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Magnesium Deficiency in Dogs is the Number 1 Cause of Muscle Spasms

Magnesium Deficiency in Dogs is the Number 1 Cause of Muscle Spasms

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.
     It’s little wonder many of our pets are deficient in magnesium because they share the same deficiencies as their human masters. Magnesium is very very depleted in foods we eat these days, especially when processed. We live in a fast food world of packets and tins, where you can bet that this type of food provides little or no magnesium benefit. Even fresh produce can be lower in magnesium than it should be simply because the soils have become depleted.  When you add to that fact that we humans and our animals lose more magnesium when under stress, you can see why magnesium deficiency is very widespread.
     Many vets are aware of the importance of magnesium:  Shailen Jasani is a veterinary surgeon specialising in Emergency and Critical Care in the UK. He says that magnesium can be used as a medication with an escalating role in critical care medicine, and,  “Magnesium plays a pivotal role in cellular energy production and cell-specific functions in every organ of the body.”  Jasanai further explains that this is because, “Magnesium plays a pivotal role in the electrophysiology and ion flux across cell and mitochondrial membranes,” which, he adds, ultimately impacts on energy production and release.

Some symptoms of magnesium deficiency in dogs are:

  • Muscle weakness or trembling
  • Hyperactive or improperly triggered reflexes
  • Difficulty walking
  • Muscle pain
  • Heart arrhythmia
  • Lethargy or abnormal behaviour
  • Constant scratching or itching
  • Difficulty sleeping

Causes of magnesium deficiency in dogs:

  • Excessive stress, trauma or injury
  • Chemical and toxic exposures
  • Malnutrition
  • Diabetes
  • Kidney damage
  • Treatment with diuretics
  • Digestion problems and disease inhibiting absorption of nutrients

More serious symptoms of heart arrhythmia:     
     If you feel your dog is showing signs of magnesium deficiency, this should be checked out quickly to avoid serious heart problems. Take your dog to the vet and they will listen to your dog’s heart. If any abnormality is detected they’ll probably order an ECG.
     An ECG is a medical device which displays the patterns of your dog’s heartbeat on a screen using terminals taped to your dog’s chest. This is a simple machine and most vets have one. The classic signs of low magnesium are prolonged PR intervals, widened QRS complexes, depressed ST segments and peaked T-waves.

Other minerals are also affected by magnesium deficiency in dogs

Sure, there are other electrolyte minerals required by both humans and dogs. We need sodium, potassium and calcium as well, but these are all dependent to some degree on the action of the magnesium.  Magnesium underpins and leverages their effect.  And our main electrolyte team in addition to magnesium - sodium, potassium and calcium - are necessary for some very important functions, including muscle movement, proper heart function and nervous system signalling.  
     For example, if you have plenty of magnesium, your body doesn't need quite as much calcium to get the calcium jobs done because magnesium organises and controls calcium's use in the body.  It turns out that magnesium is the 'Master Mineral' electrolyte regulator in the electrical system.  If it drops too low, calcium can cause a lot of havoc as free calcium depositing where it shouldn't, or over-stimulating muscle cells.
     Therefore, as magnesium drops lower, it can lead to the other three minerals losing effect.  Studies have shown that potassium suffers when magnesium is too low, as we can lose too much potassium due to membrane 'leakiness' when magnesium is deficient.  If you lose too much potassium from inside the cell it can cause heart attacks. The potential knock-on effects are muscle weakness and tremors, as well as heart arrhythmias. As these issues escalate they can become fatal.
     I have a customer that regularly applies Magnesium Oil to the legs of his racing dogs so they can recover better from their events. Without the extra magnesium the dogs develop intense and involuntary muscle tremors and spasms.  This is also a helpful strategy for all athletes who undertake extreme sports and gruelling training.
     If your dog is behaving strangely and seems to be in pain or having trouble walking, take your pet to a vet straight away so they can check exactly what’s happening.  Sometimes it might be a toxin from a tick or snake bite that is causing these issues, because that type of toxin blocks the electrical system.
     Magnesium deficiency is something that tends to grow over time. You will be able to notice symptoms creeping in slowly, and escalating if left untreated.
     If you’re worried about your dog’s health because he/she is behaving strangely with symptoms like sensitivity to stress or noises, anxiety, muscle weakness and changes to gait, or skin issues with constant scratching not due to fleas, then your vet will likely order a blood electrolyte test. This measures the amount of minerals such as magnesium, potassium, calcium and sodium in your pet’s blood, in addition to some other common electrolytes.

Treatment of magnesium deficiency in dogs

However, if you are feeding your dog well with a good variety of fresh food, but suspect magnesium deficiency (perhaps due to stress or exertion), then you can test this by applying magnesium as a magnesium spray, lotion or cream on the underbelly or legs - wherever you can get it past the fur to the skin.  You can also add food grade magnesium chloride flakes to their drinking water every day.  Watch for changes in the symptoms over a few days of applying magnesium transdermally once or twice a day.

Supplementing your dog with magnesium is easy with Elektra Magnesium Cream for dogs (Pet Cream). The Pet Cream is recommended for skin and itching issues, because it has a higher fat content, which is very soothing for sensitive skin whilst delivering the magnesium. Adding Magnesium Chloride Flakes to your dog’s drinking water ensures the water they drink works better inside the body for good hydration, but it may be too little magnesium by itself to deal with more intense nervous system, muscle, joint or skin issues. For that you need transdermal magnesium. It works fast to alleviate magnesium deficiencies because magnesium chloride flakes are natural food grade salts made by nature that dissolve fully in water and can be taken up by cells (including dermal cells) without further digestion.

Supplementing dietary magnesium using transdermal magnesium is relatively easy.  Dogs actually love massage. Believe me, they will be coming back for more!  Just massage in one or two teaspoons of Magnesium Cream for Dogs (Pet Cream). If your dog has developed magnesium deficiency, it’s best to keep applying the cream regularly, as well as adding the Magnesium Chloride Flakes to drinking water, to prevent re-occurence of magnesium deficiency symptoms.

It's not really a 'medicine', but rather a vital nutrient that we need daily, and which is low in our food supply.

A big day out in the park means they need a bit more of that magnesium
 If you want to see your dog come home after a big day out and to recover well from a lot of exertion, then make sure you use transdermal magnesium for quick relief.  Exercise can deplete magnesium reserves a lot.
Lower magnesium levels are associated with hyperactivity, anxiety and agitation. You can tell when it becomes hard for your dog to relax and calm down. When enough magnesium is supplied the symptoms go away and the muscles can relax again. Relaxation is essential for recovery from stress, healing and tissue repair, strong bones and healthy joints. Magnesium also helps your dog drift off in a sound slumber, waking up more refreshed and ready for another round of fun activity!  Ample magnesium will also support a shiny coat, a better temperament and enhanced longevity in your dog.  They don't call magnesium the 'anti-ageing mineral' for nothing!

In summary, here are our tips for treating magnesium deficiency in dogs:

  • Rub Magnesium Cream for Dogs into their skin. To sooth itchy skin use a small amount of this cream on the afflicted area. It may tingle but this is temporary and fades quickly. Avoid application to broken skin as it may sting, but rather apply to surrounding area. Apply regularly every day until the inflammation subsides.  Magnesium Charge Lotion will also work this way.
  • Or rub some Elektra Magnesium Oil Spritz into your pet's muscles for more acute symptoms. For extra relaxation and recovery after strenuous exercise, use 6-8 sprays (or more if needed).
  • Add some Magnesium Chloride Flakes to your pet’s drinking water (dogs, cats, horses etc) to make a mineral alkaline water for better hydration. Use the same amount as for making mineral drinking water for humans. See instructions here.


Elektra Magnesium Cream for pets, lotion and oil are non-toxic and contain no parabens, animal products or petrochemical ingredients. They are made with all natural plant ingredients and natural food grade magnesium chloride salt flakes.

You can check out the full range of Elektra Magnesium products here at their website. Or join their Facebook and Instagram groups for more magnesium health tips.

 

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How to Use Magnesium and Acupressure for Anxiety Relief
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. 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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. 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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. 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Could Anxiety be Caused by a Toxic Gut Microbiome?
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.
The Most Important Mineral When You're Pregnant or Breastfeeding
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The Most Important Mineral When You're Pregnant or Breastfeeding
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.
Lose Weight and Improve Brain… by Sleeping
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Lose Weight and Improve Brain… by Sleeping
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.
What is a Toxic Magnesium Dose?
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What is a Toxic Magnesium Dose?
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. 
What are the Dangers of Exercise Addiction?
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What are the Dangers of Exercise Addiction?
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.
Is 'Overtraining Syndrome' Harming Your Health?
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Is 'Overtraining Syndrome' Harming Your Health?
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. 
Vitiligo and Hashimotos (Autoimmune) Hypothyroidism
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Vitiligo and Hashimotos (Autoimmune) Hypothyroidism
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.
Immune System Defence with Vitamin C and Magnesium
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Immune System Defence with Vitamin C and Magnesium
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.
Drought, Dehydration and Stress
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Drought, Dehydration and Stress
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.
Protect Against Cardiovascular Disease With Magnesium
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Protect Against Cardiovascular Disease With Magnesium
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.
Calm Cramps and Restless Legs Fast!
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Calm Cramps and Restless Legs Fast!
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.
Can Magnesium Relieve Anxiety and Depression?
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Can Magnesium Relieve Anxiety and Depression?
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.
The Connection Between Magnesium and Ageing
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The Connection Between Magnesium and Ageing
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.
Magnesium Kids are Healthier
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Magnesium Kids are Healthier
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?
Collagen and Elastin Production for Skin, Muscle and Bone
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Collagen and Elastin Production for Skin, Muscle and Bone
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.
Glyphosate: a Toxin Round Up That Steals Energy
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Glyphosate: a Toxin Round Up That Steals Energy
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.
Magnesium Soothes Pain and Inflammation
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Magnesium Soothes Pain and Inflammation
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.
Menopause - No Big Deal Thanks to Magnesium
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Menopause - No Big Deal Thanks to Magnesium
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!
Magnesium and the Gut Microbiome
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Magnesium and the Gut Microbiome
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."
Transdermal Magnesium - Myth or Reality?
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Transdermal Magnesium - Myth or Reality?
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.