Posted by JLx on October 20, 2008, at 7:54:43
In reply to Magnesium questions, posted by oceancat on October 19, 2008, at 18:03:47
> Hi magnesium experts!
>
> I just bought TwinLab 400 mg magnesium oxide before I read the magnesium posts. Is it still worth taking, or should I go out and buy another type? What daily dose for depression and PMS irritability? Take in morning or evening? Thanks!
>
> oceancatWell, as usual, I would have to say....it depends. Mg oxide does work for some people. Even with poor absorbability, it may be better than nothing if you're really deficient.
Do you also take calcium? Eat a lot of dairy or other calcium rich foods? One reason why I became so magnesium deficient, and therefore mg helped me so much to supplement, is because I was calcium overloaded. I had to take a LOT of magnesium in the early days to balance that. And even though mg helped me right away, it also felt like it took several months to actually get more balanced overall.
Depending on your situation, your mileage may vary considerably.
It's a fact though, that studies have shown that most Americans are not getting the RDA, which in itself may be too low for our modern stress filled lifestyles. Magnesium is also depleted by high fat, high sodium, high refined carb diets, alcohol, cola drinks, etc. Check out this questionnaire and see how you come out:
http://www.thewayup.com/newsletters/081501.htm
You will have to experiment to see when to take it and how much. Some kinds of mg are more sedating than others, and some people find mg energizing rather than calming.
You could try the mg oxide until you get something else. And when you do, try to find a quality product like Cardiovascular Research Magnesium Taurate or Carlson's Magnesium Glycinate. (There are other brands too, these are just two suggestions.) The only problem with taking the mg oxide is that if it doesn't do much, you won't know if it's because of the type of mg, if you're not taking enough, if you're not actually deficient, etc.
So, depending on how much you calculate this experiment may be worth to you, you may want to just get a different kind and try that instead.
This nutritionist's page has a formula based on body weight, which is taken from "The Magnesium Factor" by Mildred Selig, a long time researcher in magnesium. http://www.krispin.com/magnes.html I've read this book and highly recommend it. I also recommend "The Magnesium Miracle" by Carolyn Dean, M.D. Here's a page by her discussing magnesium: http://www.drcarolyndean.com/articles_the_magnesium_miracle.html
I've heard conflicting advice about whether to take it on an empty stomach or with food, but most say to take in divided doses.
I take magnesium glycinate at night, and mg taurate, malate or orotate at other times, or also at night. Mg glycinate is the most sedating of them all to me now, but when I first used to take it, I took it during the day and didn't notice sedation.
You can also use magnesium oil, which is magnesium chloride on your skin (expensive and something of a rip off, imo) or take Epsom salt baths (magnesium sulfate).
And don't forget food! Pumpkin seeds are an excellent source of magnesium. http://www.whfoods.com/genpage.php?tname=nutrient&dbid=75#foodsources
JL
poster:JLx
thread:848599
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20081006/msgs/858379.html