What is Low magnesium?
To be valid, every hormone or mineral evaluation must be tested in the right compartment. Even if it is commonly prescribed, the serum magnesium test is a poor indicator of magnesium levels as serum magnesium represents only 1% of the body’s stores. Low serum magnesium indicates severe deficiency.
Red blood cell magnesium is the way to go. The optimal range is 6.8-7.2 mg/dL
Most people hover around 2 mg/dL. Magnesium deficiencyis a growing health concernfor 50-80% of the population depending on the source.
Symptoms:
Anxiety:
There is a French expression that says une tempête dans un verre d’eau literally “a thunderstorm in a glass of water” that’s what low magnesium does to your ability to handle stress. Magnesium goes hand in hand with GABA (the neurotransmitter of centered calmness) as it binds to and activates GABA receptors.
Poor blood sugar management:
Magnesium is the mineral of insulin sensitivity. Low magnesium status makes it very hard to control blood sugar levels. Unmanaged blood sugar leads to cortisol elevation and ultimately paves the way to metabolic inflexibility.
Low androgens:
Optimal male hormone production heavily depends on magnesium. Hence low magnesium is in essence a castration agent. Men with low DHEA Sulfate often see their status regulate thanks to a well designed magnesium protocol.
Subpar Brain function:
Magnesium influences the brain therefore memory and cognition are function of your magnesium status.
Low energy:
I remember a scam health expert from Danemark who claimed taking high dosage of magnesium for energy. Well… “high dosage” was a whooping 150mg and let’s say that she was not a poster child for health if body composition was any indication. Anyway, if low dose magnesium boosts your energy it means you are VERY deficient in magnesium and that it actually feeds the Krebs cycle.
Magnesium Comes in Different Flavors
The low quality forms
Magnesium Oxide
Magnesium Citrate
Magnesium Sulfate
Magnesium Chloride
They all show poor absorption rates. And are mainly valuable as laxatives. You can also quickly spot a low quality multivitamin by the presence of magnesium oxyde.
High quality supplements will display various affinities with different tissues according to which chelates they are associated to.
Magnesium Threonate
It is the most absorbable and highly benefits the brain. It positively impacts memory, sleep, and attention span. It is costly but a study compared it to magnesium citrate and the supplementation induced an improvement of 50% and 54% in short and long term memory, respectively.
Magnesium Malate
It is highly beneficial to people suffering from low energy, Fibromyalgia, or chronic fatigue. It tends to get depleted after workouts. So make sure to include it in your post workout supplementation protocol.
Magnesium Glycynate
Is mainly involved with liver and muscle health.
Magnesium Orotate
This chelate plays a positive role in cardiac issues.
Magnesium Taurate
This form helps with electrical issues in the heart, electro-fibrillation will improve with high dosages of magnesium thorate.
Nowadays most supplement companies use blends of several chelates to facilitate replenishment by adressing more tissues simultaneously.
The Metabolic Analytics Magnesium Replenishment Protocol
This protocol is for a 90 kg man. For a woman, you typically take 2/3 of the dose.
Takes usually at least 6 months at those high dosages to restore magnesium levels to optimal levels.
Note that zinc and magnesium work synergistically and higher levels of zinc speeds up magnesium replenishment.
Post Workout
1 choice between:
5 caps of DFH Magnesium Glycinate, or
5 caps of DFH magnesium malate from, or
4 ATP-Lab Synermag, or
5 Nutri-Dyn Mag Glycinate
Lunch
1 choice between:
3 Caps of DFH Magnesium Glycinate, or
3 ATP-Lab Synermag, or
3 Nutri-Dyn Mag Glycinate
Dinner
1 choice between:
3 Caps of DFH Magnesium Glycinate, or
3 ATP-Lab Synermag, or
3 Nutri-Dyn Mag Glycinate
Evening Snack:
6 caps of DFH Neuro Mag.
Before Bed Time:
1 tablespoon of DFH MagneGel.
Notes: If you are getting loose stools, drop the dosage by 25%
