Natural healing, or any true healing, can be tough in many cases, but this one's easy. And unfortunately, conventional doctors only prescribe medications that worsen the problem. Sure they may eliminate the migraine at the moment but they are hard on the liver which creates a continuing cycle of worsening toxicity and immediate relief.
In 2012, a study was published in the Journal of Neural Transmission entitled Why All Migraine Patients Should Be Treated with Magnesium.1 This study concluded:
“Considering the fact that magnesium deficiency may be present in up to half of migraine patients, and that routine blood tests are not indicative of magnesium status, empiric treatment with at least oral magnesium is warranted in all migraine sufferers.”
Magnesium is the fourth most abundant mineral in the human body and acts as a natural muscle relaxer. It is also meant to exist in the brain in high levels as it plays a huge role in the central nervous system.
Magnesium deficiency is incredible common because we have many factors that deplete it quickly, including
- Refined sugars
- Caffeine
- Stress
- Lack of sleep
This is why many people notice their migraines being triggered or worsened by these factors.
"But I've tried magnesium and it doesn't work!"
The problem is that most magnesium supplements are poorly absorbed. Magnesium supplements that are only magnesium citrate or magnesium oxide are about 10% absorbable, so even though they're cheaper, 90% of the cost is wasted. These forms are not bioavailable enough to replenish a deficiency. The 90% that is not absorbed can cause loose bowels when taken in larger amounts (so their only good use is for cleaning out bowels).
In order to work correctly, the magnesium has to be a bioavailable form and taken in significant amounts. There is no set dosage that will work for everyone and each person's regular dose will need to be adjusted based on the factors above that deplete magnesium.
There are just a couple forms of magnesium that I have seen work well with my clients who suffer from migraines. You can click here to read more about those.
Please be cautious of products like Natural Calm that claim to be ionic but are not bioavailable enough to correct a deficiency and contain high levels of arsenic.
A note about topical magnesium:
Topical magnesium is a great way to get magnesium, but it can not fill a deficiency on it's own. Liquid ionic magnesium is more bioavailable, absorbed better orally, and has sufficient amounts to reverse a deficiency.
"But I've tested magnesium and it's fine."
Doctors test serum magnesium. But the magnesium that's in our blood does not mean it's getting into our cells, which is where we need it. As the study above indicated:
“Routine blood tests do not reflect true body magnesium stores since <2% is in the measurable, extracellular space, 67% is in the bone and 31% is located intracellularly. ”
If one feels the need to test magnesium, an intracellular magnesium test is necessary. Unfortunately, most doctors do not know anything about this so it may be hard to find a provider who will test this.
But with magnesium, there's a lot of freedom to experiment and too much will simply come out through the bowels. The only caution with taking too much of a good magnesium supplement is when it is isolated. Isolated minerals can offset the balance of corresponding minerals in the body, which is why it's ideal to take a magnesium supplement that contains other minerals like the one recommended in this post.
For many of my clients, I find that it is beneficial for them to take both of my preferred magnesium supplements. With these bioavailable forms, a daily dosage of at least 700 mg is required to work therapeutically for migraines and other health issues related to magnesium deficiency.
Other factors to consider
There are many other contributing factors to migraines, including:
- Aspartame (diet or sugar-free foods/drinks)
- MSG (monosodium glutamate found in processed foods--This is a neurotoxin)
- An overburdened liver (This is why migraine medications only feed the cycle.)
- Gluten
These factors must be eliminated/addressed if applicable in order to effectively eliminate migraines.
Please feel free to contact me for further guidance. It is my passion to ensure you are free of migraines!
Praying this information helps you achieve better health,
Sara Jo Poff
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