It’s strange that conventional doctors continue to pay no attention to your magnesium levels… especially now, when new research reveals that this common mineral might help your ability to avoid viruses.(1,2)
My whole family had the virus last month. In my case, it was simply stiffness and a little congestion for 4 days. Now.. I have no expertise in this particular virus, but I believe it’s my immunity working the same way it has since I chose the alkaline way of life twenty-one years ago.
I’ve never had a cold or influenza in that time.
For those 21 years we’ve been saying that magnesium is the most important one of four ‘pillars of strength’ minerals we need to maintain alkaline balance.. and the simple fact is that almost all Australians are deficient. Why? Because our ancient land has very low levels of magnesium, so our foods, grown on that land, are the same.
How Important is Adequate magnesium?
More than 300 enzyme systems in your body require magnesium to regulate biochemical functions – and that’s just for starters. (3,4)
I’d bore you if I had to provide a complete list of magnesium’s health benefits, but here are just a few…(5,6,7)
- The age-reversing enzyme telomerase depends on magnesium
- Vitamin D can’t fully express its anti-cancer properties without it
- Magnesium may prevent – and reverse – insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes
- It’s vital for muscle regulation
- Studies say it’s better at lowering blood pressure than reducing salt
- Magnesium may help regulate your sleep cycles
- It’s considered to be essential for warding off depression, anxiety, and other mood disorders
And I just learned that scientists in Switzerland are suggesting it may play a crucial role in keeping your immune system strong and fighting infections, including that virus. They recently found that a powerful type of immune cell – called a cytotoxic or “killer” T cell – can only eliminate infected cells with magnesium.(8)
Killer T cells NEED Magnesium!
Killer T cells are vital if your body is fighting viruses. Your immune system produces battalions of them to target viral proteins,– but without magnesium, they don’t function efficiently.
Scientists point out that Killer T cells won’t prevent infection, but they spring into action after a virus has infiltrated the body.
And reports now claim that they’re critical for clearing viruses once the infection has started – and crucial for reducing its severity.(9)
It’s no coincidence that multiple studies now reveal pandemic patients – especially those with severe cases – are woefully deficient in magnesium.(10)
Magnesium isn’t just an Australian problem.
In the US at least 50% ofpeople are deficient in magnesium – thanks to Big Agra’s industrial farming methods – and don’t have strong enough killer T cells to fight infection.
A few years ago, the Journal of the American College of Nutrition published a study comparing the nutrient content of crops in 1999 with 1950 levels. Researchers were shocked to find many vegetables had lost 80% of their magnesium content.(11)
How to get enough Magnesium
Here’s the good news .
It’s easy to boost your magnesium levels and restore them to what natured intended.
- Begin with your food. Despite the overall lack of magnesium in today’s diet, it’s still good to eat foods richer in magnesium. Try almonds, pumpkin seeds, avocado, figs and leafy greens .
To ensure you’re getting the max amount of magnesium from your vegetables, steam or sauté them instead of eating them raw.
Raw isn’t best in this case. Cooking certain vegetables is the best way to release their nutrients. - Bathe in magnesium flakes. I used to recommend adding Epsom salt to your bath, but I’ve discovered something better. Magnesium bath flakes are a highly concentrated, natural form of magnesium. One study found that soaking in a magnesium flake bath increased levels in the body by 60%.(12)
Add one to three cups to tub of warm water and relax.
- Supplement: Because it’s hard to get magnesium from food, I recommend supplementing with between 600 mg and 1,000 mg a day. How?
I take Alkaline Booster daily because it’s not only boosting my Mg levels, it’s also giving me my RDA of the other alkaline pillars, calcium, potassium and sodium. It’s the alkaline diet in a teaspoon!
I’m also taking our Hydrogen tablets dissolved in a glass of water. These are a formulation of a special form of magnesium that dissolves in water and releases molecular hydrogen, the subject of over 1000 scientific studies.
And.. just because I love it so much, I’m drinking hydrogen saturated water. See how here.
References:
1. Tan CW, et al. Cohort study to evaluate the effect of vitamin D, magnesium, and vitamin B12 in combination on progression to severe outcomes in older patients with coronavirus (COVID-19). Nutrition. 2020 Nov-Dec;79-80:111017.
2. O'Keefe JH and DiNicolantonio JJ. “Magnesium and vitamin D deficiency as a potential cause of immune dysfunction, cytokine storm and disseminated intravascular coagulation in covid-19 patients.” Mo Med. 2021 Jan-Feb;118(1):68-73.
3. American Osteopathic Association. “Low magnesium levels make vitamin D ineffective: Up to 50 percent of US population is magnesium deficient.” Science Daily. 26 February 2018.
4. Institute of Medicine (IOM). “Food and Nutrition Board. Dietary Reference Intakes: Calcium, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Vitamin D and Fluoride.” National Academy Press, 1997.
5. Rowe WJ. “Correcting magnesium deficiencies may prolong life.” Clin Interv Aging. 2012;7:51-4.
6. Richards J, et al. “Homocysteine levels and leukocyte telomere length.” Atherosclerosis. 2008;200(2):271-7.
7. Barbagallo M, Ligia J. Dominguez. "Magnesium and type 2 diabetes: an update." Int J Diabetes Clin Res .2015, 2:1
8. Lötsche J, et al. "Magnesium sensing via LFA-1 regulates CD8+ T cell effector function.” Cell. 2022
9. Tarke A, et al. “Comprehensive analysis of T cell immunodominance and immunoprevalence of SARS-CoV-2 epitopes in COVID-19 cases.” Cell Rep Med. 2021 Feb 16;2(2):100204.
10. O'Keefe JH and DiNicolantonio JJ. “Magnesium and vitamin d deficiency as a potential cause of immune dysfunction, cytokine storm and disseminated intravascular coagulation in covid-19 patients.” Mo Med. 2021 Jan-Feb;118(1):68-73.
11. King DE, et al. “Dietary magnesium and C-reactive protein levels.” J Am Coll Nutr. 2005 Jun;24(3):166-71.
12. Watkins K, Josling P. “A pilot study to determine the impact of transdermal magnesium treatment on serum levels and whole body CaMg Ratios.” Eur J Nutraceutical Res. 2010.