Magnesium: The “Original Chill Pill”

A young friend of mine last year had a trauma in a foreign country.  She was treated with magnesium (not a sedative, anxiety or muscle relaxant prescription – standard of care in the US) to help calm her shaken self and bring her emotional state back to homeostasis.  Using magnesium for this purpose is not standard of care in this country--- maybe it should be.

Physiology:  The effect on the body and mind

Magnesium helps maintains nerve and muscle function (including the heart), maintains endocrine function (immune health) and keeps our bones strong.  It also aids in regulating our blood glucose levels and the subsequent production of energy.  99% of our magnesium is located in bone, muscles and soft tissue.  It is a Cofactor for over 300 enzymes, oxidizes fatty acids, activates amino acids, synthesizes and breakdowns DNA. In the brain it is key in neurotransmission.  Magnesium is essential for other minerals to be effective, such as calcium, potassium, phosphorous and vitamin B.

Magnesium deficiencies are related to anxiety and depression.  Deficits in magnesium increase physiological stress and stress reduces magnesium; a lose-lose cycle. Magnesium impacts each biological action related to depression, which is linked to systemic inflammation.  Magnesium repletion can be instrumental in reversing irritability, depression, headaches and moodiness.

An insufficient Magnesium level effects other mineral levels in the body.  Without magnesium, calcium cannot be properly used or absorbed by the body. (Read more about how calcium and magnesium work together.)  

Magnesium Requirements

•   14 - 18 years old (boys): 410 mg

•   14 - 18 years old (girls): 360 mg

Adult females: 310 - 320 mg

•   Pregnancy: 350 - 400 mg

•   Breastfeeding women: 310 - 360 mg

Adult males: 400 - 420 mg*

Magnesium’s action

Magnesium acts on the hormonal axis and aids in regulating the stress response in the central nervous system.  It can suppress the release of cortisol and ACTH.  It also acts on the blood brain barrier, preventing stress hormones into the brain.  Hence, it has been called “the original chill pill.”

photo credit:  Lalu  Danzker

Food/Supplement Resources

Most dietary magnesium comes from vegetables, such as dark green, leafy vegetables. Other foods that are good sources of magnesium:

•   Fruits or vegetables (bananas, dried apricots, and avocados)

•   Nuts (almonds and cashews)

•   Peas and beans (legumes), seeds

•   Soy products (soy flour and tofu)

 Whole grains (brown rice and millet)**

Foods grown under industrialized farming conditions are typically grown in depleted or chemical-fertilized soil, further decreasing micronutrients, vitamins and minerals in the foods we ingest.  It’s imperative to have ideal agricultural conditions when trying to get your vitamins from food: organic whenever possible.

Soaking in an Epsom salt bath is another way of absorbing magnesium.  When taking supplements, enteric-coated magnesium supplements are not as effective as non-enteric coated pills; they absorb 67% less effectively.  I use drops.  Two squirts in 3 oz of cranberry or sour cherry juice (low sugar, vitamin rich) makes the mineral taste bearable going down.

How do we deplete Magnesium further from the foods we eat?

•           Dry roasting nuts removes the highly nutritious oils, which contain magnesium.

•           Milling flour from grains strips magnesium from the grain.

•           Sugar in anything uses up magnesium.

•           Fluoridated, softened, and distilled water depletes magnesium.

•           Carbonated beverages and some processed foods, like lunchmeat, contain phosphates that bind to magnesium molecules and flush it out of the body.

•           Alcohol blocks magnesium, especially if you have three or more drinks a day.

•           Coffee works like a diuretic to flush magnesium from of the body.

•           Some foods—like raw or roasted nuts and seeds, soybeans, spinach, and chard—contain compounds called phytic acid and oxalic acid, which can cause magnesium to be eliminated from the body.

According to the Physician’s Desk Reference, these common drugs can create a magnesium deficiency:

•   Common diuretics and cardiac drugs

•   Birth control pills

•   Insulin

•   Digitalis

•   Antibiotics

•   Cortisone

•   Antacids***

In these winter months, when we all are more susceptible to lower immunity and may be struggling with altered moods, consider upping your magnesium intake, “the original chill pill.”  60% of us lack this important component in our diets.  For optimal physiology function and well being, increasing our leafy vegetable intake and taking a supplement gives us the best chance of getting the Magnesium our bodies require.

*http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/002423.htm

**http://www.jigsawhealth.com/resources/magnesium-mineral-deficiency

***http://blog.wellnessfx.com/2013/07/31/three-main-causes-of-magnesium-deficiency-part-2/

Bone Deep

Many years ago, on a March day in a year when spring was visibly transforming the long winter, I dragged myself to my acupuncturist.  I was so fatigued, had no energy, was completely kaput.  I was despairing because part of me so wanted to enjoy the outer transformation underway and I couldn’t, I was feeling so bone weary.  I knew Babs would help me; she is not only a gifted and seasoned acupuncturist and Chinese herbalist, she’s a magnificent all-around healer.

Babs did her magic with her needles while telling me a story. She said, in Five Element Theory (classical Chinese Medicine), it’s believed that a cataclysmic summoning is required on Earth’s part to have Spring arrive.  Just think of it:  from small bulbs and meandering roots, trees and flowers require an extreme awakening and tremendous force to produce their transformative glory.  Where does this energy and force come from?  They get it from all the four and two-leggeds walking on top of the earth.  Hence, why it is a common occurrence that humans feel so wasted by the time Spring is underway.  We are food for Great Mother Nature.

So, it’s not only all those winter carbs we lean on or the post holiday overimbidements we are paying for necessarily.  How do we bolster our flagging selves, enrich our blood, our kidney qi in preparation for this auspicious time of year?

Babs prescription for me was bone broth.  This is something I start to make in January for comfort and continue on in February and March for my kidney qi, wellness and well being.  Bone Broth is a vital adjunct to any diet, especially those struggling with autoimmune disorders, leaky gut, joint and digestive problems.  This is an ancient remedy for what ails you.  The Chinese talked about it many millennia ago, Hippocrates associated it to gut healing, Jewish mothers everywhere have been passing down their chicken soup recipes for hundreds of years.

Benefits of Bone Broth

Many of our modern diseases are rooted in an unbalanced mix of microorganisms in our digestive system, mostly due to SAD (Standard American Diet) -- a diet that is too high in sugars and too low in healthful fats and beneficial bacteria.  Leaky gut is the root of many health problems, especially allergies, autoimmune disorders, and many neurological disorders. The collagen found in bone broth acts like a soothing balm to heal and seal your gut lining.

Bone broth is also a staple remedy for acute illnesses such as cold and flu. Recent studies on cartilage (the abundant base of homemade broth), show it supports the immune system in a variety of ways.  It's a potent normalizer, a biological response modifier, activates macrophages, Natural Killer cells and lymphocytes.  Bone broth contains a variety of valuable nutrients in a form your body can easily absorb. This includes:

Calcium, phosphorus, and other minerals	Components of collagen and cartilage
Silicon and other trace minerals	Components of bone and bone marrow
Glucosamine and chondroitin sulfate	The "conditionally essential" amino acids proline, glycine, and glutamine

Healing benefits of bone broth:

Reduces joint pain and inflammation, thanks to chondroitin sulfate, glucosamine, and other compounds extracted from the boiled down cartilage and collagen.

Inhibits infection caused by inflammation, bacteria and viruses.

Fights inflammation: Amino acids such as glycine, proline, and arginine all have anti-inflammatory effects. Glycine has calming effects, which may help you sleep better, Arginine is effective fighting septis.

Promotes strong, healthy bones: bone broth contains surprisingly low amounts of calcium, magnesium and other trace minerals, but it plays an important role in healthy bone formation because of its abundant collagen. Collagen fibrils provide the latticework for mineral deposition and are the keys to building strong and flexible bones.

Promotes healthy hair and nail growth, thanks to the gelatin in the broth. Feeding collagen fibrils homemade broth can even eliminate cellulite.

How to Make the Most Nourishing Broth

The more gelatinous the broth, the more nourishing it will tend to be. Indeed, the collagen that leaches out of the bones when slow-cooked is one of the key ingredients that make broth so healing. If the broth gets “jiggly” after being refrigerated, it's a sign that it's a well-made broth. To make it as gelatinous as possible, add chicken feet, pig's feet, and/or joint bones.  All of these contain high amounts of collagen and cartilage.

Shank or leg bones, on the other hand, will provide lots of bone marrow. Marrow also provides valuable health benefits.  So ideally, you'll want to use a mixture of bones. You can make bone broth using organic chicken, whole fish or fish bones (including the fish head), pork, or beef bones. If you're using chicken, enjoy the roasted flesh first then throw the carcass into a pot, covering with water. Add a small amount of vinegar to help leach the minerals out of the bones. To ensure the broth is really gelatinous, add some chicken feet when you use the carcass of a roasted chicken, as some of the collagen will have been leached out already during the roasting process. You can also add vegetables of your choice into the pot.

The most important aspect of the broth-making process is to make sure you're getting high-quality bones.  Ideally, you'll want to use organically raised animal bones. It's worth noting that chickens raised in concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) tend to produce chicken stock that doesn't gel, so you'll be missing out on some of the most nourishing ingredients if you use non-organic chicken. People living in the Philadelphia region of Pennsylvania are truly fortunate to be surrounded by lots of conscientious farmers.  Finding connection with these folks ensures good agriculture sourcing.  Many of these small-operation farms raise their livestock according to organic principles even if their farm is not USDA certified organic (the certification is expensive). Talk to them.                                 Sample Beef Broth Recipe

Below is a classic beef stock recipe excerpted from Nourishing Broth, including lamb and venison variations. For more nourishing broth recipes, consider Hilary Boynton and Mary Brackett's new GAPS cookbook,



The Heal Your Gut Cookbook: Nutrient-Dense Recipes for Intestinal Health Using the GAPS Diet.                                                            

•   About 4 pounds organic beef marrow and knuckle bones

•   1 calf, beef, or pig foot

•   3 pounds meaty bones such as short ribs and beef shanks

•   1 small can or jar tomato paste (optional)

•   4 or more quarts cold filtered water

•   1/2 cup vinegar (leaches minerals out of the bones)

•   3 onions, ends removed  (skin may be left on)

•   3 carrots, peeled if not organic

•   3 celery sticks

•   1 bouquet garni made with parsley sprigs, thyme sprigs, and bay leaf, tied together

•   1 tablespoon black peppercorns, or green or white peppercorns, crushed

Directions

1.    Place the knuckle and marrow bones and optional calves foot in a very large pot (or ideally, a crock pot), toss with vinegar and cover with cold water. Let stand for 1/2 to 1 hour. Meanwhile, place the meaty bones in a stainless steel roasting pan. For a particularly aromatic stock, brush the bones with tomato paste. Brown at 350 degrees in the oven, about ½ hour. When well browned, add these bones to the pot. Pour the fat out of the roasting pan, add cold filtered water to the pan, set over a high flame and deglaze the pan. Add this liquid to the pot. Add additional water, if necessary. Bring to a simmer and carefully skim any scum that comes to the top. Afterwards, add the vegetables, bouquet garni, and peppercorns.

2.   Simmer stock for at least 12 and as long as 24 hours. (Again, if you do this in a slow cooker/crock pot, you’ll be able to leave it while you go about your other business).

3. Remove. Strain the stock into a large glass container. Let cool in the refrigerator and remove the congealed fat that rises to the top (use it instead of butter or oil in cooking). Transfer to smaller containers and to the freezer for long-term storage.

Note: The marrow may be removed from the marrow bones a couple of hours into the cooking, and spread on whole grain sourdough bread. If left in the pan for the entire cooking period, the marrow will melt into the broth, resulting in a broth that is cloudy but highly nutritious.

Variation: Lamb Stock

Use lamb bones, especially lamb neck bones and riblets. Ideally, use all the bones left after butchering the lamb. Be sure to add the feet if you have them. This makes a delicious stock.

Variation: Venison Stock

Use venison meat and bones. Be sure to use the feet of the deer and a section of antler if possible. Add 1 cup dried wild mushrooms if desired

much of the above info was gleaned from www.mercola.com, including broth recipe
for more info on the power of bone broth:  http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2014/10/05/bone-broth-recipe.aspx