Magnesium - what's best?
 

I've read so much on supplementation and usually take away what I need. But I'm reading so much about magnesium I feel confused...what type and how much is best to use?

I take 2 tablets of cal/mag/zinc (1000mg/400mg/25mg) each day and for those that understand the science, it is calcium carbonate and calcium gluconate, magnesium oxide and magnesium gluconate and zinc citrate and zinc gluconate.

I could use a bit of assistance staying regular... :o

Is there an easy way to figure out what I should be adding?

Thanks as always for your assistance -
Deanna

I take a local (French) brand of long-release magnesium for muscle cramps - this is the first time I've done low carb and not had terrible leg cramps most nights.

I've not had trouble with regularity but I attribute that to not overeating protein more than anything else...

I started taking magnesium many years ago, about the same time I started calcium supplements because the calcium was constipating. Chelated magnesium (those products ending in -ate) is better absorbed by the body. Magnesium oxide has a stronger laxative effect.

Everyone's dose is a little different. The advice I got was to start small - 200 or 250 mg per day. Try that for a few days and if that's not enough, add another 200 - 250 mg. Repeat till you get the degree of regularity you need, then stop. If you go too far, you may get diarrhea, and then you back down. I usually take 400-600 mg per day and I've heard up to 1000 mg is safe.

Is each of your cal/mag/zinc 1000/400/25? That would be more calcium per day than is currently recommended and which is not thought to be as beneficial or even benign as it once was (I know, something else to research). Perhaps you'd have better luck if you dropped one of the cal/mag/zincs and added a bit more mag till you reach a good balance.

Sheesh...so hard to figure it out. I'll do a bit more research on the calcium...I didn't realize that would be too much.

It all can be very confusing!! Thank you both for the input...It may be better to take this stuff individually to achieve better control of the amounts.

Any other advice is surely appreciated -
Deanna

I do chelated magnesium... at one point I was taking 250mg three times a day. That must have built my reserves back, because now it's one of those, three times a week.

Liz - from what I understand, that would be the total if you took their recommended 3 tablets...I was taking 2.

While I'm thinking of it...don't you need to take calcium and magnesium together? Hmmmm...can't remember what I read about that.

Any other advice? I think I will get individual ones the next time..instead of cal/mag/zinc in one pill...but where to start with amounts?

Thanks all - I surely appreciate the help sorting all of this out!
Deanna

Just to make sure I understand what you're saying, 2 tablets contain 666 mg calcium, 266 mg mag and 16 mg zinc, not 2000/800/50?

Calcium requirements vary depending on your menstrual status, how much calcium you get from food, multivitamin, whether you are taking vitamin D etc. so I'm probably not the one to decide that for you. But with the magnesium, try adding 200 or 250 mg for a few days, see how you feel, and gradually increase it till you are regular or more than. I've read that some people need equal amounts of calcium and magnesium, but again, it's highly variable. Hope that helps a little.

Thank you, Liz....I just got up and checked the bottle again...it says 3 tablets equals 1 serving...1 serving is 1000/400/25.

I got mag 250g tablets and took 2 of those this morning...so far not real issue...yet. I did not take any of the cal/mag/zinc but that was what prompted my question of calcium and whether I need to take that. I don't take a multi, but take D3 and fish oil. Limited dairy from HWC in my coffee and still doing meat and eggs only for now.

Thank you again for your input...at least it helps me try and sort all of this out.

Deanna

Greens are an excellent source of calcium. In fact, I'm a bit leery of calcium supplements; they don't have a good track record, and getting enough D3 should cover you on calcium, because it makes what you do get more bioavailable.

I take 10K of D3 a day, because I live in the frozen North and I am past the age of forty, where our production starts to slow down.

Deanna, I know we've talked about Magnesium on my fibro pain thread. At least I think you were on there, anyway... Someone recommended Calm Magnesium which is Magnesium Carbonate mixed with Citric acid to make Magnesium Citrate. I bought it. Some people say to take it 2-3 times during the day, I can't do that, it has a natural calming to it and I get sleepy during the day.

But for now I've been taking 2 heaping tsps in hot water before bed. Tastes like strong lemon water but not bad. I did get a bit of diarrhea with it but just for the first few days until my body adjusted to it. It seems to help so much with sleep and with the leg pains and spasms I was having with fibromyalgia. I highly recommend. I do find if I have more than the 2 heaping tsps (which is about 350mg) at once, I kinda have a hangover feeling in the morning. But I'm highly sensitive to things that make you sleepy like cold meds, pain meds, melatonin, etc... Could never be a drug addict and stay awake ever. Lol

Here's a link to what I bought:
Natural Calm 16 Oz - Peter Gillham's Natural Vitality
http://amzn.com/B000OQ2DL4

Hey Kris...thanks for the information. I did end up getting 250mg magnesium and take 2 in the morning. With the D3 and fish oil, I'm REALLY feeling good. My aches and pains have pretty much subsided...I think it's mostly from the loss of weight more than anything.

As far as legs cramps, my mom and dad swear by this. Add about 1 tablespoon of vinegar to a small bottled water. Take a big slug of it should those cramps wake you.

As I got started back on this WOE, I would feel cranky and headachy in the afternoon. I added maybe a 1/2 T of apple cider vinegar to my cup of hot bouillon and I felt like a million bucks!!

Just some more information for ya...have a super day.
Deanna

mm..nop
 

i was thinking about my supplement combination too
i get magnesium, but not directly, so i cant say for sure

but for really good supplement combination that
is good specific for your body, with your health history and body status

i truly think that nutritious can help
try to avoid amounts that can your cant handle
if something is very good to the body, its still very good in specific amount
not more.

:)