my serum mag is a 2.0 now but im still completely constipated, im thinking its due to other things

im really worried about my blood sugar. fasting its 98-105

im thin as a rail

I'm not sold on that 4% of magnesium oxide is absorbed crap - I have some mag oxide pills and I feel a LOT different after taking them. I think it depends on the person. Sure - the glycinate forms are good too, but I do not think the oxide is worthless.

I also do not buy into the 'no calcium' thing. Personally I managed to dose myself into calcium deficiency by taking too much magnesium! I developed severe arrhythmia which cleared up upon reintroducing calcium tablets alongside the magnesium. That was after reading George Eby's site on magnesium and I was convinced I shouldn't take any calcium or the magnesium wouldn't work! People there is a balance between these minerals that must be resptected. That means, that for SOME people taking only magnesium is wise, but for others (like me) - they need both Mg and Ca to feel better. Unfortunately the only way to know is to experiment yourself.

Be careful with this stuff - it is important to take but there is a balance that must be maintained with minerals.

Hi Loops,

I think you make some very good points above!!! Here are my comments on the individual items:



I read about this in some book or other and eventually even found the study the claim is based on. It is based on ONE study alone, but it gets quoted all over the internet as if it was gospel.

The main thing about magnesium absorption that I have read is that absorption levels will differ from person to person - even if they are taking the exact same thing - depending on how much that individual person needs at the time of taking the magnesium. If one person's levels are already good, then they will absorb less; if the next person is currently deficient, their body will take more. So, you're absolutely right: to quote this 4% figure as if it was carved in stone and true for every single person on the planet at all times is pure nonsense.

And, as far as I can tell, absorption of minerals etc depends on so many things (how strong your stomach acid is, for example) that it is impossible to say how well one person will absorb something that works for you.



You're lucky!!! I used to take them - thinking I was getting a better dosage because it said "400mg" on the packaging - but they never really did much for me. But they were really really cheap Mg oxide tablets, so maybe it was just very poor quality stuff.

However, I did get some chelated Mg oxide at some point and that worked a lot better than my cheapo drugstore stuff. So maybe the carrier of the Mg is just as important as the kind of Mg that is in the tablet???


Absolutely.

Hutchinson used to recommend Mg malate, so I bought some and tried them out, but they didn't seem to make much difference to my symptoms at all. I then tried Mg taurate, but the tablets were huge and barely swallowable, even with lots of water, plus, they were the most expensive kind of magnesium. It was only when I tried the chelated Mg glycinate made according to the patented "Albion" chelation process that I really noticed some difference. This is why I recommend the Mg glycinate, but I really should remember to mention that other kinds seem to work well for other people and that my personal choice is, well, exactly that: my personal choice and preference based on - I assume - my individual chemistry.



I am really glad you mentioned this! I shall stop quoting the "4% absorption rate thing" as if it was gospel. I am a bit ashamed that I have done so, as I really should have known better.

amanda




I also do not buy into the 'no calcium' thing. Personally I managed to dose myself into calcium deficiency by taking too much magnesium! I developed severe arrhythmia which cleared up upon reintroducing calcium tablets alongside the magnesium. That was after reading George Eby's site on magnesium and I was convinced I shouldn't take any calcium or the magnesium wouldn't work! People there is a balance between these minerals that must be resptected. That means, that for SOME people taking only magnesium is wise, but for others (like me) - they need both Mg and Ca to feel better. Unfortunately the only way to know is to experiment yourself.

Be careful with this stuff - it is important to take but there is a balance that must be maintained with minerals.

Thanks for the reminder about the B's in combo with magnesium. Here's a cautionary tale on magnesium: Don't let it happen to you!!!

I do believe that I made a tragic mistake during years 5 and 6 of eating Aktins way: was unemployed/underemployed and couldn't justify the supplements. Ugh. By year 7 I was a mess -- cramps, pain in my feet, eating low-carb but craving sugar/carbs to get through the night. Learned that I was very deficient. And it has been hell trying to get things right.

Recent test showed my magnesium normal, but to get there I need to take in excess of 1000 mg of mag a day.

I highly recommend Jigsaw or other time-release forms. It seems to allow me to take more without unpleasant side-effects. Kinda pricey though. I've read it could take 6 months of steady use to get past my depletion. For what it's worth, always get enough magnesium when eating low carb: magnesium is essential for conversion of protein and fat to energy. Without sufficient levels, your body will not go into ketosis. I suffered it firsthand. I went from 265 down to 220, then started to experience the problems, and gradually rebounded back to square one. Now everything hangs on restoring and/or taking in enough magnesium. Trouble is that it's a "homeostatic" and "hydrostatic" mineral, which is why it results in diarrhea: your body only accepts as much as it needs each day, then jettisons it in water dumped into your intestines.

Getting ahead of it is really difficult. Don't let this happen to you!!!

rick

sorry to hear that Protrick - I think I might have been in a similar situation on my first round of doing Atkins when I wasn't supplementing any worthwhile amount of Mg. I got very depressed and had loads of problems with cramping/insomnia etc.

I think that a major problem can be eating loads of cheese (or actually just the recommended amount!) without eating loads of green veggies, and maybe skimping nuts (due to stalls etc). About 4oz of hard cheese has a gram of calcium and practically no magnesium. 100g bag of almonds has almost 300mg of magnesium. I also had problems doing VLC with loads of cheese/cream and very little of anything else apart from meat obviously. I was even supplementing Mg at the time! But not enough!

I think this issue is extremely important and should be emphasized by low carb doctors.

A good place to do a search for high magnesium foods is nutritiondata.com

As an aside note, here are some lc /high mg foods in case anyone needs a headstart on high magnesium foods -

cocoa powder
spinach/kale
broccoli
most types of fish (salmon, sardines, trout especially I think)
AVOCADOS have loads
all nuts/seeds have loads

for those eating fruit - prickly pears have around 100mg per fruit I think which is a lot for fruit.

You could have celiac disease. Have you ever been tested? Or celiac with hypothyroidism?

I don't know what your medical insurance is, but can you get those tested?

amanda

Thanks for the comment, but it would appear that's not the issue for me. I have none of the symptoms and I was tested for a host of things this summer, trying to get at why I have to take so much to avoid symptoms like twitches, near fibromyalgic pain, constipation, and carb cravings. Mayo Clinic couldn't figure it out. My doctor suggested it was all in my head. (Think he's still my doctor?) And the endocrinologist didn't have a clue what would be causing it. Unfortunately I was left feeling like I knew more about it than these experts.

I've read that what they often call Syndrome X is my issue, and something that is associated with it is a reduced ability to absorb magnesium, though they don't know why. I've been diagnosed with post-prandial reactive hyperinsulinism, which is what led me to eat the Atkins way successfully for several years.

Though not taking supplements for a few key years, I did eat a great deal of almonds, broccoli, spinach, and avocadoes. I was just the last person who should be eating lo-carb without supplementation thanks to whatever the heck this condition is, one that is closely associated with Native American genetics, which I have. I have a sister with the same lo-mag experience, and she consumed even more of the right veggies. (Just about everyone in my family has this overall problem, though my sister and I are the only ones eating "right" for the condition.)

Something I find interesting in this thread is that magnesium oxide is better absorbed per the experience of some. That was my experience too and I thought I must be imagining things: surely the expensive chelates, etc., are better for me. So, maybe I'll give Slo-Mag another try -- it's less expensive than the Jigsaw (malate based). Time release is a must to avoid diarrhea.

Sometimes I fear that I'll be swallowing handfuls *exaggeration* of magnesium several times daily for the rest of my life, but I'm hopeful that consistent supplementation over 6 months or so will restore the bone stores of the mineral that I'd evidently leeched for a couple of years.

maybe you need more of the magnesium co-factors as well? I like this site although there is debate about the information presented there - personally it fits what I have experienced so I trust it: -

www.acu-cell.com

Chromium, zinc and B6 are all cofactors for magnesium. Personally I tend to supplement ALL the minerals and all the Bs together to avoid creating any further imbalances, then maybe adding in more of one. That is working for me right now. My sleep is better than it has been for a LONG time.

Just in case it's of any use - I am finding the GNC multi mega mineral extremely useful. I add in a bit of extra magnesium on top of this and also a little extra zinc. The full dose contains a whopping 3mg of copper which sounds like a huge amount but I am finding myself much improved taking around 50mg of zinc and 3mg of copper in addition to the other minerals in there. I also need to take calcium with magnesium, and manganese too - I need everything basically.

Anyway if you care to read some of the info on that site, there is mention that if you are low in a certain mineral, then supplementing the co-factors can help to bring those levels up. There is also very interesting reading on antagonisms between minerals and vitamins. For instance supplementing a lot of chromium and vitamin C can lower copper more strongly than just lots of zinc on its own. Anyway....

I find the topic of minerals fascinating. They are the only thing I have really felt any real difference from supplementing. But balance is key.

hello all!

i am here, still constipated. the only thing that keeps me moving is sauerkraut!! i dont have hypothyroidism "technically" but i do have a ft3/rt3 issue and my iron panels are strange. i'm orderinga test to get my sex hormones checked, i cant afford to test for celiac but right now i just feel better not eating many carbs. i eat white rice during the middle of the day to keep on some weight with some veg and meat. that's it for carbs. i feel so much better in the am not eating them.

http://www.acu-cell.com/

this site looks AWESOME and ive never even heard of it! coincidentally, i posted on this site http://perfecthealthdiet.com/ and paul suggested the exact same supplements as you, loops. ive never thought of copper before but it makes sense. minerals are very underrated! i also need to supplement vit c anyways bc i have a connective tissue disorder and bad collagen. thanks so much.

another test i did on my own was for low stomach acid
http://chriskresser.com/get-rid-of-...ee-simple-steps

i took some hcl before a meal and initially i didnt get gerd afterwards but now i do. which is GOOD bc low stomach acid is linked to malabsoprtion

oh and i've been supplementing since july and in november my rbc mag was still just a 4.6 (4.2-6.8) i hear rbcs take 3 months to turnover so damn. i hope my next test is higher bc my serum range is always at the top

pureformulas.com is having a half price sale on Drs Best products.

The problem with magnesium oxide is that it has a low solubility in water. (This follows the gen chem solubility rule that "All oxides are insoluble EXCEPT those of calcium, barium and Alkali metal (Group I) cations.") Therefore, because the tablet doesn't dissolve well parts of it can pass though the body unused, which gives it a low bioavailability. The smaller the tablet, the more magnesium oxide will dissolve and be usable by the body. If the magnesium oxide is "in solution" in a coated capsule, then it's already dissolved and should have the same bioavailability as any other form of magnesium; for example, the Liquid Magnesium softgels made by Carlson.

Also, since magnesium oxide is a base, it will be most soluble in acid. A person with low levels of stomach acid won't dissolve magnesium oxide as well as a person with normal levels of stomach acid.

Thanks for the explanation. So, a powdered capsule would be much better than a tablet and the liquid gel caps would be the best for taking magnesium oxide.

I broke open one of the gel caps once to see what was inside. It looked and felt just like topical zinc oxide.

You're welcome. Yes, powdered is better than a tablet. I personally use the Carlson's Liquid Magnesium gel caps.

Many tablets don't dissolve well, but magnesium oxide is about the worst supplement in terms of solubility.