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and eclampsia in pregnancy. The fact that cellular magnesium levels in women with PMS are
found to be significantly lower than in women who do not suffer PMS resonates the inferences
of these studies. Susan Johnson, a gynaecologist at the University of Iowa who helped develop
the new ACOG (American College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologist) standards advices that if
you are in search of supplements that alleviate symptoms of PMS, you may benefit from calcium,
magnesium and vitamins D and E.
Inability to Sleep
Insomnia or inability to sleep is another symptom of magnesium deficiency. If you find it difficult
to sleep or find yourself waking up in the night with muscle spasms, cramps and stuffiness, you
may benefit from magnesium supplementation. In a study of more than 200 patients, Dr W.H Davis
of the University of Pretoria tested magnesium as a possible means of combating insomnia. 99
percent of the patients on magnesium supplementation reported that sleep was induced rapidly
and was uninterrupted. Waking tiredness disappeared, and anxiety and tension diminished during
the day. No ill effects were noted on the patients participating in this 12-month long study in
which before retiring they daily took eight tablets of 250 mgs each of magnesium chloride (W.H.
Davis and F. Ziady, “The Role of Magnesium in Sleep”, Montreal Symposium, 1976) In the elderly,
magnesium supplements were found to improve sleep by decreasing the release of cortisol, the
stress hormone that causes sleep disruption.
Weakening of the Bones
For long calcium was considered the key mineral in the prevention of Osteoporosis, but new
research has proved that magnesium supplementation is equally important in the treatment and
prevention of osteoporosis. Magnesium comprises about 1 percent of the human bone mineral. It
influences both bone matrix and bone mineral metabolism and helps our body assimilate calcium.
Says Dr Barnett, an orthopaedic surgeon who has published the effects of different soil and water
mineral composition levels in two US Counties on bone health: “Magnesium is perhaps, the most
important single element-in bone health.” Magnesium deficiency may also be a risk factor for
postmenopausal osteoporosis, as it alters calcium metabolism and affects the hormone that
regulates calcium balance in the body. As the magnesium content of bone mineral decreases,
bone crystals become larger and more brittle. In their study ‘Magnesium supplementation and
osteoporosis’, researchers Sojka JE, Weaver CM (published in Nutrition Reviews, 1995.) found
lower magnesium content and larger bone crystals in osteoporotic women and suggest that
magnesium supplementation may improve bone mineral density.
Muscle Tension, Spasms and Cramps
Irritating little twitches in the eyelid or painful muscle cramping that wakes you up in the night are
usually the first sign of magnesium deficiency. Magnesium is needed for proper muscle relaxation
and contraction, and excessive muscle tension (resulting in spasms, tics and restlessness) could
mean that you are magnesium deficient. As this mineral is lost through bodily fluids, athletes
who sweat heavily while training or are prone to loose stools may experience cramping due to
magnesium deficiency. Muscle cramping and other signs of low magnesium levels respond quickly
and positively to magnesium supplements and changes in diet patterns to include foods high in
the mineral.
Abnormal Heart Rhythm
Magnesium has a beneficial effect on the cardiovascular system. Due to its natural muscle relaxant
ability, it also plays an important role in regulating blood pressure. When blood vessels are relaxed
there is less resistance to the flow of blood and as a result, blood pressure is lower. Evidence
suggests that low body stores of magnesium increase the risk of abnormal heart rhythms, which
in turn may increase the risk of complications associated with a heart attack. In 1998, Liao F,
Folsom AR and Brancati of School of Public Health, University of Minnesota conducted a large
prospective study (almost 14,000 men and women) and found that increasing serum magnesium
levels are associated with decreased risk of coronary heart disease in women. The Joint
National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation and Treatment of High Blood Pressure
recommends maintaining an adequate magnesium intake as a positive lifestyle modification for
preventing and managing high blood pressure. The DASH study (Dietary Approaches to Stop
Hypertension) suggests that high blood pressure can be significantly lowered by consuming a diet
high in magnesium, potassium and calcium.
Headaches
Approximately 70% of patients who have tension headaches exhibit muscular tightness and
tenderness. Numerous studies have indicated that there is a relationship between migraines,
tension headaches and low levels of magnesium. The 1998 PubMed article ‘Role of magnesium
in the pathogenesis and treatment of migraines’ by Clin Neurosci, Mauskop A, Altura BM,
suggests that individuals who suffer from recurrent migraine headaches have lower intracellular
magnesium levels than individuals who do not experience migraines. In the March 1996 issue
of journal ‘Headache’, researchers reported that patients with clustered headaches were helped
by magnesium therapy. “In clustered headaches, people suffer up to 20 bouts of pain daily in a
single siege that can last for months. A single infusion of magnesium has ended those clustered
headaches with some relief in 2 to 7 days.” More recently in 2003, Wang F, Van Den Eeden SK,
Ackerson LM, Salk SE, Reince RH, Elin RJ, conducted a placebo-controlled trial in 86 children with
frequent migraine headaches and found that oral magnesium oxide reduced headache frequency.
Anxiousness
Magnesium supplementation enjoys a broad reputation as having a calming effect on anxiety
symptoms and stress levels. Mildred Seeling, who started the Journal of the American College
of Nutrition in 1982 had noted an association between magnesium deficiency and anxiety
symptoms in her paper “Latent tetany and anxiety, marginal Mg deficit, and normocalcemia”. A
different investigation by Kara H, Sahin N, Ulusan V and Aydogdu T in 2002, studied the impact
of magnesium in post-surgical patients. Patients were infused with magnesium both during and
following surgery and were evaluated for anxiety levels. Patients receiving the magnesium infusion
required significantly less pain medication and reported less anxiety in comparison to the control
group that received no magnesium.
Nervousness
Magnesium regulates nerve cell function and is essential for the proper functioning of the nervous
system. Its presence in adequate amounts in the synaptic gap between nerve cells controls the rate
of neuron firing. Without sufficient magnesium, the nerve cells cannot give or receive messages,
and sensitivity to stimulation of all kinds is heightened. Noises seem excessively loud, lights can
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