Magnesium may be even more essential to health than calcium, according to a board-certified OB/GYN. In an article on Huffington Post, Christiane Northrup, M.D., said these two minerals work together, but magnesium controls the entry of calcium into cells, which makes it just as important to bone health as calcium and vitamin D.
Beyond bone health, Northrup said magnesium sulfate is helpful to pregnant women suffering from toxemia by preventing seizures and restoring normal blood pressure. And, it can reduce preterm labor contractions.
She included an anecdote about a friend who had contractions seven weeks before her child was due; and post birth, was extremely tired, had frequent migraines, and severe muscle cramps. This friend went to a Naturopath who diagnosed severe magnesium deficiency, and she was given weekly magnesium IVs. While the friend’s OB/GYN insisted she get enough calcium, he didn’t recommend increasing magnesium intake.
Magnesium deficiency isn’t uncommon, she said, adding the National Academy of Sciences found most Americans were deficient. This may be due to food processing, which removes much of the magnesium that's naturally found in certain foods; taking antacids, which disrupts magnesium absorption; modern farming practices, which depletes magnesium and other minerals; and medications including common diuretics, birth control pills, insulin, tetracycline and other antibiotics, and cortisone, which cause the body to waste magnesium.
The mineral offers health benefits beyond prenatal care, she wrote. Magnesium is essential for the functioning of more than 300 different enzymes in the body, particularly those that produce, transport, store, and utilize energy. Not having enough magnesium can lead to anxiety, asthma, constipation, heart disease, hypertension, infertility, nerve problems and muscle spasms, she noted.
Northrup said the ratio of calcium to magnesium should be 1:1 or 2:1, and many Americans may need to supplement with magnesium to reach this ratio. She recommends keeping calcium intake between 800 to 1,400 mg per day and adding enough magnesium to meet the ideal ratio. She said taking magnesium oxide, chelated magnesium or chloride is fine, but it’s best to divide the doses throughout the day.