Magnesium Meltdown at the Grocery Store
By
Nate Rifkin
Posted March 23, 2015
Two weeks ago, I almost got thrown out of Wegmans, a hoity-toity supermarket just outside of Baltimore, the dreary city where Living Well Daily HQ resides.
Why did I almost get kicked out?
Was it for grabbing all the prepackaged garbage overflowing with GMO ingredients, throwing them into a pile, and starting a bonfire?
Or dumping all the produce into an inflatable raft, filling it with water, and declaring it a “pesticide pool”?
No and no. First of all, it would have taken way too long to make that GMO bonfire. Most of the grocery store would end up in it. And I don’t know anything inflatable that would be big enough to hold all that pesticide-dripping “produce.”
Actually, it was because I almost threw a fit in the supplement aisle while rummaging through bottle after bottle of magnesium.
Virtually every single kind of magnesium supplement available uses its magnesium oxide form as the active ingredient. Makes for a cheap product, but there’s just one problem…
Your body can’t absorb it!
Why is this so important?
Your body needs magnesium for over 300 biochemical reactions in the body, such as:
- Repairing muscle
- Nerve function
- Blood glucose control
- Blood pressure regulation
- Energy production
- Bone structure development
- Synthesis of DNA and RNA
- Nerve impulse conduction, muscle contraction, and normal heart rhythm
It could even help you live longer.
And while making sure you get more magnesium from your diet (by eating almonds, cashews, and leafy green vegetables like spinach) is a great idea, it’s hard to get all the magnesium you need, because the mineral content of our soil is depleted.
Said another way, foods may not have as much magnesium as they used to.
Up to 80% of Americans do not meet the recommended daily intake. And if you suffer from leg cramps at night, you’re most surely lacking in magnesium. Same if you’ve got low energy, headaches, high blood pressure, or poor blood sugar control.
So supplementation is your best bet. Perhaps you’re already going this route… which means I have more bad news for you. In fact, it’s the same bad news that was driving me to an angry rampage at the grocery store.
Most magnesium supplements are lousy (shocking, right?). More specifically, they use the magnesium oxide form of the mineral, which a study in the U.K. showed is absorbed by our body at only a rate of 4%.
Yup, 4%. You’d have to swallow nearly the entire bottle to get a daily dose!
There is, however, a simple way to make sure your magnesium supplements will work.
When you buy your magnesium supplement… make sure it says magnesium citrate on the label. If it says magnesium oxide, then toss it.
In fact, if you’re taking magnesium right now, make sure to check your label. You might be in for a very unpleasant surprise.
As for me, after pillaging bottle after bottle in the aisle, I finally found one with citrate. Calmness flooded over me… at least for now. Good thing magnesium helps lower blood pressure too.
Regards,
Nate Rifkin
Underground Health Researcher
Written By Nate Rifkin
Nate Rifkin is an obsessed health and mind-power researcher and author. To hear more from Nate, sign up to receive Living Well Daily for free, here.
View More Free Articles
Microplastics’ Hidden Link to Chronic Disease EXPOSED
By now, you’ve heard about microplastics. These tiny fragments of plastic have invaded virtually every corner of our planet. We’re just beginning to understand the scope of the threat, but we know microplastics pose a serious risk to our health. If you’re like many folks, you’ve shrugged off those dangers, thinking there’s nothing you can...
Shakespeare’s “Remembrance” Herb Protects Memory
You probably have a jar of rosemary sitting in your spice rack. Perhaps you sprinkle it on potatoes or add it to roast chicken. But what if this humble herb could hold the key to fighting one of the most devastating diseases we can face as we age? It turns out a hidden compound inside...
Is Your Gut “Good”? How to Check
I always get asked, “How do I know if my digestion is working right?” Well, the answer is pretty simple, but it’s also a little gross. A simple test you can do at home reveals whether your digestion is normal or not. Your digestive system processes everything you eat—extracting nutrients, and eliminating waste. The time...
Hidden Sugar Trap Fuels Lung Cancer
We’ve long known that smoking is the main villain behind lung cancer. But what if your dinner plate has quietly joined forces with the enemy? A new study from the University of Florida reveals that the typical Western diet could be laying the groundwork for aggressive lung cancer growth by feeding tumors with stored sugar....
Mailbag: Can A Diabetic Enjoy Desserts? The Surprising Answer
“If you have diabetes, may you eat a very few sweets in a week?” —Sweet Tooth Hi Sweet Tooth, Type 2 diabetes is a chronic condition where your body either resists the effects of insulin (a hormone that regulates sugar in your blood) or doesn’t produce enough of it to maintain normal blood sugar levels....
Sleepless Nights? Beware of this Deadly Danger
We all have that friend who brags about their four-hour-a-night sleep schedule like it’s some kind of superpower. “I’ll sleep when I’m dead,” they proclaim while chugging their third energy drink of the morning. Well, science has bad news for these sleep-skimping show-offs. You might be accelerating your appointment with the Grim Reaper far more...
Drive-Thru Disaster Hits Fast Forward on Aging
Ever wonder why some of your high school classmates look like they’re aging much faster while others seem frozen in time? It’s not always just good genes or expensive creams—it could be what they’re ordering at the drive-thru. A troubling new study revealed that a fast-food habit doesn’t just expand your waistline—it fast-forwards your biological...
The “Salty” Truth About Your Mood
You know salt gets a bad rap for raising blood pressure. But what if I told you it might be messing with your mood, too? According to a new study out of China, eating too much salt could trigger depression—not just through vague “bad diet” effects, but by activating specific immune cells in the brain....
Ancient Herb Has a Modern Secret for Youthful Skin
You can spend hundreds—maybe even thousands—on anti-aging creams, lotions, and potions that promise to turn back the clock. But let’s be honest… most of them do little more than moisturize and smell nice. Now, a new study is turning that entire anti-aging skincare industry on its head—and the secret comes from an herb that’s been...
Let It Go—The Unexpected Freedom of “Fart Walks”
Ever notice your walk sometimes comes with some, well… unexpected sound effects? One step, two step, POOT! There’s a perfectly reasonable explanation for this natural phenomenon. Passing gas on your daily stroll is totally normal—and it means your digestive system is working well. Here’s what’s happening… Walking and other physical activities stimulate your digestive tract,...