironically, osteoporosis is a symptom of a magnesium deficiency. 

So what is a person to do?  Start supplementing magnesium in low doses and see if any of the symptoms you may have had above start to dissipate.  It is always best to start magnesium out at a low dose because the body does not store magnesium; it eliminates it as soon as it gets what it needs.  You will know you have enough magnesium when your bowel movements become too soft and/or too rapid, at this point back up a notch on your dose.

Magnesium activates and regulates over 300 processes in the human body, including:

·        Activation of B vitamins

·        Adrenal function

·        Bone formation

·        Brain function

·        Creation of new cells

·        Digestion

·        Energy production

·        Heart function

·        Kidney function

·        Muscle function

·        Regulates stress

·        Relaxation of muscles

Here’s the thing the body needs minerals to maintain itself on all levels…magnesium is a very important part of that…and calcium can quickly become your enemy without magnesium.  Magnesium is an amazing warrior against stress of any kind, including physical, mental, PMS, injury, and trauma.  It truly facilitates healing and restores cell function.  When feeling muscular soreness try taking some magnesium and soak in an Epsom salt bath.  (Epsom salt is magnesium salt.)

If you need help finding the right product with the right ratios for you Anae is an expert and has some of the best products on the market. Please feel free to email her by clicking on her name.

This article was written using materials from Peter Gillham’s Natural Vitality.

Joli A. Campbell