Magnesium for Parkinson’s and other chronic disorders and for anti-aging

connie dello buono

11 years ago

90% of our body cells need calcium and magnesium. My mom and I cannot sleep without taking these two minerals in one cap or tab. My Parkinson’s senior client has an appetite now and is slowly recovering from overdose of meds with these two minerals in food and supplements. Do take your calcium and magnesium supplement in 60:40 ratio for better absorption with Vitamin C and zinc.

Here are some key facts about this vital mineral and why I feel it’s so important for you not to overlook. Magnesium…

Is the fourth most abundant mineral in your body…
Exists in over 300 different bodily enzymes…
Is found primarily in your bones (50% of total body magnesium)…
Plays a role in your body’s detoxification processes…*
Aids your energy metabolism and protein synthesis…*
Helps guide a large number of physiological functions…*
Is required by glutathione (the ‘master antioxidant’) for synthesis…*

This should give you a pretty good picture why I believe magnesium is so important. And the number of Americans potentially not getting enough of this mineral is estimated as high as 80%. That’s a pretty staggering number.

With all this said, how do you really know if you’re getting an adequate supply or coming up short? In fact…

Is It Even Possible to Determine Your Magnesium Level?

Since only about 1% of the magnesium in your body is distributed in your blood, there’s really not an accurate lab test for magnesium today.

Due to the difficulty with determining magnesium status in your tissues, there’s really not a good lab test today that will provide an accurate assessment. Additionally, only about 1% of the magnesium in your body is distributed in your blood.

Some early signs of a potential lack of magnesium in your body include…

Loss of appetite and headache
Nausea and vomiting
Fatigue and weakness

As you can see, many of these symptoms are pretty general and can result from a variety of different conditions. If you suspect you’re low in magnesium, your first course of action is to consult with a healthcare professional. But are there any steps you can take yourself to help your body get a sufficient supply?

A Variety of Foods Rich in Magnesium

There are a number of foods with abundant supplies of magnesium. Raw, green organic vegetables, such as spinach, are excellent choices because the center of the chlorophyll molecule (which provides green veggies their brilliant color) contains magnesium.

Chlorophyll is like a plant’s version of our hemoglobin. They share a similar structure but chlorophyll has magnesium plugged in the middle instead of iron. In order to ensure you’re getting adequate amounts of magnesium, I recommend you first focus on eating a variety of foods that contain the mineral. And juicing green leafy vegetables can be an excellent strategy for obtaining magnesium as well.

Here’s a handy chart of specific foods that contain abundant amounts of magnesium for every 100 grams (just over 3 ounces) you consume…

Food (100 grams)	Magnesium Content (mg)
Seaweed, agar, dried	770 mg
Coriander leaf (spice), dried	694 mg
Pumpkin seeds, dried	535 mg
Cocoa, dry powder, unsweetened	499 mg
Basil, dried	422 mg
Flaxseed	392 mg
Cumin seed (spice)	366 mg
Brazil nuts, dried	376 mg
Parsley, freeze dried	372 mg
Almond butter	303 mg
Cashew nuts, roasted	273 mg
Whey, sweet, dried	176 mg
Leeks, freeze dried	156 mg
Kale, scotch, raw sesame seeds, raw	88 mg 32 mg