[Bloated_again]

I thought that would get your attention lolI have a question abot Magnesium. I have been taking it daily for about 5 months now and absolutely love it. Can anyone explan to me what exactly magnesium is and how it works. I have a feeling I will be taking this the rest of my life! Is there any long term effects? I am currently taking 500mg each night.Thanks

 

[Kathleen M.]

Magnesium is a mineral your body needs and uses for a number of things including many enzymes that have to do with extracting energy from food and maintaining your DNA.You should be taking a minimum of 400mgs of Magnesium a day (all sources...dietary and supplements). Over 1000mgs could be a problems as like everything else a little is a good thing, but too much is a bad thing.What it may be doing in the colon with the stool is that you are only going to absorb what you need so there is probably some in the stool. It is used as a laxative (not the supplements but in things like Milk of Magnesia) and I believe it works by drawing water into the stool and "softening" it. Stools that are too dry are hard and hard to pass and are a part of being constipated.I see no reason for you not to continue to take 500mgs of Magnesium a day (although you may check your diet to make sure your not doing something really funny with it and getting to much magnesium)Magnesium deficiencies can be a serious health problem like most other nutritional deficiencies.K.------------------I have no financial, academic, or any other stake in any commercial product mentioned by me.My story and what worked for me in greatly easing my IBS: http://www.ibsgroup.org/ubb/Forum17/HTML/000015.html [This message has been edited by kmottus (edited 06-06-2001).]

 

[ilovehockey]

I have been taking magnesium for leg cramps, and it has helped. It does something for muscles, but I'm not sure exactly how. Magnesium Citrate is supposed to be the best in terms of your body's ability to absorb it.