I am often asked, “So how much Magnesium do I need to take daily?” It’s a great question. And like most great questions, the answer is, “It depends.”
There are actually 3 points to consider:
1) Increased S*T*R*E*S*S = Increased MBR
First, please know that stress consumes Magnesium (Mg) — it’s how we’re wired as a species. The more “Stress!” you are under, the more Magnesium your body burns.
I call this the “Magnesium Burn Rate”, or MBR. It’s the metabolic price we pay for all that pressure & tension we feel.
Take an inventory of the dimensions of stress… Food allergies, dependence on processed food, exposure to heavy metals, use of Rx drugs, and the granddaddy of them all — mental & emotional stress, to name but a few of the “Stressors” that deplete our Mg stores. Take whatever steps you can to mitigate these issues to shore up these Mg leaks.
And when you know your “Stress!”/MBR is increasing, know that your body will be craving more Magnesium.
2) What is your current Magnesium status?
The most efficient and cost-effective way to get a reading on your current Magnesium status is to order the MagRBC blood test. This simple test is inexpensive and you’ll usually have results emailed to you within 72 hours.
The current reference range is 4.2 – 6.8 mg/dL, but know that in 1962 (before every 1 in 3 people was obese or diabetic) the reference range was 5.0 – 7.0 mg/dL. Based on this latter range, any score below 6.0 mg/dL is a clear signal of Magnesium deficiency.
If you have many Magnesium deficiency symptoms, an even less expensive option is to just start increasing your Magnesium intake. See the next step…
3) Protocol for restoring Magnesium — a “full-court” press
Diet
Start eating more Magnesium-rich foods: seafood, especially kelp and oysters. Whole grains, especially buckwheat, millet and wild rice. Leafy greens, especially collards, beet greens, mustard greens, spinach and kale. Nuts and seeds, especially cashews, almonds and pistachio nuts, as well as pumpkin seeds.
And everyone’s favourite, chocolate! But only dark chocolate with a high content of cocoa, 80%+ or more, is great.
Note: Because of mineral depletion in the soil and modern food processing methods, I’ve determined that it’s basically impossible to get enough Magnesium from food alone.
Magnesium mineral drops
Put concentrated mineral drops in your water — minerals are the other reason why we drink H₂O.
Magnesium oil footbaths
Do a magnesium oil footbath. If you can’t do it daily, at least 3× per week to replenish extreme magnesium deficiency rapidly. Dose is 1 – 2 oz of magnesium oil in hot water covering your toes in a small tub.
Epsom salt baths
Epsom salt baths are great. Grandma used to recommend them for just about everything! And Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate) is readily available at just about every local drugstore. Dose is 1 – 2 cups of Epsom salt + 1 cup of baking soda (not baking powder), and immerse yourself in this rejuvenating liquid for 30 – 40 minutes. I recommend slowing down and taking one per week.
Magnesium supplements
Take a bio-available Magnesium supplement every day.
No matter what magnesium supplement you use, be sure to also supplement with vitamin B6, an important co-factor to Magnesium.
The Recommended Daily Intake (RDI) of Magnesium is 400 mg. But I believe the optimal daily dose is 650 mg for women and 850 mg for men — please vary it based upon your daily Magnesium Burn Rate. Another rule of thumb is to take 5× your body weight in mg of Mg (e.g. if you weigh 100 lbs, take 500 mg Mg).
Again, the focus here is on “optimum” dosing, not daily “minimum” intakes.
4) One last thing…
OK, now this last part is quite difficult, so please pay close attention… I’d like you to do this degree of Mg supplementation each and every day. Air, Water, Magnesium — it’s that important!
And when you start increasing your Magnesium intake, you’ll be fuelling your body with the Master Mineral that powers all 100 trillion cells, especially the largest muscle in your body, your non-stop beating heart.
5) And there is MORE — Magnesium’s cofactors plus electrolyte balance
- Vitamin B6 helps get Mg inside the cell.
- Boron helps keep Mg inside the cell.
- Bicarbonate helps get Mg inside the mitochondria.
- And the Adrenal Cocktail helps keep Mg in balance with other electrolytes.
A votre santé!…