This past week, Dr. Sinatra and I were in California, where Dr. Sinatra addressed an audience of enthusiastic naturopathic doctors at a cardiology-focused conference sponsored by the California Naturopathic Doctors Association. There, the NDs posed a common magnesium question: Which form of magnesium is best for my patients?
Not a surprising question, given that magnesium has been one of Dr. Sinatra’s cardiology mainstays for decades, and is one pillar in his “awesome foursome.” You see, magnesium is a critical mineral that’s needed for normal muscle function and scores of enzymatic reactions, including the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which is your body’s basic cellular fuel.
A low blood magnesium level is also the most common nutrient deficiencies we see. The mineral is often “used up” and thus depleted in patients with diabetes, congestive heart failure, atherosclerosis, chest pain, high blood pressure levels, cardiac arrhythmias, heart muscle disease, heart attack, and even sudden cardiac death.
In fact, intravenous magnesium treatment has long been a mainstay for many cardiac emergency situations, from runaway arrhythmias and high blood pressure levels to acute heart attack—even the pre-eclampsia of pregnancy should blood pressure levels be skyrocketing out of control.
Choosing Your Magnesium
Magnesium supplements come in so many different forms, the most common of which is magnesium oxide. The oxide form is used in many supplements, including multivitamins, because it’s just so darn easy to pack into a pill. Magnesium oxide acts most potently on the colon, igniting elimination, which makes it the magnesium of choice if you’re looking for a laxative effect. To give you a common reference, your mother or grandmother probably took Milk of Magnesia for constipation, as it provides a potent dollop of magnesium oxide.
However, despite it’s great a cleansing affect, magnesium oxide is not very bioavailable when it comes to the rest of the body. Very little magnesium is absorbed for utilization, which is an important fact if you are looking for lowering blood pressure levels, or using this mighty molecule to treat other cardiovascular problems.
The best way to ensure that your whole body has enough magnesium on board is to take a variety of forms, specifically glycinate, orotate, citrate, and taurinate. All four are all well-absorbed, and work synergistically, meaning they are most effective when taken together.
Dr. Sinatra and I personally take a broad spectrum magnesium (along with the other “awesome foursome” pillars—D-ribose, L-carnitine, and coenzyme Q10—whenever we exercise, whether it be with a personal trainer, a Pilates or yoga class, or our daily brisk walk.
If you want more details on magnesium, visit Dr. Sinatra’s Web site or even check out The Magnesium Miracle by Carolyn Dean, MD, ND. She is one of Dr. Sinatra’s Top Fifty Docs and I highly recommend her book.
For more information on holistic health practitioners, visit www.drsinatra.com.
Not a surprising question, given that magnesium has been one of Dr. Sinatra’s cardiology mainstays for decades, and is one pillar in his “awesome foursome.” You see, magnesium is a critical mineral that’s needed for normal muscle function and scores of enzymatic reactions, including the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which is your body’s basic cellular fuel.
A low blood magnesium level is also the most common nutrient deficiencies we see. The mineral is often “used up” and thus depleted in patients with diabetes, congestive heart failure, atherosclerosis, chest pain, high blood pressure levels, cardiac arrhythmias, heart muscle disease, heart attack, and even sudden cardiac death.
In fact, intravenous magnesium treatment has long been a mainstay for many cardiac emergency situations, from runaway arrhythmias and high blood pressure levels to acute heart attack—even the pre-eclampsia of pregnancy should blood pressure levels be skyrocketing out of control.
Choosing Your Magnesium
Magnesium supplements come in so many different forms, the most common of which is magnesium oxide. The oxide form is used in many supplements, including multivitamins, because it’s just so darn easy to pack into a pill. Magnesium oxide acts most potently on the colon, igniting elimination, which makes it the magnesium of choice if you’re looking for a laxative effect. To give you a common reference, your mother or grandmother probably took Milk of Magnesia for constipation, as it provides a potent dollop of magnesium oxide.
However, despite it’s great a cleansing affect, magnesium oxide is not very bioavailable when it comes to the rest of the body. Very little magnesium is absorbed for utilization, which is an important fact if you are looking for lowering blood pressure levels, or using this mighty molecule to treat other cardiovascular problems.
The best way to ensure that your whole body has enough magnesium on board is to take a variety of forms, specifically glycinate, orotate, citrate, and taurinate. All four are all well-absorbed, and work synergistically, meaning they are most effective when taken together.
Dr. Sinatra and I personally take a broad spectrum magnesium (along with the other “awesome foursome” pillars—D-ribose, L-carnitine, and coenzyme Q10—whenever we exercise, whether it be with a personal trainer, a Pilates or yoga class, or our daily brisk walk.
If you want more details on magnesium, visit Dr. Sinatra’s Web site or even check out The Magnesium Miracle by Carolyn Dean, MD, ND. She is one of Dr. Sinatra’s Top Fifty Docs and I highly recommend her book.
For more information on holistic health practitioners, visit www.drsinatra.com.
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