I take a multi-mineral daily. I think it is a good product, but I question the type of magnesium listed. It is ambiguous to me. It lists the following:

Magnesium (as magnesium oxide, taurinate, citrate, alpha-ketoglutarate, aspartate)† 500 mg

† Country Life always labels minerals in elemental weight.

I know magnesium oxide is not abosrbed well in the human body. I wonder what the distribution is bewteen the different types. Has anyone run into this before? Does the dosage seem correct for daily use? Any thoughts are appreciated.

FYI- here is a link of the product for further reference

http://www.iherb.com/Country-Life-To...&utm_medium=pf

Thanks!

I would call them up.

In the past I used to verify mixtures like this on the phone.

In both instances the customer service person could not answer the question. Whenever oxide is in there, assume that is the
dominant version. It is very inexpensive and typically I think
those others are listed just to look impressive!

Country Life:
http://www.country-life.com/category.cfm?Category=9

I will be very surprised if they give you a breakdown on them.
Giving elemental is deceiving...because elemental oxide is quite high --about 40% But it is not bioAVAILable in the body.

I recommend reading Dr. Carolyn Dean's book on Magnesium before buying anything. It's too important a mineral to make mistakes on type and dosage.

Bath-absorbed Mg is the most powerful Mg I've ever found. I would never rely on a supplement for all the Mg I need.

Thanks to both of you for the information. I will look into other options for magnesium. I like the multi-mineral to cover a braod range of needs, but this one ingredienr is an issue.

Centrum Senior or Costco's generic for it are both very good
mineral supplements.

The Costco brand for Centrum Senior was #1 rated from Consumer Reports recently. Both are Iron free. That is important for older females and for males especially.

That is what we use.

I've been using a strict multi-mineral combined with separate vitamins and a B complex on a daily basis .

I do this because it seems really tough to find the near perfect multi-vitamin/mineral out there with all of the optimum ingredients and dosages contained within.

I like the natural forms of vitamin E ( gamma). Also, B complex with Pyridoxal-5 Phosphate and other active forms of vitamin B. D3 of course.

Magnesium was something I took for granted until reading the posts here on Neurotalk. I ordered Dr. Carolyn Dean's book on Magnesium. Looks like it has some very good reviews.

In the meantime Douglas labs has what appears to be a good multi-mineral. I plan on ordering one.

Magnesium listed is (as magnesium aspartate and magnesium amino acid chelate) 400 mg

Here is the product itself:

http://www.iherb.com/Douglas-Laborat...les/39148?at=0

Maybe a bit pricey, but ingredients appear to be of quality. Manufacturer is reputable as well. Six pills a day seems a bit crazy!

Keep in mind that aspartate.... will stimulate the NMDA receptor for pain. This aspartic acid in Nutrasweet is thought to be the culprit in the headaches people commonly get from it.

The NMDA receptor:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/NMDA_receptor

Because NMDA antagonists work for PN pain, I tend to avoid
all aspartic acid or aspartate products for that reason.

It is similar to avoiding MSG, monosodium glutamate. Same reason, for people with chronic pain, MSG will trigger them.

And I agree, it is very difficult to get multivitamin products with a formula YOU need and want. I tend to avoid mixtures and only take
single ones that are the most important. I use the generic multi Senior only occasionally, for that reason.

I'm almost done reading The Magnesium Miracle by Carolyn Dean. What a great book. It provides a lot of information in easy to understand format. I never knew how important this mineral is to our health and well being. I took the 100% RDA and thought that hole was plugged in terms of getting me an adequate amount on a daily basis. Magnesium oxide seems to be used the most and is the least effective. That is where I made a mistake. Not doing the proper research.

Another fascinating aspect of magnesium is the various forms available for us to use. Different types work in ways others do not. I'm trying magnesium malate. Supposedly it is capable of crossing the blood to brain barrier and can help with metal detoxification. I'm hoping it might improve my short term memory! Time will tell.

Cold feet and tingling in my hands are other nagging issues that flare up in a waxing and waning pattern. I'm excited to try this supplement and see if it helps at all.

The book suggests one method (among many) of testing magnesium deficiency by doing an oral clinical trial. Take supplmental magnesium for 1 to 3 months and record changes to physical and mental health. This will be my approach.

I'm hopeful that it will help. I'll report my results in 3 months.

Mrs.D, i bought Epsom Salt today to soak my feet. I hope it helps my feet.

How much epsom salt and warm water to combine to come up with the "potent" combination?

When is the best time to soak one's feet? Is it before bedtime?

Thank you very much for your advice.

If in a small pan...tub... only for the feet. 4 oz is enough or a bit less.

If in a big bathtub, you are going to need 6oz to 8oz in lukewarm water in a bathtub not filled to the top.