Magnesium

Andy,

I understand that magnesium plays many roles in well being.  It contributes to bone health, heart health, proper sleep and mental health. Little A recently began taking *Classic Series* Bone Basics.  He takes 2 caps a day.  The total magnesium he gets is 140 mg a day.  He is about 30kg in weight - how much magnesium can I give him?  I am hoping that increasing his magnesium will help him with sleep perhaps some of the preteen anxiety he is dealing with. 

Thank you Andy,

Sharmin

A child his age can safely take magnesium in a dose of 250-375 mg daily.

Thanks Andy,
I'm going to start him right away:)

Sharmin

Lil Z takes 400 mg Magnesium everyday,and she is younger and a bit lighter then Lil A,is that too much,these minerals can be intoxicating? If taken more then necessary?

Zaini.

Zaini,

The only real risk of excess magnesium is if it causes stomach cramps or diarrhea, or in the case of kidney failure. It is difficult to assess the true need for nutrients in thal because there are so many forces at work that deplete nutrients. This makes it very difficult to use the regular requirements for non-thals. Magnesium is a very important nutrient for thals for a number of reasons, so unless little Z experiences ongoing cramps etc, don't change her dose.

In her recent lecture to thal community, Dr. Kirby expressed concerns of taking lot of vitamin, mineral and calcium pills. She said these supplements should best come through natural food. However, it is almost impossible to have a balanced diet so sometimes it is necessary to take these minerals. Calcium for example, in her opinion should be supplemented through milk etc. She said the calcium tablets can cause kidney stones if left unabsorbed.

It is a difficult topic, how much of which and when is a question that varies with the body.

One important thing to remember when using mineral supplements is to stay well hydrated so the kidneys can flush out the excess. Many people forget this simple but extremely important step. Drinking plenty of water daily should be a regular part of our lives.

And some good food sources for magnesium from http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/magnesium.asp

What foods provide magnesium?
Green vegetables such as spinach are good sources of magnesium because the center of the chlorophyll molecule (which gives green vegetables their color) contains magnesium. Some legumes (beans and peas), nuts and seeds, and whole, unrefined grains are also good sources of magnesium [5]. Refined grains are generally low in magnesium [4-5]. When white flour is refined and processed, the magnesium-rich germ and bran are removed. Bread made from whole grain wheat flour provides more magnesium than bread made from white refined flour. Tap water can be a source of magnesium, but the amount varies according to the water supply. Water that naturally contains more minerals is described as "hard". "Hard" water contains more magnesium than "soft" water.

Eating a wide variety of legumes, nuts, whole grains, and vegetables will help you meet your daily dietary need for magnesium. Selected food sources of magnesium are listed in Table 1.

Table 1: Selected food sources of magnesium [5]
FOOD   Milligrams (mg)   %DV*
Halibut, cooked, 3 ounces   90   20
Almonds, dry roasted, 1 ounce    80   20
Cashews, dry roasted, 1 ounce   75   20
Soybeans, mature, cooked, ½ cup    75   20
Spinach, frozen, cooked, ½ cup   75   20
Nuts, mixed, dry roasted, 1 ounce   65   15
Cereal, shredded wheat, 2 rectangular biscuits   55   15
Oatmeal, instant, fortified, prepared w/ water, 1 cup   55   15
Potato, baked w/ skin, 1 medium   50   15
Peanuts, dry roasted, 1 ounce   50   15
Peanut butter, smooth, 2 Tablespoons   50   15
Wheat Bran, crude, 2 Tablespoons   45   10
Blackeyed Peas, cooked, ½ cup   45   10
Yogurt, plain, skim milk, 8 fluid ounces   45   10
Bran Flakes, ½ cup   40   10
Vegetarian Baked Beans, ½ cup    40   10
Rice, brown, long-grained, cooked, ½ cup   40   10
Lentils, mature seeds, cooked, ½ cup    35   8
Avocado, California, ½ cup pureed    35   8
Kidney Beans, canned, ½ cup   35   8
Pinto Beans, cooked, ½ cup   35   8
Wheat Germ, crude, 2 Tablespoons   35   8
Chocolate milk, 1 cup   33   8
Banana, raw, 1 medium   30   8
Milk Chocolate candy bar, 1.5 ounce bar   28   8
Milk, reduced fat (2%) or fat free, 1 cup    27   8
Bread, whole wheat, commercially prepared, 1 slice   25   6
Raisins, seedless, ½ cup packed   25   6
Whole Milk, 1 cup    24   6
Chocolate Pudding, 4 ounce ready-to-eat portion   24   6

I do agree that a good diet is extremely important, but we also must recognize that thals are under various stresses that deplete nutrients, making it nearly impossible to get enough of certain nutrients from diet alone. Vitamin E, for example falls into this category.

Andy,

Z does experience stomach ache often, no diarrhea though,but as she is on Asunra too,its hard to identify which one is the culprit? 

Zaini.

Zaini,

I would assume that little Z's stomach ache is related to Asunra.