I've been reading on magnesium and it's benefits not only for MS but for other conditions as well. I wanted to start supplementing but wanted to make sure I knew what my options were.

In my reading, I have come across different kinds of magnesium and one dr. feels it is best absorbed through the skin through magnesium chloride. There is magnesium citrate, magnesium glycinate, magnesium chelate, etc. So I wasn't sure which one is more readily absorbed when taken orally and if taking an Epsom salt bath would actually be the best way to absorb the magnesium as the one dr suggests.

Also, I read about the ratio of calcium to magnesium. Some say it's 2:1 and others say 1:1. In other words, if you take 320 mg of magnesium you either need 320 mg of calcium or 640 mg of calcium. I also know that most of us get our calcium from our diets so supplementation may not be necessary.

Currently, from what I have read, there is no blood test or anything that can be done to see if you are deficient. I know a study was done some time ago on the brains of 5 MS patients and controls on autopsy. The MS patients showed a deficiency of magnesium in their brains while the controls did not. I thought that was interesting but such a small study and one I am currently not got to volunteer for, for obvious reasons. But it made sense to me as neurologically, magnesium deficiencies can cause problems.

Anyhow, may one of you can shed some light on proper supplementation.