Your cart is empty
Tax included and shipping calculated at checkout
There are many different circumstances where we can experience excessive water retention and feel bloated around the middle or plagued with fat swollen ankles. It is also referred to as fluid retention or oedema. This can happen with pregnancy – especially in the latter part where the baby is bigger and contributing more waste to mum’s elimination system.
We can also swell up with water retention if exposed to toxic chemicals or the wrong medications, if we have a diet of processed refined junk foods, are an alcoholic, don’t get enough exercise, or have some kind of injury, congenital or genetic problem with our detoxification and elimination system.
Some people have digestive disorders (including low stomach acid or dysfunctional gut microbiome) which can make the digestive system slow and sluggish, creating a backlog in the waste disposal system. This can also be associated with a problem in sulphur conversion to sulphate (which helps to break down wastes for removal). And some have problems with the working of the liver and/or kidneys – our major detoxification and filtering organs.
People with cardiovascular issues or congestive heart failure have problems with blood circulation so that their kidneys may not get enough blood supply to do their job properly. If the blood filtering process is sluggish the pH may slip to acidic levels. This makes blood somewhat thicker with platelet stickiness, and also attracts pathogens that seek to feed on metabolic waste products, causing inflammatory conditions. In this case inflammation can occur and spread commonly in the urinary tract, bladder and kidneys.
Kidney (renal) disease can also cause magnesium deficiency as the tubules become stiffer with ageing and don’t recycle magnesium as well as they used to. If your kidneys lose too many alkalising minerals, it gets harder to control pH balance and the acids take over.
What do all these circumstances have in common? They create water retention, which is a response to the inability to filter, process and remove wastes properly. And why does the accumulation of waste products (or overexposure to toxins) make the body build up fluids in the extracellular tissues? It’s because the waste accumulation causes a drop in pH to acidic levels, and the body seeks to rebalance itself via dilution with water.
Kidneys are responsible for water and electrolyte balance in the body
Did you know your kidneys are second only to your liver when it comes to detoxification within the body? Your kidneys are responsible for filtering your blood a remarkable 60 times a day.
The kidneys extract soluble wastes from the bloodstream, as well as excess water, sugars, and a variety of other compounds. Some electrolytes (mineral salts) are recycled and some are expelled, depending on what is needed to be retained in the body for electrolyte balance.
Sometimes too much magnesium is lost via urine and not recycled, usually due to excessive stresses. If this becomes chronic it leads to magnesium deficiency and electrolyte imbalance. When magnesium levels drop too far it affects the other electrolytes because magnesium controls how calcium works in the body, and it helps to keep potassium inside cells via its effect on membrane charge. Magnesium also competes with sodium.
Magnesium deficiency not only affects pH, electrolyte balance and mitochondrial energy metabolism, but it also increases dehydration, making us feel sluggish, fatigued and lacking concentration and focus. And let’s not forget the muscle cramping, aches and stiffness.
It may seem like a contradiction that you can have water retention, and at the same time get muscle cramps. This is because the body is in drought and rationing water. The muscle fibres need a lot of water to expand and relax, but that water is being redirected to other extra cellular spaces to dilute the toxic accumulation and acidosis. Muscles also need more magnesium to control the calcium involved in the muscle contraction. The way to alleviate this dilemma is to add more water and magnesium into your body.
Dehydration and a clogged filter: Basically, it's a toxic problem
About 91-96% of urine consists of water. The remainder is mainly made up of mineral salts, urea, organic compounds including proteins, hormones and other waste products, as well as organic ammonium salts. Urine flows from the kidneys through the ureter, bladder, and finally the urethra before passing from the body.
The average urine production in adult humans is around 1.4 L of urine per person per day with a normal range of 0.6 to 2.6 L per person per day, produced in around 6 to 8 urinations per day depending on state of hydration, activity level, environmental factors, weight, and the individual's health.
If you are well hydrated and the kidneys are working well your urine appears as a light lemon colour. However, if you are getting dehydrated the colour of the urine becomes a darker yellowy-orange colour and smells stronger. If you take a big long drink of mineral water to recover and rehydrate, your urine should return to normal colour. Just remember to drink more regularly to avoid this circumstance.
Problems with metabolism, waste elimination and filtering, combined with dehydration, can lead to worsening kidney health with symptoms of water retention. If cell pH starts to drop too low into the acidic range due to slow or inefficient detoxing, the body moves into a water-rationing mode. It will seek to dilute itself with more water by restricting water loss via urine. See Dr Batmanghelidj’s video about his research, “The Body’s Many Cries for Water.”
To do this the brain sends signals to the kidneys to hold back more sodium. As a result, the extra sodium attracts more water in the extracellular spaces around tissue cells, causing puffiness and swelling.
If detoxification improves, and cell hydration and pH can rebalance, the kidneys then let go of the excess sodium (and therefore the excess water), therefore alleviating the water retention issue. This is the reason your doctor may tell you to avoid eating sodium (table) salt if you have a problem with water retention. But you also need to pay attention to the detoxification and waste disposal system.
When the kidneys use sodium levels to ration water and prevent water loss via urine, it changes the balance of electrolytes so that magnesium becomes less effective. If you take on too much sodium (in ratio to magnesium) you can block the action of magnesium and potassium, which are the most dominant electrolytes (together with chloride) inside cells.
Magnesium deficiency is associated with lower cell pH (in the acidic range), which affects cell membrane charge, as well as mitochondrial metabolism. This electrical charge is what literally holds us together at an atomic level. Energy metabolism drops in line with a drop in pH, because acidic conditions rob us of both oxygen and adequate use of magnesium. The optimal pH of cells is in the range 7 (neutral) to 7.4 for best metabolism and enzyme function.
Many people find relief from acidic conditions by taking half a teaspoon of food grade bicarbonate of soda in a glass of water once or twice a day on an empty stomach. This can help to counteract acidosis due to the bicarbonate, and we do need some sodium (soda) in that electrolyte balance.
We need the magnesium-dependent ATP (adenosine triphosphate), the body’s bio-electrical currency, to drive enzyme activity and detoxification. If metabolism drops, as in acidosis and magnesium deficiency, you get dehydration and toxic waste build-up. It can become a downward spiral.
All our electrolytes are essential. You can’t do without any of them, but it’s their balance and relationship that is most important. Researchers are finding that magnesium, out of all the electrolytes, has the biggest influence on electrolyte balance and therefore kidney function.
Taking good care of your kidneys
Drink water: To ensure the optimal health of our kidneys and avoid water retention symptoms, drink more water. 3 litres per 24 hours is recommended for the average adult. The majority of the body is made up of water. We are like a walking fish tank and so have to keep our waters clean and alkaline for best metabolism and organ function. How can you rinse and flush if you don’t have enough water?
Even if your kidneys are in good condition, and you allow yourself to become dehydrated too often, you can cause cell damage due to acidification from toxic wastes piling up and not being flushed away. Disease starts with inefficient garbage disposal combined with lack of nutritional supports.
Drinking water should be properly filtered to avoid chemicals and heavy metals that may be in tap water, and then recharged with electrolytes like magnesium chloride salts. This should mimic a natural spring water. See Elektra Magnesium Mineral Supplement for Drinking Water.
Remember that only water does what water does: You cannot equate all liquids with supplying the water you need for detoxing. Juices and beverages are liquid foods that require digestion and processing, and they put a demand on the body to eliminate more wastes. Mineral water however goes straight to where it is needed as soon as you drink it. It supplies hydration and electrical charge.
Avoid sugar, alcohol and processed carbohydrates: A big contributor to acidity and dehydration is the consumption of sugars, processed carbohydrates and/or alcohol. They produce a high level of acidic by-products and free radicals, which cause cell damage and dehydration. To lighten the load on the kidneys you need to avoid acidifying foods, and to eat more of fresh organic vegetables with high antioxidant value. Antioxidants help to buffer the excess acids, which helps to bring pH back to normal. Good health is all about maintaining optimal pH balance in cells, which relies on electrolyte and water balance - a huge job for the kidneys.
Exercise, sweating, saunas and massage: We need to exercise regularly to push the lymph circulation (another waste disposal system), take onboard more oxygen, and perspire out more wastes via skin. Exercise also makes you want to drink more water, which then flushes out more wastes via kidneys or helps to excrete them via skin. Massage can help move the lymph system, and saunas can also help excrete wastes via skin.
Magnesium: Magnesium is the fourth most abundant mineral in the body. It is essential for over 300 enzymatic biological functions, electrolyte balance and kidney health. Magnesium is essential in blood pressure normalisation, insulin regulation, bone health, vascular health and heart rhythm.
Extra magnesium can help alleviate water retention because it is needed by the kidneys to maintain optimal water and electrolyte mineral balance. Women who have pre-menstrual syndrome or PMS often suffer from water retention due to magnesium deficiency and consequential electrolyte imbalance. When electrolytes are out of balance it can affect hormones, as well as trigger inflammation and pain.
Several studies have found a connection between magnesium deficiency and inflammatory responses, and that magnesium has an anti-inflammatory effect in the body. A recent study review concluded, “magnesium deficiency is a significant contributor to chronic low-grade inflammation that is a risk factor for a variety of pathological conditions such as cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and diabetes.”
Magnesium is a great supporter of the kidneys due to its capacity to control free calcium in the body. If you have plenty of available magnesium you are least likely to develop calcium crystal deposits which form kidney stones. A study also found that vitamin D supplements can lead to increased risk of kidney stones. However, as magnesium can control calcium balance, if you are taking extra vitamin D supplements, make sure to also increase your magnesium supplementation.
Magnesium also helps to keep potassium inside cells via cell membrane charge, which preserves electrolyte balance (see study here). This is important for cardiovascular health.
Magnesium is optimally absorbed via our skin in the form of dissolved magnesium chloride because it is the most bioavailable form and requires no further digestion via stomach. If you are a high-end magnesium user, then this is a great way to get what you need.
Adding magnesium chloride to your drinking water makes the water more hydrating for cells. In other words, it makes the water work better. However, relying only on drinking water may not supply all the magnesium you need.
Transdermal magnesium can supply higher doses (without diarrhea). You can’t overdose this way, as the skin selectively absorbs what it needs from the epidermis. Use however much you like until you feel better – then that’s the right amount. Some people can need to apply as much as 1,000mg a day. Regular daily use can help the body to build up magnesium reserves over time, which means you can have a good backup supply stored up.
Plant foods to help your body detox and relieve water retention symptoms
Certain herbs and foods can act as natural diuretics to help the kidneys flush away toxins in the case of mild water retention symptoms, such as during hormonal cycles or long airplane flights. The hormone spikes cause extra wastes to be dumped, and the long flights mean the lymph system can get sluggish (unless you walk up and down the aisles a lot and drink enough water).
Caffeine in coffee and tea can act as a diuretic because it binds to the adenosine receptors. This prevents your kidneys from taking up sodium and enhances water and sodium elimination (see study here). However, there are two sides to this coin.
Caffeine (around 300 mg) may increase urination, but this can also lead to too much water loss and dehydration. If you drink coffee, it’s best to keep consumption moderate (not more than two cups a day), and drink extra water to compensate for the diuretic effect. You don’t want to rob your body of the water it so desperately craves. Remember that it’s the waste products that mostly cause the water retention problem, and the extra water is just there to alleviate the toxic build-up.
Natural organic coffee also works as an antioxidant and can have some beneficial effects, as it supports the liver detox process. This is why it sometimes helps to get rid of a headache (if the reason for the headache is a toxic one). So, a little bit can be good, but too much is bad. Too much can overstimulate the adrenals to produce more adrenalin which makes us jumpy and hyper-excited. It can also push blood pressure up too far – which can then give you a headache. Balance is the key.
Coffee, black tea and green teas had diuretic effects in two studies on rats. Green tea, with its polyphenol and antioxidant benefits, boosted the effects of hydrochlorothiazide and reduced potassium loss (see this study here). Green tea could be a more moderate option to coffee, especially if you’re prone to anxiety, as it is less stimulatory for the adrenals. Green tea contains EGCG, which can counteract the stimulant, anxiety-provoking effect of caffeine on the brain (see study here).
Herbs and spices to use in teas and cooking that support kidneys
Milk Thistle: Milk thistle has also been used traditionally to treat liver, gallbladder and kidney issues because it supports the body’s detoxification. It has anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic effects.
Dandelion: Traditional Chinese and Ayurvedic medicine cherish dandelion for its diuretic benefits, which probably stem from its potassium-rich leaves. Dandelion leaf extract (8 mL, 3x/day) enhanced urination in a clinical trial on 17 people (see study here). In rats, dandelion leaf extract had a diuretic effect comparable to a strong diuretic drug (furosemide) and prevented kidney stones. The dried root can be used in tea, while tinctures and extracts are also widely available.
Black Cumin: Known also as Nigella sativa, this black seed has been used to relieve a wide range of diseases for millennia, including high blood pressure (see study here). Black Cumin also boosted urine production and cut the risk of developing kidney stones in studies on rats. You can buy black cumin oil or simply use the crushed seeds.
Garlic: Medicinal uses of garlic are as old as mankind. It offers a range of potential benefits for the heart and blood vessels (see study here). Garlic extract acted as a diuretic in many animal studies. But keep in mind that raw, freshly chopped garlic is the most potent. Once chopped, its beneficial components quickly evaporate, while cooking deactivates them. If you’re not a big fan of garlic’s taste, you can buy extracts or garlic oil.
Roselle: Roselle tea – also known as Hibiscus sabdariffa - is an age-old traditional remedy for hypertension or high blood pressure. Roselle can help with kidney stones as one clinical trial on 18 men found roselle tea increased uric acid excretion, cutting the risk of kidney stones and gout (see study here). Plus, the roselle extract prevented the build-up of stone-causing minerals (such as calcium and oxalate) in rat kidneys. Roselle also contains quercetin which contributes to blood vessel relaxation. You can buy supplements of Roselle extract but you can also just drink roselle tea.
Horsetail: This herb has a long history of use as a natural diuretic. In a clinical trial on 25 healthy people, the extract of the Andean horsetail (0.75 g/day for 2 days) had diuretic effects. It slightly enhanced sodium, potassium, and chloride flushing as well. Horsetail extracts are available or you can drink the tea for milder benefits. A word of caution though - people with HIV should avoid horsetail as it has been shown to block the effects of anti-HIV drug combinations.
Pomegranate: Pomegranate is loaded with antioxidants which protect the urinary tract from infections and kidney stones. In a clinical trial on 30 people, pomegranate extract reduced calcium oxalate build-up in urine, cutting the risk of kidney stones.
Parsley: Parsley is a well-known diuretic in folk medicine. Although we still lack clinical trials, parsley extract enhanced urination in three studies on rats. It also alkalised the urine and prevented kidney stones (see study here)
Raspberry: Raspberry is chock full of antioxidants which support your kidney health and combat different chronic diseases. In animal studies, raspberry extract increased urine production and helped prevent kidney stones (see study here).
Juniper: Herbalists praise juniper for its antimicrobial and detox properties but it also has a diuretic effect and this attracted researchers for decades. A 10% infusion (tea) of juniper berries enhanced urination in a study on rats (see study here).
Oregano: This spice has many potential benefits in traditional medicine, including water retention and kidney stone treatment. In rats, oregano extract prevented kidney stone formation. You can buy oregano supplements or oregano essential oil if you want to use it for your health.
Caraway: Traditional uses of caraway include high blood pressure, water retention, and digestive disorders. In rats, caraway extract was as effective as a diuretic drug (furosemide) at boosting urination (see study here).
Hawthorn: Water retention can be a major problem for patients with heart disease. Hawthorn has been shown to strengthen the heart muscle and stimulate circulation which in turn, enables the removal of excess water (see study here).
Kidney support foods: As well as the spices and herbs listed above, raspberry, pomegranate, garlic, fennel, cranberry, mustard greens and melons are diuretic foods which can help alkalise cells and remove excess water. Potassium-rich foods such as beans, lentils, squash, beets, bananas and potatoes – can also contribute because potassium counteracts water retention caused by high sodium or salt intake. But remember that you also need the extra magnesium to help conserve the potassium and keep it in the cells.
Warning: Seek the advice of a medical practitioner if your symptoms persist or become chronic. Water retention can be caused by some serious underlying health conditions such as kidney and heart diseases, high blood pressure, liver failure or rapid weight loss.
Read Also
- Posted on
Arrhythmia is a condition where the heart beats irregularly (skipped or half beats), too fast (tachycardia) or too slow (bradycardia). It can feel like light flutters starting in the left ventricle of the heart, and if the issue isn’t addressed, over time it can progress to atrial fibrillation, an irregular beat of the main atrium of the heart. This can cause a panic response with extra adrenalin and rapid heart beats. It can lead to heart attack if the condition becomes severe enough.
- Posted on
Magnesium (Mg2+) is required for homeostasis and regulation of the immune system. Chronic magnesium deficiency leads to enhanced baseline inflammation associated with oxidative stress, which can lead to temporary and long term immune dysfunction. The lower the magnesium status, the more hypersensitive and primed for inflammation the immune system becomes.
- Posted on
All stress causes excessive loss of magnesium via urine, but we tend to feel feet stress more due to their extensive enervation. Feet are very sensitive parts of our body! The lower the magnesium in cells the more likely feet stress can cause oedema, referred pain, headaches, migraines, sleep problems and anxiety – as well as cramps, muscle twitches, and restless legs.
- Posted on
We can use the skin to deliver large amounts of magnesium very safely and effectively in order to avoid crisis and maintain optimum magnesium status. The skin, being the largest organ of the body and part of the integumentary system (skin, hair, nails, bones, teeth), can act as a reservoir to store magnesium where the body may draw from it what it needs in a self-regulating manner.
- Posted on
As neuropathic pain is strongly correlated with magnesium deficiency and the associated hyper-inflammatory state, researchers have discovered that supplementary magnesium can directly affect the nerve recovery process to alleviate peripheral neuropathy.
- Posted on
Irritating skin conditions like eczema, psoriasis and dermatitis can become very debilitating for some people, with inflamed itchy skin tormenting them year after year. If you are in this category and have been shunted from pillar to post trying a multitude of creams, ointments and pills without success, then you may be very interested in some nutritional solutions that work.
The health of the skin is a window to what is happening on the inside of the body, and is just as dependent on gut health, as it is on the care of skin. Optimal results occur when you can work both ends towards the middle.
- Posted on
A magnesium bath using epsom salts (magnesium sulphate) is better than nothing, but over time the sulphate strips out too much oil from the skin, leaving it feeling dry and itchy (like a detergent does). Magnesium sulphate also only has 9% elemental magnesium, but our magnesium chloride flakes have 15-16%. Magnesium chloride is also kinder to skin. Overall, magnesium chloride is more effective and offers better value.
- Posted on
As magnesium is an essential component of the electrical nervous system, it’s like running out of spark plugs so there is nothing to ignite the engine to burn the fuel and perform tasks. It’s like unplugging your battery power. If you don’t have enough electrical ‘juice’ running through your system, it will slow down accordingly.
- Posted on
Magnesium tablets and oral supplements may not be able to deliver the magnesium to your cells that you really need. Most people don’t realise how hard they are to digest and absorb, and that most of the magnesium ends up going down the toilet. Our nutritional needs are increasing, as can be seen by the increase in magnesium deficiency symptoms. This is because of depletion in the food supply, drug interactions and chemical exposures, as well as loss of magnesium due to stressful conditions, via perspiration or urination (hypermagnesuria).
- Posted on
Long Covid seems to present with stronger, more acute inflammatory symptoms. It commonly affects the lungs, brain, heart, gastro-intestinal system, and the kidneys. Patients can experience hair loss, fatigue, muscular weakness, joint pain (arthralgia), followed by dyspnea (labored breathing) or cough, and chest pain and palpitation. Neurological symptoms also occur frequently, such as headache, sleep disorders, anxiety and depression, and cognitive disturbances including lack of concentration or ‘brain fog’.
- Posted on
If children are sugar sensitive they can become hyperactive with only small amounts of sugar. That gives you another clue as to possible magnesium deficiency because as magnesium becomes more deficient in the body, sugar sensitivity increases. In contrast, as magnesium stores go higher, it dampens down the sugar sensitivity and hyperactivity. This relationship has a see-saw effect.
- Posted on
Lemon is an important medicinal plant of the family Rutaceae. Studies have found lemon peel is full of nutrients including Vitamin C, potassium, calcium, magnesium and pectin. Pectin is a soluble fibre which is great for gut health, weight loss and the cardiovascular system. It brings more hydration to the bowel, which supports colon health and the microbiome. Lemon peel may even have several anti-cancer properties because it works to detox and neutralise acidic waste products and free radicals, which supports pH balance.
- Posted on
Neuropathic pain is the type of pain you feel if your nervous system has been damaged or isn’t working correctly. The pain comes from the various levels of the nervous system, which include the peripheral nerves, the spinal cord and the brain. People often describe it as a shooting or burning pain, but it can also be felt as tingling or numbness. Neuropathic pain sometimes goes away on its own, but often it’s a chronic condition that persists, particularly in the senior years when arthritis sets in, or after injuries. For some people, it can be severe and unrelenting and for others, it comes and goes like a phantom. What can you do to allevaite the symptoms naturally?
- Posted on
Hormones greatly influence our growth and development, health, behaviours, metabolism, sex life and fertility. Pretty well everything we do and experience in life is governed by the chemical messages of hormones. As we get into our more mature and senior years, or are young but chronically stressed, our energy and hormone production can become out of balance, acidic, oxygen-deprived and dehydrated. In this article I will focus on magnesium's effect on catecholamines (stress hormones), including cortisol, adrenaline and aldosterone, which are produced by the adrenal glands and directly affect the cardiovascular system.
- Posted on
One hormone of note is the neurotransmitter oxytocin, which is a happy 'feel-good' hormone with similar pain-relieving properties to endorphins (opiate chemicals). It is released in the body when we interact with others in a loving and caring way. An oxytocin deficiency is also associated with stress sensitivity, anxiety and depression, lack of motivation and a dark outlook on life. You need enough magnesium to make oxytocin in the body.
- Posted on
Chronic or severe stress is a known risk factor for metabolic syndrome, diabetes, obesity and heart disease, because stress is the biggest contributor to magnesium loss and deficiency. Magnesium deficiency leads to metabolic syndrome, which progresses to diabetes and cardiovascular disease.
- Posted on
Many people have become obsessed with the notion that lack of calcium causes osteoporosis. Yes, calcium and osteoporosis are related, however the bones are made up of a myriad of different minerals that come together to make healthy and strong bones. We have been collectively 'taught' by dairy industry advertising since last century that calcium is the mineral that prevents osteoporosis. This is simply not true. What bones need is good balance of minerals , with the presence of calcium in the right proportion. In fact, if you overdose on calcium you can create serious complications and side effects - namely the suppression of magnesium.
- Posted on
The pineal gland produces melatonin at night during deep sleep, which works as a potent neuro-protective antioxidant that helps to detox the cerebrospinal fluid of the brain. It has even been shown to have anti-viral effects. When we don’t get a restful deep sleep, which produces enough melatonin, we wake up with leftover pollution and waste products in the brain. We need magnesium to help get a restful deep sleep so melatonin can be produced, and melatonin is a hormone which the body makes using magnesium.
- Posted on
Many people mistakenly think of fluoride as a mineral, and many a politician promoting fluoridation has referred to it as, “the magic mineral.” However, this is not true. Fluorine in its pure form is a gas which is the most toxic of four main halogens; chlorine, bromine and iodine. Fluorine happens to be the most tightly binding element on the periodic table, so it is mostly found as a compound clinging to something else. Fluoride binds up magnesium, and so steals it from your body. The symptoms of fluoride toxicity are the same as magnesium deficiency.
- Posted on
Both magnesium and massage therapy have important health benefits for blood circulation, waste clearance and muscle recovery, as well as alleviation of anxiety and stress. Magnesium massage supercharges health benefits by promoting pain relief, stress relief, faster recovery from injury, bolstering the immune system, and prevention of premature ageing.
- Posted on
Clotting disorders are more prevalent in those with cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome and diabetic acidosis. These metabolic issues are also strongly associated with chronic magnesium deficiency.
- Posted on
Did you know heavy metals disrupt your body’s mineral balance causing many negative side effects? People who are chronically ill may not realise that it can be the harmful accumulated toxic metals in their tissue cells that are a big part of their problem..
- Posted on
It is now well-known that dogs need all the essential vitamins and minerals that humans do. One of these key nutrients is magnesium because it’s needed for energy production at the cellular level. Magnesium deficiency in dogs can lead to a diverse set of symptoms. Every time your pet moves a muscle, experiences a heartbeat or has a thought, magnesium is needed to help them achieve this.
- Posted on
Increasing your magnesium levels also supercharges the cleansing process. This is because magnesium supports detoxification by energising the detox enzymes such as glutathione and superoxide dismutase. These are powerful antioxidants, which neutralise free radicals and help to restore pH balance and energy production. This will give your metabolism a great boost - especially if you have been feeling sluggish and foggy, if the weight is piling on when it shouldn't be, or if you are battling with IBS and debilitating gut issues.
- Posted on
Without the relaxation and antioxidant support of magnesium, the stress and tension increases acidity, weakens the immune system and microbiome balance, which promotes inflammation and headache. These symptoms are common during influenza or coronavirus infections because they increase the stress and toxic load, thereby depleting more magnesium.
- Posted on
When the body is dehydrated it can also cause oedema, a pooling of fluids around the ankles or puffiness around the eyes. The reason for fluid retention is usually because the body cannot properly eliminate wastes when there is not enough free water flowing through the system. In order to protect the vital organs the body holds back and pools water in regions where the toxicity needs to be diluted most (eg. sites of inflammation or acidity). Waste products can also pool up and cause swelling in the lymph system - the body's protein waste disposal system. This is another case where toxic residues need to be diluted with more water.
- Posted on
The microbial balance of our gut directly influences our Hypothalamic-Pituitary-Adrenal (HPA) axis, the production of hormones and neurotransmitters, and our immune system's regulation. Stress is very debilitating and causes depletion of magnesium because of excessive magnesium loss via the kidneys. Magnesium deficiency causes energy depletion and acidosis, which triggers inflammatory states, resulting in moods swings, hormone imbalance, mental illnesses, fatigue, irritability, pain symptoms, and a weaker immune system. Magnesium deficiency also directly affects the beneficial bacteria, which thus leads to depressive-like behaviours.
- Posted on
Magnesium is an essential mineral which performs some very important functions when you're pregnant. It’s used to maintain healthy blood sugar levels in the body (see study) and it helps build healthy teeth and bones by working in partnership with calcium. It also regulates cholesterol and irregular heartbeat.
- Posted on
Magnesium deficiency or antagonism (blockage) can cause any one of these steps to malfunction, causing overdose of stress hormones and inability to relax enough to sleep deeply.
- Posted on
It's almost impossible for you to get a toxic magnesium dose or overdose, unless magnesium is given at high dose intravenously, where there is no magnesium deficiency or the person has kidney problems and can’t excrete excess salts.
- Posted on
We can become addicted to more than just pharmaceutical drugs or alcohol. Researchers are now noticing symptoms of addiction also to excessive exercise. Does excessive exercise or over-training have negative side effects? Could it harm health and cause premature ageing? The research indicates yes, mainly because of increasing magnesium deficiency.
- Posted on
Magnesium deficiency weakens performance, stamina and increases risk of injury
When you push your muscles hard your brain is telling your body to ‘squeeze’ and act. Adrenalin and cortisol increase, and that helps push the calcium into the calcium channels of the muscle fibre cells, which makes them contract. Magnesium is temporarily pushed out of these channels during the contractions. When we relax, calcium comes out and magnesium moves back into the channels to relax the muscles again.
- Posted on
I was over 50 when menopause set in, accompanied by an autoimmune disorder called Hashimotos Hypothyroidism, severe heart arrhythmia, and the emerging white patches on my skin. This form of autoimmune hypothyroidism is thought to be prevalent in about 5% of the world’s population, however I believe the numbers are growing as people become more chemically sensitive to pollutants that stress the thyroid.
- Posted on
The haemoglobin of red blood cells requires magnesium to help it take up oxygen from lungs and deliver that oxygen to tissue cells in other parts of the body. Researchers believe this is because, as part of the ATP energy currency, magnesium is vital to membrane integrity of red blood cells. The heme protein (containing iron) in these cells needs to ‘attract’ oxygen molecules from lung sacs as blood passes by. The oxygen molecules need to pass through the red blood cell (RBC) membrane – to get ‘onboard’ the train so to speak.
- Posted on
Note that dehydrated states can cause feelings of anxiety where we just don’t know the reason for our fear or agitation, but the feeling persists. Re-hydrating the body with ample water and magnesium can calm down these sensations because magnesium has a dampening effect on adrenaline and cortisol. When the brain has ample water and magnesium we can think more clearly and make better decisions. This is especially important during crises because our magnesium reserves can become dangerously low.
- Posted on
Magnesium is so important to cardiovascular function, its scarcity being correlated with the development of cardiovascular disease, that it has become the focus of intense scientific study and review over recent years. A meta-analysis review of epidemiological studies published in 2017 concluded that magnesium intake is associated with lower risk of major cardiovascular risk factors such as metabolic syndrome, diabetes and hypertension, as well as incidence of stroke and total cardiovascular disease. Higher levels of circulating magnesium are also associated with lower risk of heart disease, mainly ischemic and coronary heart disease.
- Posted on
You may not realise it, but cramps and restless legs are quite easy to fix and you can do it without drugs. All you need is enough magnesium (and water) to get to where it is needed in the muscles for recovery and performance.
- Posted on
As magnesium drops lower from excessive stress, there is less control over adrenaline and cortisol release, so that these catecholamines (stress hormones) escalate and chronically flood the system in a fight or flight (sympathetic) mode. We can get stuck in that mode, unable to relax and move back to rest and recover grazing (parasympathetic) mode. The stress hormones prompt glutamine to overstimulate neurons causing rapid and incessant calcium firing. Without enough magnesium to control the calcium and switch off the catecholamine release, we can’t relax.
- Posted on
It’s been coined the master mineral and deemed as critical as water. But how exactly does it correlate to the process of ageing? The ways are numerous, but we’ll highlight a few of our standouts. From menopause to migraines, bone health to beautiful skin, you’ll be eager to lather up in magnesium cream by the time you’ve finished reading this. And remember, even if you’ve had a blood test that did not show up a deficiency in magnesium, only a small portion of magnesium stores actually sit in the blood. There are other areas more likely to be depleted that won’t be detected so simply.
- Posted on
Optimal nutrition for our children means they will have the best opportunity to realise their fullest genetic potential to be well balanced, healthy and happy into adulthood. We all want our children to be ‘upgrades’ from ourselves. We want to pass on our seeds to future generations, but what about the quality of those seeds when magnesium is low? Can ‘magnesium kids’ offer a better hope for optimal health over a lifetime?
- Posted on
Healthy cells need lipid protection, magnesium charge and ample hydration to support mitochondrial energy metabolism of Mg-ATP ‘batteries’. This energy is then used to assemble amino acids into the various proteins we need to build collagen structures. It is also used to manufacture hormones, enzymes, neurotransmitters and other chemical messengers.
- Posted on
The review goes on to explain glyphosate’s mechanism of toxic action. Firstly, it is a strong chelating agent, creating complexes that immobilize the mineral micronutrients of the soil, such as magnesium, calcium, iron, manganese, nickel and zinc, making them unavailable to plants. This means that the food supply is robbed of vital mineral nutrients. We eat the food, it fills a void, but it doesn’t supply valuable nutrition. The end result is that we keep eating more and more empty carbs until obesity and other metabolic diseases such as hypertension, diabetes, senile dementia, inflammatory bowel disease, renal failure, thyroid or liver cancer develop.
- Posted on
Inflammation and pain can be part of a healing crisis, but if your magnesium status is healthy you will heal and recover relatively quickly because the metabolism can perform the way it should. The lower the cellular magnesium levels get however, the slower it becomes to recover from the stresses and the more painful and amplified are the symptoms.
- Posted on
Premature ageing is usually marked by excessive weight gain (especially adipose tissue around the middle), exaggerated dehydration, hypercalcemia, joint stiffening, acidosis and inflammation. In other words, getting overweight, dry and stiff with creaky and brittle bones before our time. Skin can also get very dry and saggy looking. As we need magnesium to synthesise collagen proteins and elastin fibres, which are the structures that hold us together as skin, bone, ligaments, sinew, smooth muscle walls in arteries etc, low magnesium means those structures lose their integrity. [6] Thus magnesium helps us to stay more hydrated, flexible and stretchy longer!
- Posted on
Did you know that our gut microbiome needs a good supply of magnesium for energy to do all their jobs properly? Beneficial gut bacteria are extremely important to good health. Did you know that we rely on our gut microbiome more than our own cells and enzymes for digestion of food and nutrient absorption? If digestion is compromised we can be short-changed on magnesium uptake. Low magnesium can lead to feelings of depression, mood disorders, fatigue, restless and disturbed sleep, foggy brain, anxiety and much more. See the STUDY: "Dietary magnesium deficiency alters gut microbiota and leads to depressive-like behaviour."
- Posted on
Transdermal magnesium absorption means that magnesium ions (electrolytes) can pass into the epidermis (outer layer) of the skin, which acts as a nutritional reservoir until the tiny capillaries of the dermis underneath can absorb nutrients as required. From this skin reservoir the body may also absorb the vitamin D it made when you got some sunshine on your skin.
- Posted on
Keratosis can also develop concurrently with inflammatory states such as eczema, psoriasis, dermatitis, allergies and asthma. If the inflammation is adequately quelled, the skin issues also tend to dissipate. Magnesium is a powerful anti-inflammatory. Many studies since last century have confirmed that in low-magnesium states we are more likely to develop inflammatory conditions. Where those inflammatory conditions manifest depends largely on genetics and environmental factors. Some people can experience skin problems or mood swings and depression, while others develop hardening of the arteries or sugar-sensitivity (metabolic syndrome) and unstable energy fluctuations. Multiple symptoms can occur and are usually a sign of magnesium deficiency.
- Posted on
When you purchase epsom salt (magnesium sulfate) from the supermarket however, it is usually not one harvested from ocean water, but manufactured in a factory as an isolate which is magnesium sulfate. It does not contain the other sea trace minerals that would be present in dehydrated sea salt. Epsom salt (magnesium sulfate) is very cheap and in the event you can’t get hold of anything else, it can certainly save your life.
- Posted on
Magnesium is the one mineral we lose most of under stressful conditions and will directly affect our longevity if we don’t have enough of it. It’s also the mineral we need a lot of in order to relax and recover from stress. Magnesium is used by mitochondria to make ATP (adenosine triphosphate), our cellular energy currency. It is therefore absolutely essential to all electrical function in the body. Every message sent by our nervous system, every detoxification event, every action of our immune system and all building of new cells relies on magnesium to give it power.