More Questions About Magnesium

[CASSIEBEL]

Today I bought a bottle of magnesium And I'm needing some advice on how to take it.
I know it was discussed in a previous thread but I didn't have any luck finding the post about taking magnesium and calcium together.

I take calcium twice a day because I'm post menopausal and don't get a lot of dietary calcium. I seem to remember someone saying it was not good to take the two supplements at the same time?

The one I bought is magnesium oxide. It also has zinc in it (I didn't see that on the bottle till I got home). Is that one OK? Also the recommended dose is 400 mgs of magnesium and 15 mgs of zinc.

Thanks in advance for any advice,

Cass

[Lenin]

Cassie,
I know some pundits recommend taking calcium and magnesium together. I don't for the sole reason that some calcium magnesium complexes (notably dolomite) are exceeding slow to dissolve...that's what the Dolomite Alps are made of and the Alps DON'T dissolve in the rain.
They could conceivably bind in the stomach and most calcium supplements, even alone, are very poorly dissolved.

In general, I'm not fond of calcium supplements because I really don' think there's much of a tie in with bone preservation; it only SOUNDS like there should be so everybody jumped on the bandwagon with calcium supplentation. (I get plenty in my TOFU.)

In any case, I take my Magnesium without any other minerals but I'm sure zinc won't be a problem (especially as the most common chelate, the gluconate)

[ARIZONA73]

Lenin,

You've raised a very interesting point about calcium. There continues to be some controversy surrounding this mineral as far as preventing osteoporosis. While calcium is played up big, and people are encouraged to get more of this mineral, the importance of magnesium is virtually ignored. In fact, magnesium may be just as important, maybe even more so. Without magnesium, calcium will not be absorbed very well. In fact, when a person with low calcium and low magnesium is given extra calcium, both levels remain low! Surprising, isn't it? Ah, but when extra MAGNESIUM is added, both levels IMPROVE. Magnesium is one important key to calcium absorption. Since calcium and magnesium are both absorbed in the same sites in your intestines, too much calcium prevents you from absorbing magnesium.

[Uff-Da!]

Lenin and Arizona have pointed out some of the concerns I've read about regarding these minerals. Calcium is poorly absorbed without magnesium. Magnesium is poorly utilized without calcium. But I've read of the concerns that if you take them together, the magnesium will aid in calcium absorption, but will not be available for some of the other uses in the body. So what I do is take the supplements separately, but make sure the calcium is taken with a meal in which there is SOME magnesium, like often found in vegetables, and take the magnesium with SOME calcium, like dairy products. I guess it is a bit like hedging my bets.

[Uff-Da!]

Some other concerns: Vitamin D is also needed in order to absorb calcium. That's another reason to take calcium with food.

But here is a real concern about supplementation. Source: http://66.102.7.104/search?q=cache:nIHHEARTS7MJ:www.hq.nasa. gov/office/codec/cc/Pages/Editions/navig_10_04.pdf+calcium+magnesium+absorb +site:.gov&hl=en

Optimal calcium function may also reduce the risk of osteoporosis. Calcium supplementation in the face of magnesium deficiency can lead to deposits of calcium insoft tissue such as joints. This promotes arthritis."

So it definitely sounds as though if one chooses to supplement with calcium, one had better analyze one's diet to make sure one is also getting plenty of magnesium or to supplement with magnesium, as well.