People talk a lot about calcium and its importance in good health, and while calcium is important, there is another equally important mineral required to balance calcium in the body. That mineral is magnesium.

Both calcium and magnesium are present in all cells and particularly in heart and artery muscle cells. While calcium stimulates muscle fibers to tense and contract, magnesium stimulates muscles to loosen and relax.

Magnesium also regulates the amount of calcium that enters the cells. Without the balancing influence provided by magnesium, calcium will cause the arteries, especially the arteries to the heart and brain, to tense up, constricting the flow of blood to the brain and heart. The result can be high blood pressure, heart attacks, stroke and migraine headaches.

Magnesium deficiencies can also lead to thrombosis, calcium oxalate kidney stone formation, uncontrollable muscle tics and premenstrual syndrome symptoms such as nervousness and a craving for sweets.

Magnesium deficiency appears to play a key role in diseases of the circulatory system.
Magnesium deficiencies have been associated with such circulatory problems as arrythmias, congestive heart failure, angina pain, strokes, hypertension, high LDL cholesterol levels, epilepsy and migraine headaches.

Heart tissue in particular is sensitive to drops in magnesium. Remember that magnesium balances the contracting effect of calcium in muscles. Calcium is important for heart contraction, magnesium for its relaxation. Magnesium is anti-arrhythmic, regulating heart electrical activity. In addition, a deficiency can cause cardiac vulnerability to cardiotoxic agents. Magnesium is significantly reduced in cardiac tissue following a heart attack

Magnesium Complex       Magnesium Complex combines two excellent forms of magnesium-citrate and malate. Benefits: Is highly bioavailable Is alkalizing promotes musculoskeletal health Supports a healthy cardiovascular system, especially during exercise Supports a healthy biological terrain Recommended usage: Take 2 capsules twice daily with meal.

Magnesium Tablets     There is more magnesium than calcium in muscle tissue. The brain also has twice as much as any other tissue. Magnesium is necessary for the metabolism of vitamin C, phosphorus, potassium and sodium. It is important to the nervous system and the synthesis of certain proteins. It governs how calcium is used in the body. Each tablet contains: 250 mg of magnesium oxide and magnesium amino acid chelate, which provides 62.5% of the USRDA for this nutrient. NSP's magnesium comes in a base of licorice root, kelp plant, peppermint leaves and white willow bark. Recommended dosage Take one tablet daily with a meal.

Calcium/Magnesium     Calcium-Magnesium, SynerPro [Vital Nutrition] combination recognizes that each of these minerals depends on the other for proper assimilation in the body. Calcium is essential to the health of bones, teeth and muscles, and it plays an essential role in blood clotting, nerve conduction and many cellular functions.   This product provides nutrients that support and maintain the structural system, supports the maintenance of a balanced pH and supports the circulatory system. Adults: Take 2 tablets with a meal twice daily.

Magnesium is also important for the brain.
It has been called the antistress mineral, because it has a calming, relaxing effect on nerve function. Furthermore, stress affects magnesium levels. High level achievers (known as Type A individuals) release more fatty acids into their blood than relaxed individuals (Type B personality). This results in a net loss of serum magnesium for the Type A individuals. Furthermore, the importance of magnesium to the nervous system is demonstrated by the fact that deficiency symptoms include such brain and nerve related problems as mental confusion and disorientation, depression, nervousness and easily aroused anger.

Do Americans obtain enough magnesium in their diets?
The official recommended daily allowances of the Food and Nutrition Board of the National Research Council are 300 mg. per day for women and 350 for men. However, some researchers feel the recommendation should be higher, perhaps 400 or even 450 mg. per day. It has been estimated that the typical American diet supplies 120 mg. of magnesium per 1,000 calories. On a 3,000 calorie per day diet, that’s barely enough.

Supplementation with magnesium may be particularly useful for persons with circulatory problems. As we noted before, magnesium levels are depleted following a heart attack. Furthermore, studies suggest that magnesium supplements can do the same thing that the calcium channel blockers commonly prescribed following a heart attack can do.

Since magnesium forms part of the chlorophyll molecule, green leafy vegetables are excellent sources of magnesium. Other good sources include nuts, beans, legumes, whole grains, seafood, dairy products and bitter herbs.

Magnesium I-threonate
A Spectacular Help for Improving Memory and Brain Function

Dr. Guosong Liu, M.D2 Ph.D., recently presented the following information at Nature's Sunshine's National Convention in Hawaii. Dr. Liu is Professor and Founding Director of the Center for Learning and Memory at the School of Medicine at Tsinghua University in Beijing; Adjunct Professor of the Center for Learning and Memory at the University of Texas in Austin; and Former Professor at the Department of Brain and Cognitive Science and the Department of Biology at MIT.

As people age, their brains age too.
Science has shown that certain portions of the brain, namely the prefrontal cortex and hippocampus, shrink as we age. Our computation skills slow. Our spatial orientation, verbal memory, perceptual speed and inductive reasoning all decrease, the last three of these decrease dramatically. Researchers have found that the number of synapses (spaces between nerve endings where brain chemicals transfer information) decreases with age. In order to recover lost ability, we need to regrow synapses in both the prefrontal cortex and the hippocampus.

Scientists had already discovered that aging people and those with dementia had a lot less magnesium in their brains than younger people. They theorized that increasing brain levels of magnesium might enhance synaptic activity and thus improve brain function. Dr. Liu and his colleagues at MIT found that magnesium I-threonate (MgT), a vitamin C metabolite of magnesium, is indeed able to penetrate into the hippocampus and prefrontal cortex the two areas of the brain known to shrink with age. After administering MgT to rats and mice for a period of time, they measured a 50% increase in the number of synapses! Further animal testing showed that MgT enhances learning and both short- and long-term memory in young and aging rats. Dr. Liu and his fellow researchers also found that MgT does not enhance or impair fear memories (or increase bad memories) as MgT helped reduce anxiety-like behavior and learned helplessness. Dr. Liu theorized that this nutrient might be useful for people with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD).

In 2003, the Journal of Nutrition reported that half of the US population may be magnesium-deficient. Deficits appear to worsen after age 50 in men, and African Americans take in less magnesium than Caucasians do. So we all can benefit from more magnesium. It has also been established that Alzheimer's patients have much lower levels of magnesium in the body. In fact, the lower the magnesium levels, the worse the Alzheimer's symptoms. It follows, then, that administering magnesium I-threonate, which can cross the blood's brain barrier, to Alzheimer's patients would likely lead to improvements in learning, memory and emotional control.


About Mind-Max
Benefits:
Supports brain function, memory and concentration. Mind-Max contains magnesium I-threonate plus gotu kola aerial parts, bacopa leaf and ginkgo leaf herbs well-known to benefit circulation and brain health for a powerful brain boost. Between the ages of 20 and 90, the average person loses 5-10% of his/her brain weight, with an accompanying loss in memory, attention and other cognitive functions.

Research shows that a decreased number of nerve synapses (the connections between nerve cells) may be responsible for this cognitive decline. Magnesium plays an essential role in nerve synapses. However, magnesium shortages have become common with the increase in processed foods and the lack of magnesium-rich whole foods in the diet. Moreover, most forms of magnesium are not well-absorbed by nervous tissue. Researchers at MIT have discovered that magnesium l-threonate, a highly absorbable form of magnesium, can easily cross the blood brain barrier and that it increases the brain's magnesium level.

Ingredients:
Magnesium I-threonate, gotu kola aerial parts, bacopa leaf extract and ginkgo leaf.

Recommended Use:
Take 3 capsules before breakfast and 3 capsules before bed. Only nighttime dose is recommended in the first week, add morning dose as tolerated.