To have optimal Magnesium needs Protein and Phospholipids too
Good news and bad news – magnesium in the form of Epsom salt, magnesium sulfate, has been in use medicinally since the seventeenth century and written about in peer reviewed medical journals since the early nineteenth century. (1) That is both the good and the bad news – topical magnesium is helpful, but it still isn't being used for many conditions where it might be needed. Epsom salt is not patentable as a pharmaceutical medication because it is a natural substance. Magnesium sulfate or magnesium chloride salt flakes and some other forms of magnesium supplementation are in use for a few conditions including preeclampsia, migraines, stroke, and traumatic brain injury. Minor athletic injuries may be treated with Epsom salt soaks (3) and some psychiatric care providers may also recommend the treatment.
A textbook on the topic of magnesium use for medical conditions reviews the mineral's role in the body during health and chronic illness or when genetic differences in metabolism are present. Magnesium metabolism is complex metabolically which means that just taking a supplement doesn't always get magnesium to the problem area of the body. Magnesium is electrically active, so the body can’t just let it float around in a freely ionic form.
Magnesium is primarily found within cells where most of it is bound to proteins or phospholipids (such as adenosine triphosphate, ATP) rather than being present as free ions. Mg-ATP or magnesium being carried on a different metal transport protein may be found in blood plasma or other extracellular fluid but not all types of protein transport can cross the blood brain barrier to bring the magnesium where it might help with migraines or other brain injuries. (1) Both magnesium sulfate and magnesium chloride have been found helpful for those purposes (1) and both can be used topically which can bypass problems with poor absorption in the digestive system. (3)
"Intracellular magnesium concentrations range from 5–20 mmol/L; 1%–5% is ionized, the remainder is bound to proteins, negatively charged molecules and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) [14,15]." (6)
Magnesium oxide is a form that has been frequently used in supplements, but it has been found to be very poorly absorbed even when the digestive system is in normal health. Only four percent of a dose is likely to be absorbed and the remaining 96% tends to cause loose stools by causing the intestinal muscles to relax too much if the supplement is in a larger dose. (1)
Math – a 250 mg supplement of magnesium oxide might only have 10 milligrams absorbed and 240 milligrams pass through in the next bowel movement. Magnesium has a very low ‘upper tolerance limit’ according to the US guidelines, but it is very old guidance, based on estimates or guesses which were supposed to have more research done to check. The risk of watery stools is the only negative side effect on which the very low upper limit for magnesium is based. The watery stools risk is unpleasant and lasts about 24 hours rather than just one bad trip to the bathroom. It can cause a loss of a variety of electrolytes and light-headedness, or other symptoms of dehydration might occur if the person isn’t replenishing the loss fluid and electrolytes.
Magnesium salt baths can reach the level of excess and cause watery stools too, so don’t fall asleep in the bathtub. Twenty minutes is a safe limit and what is recommended based on the research with Epsom salt baths for medicinal use (1-2 cups of Mg sulfate salt in a half bathtub of water).
Chelates of magnesium with other proteins are also used as a capsule type of supplement.
Magnesium aspartate is a combination of magnesium with the amino acid aspartic acid. Chelates can have a lower risk of the watery stools as the magnesium isn’t in free ionic form (and acting as a signaling chemical). Magnesium aspartate has been found helpful in some research studies, but the aspartate/aspartic acid is an excitatory amino acid that can cause overactivity within brain cells possibly even leading to death of the cell. So, magnesium aspartate may not be ideal for people with some conditions such as headaches or brain injury, and excitotoxicity may be a risk factor in autism or Alzheimer’s dementia. Other forms of chelated supplements found to typically be well absorbed include magnesium citrate and magnesium glycinate. More recent research is using magnesium threonate as a form of magnesium which may be more likely to be absorbed through the blood brain barrier. (1)
Summary points:
Symptoms of Mg deficiency may include:
Headaches or migraines may be a symptom because magnesium is used within the brain to protect against excess calcium or glutamate entry into brain cells.
Hypertension - Magnesium is involved in fluid balance so high blood pressure may occur.
High blood sugar/Type 2 diabetes, tiredness and easy weight gain may be symptoms of chronic deficiency as it may cause insulin resistance and is essential within metabolism to turn sugar into a form of usable energy.
Muscle cramps are also a common symptom of magnesium deficiency and may include a twitching of the eyelids.
Tinnitus, a constant dull ringing sound in the ears, can occur. Magnesium adequacy is crucial for protecting the Hair Cells within the inner ear. (1) (2) Once the inner ear’s Hair Cells are damaged, they don’t heal well. Loud noise or some medications can be a risk, the chimeric spike does seem to be a direct risk to the Hair Cells and cause of tinnitus too.
Chances are extremely excellent that your medical practitioner will not mention that magnesium is critically important for any of those symptoms.
A more complete discussion of symptoms of magnesium deficiency is included in the post: Magnesium - essential for eighty percent of our body’s chemistry, (Substack).
Food sources of magnesium include:
Green leafy vegetables and other produce, beans, nuts, seeds, and grains - some have a better ratio of magnesium to calcium and phosphorus than others. Black eyed peas are winner for more magnesium and calcium to less phosphorus. The average modern diet tends to get too much phosphorus from meats, dairy products and beans, nuts, seeds, and grains; and carbonated beverages have a lot of phosphorus and provide no beneficial value to a diet.
Green leafy vegetables, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, sweet potato, squash; fruit, bananas; dark chocolate; beans, tofu; nuts such as cashews & almonds; pumpkin, pomegranate and sesame seeds, tahini; peanuts; brown rice, whole grains; yogurt. (2)
Topical sources of magnesium include:
Epsom salt, magnesium sulfate, can be used in baths or foot-soaks, or in damp poultices placed on other sore body parts. For a bath, about one cup of salt in a half bath, soak for 20 minutes three times a week, no more than 40 minutes to avoid excess absorption.
Magnesium chloride salt is available for topical use in body lotions & as an oily feeling liquid solution known as “Magnesium Oil” - but it contains no oil. People with digestive problems may not be absorbing much magnesium from food or supplements. Caution: Chloride may not be ideal for anyone with hypothyroidism as chloride can compete with iodine for use in thyroid hormone, but then the hormone wouldn’t be functional. Take adequate iodine or seaweed instead.
Topically, the magnesium ions are not absorbed directly through the layers of skin cells. Entry into the body has been found to occur through the openings provided by hair follicles. (5) The areas around the nail beds on the fingers and toes also absorbs magnesium well and mucous membranes - our amphibian like skin absorbs magnesium readily.
Symptoms of excess absorption can include slowing heart rate, an overly relaxed muscles which can cause loose stools, for up to a day if very excessive. (3)
An advantage of magnesium sulfate includes the sulfate in a form that doesn't need sunshine exposure to skin in order for the body to be able to transform sulfur found in foods into the bioactive sulfate form. Children with autism have been found to benefit from topical magnesium sulfate. They frequently have difficulties with sulfur metabolism and the topical source may bypass some of the metabolic dysfunction. Excess can cause negative symptoms of sulfur excess though, so caution is needed to not overdo - stick to the 20-minute bath limit. Sulfur metabolism tends to be a little slow for anyone, making moderate gradual intake the safest plan.
Epsom Salt Cream is a new product. The website mentions that the bioactive sulfate may help with detoxification of heavy metals, and improve digestion and socialization, if low sulfate was causing the symptoms. (8)
Personally though, the 20-minute bath may be more effective for absorption than magnesium containing creams, sprays or lotions. DMSO in the ingredient list might suggest that it will be absorbed topically.
Dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) is a magnesium containing carrier chemical which would increase absorptive abilities of a lotion product. It helps with absorption of other chemicals topically, so you might see it on a variety of products besides “magnesium” products. If DMSO is listed in the ingredients too, then the product might be a better absorbed product than a competitor’s that doesn’t include DMSO. Too much of DMSO would be too much too though. Sulfate and magnesium can cause negative symptoms in excess.
For more information on safe use, see: How to use DMSO and Magnesium Oil [MgCl] and Why?, (dmsodimethylsulfoxide.com)
Dose makes the medicine; dose makes the poison.
. . . Some is good, too much is bad.
Supplemental forms of magnesium may include:
Magnesium citrate, Mg glycinate, Mg L-threonate, Mg lysinate, Mg orotate, Mg malate, and Mg taurate are all fairly well absorbed forms and generally don't cause side effects when taken in smaller amounts a few times a day (200-250 mg) instead of in a large dose (more than 400 mg in a single dose). People using diuretics or with increased sweat or urine losses for other reasons may need extra magnesium intake to make up for increased loss of magnesium in urine or sweat. People with late stage kidney disease may need to avoid excess Mg intake. (1) (4)
Magnesium Glycerophosphate is a newer supplemental form that may be a well absorbed form with less risk of a diarrhea/loose stools side effect. The glycerophosphate can also be used by the body to form ATP, a molecule needed for energy formation within cells. (7)
Magnesium sulfate can be taken in water in very small amounts (a few crystals of Epsom salt, a very tiny amount - too much can be deadly and that is probably why the body has the immediate watery stool effect from excess oral supplementation of ionic magnesium). (3) Magnesium sulfate or Mg chloride may also be included in capsule products.
Magnesium aspartate is well absorbed but the aspartate is an excitatory amino acid and may cause headaches for some users. *Mentioned earlier.
Magnesium oxide is poorly absorbed (~ only 4%) & may cause loose stools for more users than the other forms. (1) *Mentioned earlier.
Food Sources of Phospholipids and other phospho-nutrients:
In general - any plant part that has a lot of membranes, like seed coatings, or orange juice pulp, will also have a lot of phospholipids. Animal products that have a lot of phospholipids include the brain and organ meats, and also eel or sardines where you are eating the skin too. Bone or meat broth made with gristly bits is likely to also be a good source of phospholipids. Someone who has too high of a phosphorus ratio in their body, and osteoporosis and tooth demineralization is happening, may need to limit foods with a lot of phosphorus content like seeds or organ meats.
The hard-to-read list that follows, is an easier-to-read alphabetized bullet point list in this post: Foods that are good sources of phospholipids or other phospho-nutrients, (Substack).
Hemp seed kernels and oil; Artemisia turanica/wormwood leaf; amaranth seed; asparagus; avocado fruit or the inner kernel, dried and powdered; beans/legumes; cardamom seeds and powder; carrots; celery stalks and leaves; cocoa beans and cocoa powder, baker's chocolate, dark chocolate and to a lesser amount milk chocolate and chocolate syrup; coconut; cumin seed/powder; fennel seed, flax seed, pine nuts; sesame seeds, pumpkin seed kernels, squash seeds; butternut squash and pumpkin; gingko leaf; grapefruit and orange juice with the pulp; Jerusalem artichoke (this is a root vegetable rather than a green artichoke); lettuce, spinach and mustard leaves and other leafy green vegetables and herbs; nuts/peanuts, cashews, walnuts; oats; okra seeds; onion root, leek leaves, garlic; parsnip root; pomegranate seeds and pomegranate peel extract; rice, white or brown but the bran is the best source; rosemary; sorghum; sweet potato or yam; buckwheat (a seed botanically that is not wheat and is gluten free); wheat. (G.26)
More information about protein and water needs are available in a post about kidney health: Make every day Kidney Appreciation Day.
/Disclosure: This information is provided for educational purposes within the guidelines of fair use. While I am a Registered Dietitian this information is not intended to provide individual health guidance. Please see a health professional for individual health care purposes./
Robert Vink, Mihai Nechifor, editors, Magnesium in the Central Nervous System, University of Adelaide Press, 2011, adelaide.edu.au, free ebook pdf, https://www.adelaide.edu.au/press/titles/magnesium/magnesium-ebook.pdf (1)
Rachael Link, MS, RD,Top 10 Magnesium-rich Foods, Plus Proven Benefits, DrAxe.com, https://draxe.com/magnesium-deficient-top-10-magnesium-rich-foods-must-eating/ (2)
Magnesium sulfate (Epsom salt) - Side Effects Dosage, Interactions, everydayhealth.com https://www.everydayhealth.com/drugs/magnesium-sulfate (3)
Magnesium Types Compared: What is the Best Magnesium for You?, swansonvitamins.com, https://www.swansonvitamins.com/blog/chelsea/magnesium-types-compared (4)
Chandrasekaran NC, Sanchez WY, Mohammed YH, et al., Permeation of topically applied Magnesium ions through human skin is facilitated by hair follicles., Magnes Res. 2016 Jun 1;29(2):35-42.
Uwe Gröber, Joachim Schmidt, and Klaus Kisters, Magnesium in Prevention and Therapy, Nutrients. 2015 Sep; 7(9): 8199–8226.
Prof. Gene Bruno, Magnesium Glycerophosphate: Magnesium for Cardiovascular & Muscular Health. Nov. 1, 2018, naturalpractitionermag.com, https://naturalpractitionermag.com/magnesium-glycerophosphate-magnesium-for-cardiovascular-muscular-health/
Magnesium Sulfate Cream from Kirkman, kirkmangroup.com, http://www.kirkmangroup.com/magnesium-sulfate-cream-113-gm-4-oz.html