Magnesium Quick Reference
Magnesium Quick Reference
Page edition: 2020-09-05
Note: although this basenote is publicly-visible,
some links and responses may be UIC members-only.
Context
Magnesium (element Mg) is a core program supplement.
Due to filtering of modern drinking water,
deficiency in modern industrial-scale crops, grain-heavy diets that block what
little Mg most people get, and use of PPIs,
your level, on starting the program, is almost
certainly suboptimal.
Contents
• Overall context for this topic
• General information
• Program target
• Cautions
• Supplement considerations
• Supplement suggestions
• Testing considerations
General Information
The need for Mg has been part of the program, going back
at least a decade, and is extensively discussed in all the books and
program materials:
Book: Undoctored: starting page 292 of print edition
Blog: Why
is magnesium so important?
Video: The
Trouble With Magnesium and Migraines (public)
Program Mg Target
Program target is based on a suggested daily intake, ideally confirmed by a blood test:
400 to 500 milligrams per day (for adults)
RBC Mg test, near upper end of Reference Range
See Testing considerations
below for more information.
The daily dose is mg of elemental Mg, and not the total weight of the Mg compound
consumed. For comparison, the U.S. RDA for adult males is presently 420 mg.
This program target usually requires a magnesium supplement, in one or
more forms from a very small selection of compounds.
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Cautions
Impaired kidney function requires monitoring of Mg serum levels.
The kidneys are normally very effective at removing excess Mg.
In otherwise healthy people, the principal hazard of excess Mg intake, or use of
poorly-absorbed forms, is a laxative effect,
that can interfere with absorption of other nutrients.
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Supplement considerations
Before considering a supplement, have a rough idea of how much Mg you get from
foods. The “Why is magnesium so important?” blog article linked
above lists the top program-compatible food sources. Any number of comparison
web resources provide a breakdown of values.
The vast majority of Mg supplements on the market are frank laxatives.
Those sold as mineral supplements, such as in multi-vitamins, tend to
provide subclinical doses. The magnesium stearate form in many preparations
may be biologically inert.
What also doesn’t work is transdermal Mg, such as soaking in epsom salt.
There’s no real risk, but also no evidence that it has any real effect
on RBC Mg.
The supplement formulations suggested are:
• magnesium bicarbonate (Magnesium Water)
• magnesium malate (usually in tablet form)
• magnesium glycinate (where higher doses are required)
• magnesium glycerophosphate
• magnesium citrate (where calcium
oxalate kidney stones are a concern).
The jury is still out on the L-threonate, -orotate and -taurate forms.
Although Mg is never consumed as the actual raw light metal,
it’s important to be clear on the amount of elemental Mg provided
by any compound in use. Product package labels can be frustratingly
vague on this.
Dose timing
Spread intake over the day, so as to avoid undesired motility effects from
taking too much at once.
Avoid taking Mg at the same time as any iron supplements.
Consider biasing intake toward evening, as Mg can aid with sleep.
If deliberately using a laxative, take your Mg mineral supplement well separated in time.
Dose adjustment
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Supplement suggestions
The top product recommendation is the program recipe for magnesium water, linked above.
Once made, each daily amount can be consumed across day, and diluted with
more water as desired. The main challenges with it are obtaining unadulterated
Milk of Magnesia, and having Mg-water available for travel.
At latest update of this QR, in the U.S, it appears that the only remaining MoM product
on the retail market that was free of bleach contamination (sodium
hypochlorite) was the Dollar General DG™|health Milk of Magnesia
ITEM
00615503 (UPC 3 70030 65876 3, US$ 2.00), but is only available in-store.
Strikingly, Phillips (Bayer) “Genuine” “Original” MoM,
as with too many MoM products today, contains bleach, which usually
results in some sort of precipitate in the Mg-water, and is a potential
microbiome hazard in any case. Any “original” formula with NaOCl is
not original.
For the cautious buyer, subscription site ConsumerLab.com
periodically tests Mg supplements.
Check ingredients. The main issues to watch for in Mg supplements
are calcium compounds, and Mg compound
mixes that may include forms not well absorbed.
Source
Naturals "625mg" product provides 433mg elemental Mg in a serving
(which is 6 tablets). Their "1250mg" product provides 425mg of Mg in a 3-tablet serving.
{placeholder for an Mg-glycinate product suggestion}
NOW
Magnesium Citrate (400mg)
Magnesium Glycerophosphate (powder)
Mg-water can also be made using food-grade magnesium hydroxide powder,
but there are no product recommendations at present, due to recent complaints
about contaminants and reaction results with the major brands currently
available.
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Testing considerations
Test details
Test Name |
Target Range |
Discussion |
RBC
Magnesium
CPT Code 83735
and not:
Serum Magnesium (Analysis Code 2551SP) |
Near or even slightly above the upper end of the Reference Range |
The ideal test for Mg would actually be a tissue titer, but that would
require a biopsy, so is not routinely performed. |
If this test isn’t routinely covered by your carrier,
it’s often cheaper to obtain it on your own,
nanny state permitting, from a walk-in lab, perhaps via a
Life
Extension order. Self-directed price range: US$66.00-117.00.
Test Day Considerations
Fasting status: It is not necessary to test Mg fasting.
Day’s Mg supplement:
may be taken before or after draw
Time of day for test:
anytime
Interactions:
take any medications as you would normally
Re-Test timing:
after a supplement dose adjustment, wait at least 6 months before re-test.
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