O-Mg we are about to get a double helping of magnesium as we seamlessly transition our Magnesium Plus product into Magnesium DUO plus.
What is the difference?
Previously we had 150 mg of pure Magnesium Citrate, now we have 75 mg magnesium citrate and 75 mg of magneisum glycinate (150 mg total obvs).
Now, why would we do this?
Well, remember the citrate or glycinate (or malate, or taurate or threonate) are simply carrier molecules.
Magnesium in its organic state will not pass from the gut into the blood.
But we can utilise the transporters/channels the gut has for citric acid or glycine to get magnesium piggybacked on those and pulled into the blood.
The theory is this:
Does the transporter/channel max out at a certain dose per molecule of citric acid or glycine?
At some point, yes.
What that point is we do not know.
But some patients do report loose bowels with high dose magnesium of all kinds.
But we can leverage the system by splitting the dose 50/50 and thus aiming to ensure an overall higher absorption rate in the small intestines using the same dose.
This, plus our promise to not use weird fillers, binders etc, i.e. a clean label means we get:
Now, if you read anything about different forms of magnesium, you will almost certainly come across this myth.
For example, is magnesium glycinate especially calming?
Or is magnesium taurate is especially good for the heart?
The implication is that magnesium taurate (as a unit) is good for the heart.
Or magnesium glycinate (as a unit) promotes calmness.
Or magnesium malate (as a unit) supports nerve & muscle function, often touted for fibromyalgia.
These benefits appear to be unique to this magical form of magnesium bound to a specific amino acid, with a higher price tag to boot.
The reality is they are bending the truth to sell more supplements at a higher cost.
The key thing is to get the magnesium across the gut wall into the blood.
From there, if the magnesium is going to get into the cell or mitochondria and be used as a co-factor for enzymes, it will have to be removed from the amino acid/carrier molecule.
Remember, magnesium citrate or magnesium glycinate is a man-made unit, it does not exist in nature.
The mechanism is for magnesium to attach to the binding site of an enzyme, activate ATP, or block glutamate from its receptor.
None of that happens with it still being bound to a carrier molecule.
Note that magnesium is the co-factor for the enzyme DNA/RNA polymerase.
That is the enzyme that makes DNA/RNA, thus allows you to makes proteins, thus makes enzymes (and all body tissues), therefore pretty much runs your bodily system.
Check out the key positions magnesium is used in the Krebs cycle and note that ATP is only active and useable once it is bound to magnesium.
So magnesium really is important, but why would magnesium bound to different amino acids do such different things if the magnesium is then unbound to do its work?
The answer is its amino acid, which is related to the suggested additional benefits, not the magnesium per se.
Glycine itself is a calming brain neurotransmitter, so when it uncouples from magnesium, it may have some calming & relaxing effects.
But are the doses of glycine in a magnesium glycinate capsule enough for a therapeutic effect?
No.
Taurine may also be good for the heart, but again in therapeutic doses which you will not get from a magnesium taurate supplement.
Is magnesium the ultimate nervous system calmer?
Yes.
For pain, depression, anxiety and so much more.
It reduces inflammation as part of that mechanism.
I feel all this is deliberately misleading, in the same way the drug industry deliberately misleads us about the benefits of drugs using clever statistics.
One last thing, remember B6 is required to get magnesium into the cells of your nervous system, muscles and organs.
Check this out, RBC (red blood CELL) magnesium (a reliable marker of magnesium body stores), before subjects were given 100mg of B6 with NO MAGNESIUM GIVEN.
Did the patients have magnesium in the blood but not able to get it into the cells?
The answer was a big yes.
If you want some easy, peasy magnesium education for you or your associates/staff, try these from the IN Health supplements education section.
Part 1: Benefits and roles (2 mins)
https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/752297140
Part 2: Bone health, how common is it, common symptoms (2 mins)
https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/752297204
Part 3: Forms of magnesium, vitamin D link, why B6 (3 mins)
Part 4: Which product and when (2 mins)
https://vimeo.com/manage/videos/752297347