Magnesium & blood clots

[Guest guest]

This is not TCM but it is some important info that I want to get out.

 

Magnesium deficiency plays a role in a tendency to form blood clots. Mg

deficiency is common in the U.S. because 1). many of the foods which are

fairly high in Mg (like mustard greens) are not popular foods, 2).

over-processing foods sometimes removes a lot of what Mg there is, and 3).

Mg usually is not supplemented or replaced in soils. The plants may not

need a lot of it to grow big and pretty, but humans have a need for Mg. Mg

deficiency has been implicated in various problems including some cases of

high blood pressure (not all), one type of kidney stone, asthma, allergies,

some cases of insomnia, poor immune system response, some cases of tics and

temors and muscle spasms, muscles which stay contracted, etc.

 

The blood tests for Mg level are not always accurate. There can be enough

Mg in the blood but not in the cells. A urinalysis test is more accurate.

Sorry, can't remember the name of the test off hand.

 

Mildred Seelig, MD, American College of Nutrition, is an expert on Mg

deficiency. You may also want to check the CFIDS Association of America and

the work of Paul Cheney, MD, for more info on Mg. PWCs (People With CFIDS)

tend to have Mg deficiency problems. Not only do PWCs tend to have Mg

deficiency problems, but it appears that genetic relatives of PWCs may also

have a tendency to Mg deficiency problems. I know a number of PWCs who have

had genetic relatives die of blood clots. In some cases more than one

member of a family has died of blood clots. People with celiac disease and

other intestinal problems also are prone to Mg deficiencies (and quite a few

vitamin and mineral deficiences). One may also want to consider the

possibility of Mg deficiency if one has been on antibiotics or has Leaky Gut

Syndrome.

 

Mg is more apt to be absorbed and utilized if taken with malic acid.

Aluminum will interfere with the absorbion of Mg. The body needs calcium in

order to absorb Mg, and vice versa, up to a certain point, but after that

point is reached Ca and Mg are in competition with each other. Excessive

use of antiacids with calcium can trigger Mg deficiency. The antiacids with

aluminum in them also can trigger Mg deficiency.

 

Some forms of oral Mg pills or liquids are more easily absorbed than others.

The Mg in Milk of Mg is NOT easily absorbed. Some people will need Mg

injections until their health improves enough that they can absorb enough

from pills. This is a fairly common problem with some PWCs who simply

cannot absorb enough Mg from pills, not even with malic acid. Some people

with celiac disease require IV Mg.

 

Another time to keep a special watch for Mg deficiency is in people

undergoing chemotherapy. A side effect of many chemo drugs is that they

increase the likelihood of blood clots forming. This tendency may be

increased if the person also is Mg deficient.

 

One symptom that many PWCs have is feeling heavy in the arms and legs - like

they're encased in cement or have weights attached to them. In TCM, this

almost always is a symptom of Dampness. But, in many PWCs Mg

supplementation will relieve this problem - plus increase strenght of

muscles and endurance some.

 

Muscles need Mg in order to relax. If Mg is deficient, muscles tend to stay

contracted. This is itself can be very fatiguing.

 

This also is one reason why chiropractor and DO adjustments don't last in

some patients, especially PWCs. The muscles tend to want to contract

because of the Mg deficiency, and this can pull the spine out of alignment

again.

 

Mg also is a GABA enhancer. GABA is an inhibitory neurotransmitter; NMDA is

an excitatory neurotransmitter. GABA inhibits neurons from firing; NMDA

triggers firing. When GABA is too high relative to NMDA, coma can result.

When NMDA is to high relative to GABA, seizures can result. But long before

the seizure stage is reached, people whose NMDA is too high relative to GABA

start to experience other problems like insomnia, sensory overload, and

increased sensations of pain. The nerves are firing too often. It's common

for PWCs to experience sensory overload. The patterns in a rug, the smells

in a supermarket, etc. can seem overwhelming. A touch can feel painful. Mg

supplementation often will relieve or at least help many of these problems

in PWCs.

 

Too much Mg and too little Mg can be fatal. So this is not a case of if a

little is good, more is better. One of the safest ways to get Mg - besides

diet - is taking it in a supplement which also contains calcium. A lot of

these supplements contain Ca and Mg in the ratios the body needs. In some

people with severe or longterm Mg deficiency problems, extra Mg may need to

be taken. Consult your doctor if you suspect there may be severe or

longterm Mg deficiency problems.

 

Victoria

 

 

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[Guest guest]

> Mildred Seelig, MD, American College of Nutrition, is an expert on

Mg

> deficiency. You may also want to check the CFIDS Association of

America and

> the work of Paul Cheney, MD, for more info on Mg. PWCs (People

With CFIDS)

> tend to have Mg deficiency problems.

explorer.msn.com

 

Trawling through the archives again..........

 

Not only that Victoria, but Mg deficency AND a cellular Mg:Ca ionic

imbalance is very strongly associates with insulin resistant states

like Syndrome X and diabetes. They don't know if it is cause or

effect - papers on Pubmed. Nearly all of our 'metabolic' horses need

a higher (Mg) Ca:Mg ratio than is normally considered necessary, and

mine seems to need chelate Mg too.

 

Jackie

[Guest guest]

> Not only that Victoria, but Mg deficency AND a cellular Mg:Ca ionic

> imbalance is very strongly associates with insulin resistant states

> like Syndrome X and diabetes. They don't know if it is cause or

> effect - papers on Pubmed. Nearly all of our 'metabolic' horses

need

> a higher (Mg) Ca:Mg ratio than is normally considered necessary,

and

> mine seems to need chelate Mg too.

 

What is Syndrome X?

 

I do better on chelated Mg, and need a higher than normal Mg to

calcium ratio.

 

I guess you've run across the posts on malic acid increases

absorption of Mg. I believe boron does too. (Better check me on

that one.) Aluminum interferes with Mg absorption. Even very, very

minute amounts. Your horse isn't eating from Al pans is he?

 

Thanks,

Victoria

[Guest guest]

> What is Syndrome X?

 

Insulin resistance primarily, but specifically with atherosclerosis, high

cholesterol and high blood pressure and hence heart disease risk. It's

becoming almost epidemic in the US, with diabetes and hypothyroidism

apparently. It seems that in some types insulin resistance progresses

towards Type II diabetes, and with others Syndrome X or Polycystic ovary

syndrome.

 

Insulin resistance seems a possible root to it all, and has exploded since

all the emphasis on low fat diets. Low fat nearly always seems to mean

higher carbohydrate, and particularly starch and sugar. We are overloading

our pancreas', and spending years under the influence of high insulin

levels. Gerald Reaven discovered Syndrome X, and it was originally called

Reavens Syndrome.

 

> I guess you've run across the posts on malic acid increases

> absorption of Mg. I believe boron does too. (Better check me on

> that one.) Aluminum interferes with Mg absorption. Even very, very

> minute amounts. Your horse isn't eating from Al pans is he?

 

No, and I don't think we have too much problem with high aluminium in soils

over here, though wherever there is acid rain you do - that and Iron, beause

there is so much in the soil. Iron is becoming a big problem in hay

analysis - there is a lot of both in soil anyway, so availability becomes

the main concern, hence the acid rain problem.

 

Iron too is very much associated with IR - big problem for many horses,

because then you get oxidative stress. Horses cannot lose iron either, they

build it up for their entire lives - so we are seeing a need for some BIG

increases in anti-oxidents.

 

I've been through months of research on all of this to eliminate any dietary

factors! Someone mentioned Boron to me recently I must check that out - and

mailc acid. It rings a bell, but I cannot remember why.

 

Jackie