Published: October 30, 2009 09:09 am      

Lee Ward: 11/01/09 — Panning for magnesium, not gold

Magnesium is one of Earth’s most precious and rare minerals.

To me, it is, anyway.

During the summer, I spend some time in the hospital. I became dehydrated and, as a result, became low on several minerals, including magnesium.

After more than two months of taking supplements and getting frequent blood tests, I remain low on magnesium.

I had no idea we had magnesium in our bodies and I certainly didn’t have a clue how important it is until I lost mine.

My cousin Bob, who is one of the most intelligent and well-informed people I know, said before my battle to regain my magnesium, if someone had told him he had magnesium in his bloodstream, he would have said, “Well, let’s get busy on the purification process and get it out of there.”

Being the journalist that I am, as soon as I left the hospital, well aware of my shortage, I began researching magnesium to understand why I needed it and how I could get it.

The National Institutes of Health had quite a bit to say about it:

‰Magnesium is the fourth most abundant mineral in the body; about 50 percent of total body magnesium is found in bone. The other half is found predominantly inside cells of body tissues and organs. Only one percent of magnesium is found in blood, but the body works very hard to keep blood levels of magnesium constant.

‰Magnesium is needed for more than 300 biochemical reactions in the body, including normal muscle and nerve function, steady heart rhythm, healthy immune system and strong bones.

It also helps regulate blood sugar levels and promote normal blood pressure.

‰Magnesium is found in abundance in leafy, green vegetables, nuts, seeds and whole grains, all of which I was instructed to avoid for a while, for reasons unrelated to my deficiency.

That probably doesn’t really matter. To rebuild the amount of magnesium I lost requires tablets. A person who hasn’t experienced such a drop in magnesium can easily maintain a normal level of magnesiium by eating a healthy, varied diet.

Still, I have tried to include magnesium-rich food in my diet recently, at least ones I’m allowed to have.

The NIH said some of those are halibut, soybeans, oatmeal, potatoes, yams, peanut butter, yogurt and bananas.

Fortunately for me, chocolate pudding and pumpkin pie also have plenty of magnesium.

Hey, I’m just following the guidelines set forth by the National Institutes of Health.



LEE WARD can be reached at lward@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2661.