Introducing the Boss Cocky Mineral, Magnesium…

It controls all other minerals telling them how and when to behave, while energizing and calming the body at the same time.

Yesterday afternoon, after a busy day in the garden, I turned my laptop on, and then suddenly everything changed.

I use a kneeling chair, which for the most part is great, but somehow I caught my left foot under the kneeling pad, flipped myself over, and felt two crunches, one being in my tail bone area, the other my elbow.

The pain was real, but I lay there for a few moments, pulling myself together, and wondering about the reality of my injuries.

The pain continued, but I found I could wiggle my fingers. That was comforting.

I was eventually able to get up, so I was pretty sure my tail bone was intact, and though still suffering a lot of pain, I knew I’d be fine…in time!

There is no doubt in my mind I should have broken something, but here’s why I believe I survived to tell the tale.

For the last four years or so, after reading Dr. Carolyn Dean’s book, The Magnesium Miracle, I have been taking magnesium daily.

Bear in mind I have no medical qualifications when I say I offer up the magnesium protocol as the probable reason I am not dealing with broken bones…pain yes, but bones intact!

In her book Dr Dean tells the story of a farmer who had called her vet, concerned that one of her cows looked dead.

The vet had clearly seen the problem before, so he immediately gave the cow a shot of magnesium, which brought the animal to life, after which she literally went cantering off.

The cow’s condition is known as grass tetany which happens to cattle in the spring when spring grasses are very low in magnesium.

This got Dr. Dean thinking.

Could humans also suffer from low levels of magnesium?

Let’s go back in time…and to the work of biochemist, André Voisin.

“André Voisin, was a French biochemist and farmer born in 1903. In 1963 Voisin wrote a book called Grass Tetany. Grass tetany is a metabolic disease of cattle and goats caused by a deficiency of magnesium in the soil. When animals eat magnesium-deficient grass, they develop irritability, staggering, tremors, and spasms. Most dramatically, the animals fall down in convulsions at sudden loud noises or if they are frightened or excited. Voisin reported that in the 1930s, magnesium deficiency had been proven to be the cause of grass tetany since low levels of magnesium were found in suffering animals, and the condition was miraculously reversed by injections of magnesium.”

Is this food for thought?

Imagine if we humans are consuming the meat of animals suffering from grass tetany.

Imagine if the soil that plants are grown in, is also magnesium deficient. Is it possible we could suffer the same deficiencies?

I am not a doctor, but the questions are fair, I believe.

‘Magnesium is at work in every cell of the human body. It helps convert food into energy, regulates your nervous system, and creates new proteins.

But what happens if you’re not getting enough, given it is vital for so much day-to-day functioning of the body such as…

• blood sugar levels
• blood pressure
• bone and muscular health
• nerve functioning

My family has been taking magnesium supplements for several years now, and I can attest to its working optimally for us.

For instance, when my husband goes for his medical check-ups, the response from his doctor runs along this line.

I don’t know what you are doing, but whatever it is, keep doing it.

The reality is, most doctors have little time be to be curious.

They are endlessly busy, and time is precious.

So it’s really up to us be proactive about our own health.

Magnesium is an essential mineral and electrolyte that plays a role in many bodily processes, including:

• energy production
• bone and teeth structure
• muscle function
• nerve function
• DNA replication
• RNA and protein synthesis

As such, it is vital that people get enough magnesium in their daily diet.

In which case, it would seem wise to be alert about the signs of deficiency.

The Consequences of Magnesium Deficiency

‘As the NIH notes, magnesium deficiency first shows up as a loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, and weakness. It can progress to cause numbness and tingling, muscle cramps, abnormal heart rhythm, and even personality changes. Severe deficiency can lead to an electrolyte imbalance, driving down calcium or potassium levels. (1) The consequences of a condition like hypokalemia (low potassium) can cause symptoms like weakness and fatigue, according to the Mayo Clinic. (2)

‘It’s possible that chronic insufficiency of magnesium — meaning your level is low but not deficient — can also create problems.”

Magnesium and Health

‘Habitually low intakes of magnesium induce changes in biochemical pathways that can increase the risk of illness over time…diseases and disorders in which magnesium might be involved: hypertension and cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, and migraine headaches.’

When you are long-term deficient in magnesium, including low-grade chronic, the consequences will eventually show up.

“This is referred to as the ‘triage hypothesis,’ which is the idea that your body needs all these vitamins and minerals to function optimally. When it doesn’t get enough of these nutrients, it has to prioritize those it will shuttle its resources to, which will be the ones that keep us alive and allow us to procreate.”

So important is magnesium that falling short in supply can affect your body in a variety of ways.

Dr. Carolyn Dean, who believes the deficiency is a Public Health Crisis, sees it this way.

Magnesium deficiency is responsible for about 85% of doctors’ visits.

Come in, processed foods

This lead me to consider the high incidence of processed food intake in many of our diets today.

In days gone by we would have been able to obtain all our vitamins and minerals from the earth.

But that is no longer so. When nuts and seeds are processed to make the cheaper, popular refined oils the heat involved is high, which means all magnesium is chemically eliminated

And farming practices have radically changed as farmers try to breed newer, pest-resistant, adaptable and different crops.

Bigger and faster does not equate to quality. In fact its the reverse, and consequentially, magnesium in particular is in short supply in the foods we eat.

So now, given the role of this amazing mineral, is it worth checking your levels? I’m pretty sure mine saved me a hospital visit.

Please note: I have no affiliation with Dr Dean’s products.