My interest in digging around for more information on topics that may benefit my life has not waned during my absence.  It is my hope that somewhere among the random pages of this blog you will find something that interests you as well.  Thanks for stopping by.

We're going to just jump right in here with some of the findings from my latest round of research!

The National Institutes of Health (NIH) website says: “Magnesium is needed for more than 300 biochemical reactions in the body.  It helps maintain normal muscle and nerve function, supports a healthy immune system, keeps heart rhythm steady, and helps bones remain strong.”

Signs that you may not be getting enough Magnesium

It is reported that 40-50% of People are not getting adequate levels of magnesium through nutrition.  In my research I found a variety of complaints that could be attributed to low levels of magnesium. 
I am listing only 10 of the most common symptoms that were mentioned.

   1.  Frequent Headaches / Migraines
   2.  Fatigue
   3.  Insomnia
   4.  Anxiety, depression and restlessness
   5.  Muscle Twitching / Cramping / Aches
   6.  Personality changes
   7.  Chronic High Blood Pressure
   8.  Difficulty concentrating
   9.  Carbohydrate cravings
 10. Thyroid problems

How to boost Magnesium Levels
Now that I’ve learned how important Magnesium is and what some of the signs of low magnesium levels are, it was time to find out the best way to increase magnesium levels in the body. I was  surprised to see how much information was available and also how common it is to not have enough magnesium in your system.

From an environmental standpoint, water filtration removes much of the naturally occurring magnesium in our water and over-farming combined with pesticide use have resulted in soil with low magnesium content.

Other factors related to our lifestyles can work against us and reduce the amount of magnesium we have available to our bodies. Lack of sleep, excess stress, or alcohol/caffeine/sugar consumption and many widely used prescription medications (including pain medications) will actually deplete magnesium levels.   Hmmm.

Magnesium-Rich Food seems like the first place to begin.  In an article for Medscape, Dr. George Lundburg wrote the following:
“Magnesium is a vital element that is required for a large number of metabolic cellular activities.  We should use food as our principal source of magnesium, especially almonds, cashews, shrimp, crab, spinach, peanuts, pecans, whole grains, soy, black beans, edamame, dark chocolate, brown rice, oatmeal, figs, apricots, and bran. Unfortunately, the best data I can find indicate that nearly half of all Americans and two thirds of teens and people over age 80 do not ingest the recommended daily allowance of 300-400 mg of magnesium.”

Oral Magnesium supplements are widely available in pill, but not all supplements are created equally and insufficient digestive health is a factor that can reduce the effectiveness of oral supplements.  I do have a family member that uses a magnesium supplement to help with muscle cramps with some success, as well as an essential oil blend I created for him to give him immediate relief.  He loves it.

Magnesium Oil is quickly becoming popular as a way to boost magnesium levels as it is highly concentrated. Applying Magnesium oil to the skin will allow the magnesium to transfer quickly and efficiently into our bodies.  Your skin will only take what it needs (unlike when taking oral supplements).  Magnesium oil can easily be made yourself by dissolving magnesium flakes in boiled distilled water or it can be purchased already made. You can find many brands of Magnesium oil available on Amazon and I’m sure there are many other sources. After researching the benefits of using magnesium oil, however, I will definitely be making my own large batches to keep on hand. I will not only encourage friends and family to give it a try, I will incorporate magnesium oil into some of my Chameleon Essential skincare and essential oil products.  `

Some of the reported benefits of using Magnesium Oil
From the many benefits I found listed in various articles and reports, I chose the following 11 benefits to share because they were not just frequently mentioned by various sources, but also because they related to issues that my family and friends deal with on a regular basis.

  1.   Relieves muscles spasms, pains, and cramps
Magnesium Oil has many relaxing qualities. It helps regulate neuromuscular signals, and balances calcium levels within the body.  According to NaturalHealingTools.com,  spraying magnesium oil on certain parts of the body such as the thighs, abdomen and arms may help to relieve aching joints, muscle spasms and sore muscles. Rubbing the oil into the skin enhances the absorption and distribution of the mineral to successfully relieve knots and spasms.
  2.  Improved Energy
By activating ATP (adenosine triphosphate), Magnesium Oil can help boost energy levels which in turn helps prevent fatigue.
  3.  Calms nerves and eases anxiety.
Magnesium is essential for regulating certain hormones that calm the brain and promote relaxation. This includes gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA),  a chemical messenger that helps to reduce anxiety
  4.  Promotes a good night’s sleep
By helping calm the brain and quiet a racing mind, magnesium oil promotes a good night’s sleep and helps to relieve insomnia. Magnesium supplements have also been shown to be effective at improving sleep efficiency by interacting with hormones that relate to sleep such as GABA and Melatonin.
  5.  Help for Chronic High Blood Pressure
Magnesium improves the body’s ability to absorb potassium and calcium. Proper levels of potassium and magnesium can eliminate hypertension and help prevent strokes.
  6.  Assist with asthma
Magnesium helps to relax the bronchial muscles, which in turn helps regulate breathing.
  7.  Relieves Headaches/Migraines
Due to its ability to lower blood pressure and to reduce blood vessel constriction, Magnesium supplementation is linked to a decrease in the frequency and severity of migraines.
  8.  Guard against Osteoporosis
According to organicfacts.net magnesium is a key part of bone health, but tests for magnesium deficiency often show up negative, because the body will leach magnesium from the bones to maintain other important functions. Therefore, to ensure the proper bone health and to help prevent against osteoporosis, using magnesium gel or oil is a wise choice.
  9.  Relief from Pain and Inflammation
Magnesium can actually act as a natural pain-killer. Magnesium Oil can prevent nerve pain and help to ease chronic pain when applied topically. Magnesium helps to re-balance the body’s systems and reduce inflammation which not only would benefit arthritis or sore muscles, but assist with gastrointestinal or respiratory distress.
  10.  Diabetes Support/Prevention
Insulin resistance has been linked to poor levels of magnesium in the body.  Applying Magnesium oil daily can help manage blood glucose levels and protect against dangerous drops or spikes in blood sugar.
  11.  Weight Loss – I’ll just share a whole section of an article I found on this benefit as it was written by the author:
In his publication A Guide to Magnesium – Part 2: Magnesium ‘Magic’ – Lose Weight, Sleep Better, and Boost Your Mood Dr. Steven Lin writes, “this important mineral is involved in over 600 enzymatic processes, so when you aren’t getting enough it can throw your whole body off. This can leave you struggling to maintain weight, sleep through the night or feeling anxious and depressed.
Here’s a closer look at how magnesium affects your ability to maintain a healthy weight:

• Magnesium citrate helps you lose water and stool weight – Magnesium citrate is used as a stool softener to keep you regular. More importantly, it can help maintain healthy magnesium levels if you’re deficient, which improves hormone balance and increases energy production.
• Lowers insulin resistance – Magnesium has been shown in numerous studies to reduce insulin resistance. When your body becomes resistant to insulin it can’t keep up with the increased glucose in the bloodstream. This leads to weight gain, fatigue and other health complications.
• Boosts cellular energy – Magnesium is critical in the process that makes cellular energy within your mitochondria. Your cells have an energy currency called ATP that gives them the life they need to complete daily tasks. When you don’t have enough magnesium it lowers your ATP production, which makes you tired and lowers your metabolism.Your body needs sufficient magnesium for it to function properly. If you’re magnesium deficient it could be contributing to your weight gain or preventing you from losing weight.”

At the time of this post, I have not yet had a chance to try using magnesium oil on a consistent or long enough trial to give you a personal testimonial.  I did, however, make a small batch and sprayed it on my skin to just see how it felt.  There was a tingling sensation on my skin for a few minutes after application, but no adverse reaction.  I rubbed it in well and when the area was dry it felt like there was a slight non-greasy film present on the surface of my skin.   One of the articles I read suggested that if you did not like the way it felt on your skin, it was ok to wash the residue off after 30 minutes.  Another suggestion I read was to use it at night before going to bed and shower in the morning.  I didn’t find that the residue bothered me at all.  I had applied it to skin that would not be exposed so I just waited for it to dry completely and got dressed.

I intend to do a more structured and documented trial and I will, of course, share the outcome of that in an update. The information I have found about Magnesium in general, and Magnesium oil specifically, has me interested in further exploring regular use of Magnesium Oil.

It is important to note that the sharing of my research is for informational purposes only and is not intended to diagnose or cure any disease or medical condition.  It is recommended that you seek advice from your personal health professional before taking any sort of supplements or therapies in order to make sure there is no risk of harmful side-effects or contraindications for you.

Since I don’t personally know anyone who is currently using magnesium oil on a regular basis, I would welcome hearing any personal testimonials.

I am hoping it won't be too long before I am able to re-open this topic to include personal testimonials from those who use Magnesium oil.  Thanks again for stopping by. 

Life just seems to have a way of sending me off on different paths.  The next thing I know, so much time has passed that it is startling.

I miss posting here about things that interest me, but have not abandoned this blog by any means.  I realize at the time of this writing it is likely only me who comes to visit.  I've seen many things that need editing and have many ideas for future posts.  What I am not finding is time.

If you have found your way to this blog and are wondering why it appears so abandoned, I thank you for visiting.  This space is not abandoned.  It is just untended due to life.   I feel my current path leading me back this way again soon.