Magnesium Quick Reference
Page edition: 2024-06-08
Note: although this basenote is publicly-visible,
some links and Replies may be IC members-only.
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Context
Magnesium (element Mg) is a core program supplement.
Due to filtering of modern drinking water,
deficiency in modern industrial-scale crops,
grain-heavy diets that block what
little Mg most people get, and use of PPIs,
your level, on starting the program, is almost
certainly suboptimal.
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Contents
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General Information
The need for Mg has been part of the program
for over a decade, and is detailed in these books
(page numbers shown for U.S. print editions):
📖 Wheat
Belly Total Health
(2014): page 209
📖 Undoctored
(2017) page 292
📖 Wheat
Belly Revised & Expanded
(2019) page 255
📖 Super
Gut (2022) page 192
🅑
UdB:
Why is magnesium so important? (public)
🅑
IHB:
The Perfect Storm of Magnesium Deficiency (members)
🅑
WBB: Dealing
with magnesium intolerance (public)
🖵 IH Course; Topic:
The Magic of Magnesium (members)⇱ Return to ToC
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Program Mg Target
Program target is based on a suggested
daily intake, ideally confirmed by an
RBC Mg blood test:
400
to 500 milligrams per day (for adults)
RBC
Mg test (more⇩below), near upper
end of Reference Range
For comparison, the U.S. RDA for adult males
is presently 420 mg. The challenge for
modern humans is no longer consuming ancestral
sources/amounts, and what is consumed isn’t
fully absorbed, due to the form of Mg compound,
plus modern diet antagonists.
The daily intake is mg of elemental Mg,
and not the total weight of the Mg compound
consumed. This can often be difficult to nail
down, due to brand labeling incompetence and
‘portion’ often being more than
one dosing unit.
This program target thus usually requires a
magnesium ⇩supplement, in one or
more forms from a very small selection of
compounds.⇱ Return to ToC
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Cautions
Impaired kidney function requires monitoring of Mg serum levels.
The kidneys are normally very effective at removing excess Mg.
In otherwise healthy people, the principal
hazard of excess Mg intake, or use of
poorly-absorbed forms, is a laxative effect,
that can interfere with absorption of other
nutrients.⇱ Return to ToC
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Supplement considerations
Before considering a supplement, have a
rough idea of how much Mg you get from
foods. The “Why is magnesium
so important?” blog article
linked above lists the top program-compatible
food sources. Any number of comparison
web resources provide a breakdown of values.
The vast majority of Mg supplements on the
market are frank laxatives. Those sold as
mineral supplements, such as in multi-vitamins,
tend to provide sub-clinical doses. The
magnesium stearate form in many preparations
may be biologically inert.
What also doesn’t work is trans-dermal Mg, such
as soaking in Epsom salt. There’s no real risk,
but also no evidence that it has any
effect on RBC Mg.
The supplement formulations suggested are:
- magnesium bicarbonate (Magnesium
Water)
- magnesium malate (usually in tablet form)
- magnesium glycinate (where higher doses are required)
- magnesium glycerophosphate
- magnesium citrate (where calcium
oxalate kidney stones are a concern,
and also at high doses as an alternative
prep agent for colonoscopy).
The jury is still out on the L-threonate,
-orotate and -taurate forms.
Although Mg is never consumed as the actual
raw light metal, it’s important to be clear
on the amount of elemental Mg provided by
any compound in use. Product package labels
can be frustratingly vague on this, and
sometimes incorrect.⇱ Return to ToC
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Intake timing
Spread intake over the day, so as to avoid
undesired motility effects from
taking too much at once.
Avoid taking Mg at the same time
as any iron supplements.
Consider biasing intake toward evening,
as Mg can aid with sleep.
If deliberately using a laxative, take
your Mg mineral supplement well
separated in time.⇱ Return to ToC
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Portion adjustment
Keeping in mind any ⇧cautions above,
full program supplementation may be commenced
at start of program. First checking RBC Mg
is not required, but can be helpful.
| If subsequent testing reports RBC level lower than
desired, the top suspects are: |
| 📅 |
Patience: this is a low-responding marker. |
| ◔ |
Actual elemental intake is lower than supposed.
Re-check product label, portion size, and
your own math if relied on. |
| 🎲 |
The product label is incorrect. |
If intake is confirmed to be above 400mg elemental, increase
it cautiously, as excess Mg can have a counter-productive
laxative effect.
⇱ Return to ToC
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Supplement suggestions
The top product recommendation is still the
program recipe for magnesium water, linked
above. Once made, each daily amount can be
consumed across day, and diluted with more
water as desired. The main challenges with
it are obtaining food-grade Magnesium
hydroxide, and having Mg-water available for travel.
At latest update of this QR, there were no
reliable sources of unadulterated Milk of
Magnesia (MoM). All now have bleach
(sodium hypochlorite, NaClO) which usually
results in some sort of precipitate in the
Mg-water, and is a potential microbiome
hazard in any case. Any “original”
formula with NaOCl is
not original.
See this
member⌬conjecture for how this state
of affairs may have arisen, and why it’s
not likely to change.
No retail mineral beverages have appeared that are
practical Mg supplements. This situation could
change, as it’s just a matter of some brand
detecting market demand.
For the cautious buyer, subscription site /℄\ConsumerLab.com
periodically tests Mg supplements.
Check ingredients. The main issues to
watch for in Mg supplements are calcium
compounds, and Mg compound mixes that
may include forms not well absorbed.
Economics vary, depending on the Mg compound sought.
Most work about to be about US$1.00 per day.
Mg citrate can be as low as US25¢/day.
If you have a source of filtered water, and want
to invest in a carbonator, Mg-water can be under
US20¢/day.
⎆Source
Naturals® Magnesium Malate is available
in tablet or capsule form. The capsules
provide 425mg elemental Mg in a 6-capsule
serving. The tablets provide 425mg of
elemental Mg in a 3 tablet serving.
⎆InnovixLabs
magnesium malate-glycinate provides 420mg
of elemental Mg in a 4 capsule serving.
⎆Pure
Encapsulations® Magnesium
Glycinate provides 480mg of
elemental Mg in a 4 capsule serving.
⎆Doctor’s
Best High Absorption Magnesium
provides 400mg magnesium lysinate
glycinate chelate in a 4 capsule
serving.
⎆CVSHealth®
Magnesium {Glycerophosphate} Chelated
provides 330mg elemental Mg
per (3g) teaspoon, so
a ~7mL portion would be needed.
⎆PES
Magnesium Glycerophosphate, 420mg
elemental Mg per 2 scoops (3.4g) powder.
NOW® Foods Magnesium Citrate is available in:
⎆dry
capsules, at 400mg elemental Mg
per 3 capsules,
⎆tablets,
at 400mg elemental Mg per 2 tablets, and
⎆pure
powder, at 450mg elemental Mg per
level teaspoon.
A Canadian member has reported being able
to achieve program RBC Mg target
with ⎆CanPrev
Magnesium Bis-Glycinate. Note that
this is a product line, and Mg amounts
vary considerably by product.
Observe normal due⚠diligence when sourcing any
supplement on-line.
⇱ Return to ToC
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Testing considerations
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Test details
| ⟲
Test Name |
Target Value Range
(See cell
footnote for target value references) |
Further Information
|
⟲
RBC
Magnesium
CPT Code 83735
and not:
Serum Magnesium (Analysis Code 2551SP) |
Near or even slightly above the upper end of the Reference Range¹
1. 🖵🗏The
Magic of Magnesium |
The ideal test for Mg would
actually be a tissue titer, but that would
require a biopsy, so is not routinely performed. |
If this test isn’t routinely covered by your carrier,
it’s often cheaper to obtain it on your own,
nanny state permitting, from a walk-in lab, perhaps via a
Life
Extension order. Self-directed price range:
US$66.00-117.00.
⇱ Return to ToC
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Test Considerations
Fasting status: It is not necessary to test Mg fasting.
Day’s Mg supplement:
may be taken before or after draw.
Time of day for test:
anytime.
Interactions:
take any medications as you would normally.
Re-test Interval:
perhaps no sooner than 📅6 months after portion adjustment;
“📅RBC magnesium requires around
2 years to be fully restored, so
patience is again required.”
⇱ Return to ToC
Tags: frequency,magnesium,milligrams,RBC,re-test