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Magnesium, magnesium, everybody is on magnesium deficiency these days, even without making laboratory testing. How do we actually know that it is magnesium deficiency? Because of muscle cramps, because of small eye lid spasms, because of nervousness, because of arrhythmias,… what else?

That is the truth which any self-respecting online-searcher knows. Around the whole civilized world – the same truth with the solutions that do not work, or you think they do, but they actually do not:) Until you find another truth, based on evidence, based on this story.

The story about magnesium deficiency

The lady knew her body signs, she knew that magnesium is crucial for her. She took care of herself and was always in tune with the last pharmaceutical and medicinal tidings. Her food supplement with magnesium was the best and its intake was regular; appropriate food products, rich in magnesium, like green leafy vegetables, nuts, legumes and milk, were always on a counter. No alcohol, “well-balanced” menu (who actually know what does it mean?:)) However, she was sporty, and we know sports require mineral renewal because of intensive sweating, more so, she was coffee lover. It appeared that coffee contributes to wash out minerals, including magnesium, from the muscles, blood and finally from the bones. Therefore, she put the guilt to her “healthy” and “unhealthy” habits and happy to find one of the magnesium food supplement for herself and her family. However, muscle crams were still there, especially in the evenings…

“Magnesium deficiency” through the Looking-Glass

Hypermagnesemia

Let us just kick off the wall of our knowledge and look through the looking-glass. What we could see there? The Surprise. One could claim he/she has a magnesium deficiency only after laboratory testing is done. Many times it shows even hypermagnesemia – too high level of magnesium, with symptoms like weakness, low blood pressure, nausea, dizziness, headache, constipation, muscle paralysis, may induce even seizures if calcium is deficient at the same time (1). To be absolutely precise and not let someone to feel any exaggeration, here is the quotation form the scientific up-to-date paper (1):

Mild hypermagnesemia (less than 7 mg/dL) – Asymptomatic or paucisymptomatic: weakness, nausea, dizziness, and confusion.

Moderate hypermagnesemia (7 to 12 mg/dL) – Decreased reflexes, worsening of the confusional state and sleepiness, bladder paralysis, flushing, headache, and constipation. A slight reduction in blood pressure, bradycardia, and blurred vision caused by diminished accommodation and convergence are usually present.

Severe hypermagnesemia (greater than 12 mmol/dL) – Muscle flaccid paralysis, decreased breathing rate, more evident hypotension and bradycardia, prolongation of the P-R interval, atrioventricular block, and lethargy are common. Coma and cardiorespiratory arrest can occur for higher values (over 15 mg/dL).

Dehydration

Dehydration – a lack of water inside the cells, or water deficiency in living cells. It leads to muscle spasms because muscle spasms is a futile attempt of the organism to compensate for the loss of vital water.

To be dehydrated seems to be popular these days, everyone knows the truth how to regenerate himself – by drinking water. But what if to avoid most common, arising from modern life-style, reasons of dehydration?

The reasons of dehydration, arising from modern life-style:

• Coffee
  • Drinking more than 1 cup per day contributes to increased urination and subsequent mineral deficiency (calcium, magnesium deficiency firstly)
• Salt
  • Consumption of more than 5 gram of salt per day contributes to renal congestion and fluid retention in the body. When the concentration of salt, circulating in blood, is higher than inside the cells, the body tries to regulate this imbalance by pushing water out of the cells into circulating blood and inter-cellular fluids, to dilute dangerous levels of high salt there. That is why we feel thirsty after salty food – it is enough water inside a body, but body cells lack it. That is why the faces are swollen – water is in inter-cellular fluids and blood instead of being inside the cells. Some people have not seen themselves in a mirror in a non-swollen phase for decades.
• Intensive exercise
  • Contributes to well-feeling, however, one should realize the importance of electrolytes. While doing intensive exercise we sweat. Sweat is not only water, toxins, urea, ammonia going out, sweat is also electrolytes that go out. Electrolytes, such as sodium, chloride, potassium, magnesium, calcium, have essential role in our bodies and should be restored after exercises
• Sugar
  • Sugar, any sugar including candies, sugary drinks or cookies, also contributes to feeling thirsty. Answering the question “Why?” – the answer is much similar to the effect of salt (see above)
• Garlic, onions, scallions other eatable vegetables of the genus Allium (Latin name)
  • From my personal observation – these guys make me feel thirsty. Read my other post about Mister Garlic

Sugar in blood

High sugar in blood deserves a separate chapter. Just from my personal observation: those days when I have started to avoid sugar absolutely in any its form, even natural sugar as honey or maple syrup, – all my “traditional” and well-known for me “magnesium deficiency” in a form of daily spasm has gone. Has gone. Has gone! That was the miracle, which I have ever experienced in my life. The result of “no spasms” just by letting go out all the sugars for a week led to the unexpected outcome – I do not need magnesium supplements anymore (but I have some at home in case of too extensive exercises:))

That could be left as a miracle, but it is not. I continued, and experimented on my home mates:) They love me:) I asked them to skip any sugars for a week, and they did. The same result – all the “traditional” and well-known for them “magnesium deficiency” in a form of daily spasm has gone. Has gone. Has gone!

More so, after half a year, while celebrating New year, I guess, I ate too much sugars: there were vegan sweets and probably too much flour-based sugar delights on a table. In few days my “magnesium deficiency” in a form of muscle spasms came back. That how it works…

Need to hike instead of body constraint

Human body needs to hike, it is in its genes. !Living! human body needs to hike. Because the physical activity is in our genes. While seeking to understand the functionality of healthy (healthy!) human body, lets look deeper into the genes – the genetic information, which was put in us centuries ago to ensure our survival and prosperity on the planet Earth. Looking to those prehistoric times where constant hiking, running and walking were the main human activities to survive – now we could realize how deep is the root of dynamism is the main root of life, of being alive.

I know some people, they are not active, they do not even walk in Nature AT ALL, it is so sad for me to know this truth. The legs of inactive human are making its last, but severe as a symptom – muscle spasm- attempts to move, to move from a dead point. When genes start to call for emergency – that is the last sign to recollect and start mowing for life.

References

(1) Hypermagnesemia by Marco Cascella; Sarosh Vaqar, 2020, available online: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK549811/

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