How much Magnesium?

see   ‘Vitamin K2 and the Ca Paradox’ by Kate Rheaume Bleue. She explains how Mg, vit D, vit A retinol and vit K2 all work together to aid the absorption and utilisation of Ca.  

There’s lots of discussions on this topic on the National OP Foundation forum.  This is US based, although it’s members can be from all over the world.  It’s also free to join.   Although some of the OP drugs have different names, overall it’s a useful source of information.

Some papers suggest we need a ratio of 2 Ca to 1 magnesium. Assuming you are guided by the Ca  RDA’s, which vary from 1000 to 1200 mg of Ca a day, in TOTAL,  you would therefore be looking at 500 to 600mg of Mg in total.  Some folk even state a higher Mg requirement. 

I buy Mg bisglycinate from Holland and Barrett, because it’s our local High Street supplier.  Each tablet contains 150mg of Mg.   I’ve found this compound doesn’t upset my guts or act as a laxative, unlike Mg oxide.

I aim for the Ca RDA, so  I  try to take 3 Mg tablets a day,  giving me 450mg of supplementary Mg. The rest would be from diet.  

The content of nutrients may vary from the suggested assay values, be it from food or supplements, as these are only a guide, so don’t get over worried about it. 

Best wishes

I didn't realize too much Magnesium was that harmful.  I heard it's also good for relaxing and sleeping, in addition to bones.  I have an appt with the Endocrinologist next week and hope to learn much more about me and my situation.  Thank you and take care! 

You can die from too much of anything, even water!  Yes, magnesium is important for bone health and one thing which can happen is by taking calcium supplements and not getting enough magnesium the very delicate balance between those elements can go off kilter.  When that happens calcium actually prevents magnesium from being absorbed!  I like to have an occasional soak in a bath with Epsom salts and feel this is enough for me to keep things balanced.  I hope so.  There's quite a lot in a diet which includes a lot of green leaves as mine does.  I think one of the things magnesium does is, like Vitamin K2, it helps with getting calcium into the bones.  

Isn't that the truth? Even drinking too much water can kill us.  I'm not a big fan of greens, but I'm doing my best to eat them regularly.  In the meantime, I'm taking 250 mg daily.  I had an Endocrinologist appointment today and had to reschedule it to next month, unfortunately.  Hope he can help with good guidance as far as supplements.   Thank you for your reply.

Thank you for the clarification on the benefits that magnesium has on the bones. As I said in my earlier comment I did not know and I did not want to imply that I did know anything about how it relates to bones. You certainly do know your way around magnesium. Can you please tell me what "utilisation of Ca" means.

My expression: absorption and utilisation of Ca,  is to summarise or gloss over,  a complicated subject which I have difficulty explaining.

As you know bones are constantly being repaired / renewed.  First by Osteoclasts,  that under the direction of PTH parathyroid hormone, signals them  to resorb old bone, to make room for new bone.

Osteoblasts are immature bone cells that produce a collagen matrix, that then becomes mineralised.  Bone mass is therefore maintained by a balance between the activity of osteoblasts that make new bone and osteoclasts that break it down.  (This is all part of a more complex ‘Ca cycle’  to basically maintain serum Ca levels, which I won’t attempt to describe)

Calcitonin is the hormone that INHIBITS the activity of osteoclasts, so that they don’t digest too much bone. This inhibitory process,  RELIES  ON  MAGNESIUM to function properly. 

Mg is ESSENTIAL  for the absorption and metabolism of vit D.  

A lack of Mg, therefore limits the conversion of vit D  to its active hormonal form.   A key role of this active vit D, is to increase the bodies absorption of Ca. 

In the kidney, increased PTH secretion augments it’s Ca restorative effect by increasing secretion of active  1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D, which acting on the vit D receptor in the gut, increases active Ca absorption.

A quote from Dxagura the expert moderator on the NOF forum:

“Vitamin D2 and D3, that you swallow are inactive forms of the vitamin and have zero effect on the absorption of calcium that you ingest at the same time.   It isn’t even the same form of vitamin D that's measured in blood tests. 

Active vitamin D is created in the kidney, from a second form that was made in your liver, from the form you swallowed in a pill. it can take up to six weeks before the vitamin D has gone through the liver and kidneys and becomes active.”

Only 1% of the total Mg in the body, is distributed in the blood, so a Mg blood test can be misleading.    Ca to Mg ratio important. 

In Finland from 1973 to 1999 had the highest incidence of heart attacks in middle aged men in the world, they also had a high Ca to Mg ratio of 4 Ca to 1 Mg.   The recommended ratio is 2 Ca to 1 Mg.

Mg is needed for many  body processes, including the heart.

During a heart attack people can suffer the following:

 Ca floods into the heart muscle causing damage.

Blood clotting, which blocks blood vessels in the heart muscle. Decreased blood flow as blood vessels go into spasm. 

Arrhythmia as the areas where muscle contraction in the heart originate are damaged.

Mg is able to dilate blood vessels, prevent spasm in the heart muscle and blood vessel walls.

Counteract the action of Ca, which has increased the spasm.

Mg helps  dissolve blood clots. Lessen the site of injury and prevent arrhythmia.

Acts as an antioxidant against the free radicals forming at the site of injury.

In other works keep taking the tablets!

Best wishes