Does calcium deplete magnesium? This has been a topic of much debate. Intakes of calcium, which is abundant in the American diet and provided mainly by dairy foods, have increased over time. This increase in calcium intake has increased the incidence of fibromyalgia and other disorders related to low magnesium levels.
Why do you need calcium and magnesium? One of the nutrients that is often overlooked by health-conscious individuals is calcium and magnesium. Calcium and magnesium are two minerals that are very important in maintaining a good health and minimizing chances of certain diseases arising. Learn more about calcium and magnesium supplements in this article with the health benefits of supplements
More Americans than any other group in the planet take calcium supplements. Also, extra calcium is added to our cereals, fruit juices, crackers, antacids, and many other processed foods as if that weren’t enough. Nonetheless, the United States has one of the highest rates of osteoporosis, a painful and crippling condition characterized by calcium loss and bone degeneration. How is that even possible? Do we have something missing?
To combat the effects of bone loss due to aging, doctors started routinely prescription calcium to many men and almost all women over the age of 40 about 30 or 40 years ago. According to traditional belief, a calcium deficit causes bone loss. Yet, it has become clear after 40 years that consuming calcium on its own does not stop, even somewhat slow down, bone loss and does not prevent osteoporosis.
According to new research, magnesium is actually essential for the body to properly absorb and utilize other essential nutrients like calcium. When we ingest too much calcium without getting enough magnesium, the excess calcium is not properly metabolized and may even turn poisonous, leading to uncomfortable situations in the body.
Many researchers and nutritionists now believe magnesium is more important than calcium in order to maintain healthy bones. In addition, magnesium is responsible for more than 300 biochemical reactions, all necessary for optimum health. Magnesium plays a vital role in digestion, energy production, muscle contraction and relaxation, bone formation and cell division. In addition, magnesium is a key nutrient in the proper functioning of the heart, the kidneys, the adrenals and the entire nervous system.
There are many calcium to magnesium ratios available in PCC’s calcium/magnesium supplements.
You must also specify whether you want a chewable tablet or not. Or maybe a pill? PCC offers a liquid calcium-magnesium supplement for those who dislike using pills. The magnesium and calcium are chelated, right? It implies that minerals are more readily absorbed. Several medical professionals advise combining calcium alongside vitamin D to boost absorption. A number of PCC formulations contain vitamin D.
The majority of calcium and magnesium supplements have a 2:1 calcium to magnesium ratio. . “The proportional amount of these nutrients used in the body. based on the logic of the relative amounts..” However, we should take into account how much of these nutrients we are getting from food as well as how they are stored and recycled in the body to ascertain how much we might need to take as a supplement.
For instance, the body has a propensity to retain calcium and either store it or continually recycle it. Magnesium, on the other hand, must be replaced on a regular basis because it is either used up or excreted. Hence, even though we have a higher daily requirement for calcium, magnesium deficiency is considerably more likely to occur.
- insomnia
- muscle tension or spasms
- muscle cramps
- constipation
- headaches
- heart palpitations
- PMS
- calcification of tissues or joints
- nervousness or irritability
It’s also crucial to think about the form of any mineral supplements you may be taking. Only around 10 to 15 percent of a standard calcium or magnesium pill may be absorbed and assimilated by the body. The body can absorb a significantly higher amount when the mineral is mixed with citric acid to generate a mineral citrate. You will absorb the minerals incredibly quickly and notice a difference in your body if you combine the mineral citrate with warm water and let stand for 10 minutes until it is fully dissolved. Also, you don’t need to take as much calcium or magnesium in this form to achieve the same effect as you would with other kinds.
As the recommended form, I advise magnesium and calcium citrate. I advise taking magnesium citrate alone (without any calcium) for one to three months if you suspect you may be lacking in magnesium. Currently, some producers are combining the production of these minerals in the ratio of two or three parts magnesium to one part calcium. I advise using this ratio in the long run. If your diet is generally balanced, a small amount of supplementation will aid in maintaining appropriate levels and, more importantly, the proper balance of these crucial elements.
Calcium and magnesium are good for bone health. These two minerals are also important for everyday essential bodily functions, the way your body uses them means the minerals have to work in tandem to be fully effective.
What is calcium and magnesium good for?
Magnesium
Magnesium supplements help bones form and remain strong. It enables the small mineral crystals that comprise part of your bone structure to increase in density and gain strength. Magnesium is good for allowing your bones to absorb calcium more readily. The benefits to this are seen in the calcium section.
Aside from strengthening your skeleton, magnesium benefits include:
- Establishing an energy-yielding metabolism
- Healthy muscle function
- Electrolyte balance
- Routine functioning of the nervous system
- Traditional protein synthesis
Calcium
Calcium is the most prevalent mineral in your body out of all the necessary ones. Your bones and teeth are where the majority of your calcium is kept.
Calcium, like magnesium, is essential for strong bones. Up to the age of about 25, it keeps bones robust and dense by allowing them to develop and expand. Your bones start to lose density beyond the age of 25 as a natural aspect of aging. Its decrease is slowed by calcium.
Calcium also contributes to establishing:
- Muscle function
- Blood clotting
- Neurotransmission (nerve cells passing signals to each other)
- Digestive enzyme function
Why calcium needs magnesium to be effective
Magnesium is not necessary for your body to absorb calcium. Yet, without it, calcium can become poisonous and end up in soft tissues like arteries, kidneys, and cartilage rather than in the bones where it is most beneficial. Several fairly serious health conditions may result from this. The appropriate ratio of magnesium to calcium can help prevent potentially hazardous problems from arising.
Magnesium is good for maintaining a balance of hormones
Having too much calcium in your blood stimulates your body into releasing a hormone called calcitonin. It also prevents your body from secreting the parathyroid hormone (PTH).
- Calcitonin—causes your bones to absorb more calcium, but limits how much goes into your soft tissues.
- PTH—draws calcium out of the bones and deposits it in the soft tissues.
Magnesium is beneficial for your body’s ability to manage the balance of these hormones. A sufficient magnesium intake helps to inhibit PTH and increase calcitonin. This prevents the development of some bone illnesses by directing calcium to the bones rather than the soft tissues. Seniors are susceptible to bone problems, yet magnesium is beneficial for maintaining bone health.
Magnesium is good for regulating the heartbeat
While magnesium is helpful for relaxation, calcium causes muscles to constrict. Thus, magnesium is advantageous for sleep. The two minerals work together to control heartbeat. Calcium in the cardiac muscle cells is stimulated by electrical impulses, which causes a contraction.
Magnesium helps enzymes convert vitamins to facilitate calcium absorption
Magnesium is good as it helps the cells and muscles to relax, but your body needs two vitamins to properly absorb calcium:
- Vitamin D Supplements— certain enzymes in your body require magnesium to be able to convert vitamin D into its active form (known as calcitriol).
- Vitamin K Supplements (K1 and K2)— these promote the calcification of bones and prevent blood vessels and kidneys from calcifying.
How your body absorbs magnesium and calcium
Your body gets the magnesium and calcium it needs via the foods you eat and any supplements you take. Supplements come in:
- Oral form — those you take by mouth, such as tablets.
- Transdermal form — those you absorb through the skin, such as lotions and sprays.
With food and oral spray supplements, the minerals pass through parts of your body known as the gastrointestinal tract, which comprises your:
- Mouth
- Throat
- Stomach
- Small intestine
- Large intestine
Transdermal supplements, on the other hand, absorb into your skin. They bypass primary processing by the digestive system. How effectively your body absorbs and retains a mineral is dictated by that mineral’s “bioavailability”. This means:
- How much of it you take in overall, through food and supplements.
- The health of your gastrointestinal tract.
- Your everyday diet
The bioavailability of magnesium varies depending on the supplement. The extent to which supplements are absorbed depends on how effectively they dissolve in water or other liquids.
Magnesium chloride is more bioavailable than magnesium oxide and magnesium sulphate, according to certain research. BetterYou uses magnesium chloride as a source for their supplements since it is easier for your body to absorb.
Although calcium absorption varies, it typically accounts for 30% of total intake. This is why taking smaller doses of calcium multiple times during the day rather than a single high dose is frequently advised.
Factors that affect mineral absorption
Consuming certain foods and drinks
Your body’s ability to absorb minerals may be impacted by your typical weekly diet. You should try to cut back on the foods that are recommended in the list below. Before eliminating a food group from your diet, always consult a healthcare expert. The following foods are on a list that could affect your mineral intake:
- Too much red meat
- Too much salt
- Processed fats
- Refined sugars
- Alcohol
- Caffeine
- Soft drinks
- Foods high in oxalic acid (such as spinach, rhubarb and chocolate)
Digestive problems
If you have low levels of gastric acid or suffer from digestive complaints, such as IBS, your body may not be able to fully absorb magnesium or calcium.
For maximum absorption, you should take calcium supplements with food.
Ageing
As you get older, your body releases calcium through sweat, skin cells and waste. For this reason, calcium absorption can vary depending on how old you are.
Knowing what foods to eat
A diet rich in both calcium and magnesium is good for a range of health benefits.
Magnesium
Food sources that contain high levels of magnesium include:
- Brown rice
- Seafood
- Dark green vegetables (e.g. spinach)
- Legumes (e.g. lentils, split peas, tofu)
- Beans (e.g. black, kidney, edamame)
- Nuts (e.g. almonds, cashews, brazil nuts)
- Seeds (e.g. sunflower, sesame, pumpkin)
- Buckwheat
- Wholegrain cereals
Calcium
The following foods and drinks are rich sources of calcium:
- Milk (including soy milk)
- Cheese
- Yoghurt
- Nuts (e.g. pistachio, almonds, hazelnuts)
- Sesame seeds
- Beans
- Broccoli
- Cabbage
- Spinach and kale
- Turnips
- Tofu
- Many fortified breakfast cereals
Calcium and Magnesium Supplements
What to take
Magnesium and calcium supplements are beneficial because they are available in a variety of forms. ranging from tablets, capsules, and pills to oral sprays. The scope of supplements does not end there. Also, there are numerous transdermal supplement forms, so taking magnesium is advantageous for people of all ages. You can get your minerals without having to eat anything by transdermally absorbing them via your skin.
Avoid carbonates, such as calcium carbonate or magnesium carbonate, if you decide to take an oral supplement because they are the most difficult for your body to absorb. Instead, seek out citrates or magnesium chloride, which is the most accessible form of the mineral (magnesium citrate or calcium citrate).
Make sure you also take magnesium if you take calcium supplements so that your body can properly metabolize the calcium.
Transdermal magnesium
Rather than taking supplements as tablets or capsules, fight off magnesium deficiency by applying it directly to your skin. These forms include:
- Magnesium creams
- Magnesium lotions
- Magnesium oils
- Magnesium sprays
The idea is that the mineral absorbs quickly into the highly porous upper layer of your skin (the epidermis), through to the blood vessels and muscles beneath.
It does not ever have to pass through your digestive system. As a result, you absorb the mineral more fully and reduce your chance of experiencing stomach issues. You can use transdermal magnesium supplements whenever you’d like if you’re taking them. To promote sleep, many people choose to take them just before bed. Magnesium helps your muscles relax, which promotes sleep. You may be lacking in either magnesium, calcium, or both if you have difficulties falling asleep or wake up frequently at night. The two minerals are all-natural sleep enhancers that can assist you in getting to sleep and staying asleep.
How much to take
Because magnesium and calcium function so closely together, it is crucial to take the proper dosages. One part calcium to one part magnesium is a common ratio to follow. 500 mg of magnesium should be taken along with 500 mg of calcium. The majority of calcium and magnesium supplements do an excellent job of maintaining this ratio.
Magnesium intake is 300 mg per day for men (aged 19–64) and 270 mg per day for women (aged 19–64 years).
Adults need at least 1,000 mg of calcium daily. It is suggested that men and women over the age of 70 and women over the age of 51 increase their daily dose to 1,200 mg.
If your calcium levels are already low, using magnesium at amounts greater than 250 mg may make you develop a calcium deficit. In general, consuming both minerals in the daily levels advised is perfectly safe.
Whatever supplements you choose to take should always be taken in accordance with the calcium and magnesium dosages listed on the container.
You should take oral magnesium supplements together with a meal to lower your risk of experiencing an upset stomach or diarrhea. Take these 20 to 30 minutes prior to bedtime if you’re using them to aid in sleep at night. Because your body can only fully absorb about 500 mg of calcium at a time while using oral calcium supplements, it is advised that you divide your doses and take them throughout the day.
What causes magnesium or calcium deficiency
Calcium tends to be stored or used again by your body. With magnesium, it typically exhausts all of its reserves. This implies that you have to replenish it daily. Because of this, calcium deficiency is less likely to occur than magnesium deficit. Hypomagnesemia is the medical term for a mineral deficiency or having low amounts of magnesium. The risk of having a deficiency can be decreased by regularly checking your magnesium levels.
As your body gets most of its nutrients from the food you eat, the most common cause of any deficiency is diet. Consuming certain types of food and drink hinders your body’s ability to absorb minerals and affects their bioavailability. Another factor is overfarming. The intensive nature of today’s agriculture means the soil in which fruit and vegetables are grown is less rich in nutrients.
Calcium deficiency
The following are known as possible causes of hypocalcemia (calcium deficiency):
- Coeliac disease, inflammatory bowel disease, Crohn’s disease and some other digestive diseases
- Lack of parathyroid hormone (PTH)
- Consuming too much magnesium
- Kidney failure
- Pancreatitis
- Vitamin D deficiency
- Phosphate deficiency
- Osteoporosis
- Prolonged use of some medicines, such as chemotherapy or corticosteroids
If you consume insufficient amounts of calcium-rich or calcium-fortified foods while eating a vegan diet, you could develop a calcium deficiency. The nutrients that are lost can be replaced with vegan supplements. If you’re lactose intolerant, you need to consume a lot of calcium-rich non-dairy foods to prevent a deficiency.
Possible side effects of magnesium and calcium supplements
The negative consequences of using calcium and magnesium supplements are minimal. With an oral spray supplement, you can suffer a laxative effect if you take too much. Food supplements can help mitigate these effects. As an alternative, you can apply these minerals topically. There is no need to take them with meals or liquids, making it a quick and efficient substitute for tablets.
Along with wind with calcium, you might bloated or constipated. Again, take your vitamins with a meal and space them out over the day to prevent this. Generally speaking, calcium citrate has fewer or milder adverse effects than calcium carbonate.
Health Benefits of Supplements
1. They’ll Ensure Your Body Is Getting Enough of the Proper Nutrients
The fact that many Americans don’t eat as healthily as they ought to is not exactly a secret. Because of this, many people aren’t providing their bodies with all the nutrients they require.
Several people, according to studies, could gain advantages from consuming additional vitamin A, B12, C, D, E, and other nutrients. The ability to acquire the right nutrients in the right proportions is one of the top advantages of supplements.
Taking supplements won’t cure all of your vitamin and mineral deficiencies on their own. To make sure that you consistently consume enough nutrients, you may still need to make dietary changes.
But generally speaking, using supplements will allow you to give your body almost all of the nutrients it requires. It’s a compelling argument to begin using them right away.
2. They’ll Make It Easier for You to Manage Your Weight
Did you know that decreasing even 5% of your body weight could have a significant positive impact on your health? When you decide to lose weight, you’ll feel and look so much better than you do right now.
Of course, the issue is that losing weight is difficult, especially if you’ve put on a lot of weight recently. But, there are certain supplements on the market that might be able to assist you in losing the additional weight you’re presently carrying.
You should exercise caution while selecting the substances you use for weight loss. Not every one of them will be safe for you to consume. You should be able to find at least a few possibilities that could start your weight reduction journey out on the right foot, though, if you’re prepared to do a comprehensive search.
3. They’ll Improve Your Cognitive Abilities
It’s typical for certain of your cognitive abilities to start to decline as you become older. Your memory won’t be as clear as it once was.
You’ll have to put up with this at least somewhat. But, there may be certain supplements that you may take to stop this trend so that you don’t feel like your capacity for thought and thought processing is deteriorating.
There are several supplements that contain unique cognitive formulae that may be able to aid you, as you’ll discover when you look around for the best supplements from a reputable firm like Dignity Laboratories. As you get older, you can maintain some of your cognitive talents or, at the very least, slow down how quickly they are losing them.
paraphrase: You don’t have to live with the age. By purchasing the correct vitamins, you can try to improve your memory and brain function.
4. They’ll Provide You With Better Athletic Performance
If you enjoy participating in athletic tournaments or simply exercising to stay in shape, consuming supplements can speed up your body’s recovery after a strenuous game or workout. When you have the proper vitamins on hand, you won’t have to worry about your muscles, tendons, or bones hurting you too much.
For example, calcium and vitamin D supplements are excellent for people who want to maintain strong, healthy bones. They’re also great solutions for people who want to avoid suffering significantly from inflammation after a competition.
Consider especially looking for supplements that are intended to support athletes in delivering their best efforts. These typically include the vitamins and minerals you’ll need to safeguard your entire body while exercising, for whatever purpose.
5. They’ll Decrease Your Chances of Dealing With Heart Disease
Heart disease kills more people in this country than anything else. It’s responsible for about one-fourth of all the deaths that take place in the U.S. each year.
You can bring your chances of having to deal with heart disease way down by:
- Eating a well-balanced diet
- Taking part in enough exercise
- Getting enough sleep at night
But, you can also accomplish it by purchasing omega-3 fatty acid pills. They are known to have beneficial effects for people who could have a higher chance of getting heart disease.
One of the most vital organs in your body is undoubtedly your heart. By consuming supplements that are going to maintain it healthy, you should make sure you’re giving it the proper care.