Taking Calcium Without Magnesium Can Cause Hardening of The Arteries

( Summary) Magnesium balances calcium and its functions within the human body. It is believed that the adult human body contains approximately 1200 grams of calcium, with approximately 99% of it in the skeleton, and approximately 1% (about 12 grams) in extracellular fluids, intracellular structures, and cell membranes. This approximately 1% plays an essential role, in conjunction with magnesium, in the functions of nerve conduction, muscle contraction, blood clotting, and membrane permeability. It is believed that serum calcium concentration is maintained by several hormones, including estrogen and testosterone. It is known that dietary protein enhances calcium absorption, and dietary phosphorus causes calcium retention.

Magnesium deficiency is known to cause nausea, muscle weakness, neuromuscular and cardiac irritability, tetany, convulsions, tremors, mental depression, psychotic behavior, inhibit proper muscle function and contractions, as well as interfere with the proper utilization of calcium and potassium.

Lots of things work better when taken with another supplement.

You can make C and E both work better in the body if you take them together. Add NAC along with C and E and they all work better even more.

Frequently you see calcium/magnesium/zinc all in one tablet.

In all fairness, minerals and vitamins are highly interactive, and too much of one will likely throw the balance off somewhat.

Earl Mindell’s Vitamin Bible was unusual, in that it listed many of these interactions.

However, just as important is that people vary considerably in their use and retention of vitamins and minerals, so unless you go to the point of getting a blood test to establish that you have no dangerous highs or lows of particular vitamins and minerals you should exercise caution in taking mega-doses or going to extremes.

One recent case to illustrate this was of a young man who unintentionally managed to give himself lethal magnesium poisoning, in a way thought unlikely.

Epsom salts (Magnesium sulfate) has long been used both as a laxative and as a soothing bath salt. This is generally regarded as safe, because magnesium salt is not readily absorbed, but actually causes the intestine to excrete water, and thus its effect. And while it is also absorbed through the skin in a bath, not that much is absorbed.

However, the young man had halitosis, which he decided to treat by gargling with Epsom salts water, every day for a month. Thus he was able to absorb a small amount every day, enough to cause a lethal overdose. By the time he showed the symptoms of muscle cramping, within 48 hours he was dead, despite hospitalization.

But there are many variables in vitamins and minerals. Iron, for example. Many women develop a chronic shortage of iron in their blood, but men, conversely, have a tendency to have a little too much in theirs. Thus the iron supplement Geritol was always pitched just to women.

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