The BIG Magnesium MISTAKE 52% of People Are Making

Summary

This video script reveals a common oversight in magnesium intake that could increase the risk of heart attacks, strokes, diabetes, and weakened bones. Despite blood tests, many are deficient in this essential mineral, crucial for over 300 enzyme systems. The script critiques the lack of randomized control trials and emphasizes the importance of whole food sources over supplements. It also discusses the best forms of magnesium and a surprising finding about water's role in magnesium deficiency.

Takeaways

• 🚨 A majority of people are making a significant mistake regarding magnesium intake, which could increase the risk of heart attacks, strokes, diabetes, and weakened bones.
• 🔬 Magnesium is an essential mineral for over 300 enzyme systems in the body, playing a crucial role in protein synthesis, muscle and nerve function, blood glucose control, and blood pressure regulation.
• 🩺 Despite having normal magnesium blood tests, individuals may still be deficient, as less than 1% of total magnesium is found in blood, which is tightly controlled and poorly reflects overall magnesium status.
• 📊 Higher magnesium intake has been associated with a reduced risk of heart disease, strokes, and type 2 diabetes in observational studies, although these are correlations and not direct causations.
• 🧠 The lack of randomized control trials for magnesium supplementation makes it difficult to establish a cause-and-effect relationship, but the correlation with health benefits is strong.
• 💊 Many people are not consuming enough magnesium, with 48% of individuals consuming less than the estimated average requirement.
• 🥗 Magnesium is found in leafy green vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, and whole grains, and a diet lacking these can lead to deficiency.
• 💊 Supplements should not replace a healthy diet but can help meet the recommended daily intake of magnesium if dietary intake is insufficient.
• 🔍 When choosing a magnesium supplement, look for forms bound to an amino acid, such as magnesium glycinate or magnesium threonate, which are well absorbed.
• ⚠️ Be cautious with magnesium labels; ensure they specify the amount of elemental magnesium or the percentage of the recommended daily intake they provide.
• 🌊 Historically, water was a significant source of magnesium, but modern processing has reduced its levels, potentially contributing to magnesium deficiency.

Q & A

Why is magnesium important for our health?

Magnesium is an essential mineral required for over 300 enzyme systems in the body, including protein synthesis, muscle and nerve function, blood glucose control, blood pressure regulation, bone development, DNA synthesis, and the production of the antioxidant glutathione. It also plays a critical role in the active transport of calcium and potassium ions across cell membranes, which is vital for nerve impulse conduction, muscle contraction, and maintaining a normal heart rhythm.

What is the problem with using blood tests to assess magnesium levels?

Blood tests for magnesium are not reliable because less than 1% of the total magnesium in the body is found in the blood. The body tightly controls blood magnesium levels, and most of the magnesium is stored in bones and soft tissues. Therefore, blood levels have little correlation with the total body magnesium levels or concentrations in specific tissues.

What evidence suggests a link between higher magnesium intake and reduced risk of heart disease?

Observational studies have shown associations between higher magnesium intakes and reduced risks of heart disease. For example, a 2010 study of over 14,000 people showed higher magnesium intakes were associated with a nearly 40% risk reduction in sudden heart death, and a 2013 study involving more than 300,000 people showed a 30% lower risk of heart disease with higher magnesium levels.

What is the issue with relying on associations and correlations in health research?

Associations and correlations in health research do not equal causations. Just because two factors are associated does not mean one causes the other. For example, the number of people who drowned in swimming pools correlates with the number of Nicholas Cage movies, but there is no causal link.

Why are randomized control trials important in establishing a cause and effect relationship in health research?

Randomized control trials are important because they provide stronger evidence for cause and effect relationships by controlling for variables and randomly assigning participants to treatment or control groups, which helps to eliminate bias and confounding factors.

What is the recommended daily intake of magnesium for males and females?

The recommended daily intake for males is 420 mg, and for females, it is 320 mg.

Why do many people not consume enough magnesium?

Many people consume less than the estimated average requirement for magnesium due to a diet high in processed and refined foods, which often have lower magnesium content compared to whole foods.

What is the issue with taking magnesium supplements instead of improving one's diet?

Taking magnesium supplements instead of improving one's diet can be problematic because supplements should supplement a healthy diet, not replace it. Whole foods provide not only magnesium but also other nutrients and health benefits.

What are some of the forms of magnesium that are well-absorbed and have additional health benefits?

Forms of magnesium that are well-absorbed and have additional health benefits include magnesium glycinate and magnesium taurate. Both are bound to amino acids, which play interesting roles in health.

Why should consumers be cautious when reading magnesium supplement labels?

Consumers should be cautious when reading magnesium supplement labels because the recommended daily intakes are based on elemental magnesium. Some forms of magnesium, like magnesium taurate, contain only a small percentage of elemental magnesium, so one must take a larger amount of the supplement to meet their daily needs.

What has changed in our water supply that may have contributed to lower magnesium intakes?

Much of the magnesium that used to be present in our water supply has been stripped away due to processes like desalination. Studies have shown that decreases in magnesium concentrations in the water supply have been linked to increased rates of heart attacks, strokes, and atrial fibrillation.

Outlines

00:00

🚨 Magnesium Deficiency: A Silent Health Risk 🚨

The first paragraph highlights the critical role of magnesium in human health and the common mistake of underestimating its importance. Magnesium is essential for over 300 enzyme systems, including muscle and nerve function, blood glucose control, and DNA synthesis. Despite its importance, blood tests often fail to accurately reflect magnesium levels due to the body's tight control over blood magnesium levels. The paragraph emphasizes the need to reassess magnesium intake and the potential health risks associated with deficiency, such as heart attacks, strokes, diabetes, and weakened bones. It also points out the limitations of current research, which primarily shows associations rather than causations, and the lack of long-term, large-scale studies due to funding issues.

05:02

🥦 The Importance of Magnesium Intake and Dietary Sources 🥦

The second paragraph delves into the importance of achieving the recommended daily intake of magnesium, which many people fail to meet. It discusses the prevalence of magnesium deficiency and the reliance on blood tests that may not accurately reflect true magnesium levels. The paragraph also addresses the misconception that supplements can replace a balanced diet rich in magnesium from whole foods like leafy greens, legumes, nuts, and seeds. It emphasizes the need to prioritize whole foods and the potential downsides of relying solely on supplements. Additionally, it touches on the different forms of magnesium supplements, their absorption rates, and the importance of elemental magnesium content in supplements.

10:04

💧 The Decline of Magnesium in Water and Its Impact 💧

The final paragraph reveals an unexpected finding from the research: the decline in magnesium levels in water supplies, particularly due to the shift to desalinated seawater, which has led to increased rates of heart attacks, strokes, and atrial fibrillation in some regions. It underscores the importance of whole foods in obtaining adequate magnesium and the potential health implications of processed and refined foods that lack this essential mineral. The paragraph concludes with a call to prioritize whole foods and a reminder that supplements should complement, not replace, a healthy diet.

Keywords

💡Magnesium

Magnesium is an essential mineral that plays a crucial role in over 300 enzyme systems in the body. It is vital for protein synthesis, muscle and nerve function, blood glucose control, blood pressure regulation, and the structural development of bones and DNA synthesis. In the video, it is highlighted as critical for health, with a common mistake being underconsumption, which can lead to health issues like heart attacks, strokes, diabetes, and weakened bones.

💡Deficiency

Deficiency in the context of the video refers to the insufficient intake or presence of magnesium in the body. It is a problem because even a normal magnesium blood test might not accurately reflect total body magnesium levels, leading to potential health risks such as easily avoidable health issues mentioned in the script.

💡Blood Test

A blood test for magnesium is discussed in the video as an unreliable method for assessing magnesium status. This is because only a small fraction of the body's magnesium is found in the blood, and blood levels are kept under tight control, making it difficult to correlate with total body magnesium levels.

💡Correlation

Correlation, in the script, refers to the statistical association between two variables, such as higher magnesium intake and reduced risk of certain health conditions. The video points out that while many studies show correlations between higher magnesium intake and health benefits, these do not necessarily imply causation.

💡Randomized Control Trials (RCTs)

Randomized control trials are a type of scientific experiment that the video identifies as lacking in magnesium research. These trials are important for establishing cause-and-effect relationships, which are currently not well-established for magnesium due to the predominance of observational studies.

💡Dietary Intake

Dietary intake is the focus of the video as the primary means of obtaining magnesium. It emphasizes the importance of consuming enough magnesium from whole foods like leafy greens, legumes, nuts, seeds, and whole grains, rather than relying solely on supplements.

💡Supplements

Supplements in the video are presented as a secondary source of magnesium that should complement, not replace, a healthy diet. The script mentions that many people turn to magnesium pills as an easy option but miss out on the benefits of whole foods.

💡Magnesium Forms

The video discusses different forms of magnesium supplements, such as magnesium oxide, magnesium citrate, magnesium L-threonate, magnesium glycinate, and magnesium taurate. It explains that some forms are better absorbed or have additional health benefits, and cautions viewers to be aware of the elemental magnesium content in supplements.

💡Elemental Magnesium

Elemental magnesium is the actual amount of magnesium in a supplement or food that is available for the body to use. The video points out that recommended daily intakes are based on elemental magnesium, not the total weight of a magnesium compound, which is important when choosing supplements.

💡Health Risks

Health risks in the video are associated with both low magnesium intake and the potential misinterpretation of blood tests. Conditions such as heart attacks, strokes, diabetes, dementia, poor hearing, Parkinson's disease, depression, and anxiety are mentioned as being linked to low magnesium levels.

💡Processed Foods

Processed foods are highlighted in the video as a contributing factor to magnesium deficiency. Many processed and refined foods have had magnesium stripped away, leading to a higher likelihood of inadequate magnesium consumption.

Highlights

52% of people are making a significant mistake regarding magnesium intake, which can increase risks of heart attacks, strokes, diabetes, and weakened bones.

Magnesium is an essential mineral required for over 300 enzyme systems in the body, including protein synthesis, muscle and nerve function, and blood glucose control.

Most magnesium in the body is found in bones and soft tissues, with less than 1% in the blood, making blood tests an unreliable measure of magnesium status.

Higher magnesium intakes have been associated with a reduced risk of sudden heart death and heart disease in observational studies.

Low magnesium levels are linked to a higher risk of death, as shown in a 2016 study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association.

Magnesium intake is also associated with a lower risk of strokes and improved metabolic syndrome measures such as blood pressure and cholesterol.

The research on magnesium is based on associations and correlations, which do not necessarily imply causation.

There is a lack of human randomized control trials for magnesium due to a lack of funding for large, long-term studies.

48% of people consume less than the estimated average requirement of magnesium, and 52% of people with high blood pressure do not consume enough.

People often rely on blood tests to assess magnesium levels instead of focusing on their dietary intake.

Magnesium is found in leafy green vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, and whole grains, and is often lacking in processed and refined foods.

Supplements should not replace a healthy diet but should supplement it, especially when trying to reach the recommended daily intake of magnesium.

Magnesium oxide is a common but poorly absorbed form of magnesium, while magnesium citrate is well-absorbed and can have a laxative effect.

Magnesium L-threonate has been studied for its potential cognitive benefits, but results in humans are conflicting and not conclusive.

Magnesium bound to an amino acid, such as magnesium glycinate or magnesium taurate, is well-absorbed and has additional health benefits.

When choosing magnesium supplements, it's important to check for the amount of elemental magnesium or its contribution to the recommended daily intake.

Environmental factors, such as the processing of water and food, have led to decreased magnesium intake, emphasizing the need to prioritize whole foods.

A supplement should complement a healthy diet and not be used as a replacement, ensuring a balance of nutrients for optimal health.

Transcripts

there's a huge mistake 52% of us are

making when it comes to magnesium and

this mistake needlessly puts us at

higher risks of heart attacks Strokes

diabetes and weakened bones let's go

through why magnesium is critical for

our health the big mistake many of us

are making and how we should get the

optimal amount of magnesium at the end

of the video I'll share something about

magnesium that blew my mind during my

research but first even if you have a

normal magnesium blood test you may

still be deficient and run into easily

avoidable health issues let me explain

magnesium is an essential mineral

required for more than 300 enzyme

systems in the body including protein

synthesis muscle and nerve function

blood glucose control and blood pressure

regulation it also contributes to the

structural development of bone DNA

synthesis and the production of a

powerful antioxidant called glutathione

additionally magnesium plays a critical

role in the active transport of calcium

and pottassium ions across cell

membranes this is vital for nerve

impulse conduction muscle contraction

and maintaining a normal heart rhythm

but here's the problem with magnesium

blood tests an adult body contains

approximately 25 G of magnesium with 50

to 60% present in bones and most of the

rest is found in soft tissues so less

than 1% of the total magnesium is found

in blood and these levels are kept under

tight control so assessing magnesium

status is difficult because most of the

Magnesium is inside cells or in the bone

so blood levels have little correlation

with the total body magnesium levels or

concentrations in specific tissues there

are other methods of assessing magnesium

status such as measuring magnesium in

saliva and urine but no single method is

considered satisfactory and this

contributes to the big mistake many of

us are making when it comes to magnesium

intake and we'll address that later in

the video but first what evidence do we

have that higher magnesium intake

improves our health and when reviewing

the research with me see if you can spot

a huge problem that trips up many Health

influences in 2010 an observational

study of more than 14,000 people showed

that higher magnesium intakes were

associated with an almost 40% risk

reduction in sudden heart death a 2013

study published in the American journal

of clinical nutrition involving more

than 300,000 people showed that higher

magnesium levels were associated with a

30% lower risk of heart disease you can

see that Association quite clearly on a

graph from a separate study published in

the Journal of the American Heart

Association in 2016 it shows that low

magnesium levels are associated with a

36% higher risk of death compared to

high levels of magnesium can you see the

problem yet I'll give you two more

examples it's not just heart disease

that's linked with magnesium higher

magnesium intakes are also associated

with a lower risk of Strokes according

to a 2012 study involving more than 200

140,000 people additionally strong

associations exist between magnesium and

measures related to metabolic syndrome

such as blood pressure cholesterol blood

sugar and insulin sensitivity for

example a 2011 study involving over

500,000 people shows that higher

magnesium intakes are associated with a

22% reduction in the risk of developing

type 2 diabetes and the list goes on low

magnesium intakes are associated with

dementia poor hearing Parkinson's

disease depression anxiety and the list

goes on but have you spotted the problem

with this research it's all associations

and correlations and correlations do not

equal causations so let me give you a

couple of examples to drive this point

home there's a real correlation between

the number of people who drowned by

falling into a swimming pool and the

number of films Nicholas Cage appeared

in this correlation suggests that as

Nicholas Cage appears in more movies

more people will drown inwi sing pools

which is obviously a coincidence with no

causal link you making this up another

example is the correlation between per

capita cheese consumption and the number

of people who died by becoming Tangled

in their bed sheets this ridiculous

correlation implies that eating more

cheese might somehow cause fatal bed

accidents which is clearly not the case

so when looking at this magnesium

research yes observations are

interesting but what we really need are

human randomized control trials but that

leads us onto the next problem there's

no money to be made by funding these

large long-term magnesium studies so all

we've got are small short-term studies

that often conflict with one another but

don't worry there is a solution which

I'll go through shortly for example

while this 2018 randomized control trial

showed benefits from magnesium

supplements for parameters of metabolic

syndrome another trial did not this

conflict of evidence extends even to

well-known benefits of magnesium such as

improved sleep or treatment of muscle

cramps as consumer lab concludes several

small studies suggest that taking

magnesium May shorten the time it takes

to fall asleep in Old adults with

insomnia although it does not appear to

improve sleep quality or increase Total

Sleep time and when Cochran performed a

systematic review they concluded that

magnesium is unlikely to help with

muscle cramps what we can say at this

stage is that magnesium is an essential

element for our health and higher

intakes are strongly correlated with

many health benefits however but we lack

the randomized control trials to

establish a cause and effect

relationship given these correlations

it's crucial to reach the recommended

daily intake of magnesium and that's the

key takeaway yes we lack the randomized

control trials but we should strive to

reach the recommended daily intake the

trouble is 48% of us consume less than

the estimated average requirement let

alone the recommended daily intake which

for males is 420 mg and females is

320 additionally about 52% of people

with high blood pressure do not consume

enough magnesium so the mistakes people

make are not consuming enough magnesium

and relying on a blood test to assess

their levels rather than focusing on

their intake but the big mistake people

make is after recognizing that their

magnesium intake is likely low they

don't address it properly let me explain

magnesium is found in leafy green

vegetables such as spinach legumes nuts

seeds and whole grains generally foods

containing dietary fiber provide

magnesium so yes meat does contain some

magnesium but not as much as plant-based

sources and many of us are deficient

because we're eating processed refined

Foods the Magnesium is stripped away and

instead of improving the diet many of us

turn to an easy option and just buy a

magnesium pill the problem with this

approach is that you miss out on all of

the other benefits of a whole food diet

a supplement is just that it should

supplement an already healthy diet not

replace it and that's the strategy that

I use I have a great diet but it can be

challenging to reach the recommended

daily intake of magnesium day in and day

out so I supplement with 126 Mig of

magnesium or 30% of the recommended

daily intake this complements a healthy

diet but just because I take a

supplement does not in any way mean that

you should as well but that leads us

onto the next question which form of

magnesium is best and there's a sneaky

trick that you need to watch out for

when looking at magnesium labels and

we'll cover that shortly starting with

magnesium oxide it's an incredibly

common form because it's so cheap but

it's poorly absorbed and not the form

that I use on the other hand magnesium

citrate is also cheap and very well

absorbed it also has a laxative effect

which may be useful for some people but

before we get on to my favorite forms of

magnesium we need to mention magnesium

l38 because this form has risen to fame

recently animal studies suggest that

using magnesium l38 improved the memory

of mice but in humans the results are

conflicting a small study funded by the

makers of a magnesium l38 supplement

showed a small increase in the speed of

performance when performing executive

tasks while those on a placebo showed an

even smaller Improvement however there

was no improvement in working memory

episodic memory attention anxiety or

sleep relative to the placebo another

small study also showed conflicting

results so I'm not convinced that this

expensive form of magnesium will offer

any additional benefits compared to the

other forms instead my favorite forms of

magnesium are those that are bound to an

amino acid such as magnesium glycinate

and magnesium Tate these are well

absorbed and both Glycine and toine have

really interesting roles to play in our

health and I've elected for magnesium

Tate for reasons that I've explained in

this video here but that leads me onto a

trick that you need to watch out for

when reading magnesium labels and then

I'll share is something that blew my

mind about magnesium the recommended

daily intakes are based on Elemental

magnesium so taking magnesium Tate for

example it's only 8 to 9% Elemental

magnesium so to meet the 126 Elemental

magnesium Target that I want I have to

take over 1,500 mg of magnesium Tate

this is one of the reasons why the

microvi supplement I designed has a five

pill serving size so that can fit all of

that material in but again just because

I take a supplement does not in any way

mean that you should as well so be

careful when you're reading magnesium

labels they should either say how much

Elemental magnesium is in them or List

how much of the recommended daily intake

they are providing

micrites 30% of the recommended daily

intake and here's what blew my mind when

looking at the Magnesium research one of

the reasons why we might have low

intakes of magnesium is that magnesium

used to be present in the water we

consume but much of it has now been

stripped away for example a 2017 study

in Israel showed that magnesium levels

fell sharply when the water supply was

switched over to desalinated seawater

it's the same for Denmark where as

magnesium concentrations in the water

supply decreased heart attacks and

strokes increased rates of atrial

fibrillation also increased as the

magnesium in the drinking water

decreased in summary our water and Foods

today are heavily processed and have

Stripped Away much of the Magnesium we

have to prioritize Whole Foods to try

and get enough magnesium from our diet

and if a supplement is to be considered

it should supplement a healthy diet not

replace it and make sure to check out

this next video here that goes into a

lot more detail into torine and why I've

chosen to supplement with magnesium Tate

and a massive thank you to all of the

patrons supporting the channel