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The Magic of Magnesium

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September 2008 Volume 4 : Issue 7

ally knew what I was talking about. more difficult to detect by looking at
A Story I begin with this story because it is an X-ray. There are also suggestions
I was setting up a talk for a Ro- common for physicians in the United in some of the medical literature that
tary club on the topic of my book States to put patients on high dose high dose calcium without magne-
Your Body’s Sign Language. The pro- calcium without magnesium. This is sium may actually overwork the bone
gram chairman said, “Jim, I have a particularly true of women suffering building cells resulting in their early
question for you even before you with osteoporosis. I routinely talk death and creating a more severe os-
come and speak to our group. I have to women who have been told by teoporosis than if calcium had never
been having terrible leg cramps. I their physicians to supplement with been supplemented. The reason for
went to my doctor and he put me 1,000 to 2,000 mg of calcium with- this will become obvious as I dis-
on a high dose of calcium, but it has out any mention of the need to com- cussed the harmful role that calcium
made my cramping much worse.” bine the calcium with magnesium. can play if magnesium is deficient.
I replied, “I happen to have Deficiency of magnesium is
an acquaintance with Dr. Mildred at least as common as is calcium The Role of Magnesium
Seelig who was one of the greatest deficiency. The deficiency is just Magnesium resides almost
authorities on the subject of mag-
nesium. She warned against supple-
menting with calcium without also
THE CALCIUM CHANNEL
including magnesium. She recom-
mended a two to one ratio of cal- Glycine
Zinc
cium to magnesium. I found this in-
teresting because GNLD came to the Glutamate
(NMDA)
same conclusion in their research
on calcium. Dr. Seelig warned that
high dose calcium supplementa-
tion without magnesium would Ca
++

worsen a magnesium deficiency.” Phencyclidine


I encouraged the program chair- Na+

man to add some magnesium to his ++


Ca
supplement program and to use the
+
nutrients in a chelated form. When K
Magnesium
I was introduced at the club meet-
ing a couple of months later the
program chairman shared that his
cramping had completely stopped
within a couple of days after he had
implemented my advice. He added The calcium channel is opened by stimulation of the glutamate
an additional comment that I re- receptor and closed by magnesium.

Copyright 2008 by Jim McAfee. All rights reserved. 1


totally within cells. Calcium usu- sium is a natural blocker of the HMG deficiency they survived and di-
ally resides outside. Much of the CoA reductase enzyme involved with vided normally. It became obvious,
biological activity which makes life cholesterol synthesis. Low magne- however, that the cells aged more
possible results from the move- sium levels make cholesterol levels rapidly than cells supplied with
ment of calcium into the cells rise. Low magnesium and a hyper- adequate magnesium. This pre-
through special channels or pores. vigilant state can also contribute to mature aging of the cells altered
As long as the calcium remains backache, anxiety and depression. the way that the cells functioned.
within the cell the activity of the A number of factors including One of the researchers, David
cell will continue. This might be trauma, stress, high sugar intake and Killilea, said, “We are now think-
the contracting of a muscle, the fir- MSG (monosodium glutamate) can ing that cellular consequences of
ing of a nerve, or the secreting of activate the glutamate receptors in magnesium deficiency may be
a hormone. Magnesium plays an brain cells. These cells are particu- driving long-term chronic disease.”
essential role in pumping the cal- larly susceptible to being overex- Ames and Killilea suggested that
cium out of the cell, allowing the cited which can result in brain cell the cells were using the magnesium
cell to be restored to a state of rest. death. Chemicals which overexcite to perform indispensable activities
In 1926 a scientist named C.F.A. brain cells are sometimes referred to at the expense of long term function.
Pantin published a paper on the as “excitotoxins.” Excitement of brain The researchers observed that
movement of amoeba cells. He cells is inevitable, but this excite- there is no long term marker for
found that the amoeba died when ment can result in brain cell death if moderate magnesium deficiency
they were put in a nutrient solution serious magnesium deficiency exists. and it could exist for a long time
without magnesium. If they were put Reference: without being detected by ei-
into a solution with magnesium, but Magnesium-calcium balance and stress, Organic ther a physician or by a patient.
no calcium the cells lived just fine, Connections, September 10, 2008, 46:5-6.
Reference:
but they were unable to move. When Yahoo News! April 8, 2008.
Magnesium and Aging
both nutrients were provided the
cells could both move and be healthy. The more active cells become the Syndrome X
The absence of calcium on more rapidly they age and deterio- There is an epidemic of a disor-
the exterior of the amoeba made rate. Part of this is the increased free der called Syndrome X in the United
it impossible for the amoeba to radical activity associated with the States. This disorder is character-
become active--a serious prob- production of energy within the cells. ized by high insulin levels, failure
lem. Lack of magnesium caused It should not be surprising that a of cells to respond to insulin, high
death--even more serious. lack of magnesium has recently been blood pressure, increased ten-
shown to speed the aging of human dency to experience blood clots
Stress and Magnesium cells. Long term deficiency is almost and heart disease, and diabetes.
Deficiency certainly tied to increased risk for Dr. Lawrence Resnick, profes-
Any kind of stress opens up the age-related degenerative diseases. sor of medicine at Cornell Univer-
calcium channels of the cells in the Magnesium is involved in sity Medical College suggests that
body leaving them in a “keyed up” hundreds of biochemical re- Syndrome X is a cellular imbalance
fight or flight mode. The glands of actions involving virtually ev- between magnesium and calcium-
the body secrete adrenaline and ery cell in the human body. -specifically, a low magnesium/
other hormones. The blood ves- Bruce Ames and research- high calcium state inside the cell.
sels contract raising blood pres- ers at Children’s Hospital Oakland
Reference:
sure, the heart beats faster, and the Research Institute studied the ef- Seelig, Mildred, and Rosanoff, Andrea, The Mag-
muscles become primed to contract. fects of moderate magnesium de- nesium Factor, New York: Penguin, 2003, 41-42.
If a magnesium deficiency ex- ficiency on human fibroblast cells.
These are cells that provide the Drugs and Magnesium
ists, the body will lose the ability to
restore the cells to the relaxation structural framework for many of The movement of calcium into
state. Blood pressure and cholesterol the tissues in the human body. cells is a primary mechanism by
may become permanently elevated. These cells normally live for 3-4 which work is carried out by the
Muscles will tend to spasm, twitch or months. The researchers found that cells of the body. Calcium moves
cramp. The heart beat may beccome when the cells grew in an environ- into cells by what is called the cal-
irregular. It is interesting that magne- ment with a moderate magnesium cium channel. Excess movement of

Copyright 2008 by Jim McAfee. All rights reserved. 2


tinue medications without consult- GNLD Mineral
ing with a physician since this can be Supplementation
dangerous, but it is also irresponsible I once spent an afternoon
on the part of physicians to ignore with Dr. Arthur Furst who devel-
the magnesium status of the patient. oped the GNLD chelated mineral
Reference: products. He had a large piece of
Seelig, Mildred, and Rosanoff, Andrea, The Mag- equipment in the laboratory which
nesium Factor, New York: Penguin, 2003, 69-71.
looked quite impressive. I asked
Calcium Influx into him what it was and how it worked.
the Cell Dr. Furst explained that this
calcium into cells sets the stage for piece of equipment made it possible
serious health problems including The entrance of excess calcium
to examine mineral products. He
high blood pressure as the tissues into the cell is a serious concern as
then went on to explain that many
of the circulatory system contract. illustrated by the small amount of
of the mineral products which are
Modern medicine is not without information I have space to share.
made fail to live up to the high qual-
its miracle drugs to prevent the in- The question arises, what causes
ity suggested by their label claims.
flux of calcium into cells. The blood the movement of excess calcium
He pointed out that the
pressure reducing drugs called cal- from the outside of the cell to the in-
word chelate means “claw”. This
cium-channel blockers work by this side? The answer to that question is
word as GNLD uses it refers to
mechanism. Magnesium is a natu- rather simple. Inadequate intake of
the process of grabbing onto
ral calcium-channel blocker which magnesium or difficulty utilizing it.
a mineral with an amino acid.
will prevent the entrance of excess The diet of the average Ameri-
An amino acid-mineral combina-
calcium into cells if adequately sup- can is relatively low in magnesium.
tion will withstand the stomach acid
plied. Magnesium reduces the risk of Making this low intake worse is the
in intact form. This makes it much eas-
heart attacks, but one study found fact that the American diet is high in
ier to absorb minerals. Combinations
that long-term use of calcium- sugar which causes a loss of magne-
of minerals with other substances
channel-blocking drugs increased sium from within the cell. (Seelig, 42)
like carbonates, sulfates, or clorides
risk of heart attacks by 60 percent. As has been discussed al-
do not stand up to the acid in the
Another commonly prescribed ready, supplementation with large
stomach. The bonds break apart and
anti-hypertensive drug is the beta- amounts of calcium without any
the minerals are poorly absorbed..
blocker. These medications are de- magnesium can increase the se-
Minerals usually exist with
signed to inhibit the hormone adren- verity of a magnesium deficiency.
a positive charge. The lining of
aline. These drugs are quite effective, There is normally 10,000 times
the small intestine has a nega-
but can have serious side-effects if more magnesium within the cell
tive charge. As a result, minerals
used for a prolonged period of time. than there is outside. (Seelig, 15-16)
tend to be attracted to the lining
Side-effects include “impaired circu- References:
of the small intestine (opposites at-
lation, palpitations, dizziness, nausea, Seelig, Mildred, and Rosanoff, Andrea, The Mag-
tract), but they are poorly absorbed.
nesium Factor, New York: Penguin, 2003.
and slight constriction of airways.” Many products claim to be che-
Blaylock, Russell, Excitotoxins: The Taste that Kills,
A number of pharmaceutical Santa Fe, New Mexico: Health Press, 1994. lated, but this process is rarely per-
drugs increase the loss of mag- formed properly. Dr. Furst explained
nesium in the urine. This includes Magnesium Deficiency
loop and thiazide diuretics like lasix, Studies of nutrient deficiency in
bumex, edecrin and hydrochlor- the United States typically find that
thiazide. Diuretics have also been more than half the population ob-
shown to lower levels of magne- tains inadequate magnesium in their
sium within the cell increasing the diet. Foods rich in magnesium in-
risk of the entrance of excess cal- clude green vegetables like spinach.
cium into heart and other tissues. The green is chlorophyll which con-
Anti-cancer drugs like cisplatin tains a molecule of magnesium. Oth-
and antibiotics like gentamicin and er foods rich in magnesium include
amphotericin also cause loss of beans, nuts, and unrefined grains.
magnesium. One should not discon-
Copyright 2008 by Jim McAfee. All rights reserved. 3
1271 High Street, Auburn, CA 95603
Phone (530) 823-7092 order line (800) 359-6091
E-mail: mail@imageawareness.com
Visit our website! www.ImageAwareness.com

that for proper chelation concentra- Cal-Mag tablets have almost total have the salt content of sea salt.
tions of amino acids and minerals, dissolution within 30 minutes. The Minerals in sea vegetation are also
pH, and temperature must be var- government standard is 75 percent found in an organic matrix mak-
ied to achieve the wrapping of the dissolution in 30 minutes and most ing them easier to use than miner-
amino acid around a mineral. Many calcium supplements fail this test. als outside of a biological matrix.
companies just mix amino acids and Testing on GNLD minerals sug-
minerals together, dry the mixture, gests that the chelated minerals are
and call them chelated minerals. absorbed two to six times better Removal or Addition
Most minerals have two ionic than non-chelated minerals. Quality to this Newsletter
charges which must be neutralized of mineral supplementation is based If you wish to be removed from this health-
for efficient absorption of the min- upon two basic criteria--dissolution letter simply send us an email requesting to
be removed. If you wish to add an email ad-
eral. GNLD has developed a technol- and absorption and the GNLD mineral dress send us the address with a request to
ogy which permits a double wrap of products excel in both of these areas. be added.
the minerals with amino acids where It should also be pointed out
this is necessary and appropriate for that there are literally dozens of min- Web Resources
optimal absorption of the mineral. erals which are needed in very tiny www.yourbodyssignlanguage.com
www.imageawareness.com
GNLD also seeks to bind min- quantities by the body. The best and
erals with specific amino acids safest way to obtain these miner-
which will optimize absorption als is by consumption of sea foods. Disclaimer
This publication contains the opinions and
and utilization of the mineral in Sea vegetation is a particularly ideas of its author. It is intended to provide
the body. This is why calcium and valuable source of trace minerals. helpful and informative material on the sub-
jects addressed in the publication. It is pro-
magnesium are combined with GNLD Chelated Multi-Mineral vided with the understanding that the author
glycine while zinc is combined and all of the Uni-Paks use sea veg- and publisher are not engaged in rendering
with methionine. GNLD Chelated etation as one of the ingredients in medical,health, or any other kind of personal
professional services in this newsletter. The
the product to provide a rich reader should consult his or her medical,
natural source of the minerals health or other competent professional be-
required in only minute quan- fore adopting any of the suggestions in this
newsletter or drawing inferences from it.
tities. Sea vegetation has the The author and publisher specifically dis-
advantage of not containing claim all responsibility for any liability, loss, or
the high levels of aluminum risk, personal or otherwise, which is incurred
as a consequence, directly or indirectly, of
found in many colloidal min- use and application of any of the contents of
eral products and it does not this newsletter.

Copyright 2008 by Jim McAfee. All rights reserved. 4

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