Could You Be Magnesium Deficient? It's Called "The Silent Epidemic"

The average American diet only supplies about 40% of the recommended daily amount of magnesium. In addition, diuretics, excessive sweating, alcohol intake, fast foods and digestive problems can also contribute to decreased magnesium.

Because magnesium is important in the utilization of over 300 enzymes, the symptoms can be many and varied. Some experience fatigue, depression, weakness, or muscle spasms that include the smooth muscle spasm of the blood vessels, intestinal smooth muscle, bronchial smooth muscle and coronary smooth muscles.

Despite the estimated 80% magnesium deficiency, this deficiency is rarely diagnosed. To date, the serum magnesium blood test has been very ineffective in picking up magnesium deficiency. Because of the protective balancing mechanism of the body called hematosis, the deficiency won't show up until you are in serious condition with cardiac arrhythmia or convulsions.

The most accurate test developed is the Magnesium Load Test. The lab will measure the amount of magnesium excreted in the urine before and again after an IV challenge of magnesium. These values are used by the Doctor to make a calculation to see if your body soaked up lots of magnesium because it was deficient or calculate what was excreted because of sufficient magnesium already in the system. For many of our patients that have had this testing, it did prove out that 80% did, indeed, suffer magnesium deficiency and improving the situation did address and improve some chronic symptoms.

Tipu Sultan, MD, is well-versed in nutritional supplementation. He believes in adhering to the Hippocratic Oath to "First, Do No Harm". He also believes in "Finding the Cause and Treating the Cause". Dr. Sultan states, "Most illnesses are caused by environmental, nutritional, dietary, and hormonal factors and it cannot get simpler than that."

Dr. Sultan heads the Environmental Health and Allergy Center - St. Louis, located at 11585 W. Florissant Avenue, Florissant, MO 63033 and can be reached by calling 314-921-5600 or Email.