The Importance of Staving Off a Magnesium Deficiency

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The Importance of Staving Off a Magnesium Deficiency

Friday, May 09, 2008 by: Mark Sircus Ac., OMD

http://www.naturalnews.com/023199.html

(NaturalNews) The latest government study shows a staggering 68% of Americans do

not consume the recommended daily intake of magnesium. Even more frightening are

data from this study showing that 19% of Americans do not consume even half of

the government's recommended daily intake of magnesium.(1) This article is an

excerpt from the book " Transdermal Magnesium Therapy " by Mark Sircus AC., OMD.

'Studies show that as many as half of all Americans do not consume enough

magnesium. Magnesium deficits have been tied to allergies, asthma, attention

deficit disorder, anxiety, heart disease, muscle cramps and other

conditions.'(2) - Massachusetts Institute of Technology

One of the great challenges in medicine today is to understand the complexity of

causes that leads to the breakdown of health and the formation of serious

disease. There are so many factors that simultaneously impinge on our physical

systems that it is truly a daunting task to ascertain what is causing what.

During this past century the physical environment that surrounds us has gotten

incredibly toxic and even the food most people eat acts to destroy rather than

nourish. There are people and organizations that hide behind this complexity of

causes thus making it impossible to prove anymore what is harming our children

and us, what is causing autism, why certain kids fall down dead after being

vaccinated and others not.

Magnesium deficiency is a health problem of first cause. Magnesium is a

nutritional element that is dangerously low today. Because of its essential role

as a foundational building block of cell physiology, we have a huge health

problem that allopathic medicine is dragging its feet to address. Populations in

the first world are dangerously deficient and are actually starving for

magnesium. Doctors are missing a huge opportunity to help their patients when

they ignore the increasing deficiency of magnesium in them. We are familiar with

the malnourishment of third world populations and do not expect to see this in

the west. The clinical impact of magnesium deficiency is huge and can be tied

into the majority of clinical situations.

Almost two years ago, I wrote a Tale of Two Hammers about the situation in

Africa where populations were being decimated because mass vaccine programs were

being administered to malnourished populations whose immune systems were already

compromised. Little did I dream then of a similar situation in the west with the

majority of the population being malnourished in magnesium.

Food contamination is a growing problem and now an acknowledged risk to young

children and adults alike. It does not take too much to see that the safety

thresholds for toddlers have been drastically breached by the air they breathe,

the water they drink, by the medicines and vaccines administered to them from

the medical establishment, by mercury put in their mouths, and clearly by the

cocktails of chemicals in food.

At least 2,800 substances have been recognized as food additives by the U.S.

Food and Drug Administration. These are used to make foods more attractive, to

make foods tastier, and to increase the grocery shelf life.

The Pesticide Action Network's (U.K.) analysis reveals a diverse cocktail of

chemicals in food. " Mostly, but not always, below legal limit, 65 per cent of

them are recognized hazards to health: 35 per cent are suspected cancer-causing

chemicals, 12 per cent are hormone-disrupting chemicals, and 41 per cent are

acutely toxic. " Because magnesium is so important for the removal of toxic

substances from the body, its lack makes us even more vulnerable to food

contamination. According to Dr. Carolyn Dean, if you have a magnesium deficiency

and regularly use aspartame, the toxicity is magnified and can result in

headaches and migraines.

More and more people are becoming aware of the chemical rape of our children but

what few are conscious of is the decreasing value of vitamins, minerals and

proteins in the food we all eat. On one side we are being poisoned and on the

other we are being deprived of the very nutrition necessary to resist all the

different toxicities we are being confronted with. Then, on top of everything

else, our systems have to navigate through further deficiencies brought on by

allopathic drugs that are used too often. And when we use chelators, we have to

deal with the fact that important minerals are reduced even further.

These drugs/substances lead to these specific nutrient deficiencies:

* Antibiotics - Vitamin A, B-12, C, E, K, Biotin, Calcium, Iron, Magnesium,

Potassium

* Chelators - Copper, Iron, Magnesium, Zinc

* Anticonvulsants - Vitamin B-2, B-12, C, F, K, Folic Acid, Calcium, Magnesium

* Antidiabetics (Oral) - Vitamin B-2, B-12, C, D, Folic Acid

* Antihistamines - Vitamin C

* Aspirin - Calcium, Folic Acid, Iron, Potassium, C, B Complex

Dr. Matthias Rath says that, " Almost all the prescription drugs currently taken

by millions of people lead to a gradual depletion of vitamins and other

essential cellular nutrients in the body. Drugs are generally synthetic,

non-natural substances that we absorb in our bodies. Our bodies recognize these

synthetic drugs as " toxic, " just like any other non-natural substance. Thus, all

synthetic drugs have to be " detoxified " by the liver in order to eliminate them

from our bodies. This detoxification process requires magnesium and vitamin C

and other cellular nutrients as cofactors. Many of these essential nutrients are

used up in biological (enzymatic) reactions during this detoxification process.

One of the most common ways for eliminating drugs from our bodies is called

hydroxylation. " The strongest " hydroxylating agent " in our bodies is vitamin C,

which is literally destroyed during this detoxification process. Thus, long-term

use of many synthetic prescription drugs leads to chronic vitamin depletion in

the body, a form of early scurvy and the onset of cardiovascular disease. "

Micronutrient content of the average diet in industrialized countries is

declining.

Cheryl Long and Lynn Keiley, writing for Mother Earth News(3), tell us that

" American agribusiness is producing more food than ever before, but the evidence

is building that the vitamins and minerals in that food are declining. For

example, eggs from free-range hens contain up to 30 percent more vitamin E, 50

percent more folic acid and 30 percent more vitamin B-12 than factory eggs. Most

of our food now comes from large-scale producers who rely on chemical

fertilizers, pesticides and animal drugs, and inhumane confinement animal

production. In agribusiness, the main emphasis is on getting the highest

possible yields and profits; nutrient content (and flavor) are, at best, second

thoughts. This shift in production methods is clearly giving us less nutritious

eggs and meat. Beef from cattle raised in feedlots on growth hormones and

high-grain diets has lower levels of vitamins E, A, D and beta carotene, and

twice as much fat, as grass-fed beef. " Health writer Jo has done

groundbreaking work on this subject (4) making us critically aware of the

importance of the conditions in which our crops, meat and dairy are raised.

Data from: , G.C. " Dietary supplementation of vitamin E to cattle to

improve shelf life and case life of beef for domestic and international

markets. " Colorado State University, Fort , Colorado

We humans are not getting the minerals we need because modem agricultural

methods, including widespread use of N P K fertilizer, over farming, loss of

protective ground cover and trees, and lack of humus have made soils vulnerable

to erosion. The result is a reduced nutrient content of crops. N P K fertilizer

is highly acidic. It disrupts the pH (acid/alkaline) balance of the soil, as

does acid rain. Acid conditions destroy soil microorganisms. It is the job of

these microorganisms to transmute soil minerals into a form that is usable by

plants. In the absence of these microbes, these minerals become locked up,

unavailable to the plant. Stimulated by the N P K fertilizer, the plant grows,

but it is deficient in vital trace minerals. In the absence of trace minerals,

plants take up heavy metals (such as aluminum, mercury and lead) from the soil.

Between 1950 and 1975, the calcium content in one cup of rice dropped 21

percent, and iron fell by 28.6 percent.

When trace minerals are scarce in plant bodies they become scarce in human

bodies.

Dr. Whitaker, in his book MediSin, tells us how highly unfortunate it is

that the modern day farmer has been persuaded to use monoculture, artificial

fertilization, pesticides, and herbicides. " The end result of our domestic food

production has been 'quantity' rather than 'quality'. The human body can thrive

on fruits and vegetables that are grown on vital rich soil but not on soil that

is artificially pumped up with chemicals. " Thus today hardly anyone can eat

enough fruits and vegetables to supply his or her body with the mineral salts

required for perfect health.

It is crucial that doctors and parents recognize that from poor soil comes poor

food, deficient in minerals and vitamins.

Dr. Nan Fuchs, author of The Nutrition Detective, says that, " Our diets

today are very different from those of our ancestors though our bodies remain

similar. Thousands of years ago, our ancestors ate foods high in magnesium and

low in calcium. Because calcium supplies were scarce and the need for this vital

mineral was great, it was effectively stored by the body. Magnesium, on the

other hand, was abundant and readily available, in the form of nuts, seeds,

grains, and vegetables, and did not need to be stored internally. Our bodies

still retain calcium and not magnesium although we tend to eat much more dairy

than our ancestors. In addition, our sugar and alcohol consumption is higher

than theirs, and both sugar and alcohol increase magnesium excretion through the

urine. Our grains, originally high in magnesium, have been refined, which means

that the nutrient is lost in the refining process. The quality of our soil has

deteriorated as well, due to the use of fertilizers that contain large amounts

of potassium a magnesium antagonist. This results in foods lower in magnesium

than ever before. "

'We need an average of 200 milligrams more magnesium than we get from the

average diet.' - Dr. Mildred Seelig, President of the American College of

Nutrition

The food supply has been steadily becoming magnesium-poor since 1909: (5)

* 1909 intake - 408 mg/day

* 1949 intake - 368 mg/day

* 1980 intake - 349 mg/day

* 1985 intake - 323 mg/day (men)

* 1985 intake - 228 mg/day (women)

There has been a steep decline of dietary magnesium in the United States, from a

high of almost 500 mg/day at the turn of the last century to barely 175-225

mg/day today.(6) The National Academy of Sciences has determined that most

Americans are magnesium deficient, with men obtaining only about 80 percent of

their daily needs with women fairing even worse obtaining about 70 percent of

their needs.(7)

'Magnesium is the most important mineral to man and all living organisms.'(8) -

Dr. Jerry Aikawa

The magnesium content of refined foods is usually very low. Whole-wheat bread,

for example, has twice as much magnesium as white bread because the

magnesium-rich germ and bran are removed when white flour is processed.

Magnesium deficiency is more likely in those who eat a processed-food diet; in

people who cook or boil all foods, especially vegetables; in those who drink

soft water (water deficient in minerals) and in people who eat food grown in

magnesium-deficient soil, where synthetic fertilizers containing no magnesium

are often used.

Deficiency is also more common when magnesium absorption is decreased, such as

after burns, serious injuries, or surgery and in patients with diabetes, liver

disease, or intestinal malabsorption problems. Also, deficiencies develop when

magnesium elimination is increased, which it is in people who use alcohol,

caffeine, or excess sugar, or who take diuretics or birth control pills. We can

add to this list vaccines because they offer a traumatic insult to the body that

has to be defended against and that defense gobbles up both magnesium and

vitamin C.

Other drugs that cause loss of body magnesium:

* Cocaine

* Beta-adrenergic agonists (for asthma)

* Corticosteroids (CS) (for asthma)

* Theophylline (for asthma)

* Diuretics

* Thiazide

* Phosphates (found in cola drinks)

* Nicotine

* Insulin

The nutrient content of foods can no longer be relied upon. The effects of

stress, intense physical activity, or the use of certain medications cause

magnesium deficiency.

Since magnesium is abundant in the environment, it is generally assumed that

magnesium deficiency is not a problem but nothing could be further from the

truth. Because magnesium in certain forms is not easily absorbed and because no

classical symptoms exist that point to magnesium's causal role in disease, the

problem of its deficiency is readily masked. Many are the conditions that reduce

total body magnesium and increase magnesium requirements. With nutritional

values declining quickly and chemical toxicity in our bodies raising rapidly,

our children and we are caught between a rock and a hard place.

Data indicate that subsets of the population may be unusually susceptible to the

toxic effects of fluoride and its compounds. These populations include the

elderly, people with magnesiumdeficiency, and people with cardiovascular and

kidney problems.(9)

Several studies have reported that increasing calcium in the diet significantly

reduces the absorption of magnesium. Calcium intakes above 2.6 grams per day may

reduce the uptake and utilization of magnesium by the body and excessive calcium

intakes may increase magnesium requirements. In addition, diarrhea (any cause),

extreme athletic physical training, sodas (especially cola type sodas, both diet

and regular), sodium (high salt intake), stress (physical and mental -- anything

that activates a person's fight or flight reaction), and intense sweating all

diminish magnesium levels.

Magnesium deficiency at a cellular level where it counts is not easy to

diagnose, as serum magnesium levels do not correlate to muscle or cellular

magnesium levels. Instead of trying difficult tissue magnesium analysis to find

out if your health problems may be due to low magnesium levels, it is much

easier and more effective just to take more magnesium and see what happens.

Caution is necessary only in cases of renal deficiency.

Green vegetables such as spinach are good sources of magnesium because the

center of the chlorophyll molecule (which gives these vegetables their color)

contains magnesium. Since 1981, Life Extension (10) has recommended high-potency

magnesium supplements, because magnesium is the most deficient mineral in the

American diet. In the early 1980s, the Life Extension Foundation was criticized

by mainstream doctors for recommending high doses of magnesium relative to

calcium. They even had their magnesium supplements seized by the FDA because

they presented evidence that this mineral could help prevent heart attack.

'An excess of a toxic metal and/or a relative deficiency of a nutritional

element can be found as significant contributors to every disease.' - Dr.

Gordon

Faloon from Life Extension says, " With all the research linking low

magnesium intake with high cardiovascular risks, this low-cost mineral would

appear to be a simple way to counter today's heart attack and stroke epidemic.

Unfortunately, magnesium is so cheap that virtually no one is promoting it as a

lifesaving mineral. "

There is no substitute for magnesium; it's as close as a metal comes to being as

necessary as air.

References:

1. King D, Mainous A 3rd, Geesey M, Woolson R. Dietary magnesium and C-reactive

protein levels. J Am Coll Nutr. 2005 Jun 24(3):166-71.

2. ((http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/20...)

3. Is Agrobusiness Making Food Less Nutritious? (http://www.motherearthnews.com)

4. (www.eatwild.com)

5. Mason. Violence Prevention through Magnesium-Rich Water. Healthy Water

Association. (http://www.mgwater.com/cyalettr.shtml)

6. Altura BM, Introduction: importance of Mg in physiology and medicine and the

need for íon selective electrodes. Scand J Cliin Lab Invest Suppl, vol. 217, pp.

5-9, 1994

7. Institute of Medicine, Dietary Reference Intake for Calcium, Phosphorus,

Magnesium, Vitamin D and Fluoride, National Academy Press, Washington DC, 1997

8. Aikawa LK, Magnesium: Its Biological Significance, CRC Press, Boca Raton, Fl,

1981

9. U.S. Dept. of Health, Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry,

Division of Toxicology, December 16, 1991.

(http://www.mgwater.com/fluoride.shtml)

10. (http://www.lef.org/)

About the author

Mark A. Sircus Ac., OMD, is director of the International Medical Veritas

Association (IMVA)http://www.imva.info/. Dr. Sircus was trained in acupuncture

and oriental medicine at the Institute of Traditional Medicine in Sante Fe,

N.M., and in the School of Traditional Medicine of New England in Boston. He

served at the Central Public Hospital of Pochutla, in México, and was awarded

the title of doctor of oriental medicine for his work. He was one of the first

nationally certified acupuncturists in the United States. Dr. Sircus's IMVA is

dedicated to unifying the various disciplines in medicine with the goal of

creating a new dawn in healthcare.

He is particularly concerned about the effect vaccinations have on vulnerable

infants and is identifying the common thread of many toxic agents that are

dramatically threatening present and future generations of children. His book

The Terror of Pediatric Medicine is a free e-book one can read. Dr. Sircus is a

most prolific and courageous writer and one can read through hundreds of pages

on his various web sites.

He has most recently released his Survival Medicine for the 21st Century

compendium (2,200 page ebook) and just released the Winning the War Against

Cancer book. Dr. Sircus is a pioneer in the area of natural detoxification and

chelation of toxic chemicals and heavy metals. He is also a champion of the

medicinal value of minerals and is fathering in a new medical approach that uses

sea water and different concentrates taken from it for health and healing.

Transdermal Magnesium Therapy, his first published work, offers a stunning

breakthrough in medicine, an entirely new way to supplement magnesium that

naturally increases DHEA levels, brings cellular magnesium levels up quickly,

relieves pain, brings down blood pressure and pushes cell physiology in a

positive direction. Magnesium chloride delivered transdermally brings a quick

release from a broad range of conditions.

International Medical Veritas Association: http://www.imva.info/