Taking cal:mag - 2:1 ratio does not mean you are actually getting cal:mag 2:1 ratio because magnesium is not readily absorbed - therefore one needs to take higher doses of magnesium to achieve the recommended amount. We therefore need to determine magnesium intake based on absorption. And this is essential to the health of thals (even non thals) - am I right in concluding this?
Yes, you are corrrect - in order to achieve the ratio you need to take more magnesium, as it is less absorbable than they assume (unfortunetely I can't find specific data about absorbtion, all I know is that magnesium oxide and carbonate are least absorbable). At least this is how my experience looks like.
Summing up, magnesium is especially godd for thals, because:
- it stops erythrocyte dehydration
- it increases antioxidant content in erythrocytes
- it is partner for many enzymes in every organ of the body, so it counteracts to some extend problems cause by iron overload, for example heart will work better.
Everyone will probably react differently to the magnesium supplementation, especially these people who are not severely deficient, will not feel any difference, but since there seems to be no way to really test for the deficiency, I think everybody should try magnesium supplementation. It's hard to overdose (and have hypermagnesemia), when taken orally.
I will try to do some blood tests in 3 monts or so, and then we'll see if magnesium have changed any blood parameters.
B.