Posted by JLx on September 23, 2005, at 17:23:16
In reply to Re: Magnesium taurate JLx, posted by maddy4 on September 23, 2005, at 9:59:29
> now i am taking abt 2,500 of calcium a day - throughout the day - would i take the mag gly. w/ it or at sep times? TIA
That is a lot of calcium.
Unless you know for sure from experimenting with taking/not taking it previously, I would seriously suggest not taking it at ALL when first supplementing with magnesium. For a week to a month. Whatever you're taking that much calcium for will probably not be affected in that length of time. But it MAY be definitely affecting your magnesium status in a very negative fashion.
CONSERVATIVE advice is to take calcium and magnesium in a 2:1 ratio. That would mean you would need to take 1,250 mg of magnesium now. That's pretty hard to do when you're not used to it as it can cause diarrhea unless taken in fairly small doses at a time, or something like 500-700 mg per day.
Some nutritonists recommend calcium/magnesium in a one to one ratio, which is almost impossible to achieve at your current 2500 mg calcium dose.
I don't begin to understand the chemistry in this article, but what bits I do understand sound like some possiblilities involved with depression and anxiety, such as arichidonic acid, inflammatory cytokines, nitric oxide and free radicals. And magnesium is the calcium channel blocker that can prevent that excess.
"CALCIUM, THE EXCITOTOXIC “HIT MAN”
"Normal levels of calcium inside the neuron allow normal functioning, but when excessive calcium builds up inside neurons, this activates a series of enzymes, including phopholipases, proteases, nitric oxide synthases and endonucleases.(1,3) Excessive intraneuronal calcium can also make it impossible for the neuron to return to its resting state, and instead cause the neuron to "fire" uncontrollably. (1,3) Phospholipase A2 breaks down a portion of the cell membrane and releases arachidonic acid, a fatty acid. Other enzymes then convert arachidonic acid into inflammatory prostaglandins, thromboxanes and leukotrienes, which then damage the cell. (1,3) Phospholipase A2 also promotes the generation of platelet activating factor, which also increases cell calcium influx by stimulating release of more glutamate. (3) And whenever arachidonic acid is converted to prostaglandins, thromboxanes, and leukotrienes, free radicals, including superoxide, peroxide and hydroxyl, are automatically generated as part of the reaction (1-3, 16). Excessive calcium also activates various proteases (protein-digesting enzymes) which can digest various cell proteins, including tubulin, microtubule-proteins, spectrin, and others. (1,3) calcium can also activate nuclear enzymes (endonucleases) that result in chromatin condensation, DNA fragmentation and nuclear breakdown, i.e. apoptosis, or "cell suicide". (3) Excessive calcium also activates nitric oxide synthase which produces nitric oxide. When this nitric oxide reacts with the superoxide radical produced during inflammatory prostaglandin/leukotriene formation, the supertoxic peroxynitrite radical is formed (3,17). Peroxynitrite oxidizes membrane fats, inhibits mitochondrial ATP-producing enzymes, and triggers apoptosis (17). And these are just some of the ways glutamate -NMDA stimulated intracellular calcium excess can damage or kill neurons!"
http://smart-drugs.net/ias-excitotoxins.htm
I supplemented with calcium for years until I got a calcium kidney stone. That was no fun. I felt better after that because I quit taking supplements, though I didn't know enough to attribute it to the less calcium making me less anxious and depressed.
How I felt overloaded on calcium and magnesium deficient was extremely irritable, very sensitive to noise and lights as an irritant -- not to mention people! haha. I felt like a nervous wreck when things went wrong, especially something pressing like having to be somewhere at a certain time. Sometimes I would just get so stressed I would sit and cry to reduce the tension of feeling like I was just "losing it". I was emotionally labile like that, sensitive to aggravation and rejection. Slightly paranoid. And depressed, of course.
If you feel like that, then seriously consider cutting out all that calcium and trying magnesium for even a short time. You may feel better right away as I did. MUCH better. It makes me sick that I felt SO terrible all those years, for lack of this information.
Of course, it may be different for you.
But to answer your actual question....:) I'd advise taking them at separate times. Take the magnesium on an empty stomach or with meals low in fat as fat interferes with its absorption.
JL
poster:JLx
thread:558254
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/alter/20050812/msgs/558618.html