Hi all

I have posted before on the importance of magnesium, but since many new people have joined power-surge since then, and since I have come across more material and become more convinced than ever of teh key role played by magnesium, more important than Ca really, I thought I would start a new thread.

Basically, as long as you are getting about 500 mg per day of Ca, Mg is the controlling factor and Mg deficiency is apparently very widespread in the US. And this is relative to low US recommended daily allowance of 400 mg. Russian recommndation for Mg is much higher.

Vitamin K, found in dark leafy green veggies, also plays an iportant role. More on that in another post.

Anyway, here is first batch of info, just on Mg:

Magnesium and Bone Mass

Magnesium benefits bone health
MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE. Magnesium could be as important to bone health as calcium, new research suggests. A team from the University of Tennessee investigated the links between magnesium intake and bone mineral density (BMD) by studying data on 2,038 black and white men and women aged between 70 and 79 years. The participants were enrolled in the Health, Aging and Body Composition Study (Health ABC) initiated in 1996 by the Geriatric Epidemiology Section of the National Institute on Aging. Participants were given tests to measure their BMD, and the results were compared with data from questionnaires covering food and supplement intake of magnesium. Analysis showed that magnesium intake was significantly linked to higher BMD throughout the whole body, but only in the white men and women. The effect was stronger in women than men - BMD was higher by 0.04g per square centimeter in women and 0.02g/cm2 higher in men in the top fifth for magnesium intake compared with the bottom fifth. This effect was independent of several other factors including age, osteoporosis or bone fractures, calorie intake, calcium and vitamin D intake, BMI, smoking, alcohol and exercise.

The researchers believe that magnesium's role is similar to that of calcium. They calculate that for every 100 milligram per day increase in magnesium intake, there is a one per cent increase in BMD. They report that although this one per cent increase seems small, across a population it may have large impact, and explain that most older adults get far less than the recommended daily allowance of magnesium (320 mg/day for women and 420/mg day for men). They add that black people might process vitamin D and other calcium regulating hormones slightly differently to whites, but magnesium may still have an association with BMD. Previous observational and clinical studies have suggested an association between low magnesium status and increased risk of cardiovascular diseases, hypertension, osteoporosis, diabetes, and other chronic diseases.
Ryder, K.M. et al. Magnesium Intake from Food and Supplements Is Associated with Bone Mineral Density in Healthy Older White Subjects. The Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, Vol. 53, November 2005, pp. 1875-80

Magnesium improves bone strength
MEMPHIS, TENNESSEE. Many atrial fibrillation patients have found magnesium supplementation highly beneficial in preventing ectopic beats (PACs and PVCs) and even afib episodes. Now there is evidence that an adequate daily magnesium intake also materially improves the density of skeletal bone and helps prevent osteoporosis and hip fractures. Researchers at the University of Tennessee measured bone mineral density (BMD) in a group of older men and women (black and white between the ages of 70-79 years). The 2038 participants were enrolled in the Health, Aging and Body Composition Study initiated in 1997. The researchers also determined the participants’ daily intake of magnesium, calcium, potassium, vitamin D, and vitamin C. Less than 26% of the study group met the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) for magnesium (320 mg/day for women and 420 mg/day for men over the age of 70 years). Twenty-five per cent took a magnesium supplement providing an average of 83 mg/day of elemental magnesium. Black men and women had a significantly higher BMD than did white persons and did not benefit from higher magnesium intake.

White women with the highest magnesium intake had a significantly higher BMD than women with lower intakes with an increase in daily intake from 220 mg/day to 320 mg/day corresponding to an increase of 0.020 g/cm2 in whole body BMD (after adjusting for other relevant variables). For white men, an increase from 320 mg/day to 420 mg/day corresponded to an increase of 0.010 g/cm2 in whole body BMD. These increases are roughly equivalent to those that would result from increasing daily calcium intake by about 400 mg. The researchers speculate that the beneficial effects of an increased magnesium intake on bone density may be due to one or more of the following factors:

Improved synthesis of vitamin D with subsequent suppression of parathyroid hormone function.
Increased alkalinity of a diet high in magnesium and lower net acid production.
Substitution of calcium with magnesium in the formulation of bone hydroxyapatite, resulting in greater structural strength. NOTE: Strontium may have a similar effect.
The researchers conclude that a higher magnesium intake through dietary change or supplementation may provide an additional strategy for preventing osteoporosis.
Ryder, KM, et al. Magnesium intake from food and supplements is associated with bone mineral density in healthy older white subjects. Journal of the American Geriatrics Society, Vol. 53, November 2005, pp. 1875-80
Magnesium supplementation reduces bone loss
LOMA LINDA, CALIFORNIA. It is generally assumed that an adequate calcium intake is essential in promoting the achievement of peak bone mass in growing children and young adults. Now researchers at the University of Graz Medical School in Austria and the Loma Linda University in California suggest that an adequate magnesium intake may be equally important. About half the body's reservoir of magnesium is found in soft tissue while the other half is found in bone. Excess magnesium is excreted in the urine. The researchers recently completed an experiment in which 12 healthy, young men received 350 mg of magnesium as a daily oral supplement for a 30-day period. A comparison of the level of biomarkers for bone turnover in the supplemented group and in an age-matched control group showed a statistically significant decrease in the level of these biomarkers in the supplemented group. Neither the supplement group nor the control group were deficient in magnesium and had a dietary intake of about 300 mg/day (RDA is 300-350 mg/day). The researchers conclude that magnesium supplementation (over and above the current RDA) may suppress bone turnover in young adults and speculate that it may also help prevent age- related osteoporosis.
Dimai, H.P., et al. Daily oral magnesium supplementation suppresses bone turnover in young adult males. Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, Vol. 83, August 1998, pp. 2742-48

Magnesium effective in treatment of osteoporosis
ADELAIDE, AUSTRALIA. Dr. Ivor Dreosti of the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization has just released a major report detailing the current knowledge of the importance of magnesium in human nutrition. Magnesium is involved in the functioning of more than 200 enzymes and is a key player in the body's energy (ATP) cycle. The recommended dietary intake is 300-400 mg/day (in the U.S.A.), an amount which many scientists now feel may be insufficient. It is also clear that many people do not even get the recommended intake and that this can lead to problems with muscle spasms and idiopathic mitral valve prolapse. Dr. Dreosti points out that the body's requirement is increased markedly by both stress and vigorous exercise. Recent tests have also shown that exercise capacity can be significantly increased by the use of magnesium supplements. Many researchers are now also reporting that magnesium deficiency plays a significant role in the development of osteoporosis. Studies have shown that women suffering from osteoporosis tend to have a lower magnesium intake than normal and also have lower levels of magnesium in their bones. It is also clear that recommendations to postmenopausal women to increase calcium intake can lead to an unfavourable Ca:Mg ratio unless the magnesium intake is increased accordingly; the optimum ratio of Ca:Mg is believed to be 2:1. A magnesium deficiency can also affect the production of the biologically active form of vitamin D and thereby further promoting osteoporosis. Some very recent research shows that magnesium supplementation is effective in treating osteoporosis. A trial in Israel showed that postmenopausal women suffering from osteoporosis could stop further bone loss by supplementing with 250-750 mg/day of magnesium for two years. Some (8 per cent) of the treated women even experienced a significant increase in trabecular bone density. Untreated controls lost bone mass at the rate of 1 per cent per year. Another experiment in Czechoslovakia found that 65 per cent of women who supplemented with 1500 to 3000 mg of magnesium lactate daily for two years completely got rid of their pain and stopped further development of deformities of the vertebrae. Other studies have shown that magnesium is helpful in the treatment of cardiac arrhythmias and that an adequate intake may help prevent atherosclerosis.
Dreosti, Ivor E. Magnesium status and health. Nutrition Reviews, Vol. 53, No. 9, September 1995, pp. S23- S27




Magnesium and Muscle Health

Muscle strength linked to magnesium in older adults
PALERMO, ITALY. Magnesium is central to human health as it plays a role in a wide range of activities on the cellular level. A deficiency can lead to muscle weakness, fatigue and insomnia. This nutrient may therefore be essential for maintaining muscle strength throughout life. Evidence from athletes supports a role for magnesium in avoiding damage to muscle cells. Muscle mass and function can be compromised in older age, a condition known as sarcopenia. Researchers from the University of Palermo investigated the relationship between sarcopenia and magnesium status. They analyzed data from the Italian InCHIANTI (aging in the Chianti area) study. Data on muscle performance and serum magnesium, gathered at the same time, were available for 1,138 healthy men and women. Mean age was 67 years and the participants were considered representative of the general population. Magnesium status was found to be significantly related to each of the measures of muscle strength - grip strength, lower-leg muscle power, knee rotation, and ankle strength. The link, found in both men and women, remained "highly significant" once the results were adjusted for factors including age, sex, body mass index, and levels of several other nutrients. In case the link was due to magnesium deficiency among certain participants, the analysis was repeated excluding individuals identified as deficient and a highly significant relationship was still observed. The researchers suggest that the explanation may lie in the importance of magnesium to metabolism, or the increased free radical production and proinflammatory effects of low magnesium. They conclude that serum magnesium is significantly, independently, and strongly linked to muscle performance in older people. Measurement of serum magnesium should be part of routine physical check-ups, they believe, but they add that it is not fully clear whether magnesium supplementation improves muscle function. Magnesium is found in green vegetables such as spinach, nuts (especially almonds), seeds, and some whole grains. Excessive intake can interfere with calcium absorption.
Dominguez, L. J. et al. Magnesium and muscle performance in older persons: the InCHIANTI study. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition, Vol. 84, August 2006, pp. 419-26


Muscle cramps cured with magnesium
ST. JOHN'S, CANADA. Canadian doctors report on two cases of severe muscle cramps which were relieved by the intravenous infusion of magnesium sulfate. The first case involved a 17-year-old soldier who had been exercising too strenuously and developed muscle spasms so severe that he was immobilized. The soldier was hospitalized and underwent a battery of tests. The only abnormality found was a low concentration of magnesium in the blood serum (0.54 mmol/L vs. a normal range of 0.7 to 1.5 mmol/L). The soldier was given two intravenous infusions of magnesium sulfate in a saline solution. His pain lessened significantly within 48 hours and was gone after four days. The second case involved an 81-year-old woman who was hospitalized with abdominal cramps so severe that even injections of Demerol and morphine could not subdue the pain. Laboratory tests showed a significant magnesium deficiency (serum level was 0.50 mmol/L). The patient was given a slow intravenous infusion of five grams of magnesium sulfate in a 2000 ml N saline solution over a 24-hour period. She was completely pain-free by the third day and was discharged after another week "never feeling better for years". The doctors conclude that diuretic therapy (with furosemide) was almost certainly the cause of this latter case of muscle cramps. They also recommend that physicians do a magnesium level check whenever patients complain of muscle cramps, muscle weakness or neuromuscular dysfunction. Oral supplements have also been found effective in treating muscle cramps with the preferred form being magnesium glucoheptonate or magnesium gluconate.
Bilbey, Douglas L.J. and Prabhakaran, Victor M. Muscle cramps and magnesium deficiency: case reports. Canadian Family Physician, Vol. 42, July 1996, pp. 1348-51

By the time I am done posting all this Mg and vitD, vit K info I want to share, I will probably be receiving invitations to leave

But it may help someone. So here is the abstract and the discussion section of another article, actually an older study (from the JOURNAL OF REPRODUCTIVE MEDICINE Vol. 35 No. 5, May 1990):

A Total Dietary Program Emphasizing Magnesium Instead of Calcium

Effect on the Mineral Density of Calcaneous Bone in Postmenopausal Women on Hormonal Therapy


Guy E. Abraham, M.D. Harinder Grewal, M.D.


The use of calcium supplementation for the management of primary postmenopausal osteoporosis (PPMO) has increased significantly in the past few years. A review of the published data does not support calcium megadosing during postmenopause. Controlled studies showed no significant effect of calcium intake on mineral density of trabecular bone and a slight effect on cortical bone. Since PPMO is predominantly due to demineralization of trabecular bone, there is no justification for calcium mega dosing in postmenopausal women. Soft tissue calcification is a serious risk factor during calcium megadosing under certain conditions. A total dietary program emphasizing magnesium instead of calcium for the management of PPMO takes into account the available data on the effects of magnesium, life-style and dietary habits on bone integrity and PPMO. When this dietary program was tested on 19 postmenopausal women on hormonal replacement therapy who were compared to 7 control postmenopausal women, a significant increase in mineral bone density of the calcaneous bone (BMD) was observed within one year. Fifteen of the 19 women had had BMD below the spine fracture threshold before treatment; within one year, only 7 of them still had BMD values below that threshold.

Discussion

Since several nutrients besides calcium are important for bone integrity,11-24 a total dietary program would be preferable to calcium supplementation in the prevention and management of PPMO.

Albanese et al 11 reported that calcium supplementation alone was two to three times less effective on phalanx bone density in women aged 38-66 years than was nutritional supplementation containing the same amount of calcium plus some essential trace elements and vitamins at RDA levels. However, Albanese’s supplement lacked several essential micronutrients and did not contain magnesium.
The results of the present study suggest that complete nutritional supplementation containing 500 mg of calcium as the citrate salt and 600 mg of magnesium as the oxide has a significant effect on reversing postmenopausal bone loss of the calcaneous bone within a relatively short period of time in patients receiving hormonal replacement therapy for several years. The effect of this magnesium-emphasized program on calcaneous bone density was 16 times greater than that of dietary advice alone in postmenopausal women on hormonal replacement therapy. Ross et al 10 defines the spine fracture threshold as a BMD of 0.32 g/cm of the calcaneous bone. In 15 of the 19 women receiving the supplement the BMD was below the fracture threshold before treatment. Within a year after the program only seven patients had BMD values <0.32 g/cm (Table II).

Dalderup was the first to report, in 1960, a possible role of magnesium in therapy for osteoporosis He also warned against soft tissue calcification caused by calcium and vitamin D megadosing.

A recent literature review suggested that the magnesium content of the food supply in Europe and North America results in a daily intake averaging 72-161 mg below women’s RDA of 300 mg. Magnesium supplementation ranging from 67 to 600 mg daily improved several clinical problems in those countries.

The RDA of magnesium for Soviet women varies from 500 to 1250 mg, depending on physiologic conditions. It is unlikely that genetic factors account for such a difference in magnesium requirements between Soviet and U.S. women. The U.S. RDA of magnesium, based on short-term balance studies, probably is the minimum daily intake of magnesium that the human body can adjust to but at the cost of increased susceptibility to stress and, very probably, PPMO.8 Long-term balance studies have indicated much greater needs for magnesium than the U.S. RDA, and >1,000 mg/d is sometimes required to maintain a positive balance under stressful conditions.

It was postulated by one of us (G.EA.) that PPMO is predominantly a skeletal manifestation of chronic magnesium deficiency, facilitated by estrogen withdrawal during postmenopause. If this postulate is correct and properly designed clinical trials could test it easily, postmenopausal trabecular bone loss might not occur even without estrogen replacement therapy as long as the magnesium intake and bone magnesium reserve were adequate. Even senile osteoporosis would be prevented by this program because the high-magnesium diet would lower the calcium threshold. Raising the RDA of magnesium to 1,000 mg/d and lowering that for calcium to 500 mg/d might be the most cost-effective approach to PPMO at a national level. This proposed RDA for calcium would be more in line with the World Health Organization’s “practical allowance” of 400-500mg daily for adults. Such a reversal of the magnesium:calcium ratio in the RDA recommendation most probably would lower the incidence and prevalence of many other degenerative diseases and pregnancy complications caused in part by magnesium deficiency.

We are now undertaking a more comprehensive study of the magnesium-emphasized dietary program in postmenopausal women not receiving hormonal replacement because of contraindications to estrogen use. The daily supplementation of elemental magnesium will vary from 200 to 1,000 mg. If the above postulate is valid, BMD changes would be expected to correlate positively with the amount of magnesium ingested.

If, indeed, a magnesium-emphasized dietary program reverses bone loss in PPMO, this program for PPMO might be the most cost-effective one and essentially devoid of side effects.

Third article for today, and the last for this morning. I need to take the statement that heavy sugar intake increases magnesium loss to heart myself.

tt


Magnesium:
A Key to Calcium Absorption

By Nan Kathryn Fuchs, Ph.D.

Dr. Fuchs is a nutritional consultant in private practice in Santa Monica, CA, and is author of "The Nutrition Detective."

One of the most popular minerals in the news today is calcium, needed for strong bones and teeth. We are told to take increased amounts in our diet as a supplement to prevent osteoporosis and eliminate muscle cramping during menstruation or from over-exercising. Yet, calcium alone is often not enough. Without magnesium, calcium may be not fully utilized, and underabsorption problems may occur leading to arthritis, osteoporosis, menstrual cramps, and some premenstrual symptoms.

Perhaps the single most significant reason calcium malabsorption is so common today is due to a discrepancy between what we eat and how we digest and absorb the nutrients in our food. 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.


ARTHRITIS AND OSTEOPOROSIS

Two major health problems, arthritis and osteoporosis, may be caused in part by a magnesium deficiency. When you look at how calcium is absorbed these problems become easier to understand, and often can be controlled through diet.

Magnesium is needed for calcium absorption. Without enough magnesium, calcium can collect in the soft tissues and cause one type of arthritis. Not only does calcium collect in the soft tissues of arthritics, it is poorly, if at all, absorbed into their blood and bones. But taking more calcium is not the answer; it only amplifies the problem. In fact, excessive calcium intake and insufficient magnesium can contribute to both of these diseases. Magnesium taken in proper dosages can solve the problem of calcium deficiency.

When calcium is elevated in the blood it stimulates the secretion of a hormone called calcitonin and suppresses the secretion of the parathyroid hormone (PTH). These hormones regulate the levels of calcium in our bones and soft tissues and are, therefore, directly related to both osteoporosis and arthritis. PTH draws calcium out of the bones and deposits it in the soft tissues, while calcitonin increases calcium in our bones and keeps it from being absorbed in our soft tissues. Sufficient amounts of magnesium determine this delicate and important balance.

Because magnesium suppresses PTH and stimulates calcitonin it helps put calcium into our bones, preventing osteoporosis, and helps remove it from our soft tissues eliminating some forms of arthritis. A magnesium deficiency will prevent this chemical action from taking place in our bodies, and no amount of calcium can correct it. While magnesium helps our body absorb and retain calcium, too much calcium prevents magnesium from being absorbed. So taking large amounts of calcium without adequate magnesium may either create malabsorption or a magnesium deficiency. Whichever occurs, only magnesium can break the cycle.

In experiments reported in "International Clinical Nutrition Review," a number of volunteers on a low-magnesium diet were given both calcium and vitamin D supplements. AU the subjects were magnesium-depleted and although they had been given adequate supplements, all but one became deficient in calcium. When they were given calcium intravenously, the level of calcium in their blood rose, but only for the duration of the intravenous feeding. As soon as the intravenous calcium was stopped, the levels calcium in the blood dropped. However, when magnesium was given, their magnesium levels rose and stabilized rapidly, and calcium levels also rose within a few days - although no additional calcium had been taken.

Dr. Guy Abraham, M.D., a research gynecologist and endocrinologist in premenstrual syndrome and osteoporosis has found strong evidence to suggest that women with osteoporosis have a deficiency of a chemical that is made when they take twice as much magnesium as calcium. In fact, he has found that when calcium intake is decreased, it is utilized better than when it is high. Dr. Abraham is one of many doctors and biochemists who advocate taking more magnesium to correct calcium-deficiency diseases.

A magnesium-rich diet can be helpful both for arthritis and to help prevent osteoporosis. This consists of nuts, whole grains such as brown rice, millet, buckwheat (kasha), whole wheat, triticate, and rye, and legumes including lentils, split peas, and a varieties of beans. A whole grain cereal or bread in the morning, a cup of bean soup at lunch, a snack of a few nuts, and serving of brown rice, millet, or buckwheat with dinner should help increase magnesium when a deficiency is suspected.

At the same time, refined sugar and alcohol should be reduced, and eliminated when possible to prevent magnesium from being excreted in large quantities in the urine. You may also want to re-evaluate the amount of dairy in your diet. If it has been disproportionately high, reduce or temporarily eliminate it until some of your symptoms are alleviated, or until you feel more of a balance has been achieved through the inclusion of whole grains and legumes. Oriental and Indian diets contain little or no dairy, yet arthritis and osteoporosis are not major health problems in these cultures. Their foods consist primarily of green vegetables, grains, tofu, and seafood, and are twice as high in magnesium as our average diets.

Calcium causes muscles to contract, while magnesium helps them relax. When calcium is taken for menstrual cramps it knocks magnesium out of the cells and makes it more available for immediate use. However, it depletes the body of magnesium and ensures that the problem will recur the following month unless sufficient magnesium is added to the diet. Taking calcium gives temporary relief of menstrual cramps.

A diet high in dairy and low in whole grains can lead to excess calcium in the tissues and a magnesium deficiency. The source of menstrual cramps may be coming from eating too much cheese, yogurt, ice cream or milk, combined with insufficient whole grains and beans. Or it could come from taking too much calcium without enough magnesium. Modifying your diet and increasing your magnesium supplementation may allow your menstrual cramps to disappear.

Premenstrual chocolate craving is a phenomenon that has puzzled a great many women who are not controlled by this overwhelming urge at other times of the month. Yet chocolate, which is highest in magnesium of all foods, is often a sign of magnesium deficiency. If your diet is high in calcium you may have poor calcium absorption as well. The answer is not to eat more chocolate, but to increase your magnesium by eating more whole grains, nuts, seafood, and green vegetables, and by increasing your magnesium supplements. Your chocolate cravings will vanish when you have enough magnesium in your diet.

According to Dr. Mildred Seelig, executive president of the American College of Nutrition, we need an average of 200 mg. more than we get from the average diet.

Foods highest in magnesium are nuts (especially almonds and cashews), whole grains, seafood, and legumes (including tofu). Eat more of these, while reducing sugar and alcohol, which increase magnesium excretion. Don't overlook one vitamin or mineral for another since all work together to supply you with the nutrients you need. And consult your nutritionally- oriented physician about all nutrients before trying them.

A balanced diet of fresh, whole foods is your best maintenance diet. But if you have been taking large amounts of calcium and ignoring magnesium you may want to reverse the proportions until you achieve a better balance. Sufficient magnesium may be your missing link.

This page was first uploaded to The Magnesium Web Site on November 22, 2002

Thank you for these great articles. I have done some research on my own and found out how important magnesium is. I have stopped taking calcium supplements as I had a bad case of kidney stones this past spring. The urologist said - stop the calcium, but the magnesium is fine! I get my calcium now through diet. How many women know that your proper daily calcium intake is the COMBINED intake of diet and supplements? How many women read a calcium supplement bottle and think they need to take 1500mg in supplement form? I did and look what happened to me! However, I do take magnesium supplements. It is amazing how good it is for the body. I have also read that magnesium helps to keep bones supple, so while there may be bone loss the bones are more flexible thus helping to prevent a break. I have also read that the ratio should be more magnesium than calcium.

So much has been made of osteoprosis today. Not that I don't think it is a problem, but I do not believe it is the problem the drug companies would like us to believe. I am always thankful I am not taking the drugs. For example, after five tooth extractions this past spring, and knowing that my teeth are and always have been bad due to genetics, jaw necrosis from these drugs is just not something I want to have happen. Mouth pain is bad enough without dealing with the lack of healing. Some dentists and oral surgeons are now requiring people taking these drugs to sign a waver before treatment!

I did digress, but want to thank you again for posting all of these articles. It is absolutely wonderful to have information that leads to natural and healthier choices. While traditional medicine has always been my first choice for myself and for my family, I am now also a believer that the body was meant to do what it does. In other words, these drugs stop the natural process of bone. Old bone is meant to be discarded and new bone made in its place. These drugs stop that process putting a forgeign material over old bone - rather like a cast. How refreshing to know that with the addition of things like magnesium that our bodies need and use that we can help ourselves better and wiser.

Thanks again,

Dor

Glad you enjoyed them. You make a very good point about calcium supplementation, namely that the recommended daily allowance of 1000 mg is the total from both supplements and food. I have been taking about 500 mg calcium citrate for a few months, since I have reduced my consumption of dairy products. However, I have been supplementing the magnesium for several years, at least 250 mg a day, often as much as 500. This is because I keep reading that most people in the US are deficient. I have also read that osteoporosis is almost unheard of in many places where little dairy is consumed but where the population gets lots of magneium in the diet, including through Mg rich water.

Another, BIG thank you...

Very timely information, as I am revamping my supplementation, as I type..