A crucial essential mineral that brings profound benefits to your health

This life-changing book is another treasured find on my journey to discover the hidden truths of natural health and to make sure I am supporting my body with the right supplementation to keep everything functioning correctly, to ward off disease and, most importantly, to ensure my my body can make the nutrients required to keep me well. The Magnesium Miracle provides an ultimate guide to one of the most important minerals we need for optimum health.

Having read this substantial book from cover to cover, I have been thoroughly convinced of the importance of this essential mineral for energy production, protein synthesis, muscle relaxation, nerve function and maintaining strong bones and teeth. Magnesium is responsible for 800 enzyme functions, affecting 80 percent of the body's bio-chemistry, and is required for the production and efficient processing of nutrients throughout the body.

The Magnesium Miracle is easy to read and you can hone in on your particular symptoms or areas of interest in four main sections: The Case for Magnesium, Magnesium Deficiency Conditions, Ongoing and Current research, Determining Your Needs and Deciding What to Take (and when). While the Resources section is for those based in American, I share the trusted provider I use which is based in the British Isles (see below).

For this review, I have extracted some key information and guidance that will hopefully convince you too that Magnesium (Citrate or Elemental) is a key mineral that can have a profound and transformational impact on your health. This includes how certain synthetic supplements can cause harm, ways Magnesium can make you feel worse (before you feel better), how certain lifestyle choices result in 'robbing Peter to pay Paul, and how you can do things the right way for you (and your family).

Like all other natural minerals and trace elements, your body is programmed to dispel any excess, so you will know when your body has been fully replenished and you can adjust your dose accordingly. It can take several months or sometimes years to fully replenish your body with Magnesium following chronic deficiency, and when your body is ready, it will simply flush out anything it doesn't need.

Synthetic supplements can cause harm

The problems with synthetic supplements are numerous and the issues they cause for the body very often help to perpetuate disease rather than remove it or cure it for any length of time. It's easy to fall for the marketing that a particular supplement will do a certain thing to remove a known symptom, but this is taken out of context of the circumstances and what your whole body might need at any given time.

The fact that mass-produced supplements are made from extracts of natural ingredients (not necessarily organic and likely to be heavily sprayed with chemicals and/or combined with synthetic additives, flavourings, colourings, stabilizers and fillers), makes them nowhere near natural in themselves, even if advertised as such. Just like pharmaceutical drugs (which I touch on below), these products work against the natural functioning of the body. They use up vital minerals and nutrients to absorb them, contain them or store them (in organs and tissues) where they can do the least harm until they can be expelled.

Our body does the best it can to keep us healthy and there is a great deal we can do to help with that. We need to focus on natural minerals and nutrients that have been proven for their therapeutic value, safety and efficacy, often having been used for millenia to clean, protect, build and maintain a myriad of bodily functions and essential processes. We have to be clear about all the things our body needs from us to work effectively.

Here are a few things to be aware of when it comes to supplementation:

1. Doctors mainy recommend 'Magnesium Oxide' despite the fact that only 4 percent of this type can be absorbed into the bloodstream (see below).
2. Calcium depletes Magnesium in the body and many people get too much calcium in supplement form (and in dairy products and synthetically fortified foods).
3. Vitimin D is actually a hormone, regulated through a biochemical feedback system. It requires Magnesium to transform it into its active form which is an issue when synthetic Vitimin D supplements are taken in druglike doses. Vitimin D is responsible for grabbing calcium and putting it in the bloodsteam, too much of it can cause a build up leading to calcification.
4. Vitimin K and A (both fat soluable) are organic eggs, grass-fed butter, cabbage, carrots and fermented vegetables. Vitimin K is needed to guide Calcium into the bones. Avoid leafy greens high in oxalates such as spinach, Swiss chard, beet greens, rhubarb and endive. Oxalates deplete Magnesium by binding to it in the digestive tract, restricting absorption.

Note that the body can produce the above vitimins and hormones by spending 2 hours a day in the sunshine or natural daylight, ideally exposing as much skin as possible so that the body can produce and store these essential nutrients for the body to use at will. This is something I discovered when I read The Light Doctor by Martin Moore-Ede MD PhD which I highly recommend (see books listed below).

There is a whole section on nutrients that need Magnesium to carry out their work in the body and a whole chapter on Magnesium and other minerals and nutrients where presently, nineteen minerals are considered essential for human life, making up 4 percent of the body by weight. It is important to understand the role Magnesium plays in the body and how different elements work together.

Feeling worse to feel better

There are many reasons why taking Magnesium may not make you feel better immediately and sometimes it can take years to completely replenish Magnesium reserves in the bone where it can be extracted if there is not sufficient daily intake, leading to chronic deficiency. This is because 50-60 percent of the body's total Magnesium is stored in the bones, providing a significant exchangeable reserve to buffer acute changes in serum Magnesium levels.

Here are some of the most common reasons why you might feel worse before you feel better when you start taking Magnesium:

1. Not taking enough - the hundreds of enzyme systems that require Magnesium are being activated and woken up from a low level of function which means your body needs more as they are revving up.
2. Burning it off - your body will use up higher levels of Magnesium at a rapid rate during times of high stress, panic, menstruation and intense exercise.
3. Too much too soon - anyone suffering from chronic Magnesium deficiency suffering fatigue and general weakness should start very slowly on any new supplement, and especially something so quick, effective and needed all over the body for so many bodily functions.
4. A detox reaction - your body holds onto toxins ingested or produced by a highly processed diet, prescription medications, heavy metals, yeast overgrowth and other environmental and chemical-ridden products which means you may suffer a reaction when Magnesium gets to work extracting these unwanted elements and dispelling them from the body. This can take the form of a runny nose, cold-like symptoms, a rash, sweating, headaches and general fatigue.
5. Too many supplements or additives - continuous high doses of synthetic Vitimin D, Calcium, pharmaceutical drugs or anything containing flouride or synthetic additives, plummets levels of Magnesium which leads to chronic deficiency.
6. Not enough (pure) Vitimin B Complex - required to assist Magnesium absoption into the cells (see below) and remove heavy metals from the system. Combined with Magnesium, this is known to have a positive impact on autism, depression and attention-deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
7. Not enough water (with mineral-rich sea salt) - it is important to remain continually hydrated with small glasses of filtered water throughout the day, taken with a dose of natural Sea Salt that contains essential trace minerals (up to 93) required to help your body carry out its daily functions and hold water in the cells.

Robbing Peter to pay Paul

We can help to maintain levels of Magnesium and other essential trace minerals and nutrients in our body by avoiding things that automatically deplete our reserves and lead to deficiencies. Constantly ingesting and absorbing things that our body needs to get rid of puts a tremendous strain on our internal organs, energy levels and general health.

There are twenty six major causes of Magnesium deficiency listed in the book, the main ones being:

1. Athletic performance - sweat loss
2. Alcohol and coffee consumption - diuretic effect
3. Stomach antacids - absorption inhibitors
4. Pharmaceutical drugs, fertilizers, flouride, herbicides, pesticides - bind with Magnesium to prevent its uptake
5. Processed foods, sugary drinks and junk foods - require high levels of Magnesium drained by the liver

As Dr Dean says: our bodies have a built-in fail-safe that prevents our body from absorbing too much Magnesium as it will get rid of any excess by flushing it out through the bowels. The problem arises when we don't take enough of the right kind of Magnesium in the right quantity through the day, especially if eating high-calcium and calcium-fortified or highly processed foods, or taking regular doses of pharmaceutical drugs and synthetic supplements.

Doing things right (for you and your family)

The first thing to be aware of is that there are different types of Magnesium and you have to make sure you are using the right one for maximum cell absorbtion and beneficial effect. This should not be Magnesium Oxide, a low cost compound often recommended by doctors, that combines Magnesium and Oxygen. This has extremely low bioavailability (absorption rate) compared to other forms. Make sure it is pure Citrate or Elemental Magnesium for best effect such as the one I use (see below).

The second thing to be aware of if you are on any kind of prescription drugs, these are one of the main causes of Magnesium and other mineral and nutrient deficiencies. This is especially pertinant for children who are treated for their symptoms and not the cause of various health issues such as hyperactivity and depression which are actually caused by deficiencies in essential minerals and nutrients. 

Wherever you are now on your journey to full health, The Magnesium Miracle explains why Magnesium and its counterparts are so important and how they can take over from precription drugs and bring you back to health.

While Dr Dean recommends her own range of bio-available products sold in America, I buy my Mega Magnesium and Clean Vitamin B Complex from a company called British Supplements (no affiliation) who provide a great deal of information about the minerals and nutrients they sell online, with clear transparency on purity, source and methods of production.

Epsom Salts and Suphur (MSM)

Another easy way to increase your Magnesium uptake, relax muscles, clean your skin and boost reserves, is to have a 20-30 minute soak in the bath several times a week with a couple of cups of pure Epsom Salts (or a foot bath with one cup). This is a great way to ensure children (1 cup) and babies (1 teaspoon to 1 tablespoon) can boost their mineral intake at bathtime.

As well as Magnesium, Epsom Salts contain sulphates which are needed for the formation of brain tissue, joint proteins and the mucin proteins that line the walls of the digestive tract. Sulphates also stimulate the pancreas to generate digestive enzymes and help to detoxify the body's residue of pharmaceutical drugs and environmental contaminants. I buy my Epsom Salts in large quantities (used 3 times a week) from the Pure Clay Company (no affiliation).  

This is where I also buy my MSM Supplement Powder which stands for methyl‐sulphonyl‐methane. MSM is a form of sulphur, which is an component in the formation of collagen, elastin, cartilage and keratin. This is required for the body’s production of proteins such as those found in cartilage, hair, skin and nails so it's a great addition - again take it steady and start with very small doses. I am preparing a post to share my protocol which is tricky because we are all different but stay tuned, it will give you a solid framework to compare to and adapt for your optimum health.

This is the first step and one that I have combined into a complete daily protocol of essential minerals and nutrients following a great deal of research and by studying the books listed below. 

I hope this review has inspired you to discover the missing link to your total health and I look forward to seeing you again soon.

Sue Cartwright

Spiral Leaf

Buy the book!

All the following books have helped in some way, and at different times, to cleanse, heal and discover the perfect organic diet to suit my taste, energy needs and lifestyle.

The Magnesium Miracle by Carolyn Dean, MD ND

Healing With Iodine by Dr Mark Sircus - Link to Abe Books (no affiliation)

The Light Doctor   by Dr Martin Moore-Ede - Link to Waterstones (no affiliation)
[Cu]re Your Fatigue by Morley M Robbins

Nourishing Traditions by Mary Enig and Sally Fallon

The Salt Fix   by Dr James DiNicolantonio 

Human Heart, Cosmic Heart by Thomas Cowan

Everyday Āyurveda by Bhaswati Bhattacharya

Cleanse to Heal   by Anthony William

Clicking on the above links will take you to my online bookshop where Spiral Leaf may earn a small commission on books sold at no extra cost to you - unless otherwise stated.