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It’s easy these days to get caught on a treadmill of frenetic activity that you can’t get off until you hit the burnout button. Then you crash into a heap of fatigue that seems impossible to recover from. Your body feels heavy, you want to sleep but can’t, and you lose your mojo and enthusiasm to get anything done.
What is happening here is a crisis resulting from stress, trauma, sleep deprivation, toxic exposures, or excessive workloads (and maybe all of the above), which has severely depleted magnesium reserves. 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.
The body’s electrical system relies on sufficient water and magnesium to overcome fatigue and recover mitochondrial energy production. If you don't make enough electrical energy all systems run low, the body can't detox sufficiently, acidosis grows, fatigue becomes chronic, and eventually pain syndromes such as fibromyalgia can develop. Some people move further down the spiral into diabetes, neuropathy and cardiovascular dysfunction. Magnesium deficiency can even trigger cancer.
The main electrolytes involved in our cells’ electrical charge and conductivity are sodium, calcium, potassium and magnesium. These are ‘cations’, which means they have a positive charge (+) looking to join up with the opposite (-), that is, an anion which has a negative charge (ie. a spare space to accommodate the donated or shared proton+). As free dissolved ions they find each other during dehydration of salt water, connect and become a stable neutral crystalised salt molecule by sharing the surplus proton/s in the outer shell of the newly formed compound. The most common and abundant anion electrolyte in the body that joins up with a cation electrolyte is 'chloride' (=chlorine before it combines with the cation), thus forming; sodium chloride, calcium chloride, potassium chloride and magnesium chloride – all being electrolyte salts that are essential for our electrolyte charge, balance and metabolism. More about 'ionic magnesium' is in this article. Once the salts are dissolved again they become ionised and free from the crystalline salt compound.
The most prolific electrolytes inside cells are potassium and magnesium, whilst sodium and calcium exist mainly in the extra-cellular spaces. Potassium and magnesium are essential to help regulate cell transport systems, hydration and fluidity, as well as heart rhythm. Potassium deficiency symptoms are not likely until magnesium is first in short supply. This is because magnesium guards the cell gateways and helps the membrane to contain the potassium.
Excessive stress can cause increasing loss of magnesium via the kidneys. If there is not enough magnesium available to facilitate recovery, the charge of the cell membrane can continue to depolarise, causing potassium loss, as well as allowing excess sodium and calcium ions to enter cells and over-stimulate or dehydrate them.
The ebb and flow of electrolyte charge
Adrenalin surges during stress change the cell membrane charge potential, loosening the channels so that magnesium ions drop out and calcium ions move in for contraction of muscle fibres, or for neuronal firing in the brain. The recovery phase involves magnesium and hydration moving back in and displacing the calcium so that muscle fibres can expand and relax again. Because magnesium can dampen down adrenalin and control calcium, it is extremely important to the central nervous system, cardiovascular system, and muscles to get adequate magnesium.
The body can store extra magnesium in cell reservoirs for later use, and relies on reserves to compensate during times of stress or poor diet. Magnesium is most often stored in cells as the compound Mg-ATP, so that it is part of the biological battery of Adenosine Triphosphate, produced by mitochondria in metabolism.
99% of magnesium in the body is stored in the muscle and bone tissues. Only 1% is in the blood as a combination of free magnesium ions and stored magnesium in blood cells. Tissue cells can sacrifice stored magnesium to ensure the blood levels are in the normal range, as blood levels are crucial for the cardiovascular system. This is why blood tests are not an accurate indicator of whole-body magnesium status.
Calcium overload is called hypercalcemia and causes excessive ‘squeezing’ and cramps, muscle spasms, and tremors. It is a common sign of magnesium deficiency because magnesium controls how the calcium is used in the body, such as for the strengthening of bones and teeth. Without enough magnesium too much calcium can leech out of bones and become free calcium, causing havoc. Free calcium can settle in the arterial walls, or kidney tubules, which then lose flexibility.
One of the main reasons tissue cells can attract calcium deposits is due to some kind of inflammation and resulting drop in pH. The body tries to neutralise the acids via alkalising minerals. If not enough sodum bicarbonate and magnesium are available, calcium can be used for this purpose, as it also has a 2+ charge of two spare protons available to occupy the empty spaces of the free radical molecules. This bond then stabilises and neutralises the free radicals, bringing the pH of the cell environment back to normal.
If you use excessive vitamin D3, it can also attract more free calcium ions to settle in the soft tissues of the body, unopposed by magnesium. In this case we also need more magnesium as a counterbalance.
Magnesium is essential for mitochondrial production of our electrical energy currency ATP (adenosine triphosphate). Magnesium deficiency is the hallmark of metabolic syndrome, excessive and chronic fatigue, burnouts and energy crashes, diabetes and cardiovascular disease. Low magnesium means that metabolism suffers, resulting in electrical energy deficit, brain fog and lack of concentration, circulation issues and not enough oxygen delivery to cells. Sugar sensitivity increases as a direct consequence of magnesium deficiency, triggering states of acidosis and hypoxia.
This relationship is like a see-saw: As magnesium drops in cells, sugar sensitivity and cravings go up; and as you lift cellular magnesium stores, the sugar sensitivity and cravings diminish. You need 28 magnesium molecules to turn one surcose molecule into energy, so sugars make you waste a lot of magnesium. If you don't get enough magnesium to metabolise and burn the fat, your body has no choice but to switch to anaerobic (without oxygen) sugar metabolism to get any energy at all. But this kind of metabolism is more inefficient, and also produces more acidic byproducts, moving the body into a downward spiral trying to chase energy, but the acidity making it all harder to produce.
Natual magnesium salt and hydration
As the food supply is becoming more magnesium-depleted due to industrial farming methods and over-processing, and we also lose excessive magnesium under stress (and too many carbs), most people need to supplement with extra magnesium in order to help cope with the stresses, and recover from excessive fatigue.
It’s easy to get overwhelmed with all the magnesium supplement choices available, but if you want to go down the natural food pathway, then you can’t go past magnesium chloride (salt) flakes to supplement naturally. You can add it to drinking water and you can also soak it up via skin.
Caution is advised with diuretic drug therapies which can cause the kidneys to excrete too much water and too many alkalising minerals such as magnesium and potassium.
Water retention (oedema) in ankles can be a sign of dehydration and electrolyte deficiencies. As tissue cells become overloaded with waste toxins causing acidosis, and there is not enough water available for flushing, the brain signals to the kidneys to hold back sodium, which holds back water in the interstitial tissues, pooling generally in the ankles.
To support the body in this case, it is recommended by practitioners to cleanse, alkalise and rehydrate, and to do more exercise to move the blood circulation, as well as to excrete wastes via skin perspiration. Optimal hydration requires electrolytes in the drinking water, or the water is lost too quickly without adequately accessing the tissue cells. You can make a more hydrating and alkaline drinking water by adding magnesium chloride flakes and sodium bicarbonate to filtered water.
The most bioavailable form of magnesium
Natural magnesium chloride is the type of magnesium salt most easily dissolved in water and able to be directly taken up by cells without any further digestion required. You can soak in it as a bath or footsoak and get a good top up to your magnesium in just half an hour. Transdermal absorption works the fastest.
Magnesium ions are most commonly found inside our cells, as an intracellular cation. When you swallow other magnesium compounds they need to be first digested in the stomach with stomach acid so the body can extract magnesium and ionise it for cellular use. This takes a lot of work, resources and time (hours).
Opposites attract: Magnesium chloride, dissolved in water, turns magnesium swiftly into a free ion, ready for cells to use. Ionic magnesium has two spare protons in the outer shell, after the two chloride ions have dissociated (jumped off the protons that were being shared in the outer shell of the magnesium chloride salt compound). Magnesium chloride salt flakes therefore represent a docking system, offering the perfect natural delivery of magnesium to biological systems. More about ionic magnesium is in this article.
Note that the magnesium atom by itself is very stable and perfectly balanced with 12 electrons, 12 protons and 12 neutrons. Its atomic number is 12. But it cannot gain access to cells unless it is ionised, which means it has to lose two electrons in its outer shell, leaving two surplus protons (Mg2+) available to join with another element it encounters to make a new compound (like magnesium chloride). The cell needs both magnesuim ions and chloride ions, which can individually gain access to cells via the membrane channels. Because the body is so hungry for chloride, being the most abundant negatively charged ion in the body, and because magnesium chloride salt is so easily dissolved and made bio-available, it's an ideal nutritonal supplement.
Food grade is better than industrial grade magnesium chloride
Industrial grade magnesium chloride can be harvested from salt water of the Dead Sea, dessert salt pans, shallow lakes, or waste salts from desalination plants. It can have toxic metals or chemical residues from agricultural runoff, mining operations, fracking, PFOS (fluoride) fire-fighting chemicals, or sewage effluent leaks if near high density populations. If the magnesium chloride is mined out of a mountain rock cavity using solution mining techniques, the original source may be very pristine, but the process of mining can also introduce chemicals.
Industrial grade magnesium chloride is widely used to process magnesium metal alloys, for de-icing operations, to clean the air from dust in mining operations (because when the solution is sprayed in the air dust particles stick to it and drop to the ground), for aquaculture, aquariums and making bath salts.
Food grade magnesium chloride however is rarer, because, not only should the original salt water source be pristine, but the salt water needs to be harvested naturally from an open-air salt water source by siphoning and piping to dehydration tanks, so that no chemicals are introduced by drilling.
Food grade magnesium chloride (also called Nigari salt in Japan) is widely used by food manufacturers to make tofu, to remineralise filtered drinking water, and for use by pharmaceutical companies to further process into pharmaceutical grade which can be injected into the blood as a medicine.
The food grade magnesium chloride flakes that Elektra Magnesium uses are derived from open air salt water lakes 3,000m above sea level in the Tibetan mountain plateau. There are no added solvents or chemicals. They just pump the salt water down to the evaporation tanks. The more the salt water is evaporated, the more the sodium (NaCl) rises to the top of the brine and forms a crusty layer. The sodium chloride salt is then skimmed off and further refined to make table salt. The dehydration process continues until the remaining liquid brine, which is a thick salty slurry called ‘bischofite’, starts to form crystalline flakes.
This salt is called magnesium chloride hexahydrate. The chemical notation is MgCl2.6H20. It is comprised half of water molecules in a six-sided (hexahydrate) crystalline formation, with the balance being magnesium chloride 47-48%, plus about 2% residual trace minerals such as potassium, iron, calcium, boron, silica, strontium etc., a trace mineral package a-la-Nature to buffer and enhance our overall electrolyte energy needs.
Elektra Magnesium flakes are also further tested by an Australian laboratory to 10 parts per bilion to ensure there are no mercury nor lead contaminants, and that they comply with the certified food grade international standard.
Why does magnesium oil feel sticky and irritating?
Magnesium oil is formed when magnesium chloride flakes are dissolved in extra water (rehydrated) until a slippery viscose texture is achieved (usually between 30 and 70% concentration in the salt water solution). The skin’s lipid barrier is a natural water repellent, so magnesium chloride salt in strong solution can sit on the top of skin for too long, feeling sticky, irritating. and drying out the skin too much.
Soaking in a magnesium bath facilitates magnesium absorption because the hot water helps to open the skin channels, and the concentration of magnesium to water is relatively low. The body is always looking to balance water with salts.
When applying a strong magnesium chloride solution directly to skin, transdermal absorption is easier when natural lipids (fats) are also present, because the skin loves fats and absorbs them readily (together with the magnesium ions) until the skin reservoir is full. Therefore the condition and hydration of the skin greatly influences the absorbability of magnesium.
Elektra Magnesium skin and muscle care range stands out from the crowd because of the unique proprietary method of fusion of magnesium chloride salt with natural plant oils, butters and extracts without the use of petrochemical derivatives or synthetic emulsifiers and preservatives. Elektra Magnesium products offer comfortable skin-friendly ways to supplement magnesium and recover from stress and fatigue, catering for a variety of skin types, needs and age groups from babies to elderly.
As the epidermis reaches full saturation well before any risk of overdose, the body is always in control. You can use as much as you like. The skin simply takes up the magnesium it needs in its own time, and receives additional antiaging and skin conditioning benefits. Refer to Magnesium Dose Guide on FAQ page for more information.
MAGNESIUM IS THE MASTER MINERAL ELECTROLYTE, acting as a conductor of an orchestra of nutrients... If magnesium crashes, other systems follow because of the energy deficit.
REFERENCE RE DIURETICS: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/3732091/ “Hypokalaemia and hypomagnesaemia can be induced by the same mechanisms and are often clinically correlated with one another. The reported incidence of hypomagnesaemia is greater than that of hypokalaemia; a significant correlation also appears to exist between the plasma concentrations of magnesium and potassium. A significant inter-relationship between the plasma concentrations of magnesium and potassium and the evidence for a critical role of magnesium in the genesis of cardiac arrhythmias would support the proposal that magnesium should be routinely measured in situations, such as diuretic therapy, that are potentially associated with hypokalaemia.”
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Anxiety has become the most common mental health challenge affecting Australians, with 1 in 4 of us experiencing it at some point in our lives. That's over 3 million people dealing with racing thoughts, physical tension, difficulty settling, and sleep disturbances.
There's often an expectation that we should be able to simply "think our way through" anxiety, that it's purely a mental issue we should have control over. But this overlooks a fundamental truth: anxiety doesn't just live in your mind. It lives in your tight shoulders, your shallow breathing, your racing heart, and your tense jaw. It's a whole-body experience.
What if instead of trying to think your way out of anxiety, you learned to work with your body to create an internal environment that allowed the mind to settle? In this article, you’ll learn a simple and practical approach to start supporting yourself this way: an acupressure massage routine using topical magnesium.
Understanding Anxiety From A Chinese Medicine Perspective
In Chinese medicine, we don't separate the mind from the body. They're two sides of the same coin, inseparable aspects of a whole. The quality of your thoughts and mind are profoundly influenced by your physiology and how well your body is functioning. This is why you can't just "think positive" your way out of anxiety. Your body is stuck in a state of imbalance that creates the internal environment for anxiety to thrive.
When I see someone struggling with anxiety in my clinic, there’s several common patterns that come up (individually or in combinations of the following):
● There's often an unsettled, restless quality - like the mind can't settle in the body or find stillness. Thoughts race from one worry to the next without resolution. There may be dream disturbed sleep or frequent wakings at night. This reflects a deeper disturbance in the body's ability to rest and settle.
● Many people are running too hot and revved up - stuck in overdrive with no off switch. The body is constantly in a stress response, even when there's no real threat. It's like having your foot on the accelerator all the time. These people may have trouble falling asleep or waking early, unable to return to sleep. They may not even be aware of this because it’s just become “normal”.
● Others experience the exhaustion of being simultaneously wired AND tired. Chronic stress has depleted their reserves, but the nervous system won't let them truly rest. This can look like burn out or certain forms of chronic fatigue where sleep does not recharge you like it should. You're running on empty but can't stop running.
● Physical tension is almost universal with anxiety. Tight neck and shoulders, clenched jaw, restricted breathing. This tension doesn't just result from anxiety—it actually perpetuates it by restricting healthy circulation through the body.
The solution from a Chinese medicine perspective is to cultivate more stillness, coolness, and grounding in the body. We need to nourish the body's capacity for rest, restoring its natural rhythms. Making sure that we have sufficient magnesium is one way that supports this, and when we combine this with targeted acupressure, we have some powerful ways to help our mental health.
Magnesium's Role In Calming Anxiety
Magnesium levels can play a major role in managing anxiety. Think of magnesium as like a brake pedal for your nervous systems. When you have adequate magnesium reserves, it helps manage the release of stress hormones like adrenaline and cortisol.
When you're magnesium deficient, you lose that brake pedal. Your body can get stuck in "fight or flight" mode, constantly primed for threats that aren't really there. Without adequate magnesium, calcium floods into your cells unchecked, causing excessive firing of neurons, muscle tension, and the release of more stress hormones. It becomes a vicious cycle: stress depletes your magnesium, and low magnesium makes you more reactive to stress.
To make matters worse, excessive stress hormones also cause dehydration at the cellular level. When calcium floods into cells, it causes water loss, and your body essentially panics when hydration drops too low. This physiological panic can manifest as feelings of anxiety. Magnesium helps to bring the water back into the cells, pushing calcium back out to restore balance and calm.
Unfortunately, magnesium deficiency is incredibly widespread. Our modern diets tend to be magnesium depleted for a variety of reasons, and many people suffer from poor magnesium absorption or increased loss through urine.
Here's where the gut connection becomes crucial: chronic stress damages your gut lining and disrupts your microbiome, impairing your ability to absorb magnesium from food or oral supplements. Many people taking magnesium tablets experience digestive upset or simply don't absorb much at all. It's yet another frustrating cycle - the anxiety that depletes your magnesium also makes it harder to replenish through conventional means.
This is precisely why topical magnesium offers such an elegant solution.
Why Transdermal Magnesium?
A main key benefit of applying magnesium directly to your skin is that it bypasses the digestive system entirely. It is absorbed through the skin straight into your muscles, fascia, and bloodstream, delivering the mineral exactly where your body needs it.
You also won’t have to worry about overdosing or experiencing digestive issues that can come with oral magnesium supplements. Your body is remarkably intelligent and will only absorb what it needs through the skin, leaving the rest.
But there's another profound benefit that goes beyond simple absorption: the ritual of massage and intentional touch itself is deeply calming to the nervous system. When you slow down, breathe, and gently work with your body in this way, you're signaling safety. You're moving out of sympathetic fight-or-flight and into parasympathetic rest-and-digest mode.
Even better, when you apply magnesium with the understanding of the acupuncture channels in the body, moving through specific acupuncture points, you're working WITH your body's natural patterns, rather than just generically supplementing. You can target pathways that help with calming, restoration, and emotional balance to amplify your benefits.
The Yin Channel Acupressure Routine
The routine I'll share with you involves massaging Magnesium Cream (for those with dry skin conditions), or the stronger Charge Lotion (my favourite) along the inner surfaces of your arms and legs, into the hands and feet. These are where the acupuncture "yin" channels pass through and are most accessible.
Think of channels as the rivers and water ways of the ecosystem of your body. We want good flow through the channels to nourish the health of our body. The yin channels run deeper and are more associated with rest and relaxation, while the yang channels are more external, protective and stimulating.
In anxiety, there is often too much yang activity in the mind, and so we want to help move things deeper into the body, promoting more calm, relaxation and rest.
We'll be working with six specific channels:
On the arms: Heart, Pericardium, and Lung channels
On the legs: Pancreas (Spleen), Liver, and Kidney channels
By massaging along them with magnesium, you're achieving multiple benefits simultaneously: mineral absorption over a large surface area, stimulation of the channels' regulatory effects, activation of specific calming points, and the grounding ritual of self-care.
The routine is very simple and can be made as long or short as you like. It’s perfect in the evening as part of your wind-down routine before bed.
Step-By-Step Routine
Arm Yin ChannelStart by applying your magnesium cream to your hands and the inside of your forearms. Then looking at your forearm with your palm facing you, you’ll work along three paths between your elbow and wrist (see arm yin channels image). Pass through these channels as many times as you like, spending more time on any areas that feel particularly tight or sore. Only use as much pressure as is comfortable for you, this is not a “no pain no gain” situation. We’re trying to cultivate a feeling of relaxation.
Once you’ve worked through the forearm on one side, move into the palm of your hand. Pay close attention to the thumb pad, the centre of the palm and the area of the palm below the space between the 4th and 5th fingers (see arm yin channels image). Repeat this on both sides.
Leg Yin ChannelsAgain begin by applying the magnesium cream to the inside of your legs below your knees and into the feet. Massage along three paths between the knee and ankle. The first just next to the inner shin bone, the next two roughly a finger width apart each (see the leg yin channels image). If you come across any particularly sore or tight areas, spend more time there to help open up the channel more.
Move onto the foot, paying particular attention to the sole, the inside of the big toe and the area below the space between the big toe and second toe (see the leg yin channels image). Be sure to repeat on both sides.
Making It Part of Your Daily Routine
For best results, practice this routine daily. I recommend doing this in the hour before bed to support more restful sleep. Your nervous system thrives on consistency and ritual—over time, just beginning the routine will signal to your body that it's time to wind down.
Consider pairing this routine with magnesium foot soaks 2-3 times per week for an even deeper effect. Simply dissolve 1-2 tablespoons of Elektra’s magnesium flakes in warm water and soak your feet (submerged to just above ankles for best effect) for 15-20 minutes. The soak will act to stimulate and open up the channels around the feet and ankles.
Anxiety can also be a symptom of dehydration, so make sure to drink enough spring water containing magnesium (or filtered water with added magnesium) for enhanced hydration to support the electrical conductivity along the Yin (river and waterway) channels.
Give this daily practice 2-4 weeks of consistent use before evaluating its effectiveness. Pay attention to if you notice things like better, deeper sleep, less anxiety, reduced muscle tension throughout the day, improved resilience to stress (things that would normally trigger you don't hit as hard), and a calmer baseline emotional state.
Wrapping Up
Anxiety isn’t something to be managed purely in your mind. By working with your body, your nervous system, your circulation, your muscles, you’re creating a more ideal environment for your mind to settle for improved mental health.
The beauty of this approach is that it puts powerful tools directly in your hands. You don't need special equipment or expertise. You just need a few minutes, some magnesium cream, and a willingness to slow down and care for yourself.
I encourage you to incorporate Elektra Magnesium's range of products into your daily self-care practice. Their products are specifically designed for topical use and absorb beautifully. Their magnesium flakes are also perfect for those deeper, more restorative foot soaks.
It's important to note that while self-care practices like this can be genuinely powerful, persistent or severe anxiety deserves professional assessment and treatment. Everyone's anxiety has unique root causes—it might stem from inflammation, gut imbalances, unprocessed trauma, hormonal issues, or a combination of factors.
If you'd like a personalised holistic approach tailored to YOUR specific anxiety pattern, I invite you to consider acupuncture for anxiety. In my practice at Acupuncture Grove in Bondi Junction, I take the time to understand the underlying imbalances contributing to your anxiety and create a treatment plan that addresses your whole system, not just symptoms.
I hope you found some value from what I’ve shared in this article. Remember, it’s the small daily rituals that create the most profound change over time. Start taking care of yourself today.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR: Gavin Martin-Rentz is a registered acupuncturist and Chinese medicine practitioner at Acupuncture Grove in Bondi Junction, Sydney, where he focuses on helping those with complex health conditions and chronic pain to regain their lives and start feeling like themselves again.
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A change in diet to reduce carbohydrates, increase alkalinity, and increase magnesium-rich foods is an essential natural strategy to counterbalance the metabolic-acidic issues that promote thrombosis and other cardiovascular issues. Magnesium protects cells against oxidative stress.
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One of the most important minerals (if not the most important) for brain health is magnesium. It is a vital macromineral that the body uses in over 600 enzymatic reactions from the making of proteins (including DNA, hormones, collagen and neurotransmitters), as well as immune regulation, control of calcium channels, electrolyte balance and mitochondrial metabolism. It is integral in the operation of the electrical nervous system, and therefore brain function.
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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.
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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.
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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, fungal infections, sleep problems and anxiety – as well as cramps, muscle twitches, and restless legs.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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).
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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’.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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?
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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..
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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?
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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.
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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.
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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.