"Anyone who has no time for their health will later need a lot of time for their illness." Sebastian Kneipp
Magnesium is one of the most important substances in the body. The essential mineral plays a role in many metabolic processes. Due to our modern way of life, our body often lacks this mineral. Very few take the recommended daily dose of 400 mg with food. In fact, most of us only get around 250 mg. If stress, illnesses or another increased need come along, deficiency symptoms can develop.
“Nutrition is very important. In sufficient quantity, one can prevent and treat diseases.” Andrew W Saul. Nutrition expert and author
Scientists from all over the world are researching the effects of magnesium in the organism. More and more it becomes apparent which important processes the mineral controls in the organism and with which other micro- and macronutrients it forms a connection.
Please read the information we have gathered here for what we are providing it for: as brief but exciting insights into international work with a focus on magnesium. We want to enable you to keep your knowledge up to date.
This article is not intended to be a solicitation for self-diagnosis or therapy. If you are interested, please talk to your trusted doctor about how suitable magnesium therapy might be for you.
We would also like to mention that with this material we want to inform you above all about magnesium oil and the transdermal form of administration.
Magnesium briefly explained
It is known that magnesium is responsible for a large number of different bodily processes.
Anyone can access this type of information quickly via the Internet. This article would therefore like to focus on the results of recent studies on magnesium, and specifically on magnesium chloride, the component of magnesium oil. Internationally, what has happened in magnesium research? What new insights were gained? In addition, this article would like to shed light on facts about magnesium and magnesium oil that are still relatively unknown. One can be curious.
Where does our magnesium come from?
Magnesium is the eighth most common element in the earth's crust and is mainly found in mineral deposits such as magnesite, dolomite and bischophite. Dolomite often occurs together with limestone. In Europe, this rock is mainly found in the mountain range of the southern Limestone Alps. In Germany, for example, dolomite occurs in the Franconian Jura. The occurrence in the Swiss Alps is particularly unique.
Magnesium from primordial salt deposits provides the best magnesium for the living organism. This includes the mineral bischophite. This rare mineral belongs to the class of halides. Chemically, it is an aqueous magnesium chloride. It only occurs in a few places. A rich source of bishopite is the Zechstein Sea, which was in Europe around 258-250 million years ago.
We get magnesium from nuts and seeds, whole grains and dairy products. Even chocolate contains a relatively high proportion of magnesium. However, we rarely come across the DA-CH (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) reference values for nutrient intake.
How much magnesium do we need?
The information on the daily requirement of magnesium is interpreted differently.
The Swiss Society for Nutrition recommends eating 5 servings of fruit every day. A portion is specified by the SGE as around 120 g. That makes 600 g of fruit a day.
A family with two children would have to buy 16,8 kg of fruit and vegetables for a week. That is 2,4 kg of fruit and vegetables per day for a household.
Risk groups for micronutrient deficiency
Also:
In the US, today's diet provides around 120 mg of magnesium per 1000 kcal. A person who consumes around 1500 kcal can therefore quickly slip into the lower level of magnesium requirements.
More than ever before, scientific research is being conducted to investigate the effects of the mineral salt on the body.
A 2015 study by Scott M. Smith and Sara R. Zwart of the Biomedical Research and Environmental Sciences departments at NASA Space Center in Houston examined the adequate intake of magnesium in astronauts. It is well known that muscles are lost and bone density is reduced during prolonged periods of weightlessness. To counteract this situation, the members of the ISS crew were also given magnesium daily.
Astonishing results were obtained regarding the interaction of magnesium with other micronutrients, especially with calcium and vitamin D.
Interactions of magnesium and other nutrients
A study led by Andrea Rosanoff was published in the international review journal Advances in Nutrition in 2016. It confirms that magnesium interacts with other micronutrients. Due to the complicated interactions, calcium deficiency can affect magnesium levels in the body. It has long been known that calcium deficiency occurs together with magnesium deficiency. As early as 1925, a study on amoebas found that the body needs less calcium for movement when there is enough magnesium. If these two micronutrients are out of balance, this can lead to chronic diseases.
Magnesium is also a cofactor in the activation of vitamin D. It thus contributes to the fact that vitamin D is activated in the body and metabolized by the body.
Everything indicates that magnesium and calcium influence each other. Low magnesium levels can lead to low calcium levels and vice versa.
But it can be even better. The next study found that magnesium is directly related to our body's production of energy.
What effects of magnesium have been researched?
We are made up of around 100 trillion cells. (8) Each of these cells must produce energy. In biochemistry, this is called ATP (adenosine triphosphate), a nucleus.
Work requires energy. This energy is supplied to the cell by ATP. ATP is not only used by the organism within the cell (intracellular) but also outside (extracellular). For example, ATP is needed to regulate blood flow or to inhibit inflammation. If the amount of ATP in the body falls below the "healthy" value, our body produces degenerated, i.e. diseased cells.
In order to produce healthy cells, we therefore need magnesium, among other things. The ongoing processes activate around 300 enzymes, which in turn are responsible for DNA and RNA synthesis, the transport of minerals or the creation of various nerve impulses.
In short: All our cells, from the brain cell to the skin cell on the big toe, are supplied with energy by ATP. In order to produce ATP, the body also needs sufficient magnesium, among other things. This also explains why this nutrient can be used to combat fatigue.
But there is more. Magnesium counteracts heartburn or general overacidification of the body.
Magnesium salts react with gastric acid to form magnesium chloride and thereby neutralize the acid.
According to this study, it is self-explanatory that oral intake is preferable in this case. At the same time, however, it also explains why the transdermal dosage form is more suitable for some people.
Good news for all people who suffer from high blood pressure:
A study of 30 Americans showed that the increased intake of magnesium leads to a lower risk of high blood pressure. The Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation and Treatment of High Blood Pressure in the USA therefore recommends adequate intake of magnesium to prevent and manage high blood pressure. The higher magnesium intake also leads to a lower risk of stroke.
After this study, the next one is actually self-explanatory:
As the Society for Biofactors reported in 2016, water containing magnesium apparently has a demonstrable effect on the recovery of heart attack patients. A study published in the Journal of International Cardiology confirms a higher mortality rate among heart attack patients from areas with low-magnesium drinking water. (12) Drinking desalinated seawater is suspected to affect the mortality of these patients. The starting point of the hypothesis is the assumption that the lack of magnesium in desalinated seawater can lead to deficiency symptoms, which in turn increases the cardiovascular risk. It was found that people from areas with desalinated drinking water had a strikingly high incidence of magnesium deficiency.
Going back to the interaction between calcium and magnesium mentioned above. You remember? But again from the beginning:
What measures does the body take when it is struggling with too much calcium in the blood? It stores it in the tissue where it finds chronic inflammation. This can lead to arthritis, among other things, to calcification of the ovaries. Or the inflammatory disease called asthma.
Magnesium is the antagonist of calcium. The mineral prevents too much calcium from getting into the cells of the lungs and causing unwanted muscle contractions there (e.g. in asthma). There is a suspicion that the increased intake of magnesium reduces the risk of developing asthma. (9)
The next study is also about the interaction of calcium and magnesium. Magnesium is seen as a possible second messenger in insulin production. (13)
It has been shown that magnesium contributes an important part to insulin secretion in the body. Epidemiological studies have shown that diabetics often suffer from hypomagnesemia (magnesium deficiency). (10)
A particularly important question was published in the Journal of Pregnancy in 2010:
Researchers were already investigating this question in 2010. The result shows that a magnesium deficiency in the mother can have lifelong consequences for the child. (11)
So far, this article has mainly focused on magnesium itself. In the next few paragraphs you will learn more about magnesium chloride and magnesium oil and its transdermal absorption.
Magnesium chloride – a special magnesium compound
“Magnesium is truly a miracle in its healing effects on a wide range of diseases and its ability to rejuvenate the aging body. We know that it is important for many enzyme reactions, especially those related to cellular energy production, brain and nervous system health, and also healthy teeth and bones. However, it might come as a surprise that the magnesium chloride can also fight infections effectively.” – Walter Last, retired biochemist, former researcher at German universities and life science institutions in Los Angeles, now nutritionist and naturopathic therapist
Magnesium chloride belongs to the group of mineral salts and is referred to as an active ingredient in pharmacy. Medicine uses magnesium chloride in tablet form for deficiency states, constipation and calf cramps.
Magnesium chloride is a mixture of magnesium and chloride. It is obtained, among other things, by evaporating salty water. Another form of extraction is the dissolving of the magnesium chloride in a mine with primordial salt deposits with the help of water that is naturally heated (approx. 70°C) due to the drilling depth. The magnesium salt is dissolved from bishopite by the geothermal heat and the water. This saturated solution is also called magnesium oil. In dried form one speaks of magnesium flakes.
The purer the magnesium chloride, the better it is for the body. There is a rich magnesium chloride deposit in the Dead Sea, for example. Another source comes from the former Zechstein Sea, which was located in Central Europe (Germany via Poland and northern England to Russia) in the late Permian. It dried up around 250 million years ago. Due to the high quantity of evaporation, the concentration of the salts that were naturally occurring there at the time, including magnesium chloride, increased. Dolomite rocks (in which magnesium chloride occurs) in Newcastle were grown in this way. In the Netherlands, where Zechstein Magnesium Chloride originated, it was recognized as one of the purest sources of Magnesium Chloride. The highly concentrated magnesium chloride is free of any impurities.
How does skin absorption work?
Magnesium oil consists of magnesium chloride and water. It is named for its oily consistency. Due to its high magnesium content, it is not suitable for oral administration, but purely for transdermal administration.
The public has not yet made up its mind to take a positive view of the transdermal uptake of magnesium. It's not a matter of belief. You don't have to believe that magnesium is absorbed through the skin.
One of the advantages of transdermal absorption is that it bypasses a well-functioning digestive system. This prevents gastrointestinal problems and protects the acid balance.
Wound healing can also be promoted with magnesium oil (13). This was examined by the French surgeon Prof. Pierre Delbet in 1915 in wounded soldiers. He cleaned her wounds with magnesium chloride solution. With these patients, he was able to determine that infection of the wound could be prevented better than with conventional solutions. For precisely these reasons, he also recommended treatment with magnesium chloride for eczema, psoriasis, warts and acne.
Delbet also observed a side effect: hair and nails became stronger and his patients had more energy.
Following these arguments is a study from the UK:
How does the transdermal absorption of magnesium work?
A study led by Rosemary Waring of the School of Biosciences in Birmingham (15) shows the beneficial effects of magnesium baths. After seven days of daily bathing in bath water with added magnesium, the magnesium balance in the blood increased demonstrably. Already after the first bath, an increase in the magnesium value in the urine could be measured. The magnesium was therefore able to overcome the skin barrier and penetrate into the kidneys. It was found that there was no measurable change in the magnesium level in the blood of those subjects with an optimal magnesium level. With them, the kidneys excreted the magnesium that was not needed.
The skin has the ability to absorb substances and pass them on to the body (skin absorption). The skin absorbs water-soluble substances particularly well. And magnesium chloride is very soluble in water (19). There are basically three transport routes (16) through the skin:
A study by the School of Chemistry and Molecular Biosciences, together with the University of Queensland and other scientific institutions, was able to prove that magnesium oil can penetrate the body particularly well through hair follicles (transfollicular). (21)
The transport from the skin into the body takes place through the mixing of ions and molecules between different spaces that are filled with liquid (=diffusion) (17). The whole process itself is very complex (18):
While only up to 30% of magnesium is absorbed by the body when magnesium is taken orally, the skin absorbs up to 20% of the magnesium chloride, according to the outpatient pain center in Munich (100).
Please talk to your doctor if you plan to take magnesium. Particular caution applies above all to patients with kidney problems and myasthenia gravis.
Here you can find out more about the Contraindication.
Magnesium overdose is difficult to achieve, but still possible. It can lead to the following symptoms:
If you have any suspicions, be sure to consult your trusted doctor!
What's next?
The research on magnesium is far from over. There will definitely be some very exciting facts to be found out in this regard over the next few years. It is our concern to continue to keep you up to date on this.
Thank you for reading this article to the end. We hope that you enjoyed the excursion into the world of magnesium and magnesium chloride and we are already looking forward to the next publications that we would like to share with you again.
Stay healthy!
Sources:
(1) https://www.dge.de/wissenschaft/referencevalues/magnesium/
(2) https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Magnesium-HealthProfessional/
(3) http://www.intelmeal.ru/mineral/mineral_Mg.php
(4) https://www.dge.de/index.php?id=358
(5) http://citeseerx.ist.psu.edu/viewdoc/download?doi=10.1.1.532.5818&rep=rep1&type=pdf
(6) http://www.mdpi.com/2072-6643/7/12/5528/htm
(7) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4717874/#b93
(8) http://www.pektrum.de/frage/wie-viele-zellen-hat-der-mensch/620672
(9) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/7914305
(10) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16808892
(11) https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3066640/
(12) http://www.gf-biofaktor.de/de/news/2016/Nach-Herzinfarkt-Magnesiumarmes-Trinkwasser-erhoeht-Sterblichkeit.html
(13) http://www.health-science-spirit.com/MagChlor.pdf
(14) http://www.jle.com/fr/revues/mrh/e-docs/intracellular_magnesium_and_insulin_resistance__263229/article.phtml?tab=texte
(15) http://www.epsomsaltcouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/10/report_on_absorption_of_magnesium_sulfate.pdf
(16) http://www.medizinfo.de/arzneimittel/resorption/transportwege_haut.shtml
(17) http://www.medizinfo.de/arzneimittel/resorption/diffusion.shtml
(18) https://sundoc.bibliothek.uni-halle.de/diss-online/01/01H189/t3.pdf
(19) https://de.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnesiumchlorid
(20) http://ambulantes-pain center.de/treatments/magnesium-transdermal.html
(21) http://www.jle.com/download/mrh-307878-permeation_of_topically_applied_magnesium_ions_through_human_skin_is_facilitated_by_hair_follicles-WO72Hn8AAQEAAGTrMQEAAAAP-a.pdf
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