Originally posted by Dr. Davis on 2018-08-31
on the Wheat Belly Blog, sourced from and currently found at: Infinite Health Blog.
PCM forum Index of WB Blog articles.

Note: due to unadulerated (bleach-free) Milk of Magnesia having vanished from the market, see the ⎆site Mg-water recipe for alternative approaches.

Magnesium Water: Updated recipe

Below is an excerpt from the recipes in Wheat Belly Total Health, also posted in Undoctored.) The recipes in Wheat Belly Total Health and Undoctored are not all conventional recipes, such as those for soups or entrees; they are functional recipes that provide specific health benefits, from electrolyte restoration to bowel flora cultivation. Here, I reproduce the recipe for Magnesium Water, the best form of magnesium supplementation available that you cannot buy, but with an updated warning to avoid milk of magnesia that contains sodium hypochlorite (chlorine bleach—yes: chlorine bleach, a potent oxidizing agent) that is making its way into more and more products.

While the best form of magnesium supplement is magnesium bicarbonate, in solid form is highly hygroscopic, or water-absorbent, such that it turns to a hard solid, then crumbles, in short order. For this reason, no manufacturer will sell you a magnesium bicarbonate supplement.

But you can make it yourself quite easily in liquid form and at very low cost using common materials. This form of magnesium is so well absorbed that I prescribed this mixture for patients over the years who had severe, life-threatening magnesium deficiencies (from such things as prior chemotherapy or specific magnesium-losing nephropathies, or kidney defects of magnesium reabsorption) that were chronic, requiring them to go to an emergency room or clinic every week for an intravenous infusion of magnesium to avoid the sudden cardiac death (via Torsade des pointes or ventricular tachycardia/fibrillation) that can result. But the weekly infusion was an awful experience, as getting an IV is no fun, it’s a major inconvenience, and costly. Using this Magnesium Water, I was able to keep magnesium blood levels in a safe range using this convenient oral mixture—no more IVs, no more weekly trips, far less cost, and less fluctuation of magnesium levels, since it could be supplemented every day, rather than once per week. This formula is perfectly safe even if you don’t have a life-threatening magnesium deficiency, though your needs will be less.

If we were able to drink water straight from streams that flowed over rocks and minerals, or if we ate wild foods rich in magnesium, none of this would be necessary. But given the fact that water filtration removes virtually all magnesium, modern crop-growing methods mobilize as much as 60% less magnesium compared to older methods, and prior grain consumption blocks nearly all magnesium absorption (due to grain phytates), nearly all of us suffer from magnesium deficiency. Inadequate magnesium intake has real consequences such as higher blood pressure, higher blood sugars, muscle cramps, heart rhythm disorders such as atrial fibrillation (as well as fatal rhythms), and osteoporosis. Because of our poor intake, supplementation is necessary for a lifetime for the majority.

This magnesium water is therefore the best fix I know of.

Magnesium water
This simple recipe yields magnesium bicarbonate, a highly absorbable form of magnesium that restores tissue magnesium with least potential for diarrhea. A 4-ounce serving provides 90 mg of elemental magnesium; 4 ounces twice per day thereby adds an additional 180 mg of elemental magnesium to your diet. Building up to an intake (as permitted by bowel tolerance) of 8 ounces twice per day is ideal, providing 360 mg per day.

Note that the milk of magnesia must be unflavored, as flavorings block the reaction. And look for brands (e.g., Walgreen’s) that does not contain sodium hypochlorite, as it is an unhealthy additive and yields “off” flavors and smells. Be sure to label your bottle to prevent any unexpected guzzling by someone (which results in diarrhea). Magnesium water does not need to be refrigerated if consumed within 1-2 weeks.

2 liter bottle of seltzer or other unsweetened carbonated beverage (not club soda)
3 tablespoons unflavored milk of magnesia

Uncap the seltzer and pour off a few tablespoons. Shake the milk of magnesia, then pour out 3 tablespoons. (Most brands come with a handy little measuring cup.) Pour into the seltzer slowly.

Cap securely, then shake until all sediment has dissolved. Allow to sit for 15  minutes and it will clarify. Start by drinking 4 ounces twice per day. Label the bottle to keep others from inadvertently drinking it (and experiencing diarrhea by drinking too much).

If rapid restoration of magnesium is desired, e.g., chronic migraine headaches or atrial fibrillation, I’ve had patients drink 8 ounces twice or even three times per day. Just be aware that even this great preparation has potential to cause loose stools, so build up to this dose over time.