What's The RIGHT
Magnesium Dosage
For Optimal Health?

Are you taking the RIGHT Magnesium Dosage? Most people aren’t. In fact, you probably aren’t taking any magnesium AT ALL, and even if you are taking 'some' magnesium, you may still be taking far short of the amount you need and may still be having signs of magnesium deficiency without even knowing it! And that’s a shame because you probably have a health problem that can benefit GREATLY from magnesium supplementation. Choosing the Right MAGNESIUM DOSAGE can be tricky. And choosing wrong can give you less than optimal health, but this article will walk you through EXACTLY what you need to know to choose the right amount of magnesium for YOU...

You'll learn:

• If you should be taking Magnesium Supplements
• The Right Amount to Take
• The Best Magnesium Supplements
• Magnesium Side Effects that you should know about
• Problems with Magnesium Overdose and how to avoid it

If you look at the Signs of Magnesium Deficiency page, you probably have AT LEAST one or two of them right now. But if you have almost ANY health problems, increasing your magnesium dosage can make a big difference in your health. 

So what is the
Right magnesium dosage?

The answer is… it depends…

Everyone has VASTLY DIFFERENT needs and there is really only one way to find out exactly what magnesium dosage is right for you… try out different dosage and types of magnesium, as I discuss in detail below, and find out what works best for you.

What is the correct
starting dosage

There are different guidelines for the right magnesium dosage depending upon whom you talk to. So, we are going to START with some conservative guidelines in order to help determine what your STARTING magnesium dosage should be.

The “Recommended Daily Allowance”, or RDA, for Magnesium in the United States is approximately:

• 400 mg per day for men
• 300 mg per day for women

The RDA’s were designed to be the MINIMUM amount to prevent obvious symptoms of deficiency, but not necessarily ‘optimal’ functioning for YOUR individual needs! However, researchers believe that these would be too low of a starting dose for supplementation to correct deficiencies, and that around 600 mg would be a better starting dose.

"When Mg substitution is started, the minimum
dose to be applied is 600 mg Mg per day.
The therapy should proceed for more than one month..."
About the Misdiagnosis of Magnesium Deficiency

Even though you are going to be getting some of this from diet, do not include dietary intake in these dosages. Since you have a health problem the magnesium that you HAVE BEEN GETTING from your diet has obviously not been enough for you. So magnesium supplements are the way to go.

I also HIGHLY recommend that you don’t take magnesium alone. Vitamin D is probably one of the most important nutrients for your health today, so read about the Symptoms of Vitamin D Deficiency and get a combination of nutrients such as come in Jigsaw Health's Essential Daily Packs.

WARNING: If you have Kidney Disease, myasthenia gravis, Atrial Fibrillation, a slow heart rate or a HIGH Magnesium Level- supplementation COULD make your condition worse.  Be safe and talk to your doctor if you have any of the above conditions, or have Magnesium in Pregnancy.

What’s the best
Magnesium supplement?

• Before you decide how MUCH magnesium to take, you must first decide what KIND of magnesium to take as some are better than others. Be sure to read labels VERY carefully. Here are your magnesium supplementation choices:
• Magnesium Oxide: found in Low Quality magnesium supplements. It’s cheap and readily available- and it’s the WORST for absorption. Don’t get it if it says Magnesium Oxide or if it simply says 'Magnesium' without saying what KIND of magnesium- it's probably magnesium oxide.
• Magnesium Citrate: If you don’t have any serious health problems and just want a general supplement for everyday use, this is a good choice. It CAN be mildly laxative at higher dosages so is a good choice if you tend to be constipated. But it’s not such a good choice if you tend towards loose stools or have an ongoing health condition that you may need to be taking fairly large doses on a daily basis.
• Angstrom Magnesium- probably the BEST choice for those who get loose stools easily. It's tiny particle size provides the BEST absorption of any supplements with almost no Gastrointestinal symptoms.
• Chelated Magnesium: is bound to amino acids and are the magnesium supplementation of choice for most health conditions. They are more expensive, but can be taken in larger dosages with fewer laxative side effects. Chelated magnesium preparations go by many different names, all being suitable for magnesium supplementation:
  

                     * Elemental Chelated Magnesium

                     * Magnesium Glycinate

                     * Magnesium Malate- a good choice for Symptoms of Fibromyalgia and Chronic Fatigue Patients- the connection between Fibromyalgia and Magnesium is VERY strong!! I highly recommend Jigsaw Health's Sustained Release Magnesium Malate as my first choice in magnesium supplements.

• Transdermal Magnesium Gel: Magnesium preparations that you rub into the skin. Magnesium is well-absorbed this way and is a good choice for people with poor digestion, those who simply can’t tolerate magnesium any other way, or for those with repetitive strain injuries or tendonitis. You can rub Transdermal Magnesium Gel directly into the painful areas and it can help to relieve the local pain!
• Magnesium Bath Flakes: Since magnesium is absorbed through the skin, using Magnesium Bath Flakes is a great way to relax in the bath before bed if you have any trouble sleeping. Take a look at the Epsom Salt Uses page to see some other creative ways to use these bath flakes.

Once you have found the Type of magnesium supplements that are best for you, then you get to decide how much to take.

Finding the RIGHT
Magnesium Dosage

If you take oral supplements, it is still OK to take an Epsom salt bath in the evening. If you take too much magnesium, then you will begin to have one of the most common Magnesium Side Effect of loose stools - and you'll know to take a little less. Although there is a possibility of having a Magnesium Overdose, the chance is slim and most people are in no danger- but be sure that you know the signs of overdose and the safe amount to take. Until you know how much magnesium supplementation you will need, you should start out with low dose tablets, or one of the Powdered Supplements that you can easily increase in increments of about 100 mg at a time.

So, follow the RDA above and the first day, start with either 300 mg or 400 mg per day in AT LEAST two divided doses – one in the morning and one in the afternoon or evening. You can take your magnesium either on an empty stomach if it doesn’t bother you, or with food if it does.

If you get loose stools or stomach upset at that magnesium dosage, then take it 3 or even 4 times per day for 3 to 4 days. Don’t assume that you are taking too much magnesium simply because you have loose stools, but be sure to know the symptoms of a Magnesium Overdose and to stop taking it if you begin to feel worse. But if you do get loose stools, you may need to switch preparations or use magnesium gel, oil or Epsom salts along with your magnesium supplements until your Signs of Magnesium Deficiency go away.

If you are tolerating the magnesium well, but your symptoms have not improved, then keep increasing the dosage until your symptoms are relieved, you get loose stools or you reach approximately 900 mg per day. Continue taking the magnesium at the dose that relieves your symptoms and doesn’t cause loose stools or overdose symptoms.

Read the blog post from Dr. Carolyn Dean on Four Ways to Stop Magnesium from Causing Diarrhea and get the first module of Future Health Now for Free. Dr. Dean also recommends Angstrom Magnesium and is the formulation that she uses personally.

If there is any point in time that you just feel worse, then stop taking that magnesium dosage for a few days and make sure that you drink plenty of water. It's VERY unlikely that you could take too much magnesium, but if you do- magnesium is water soluble and any symptoms should go away in a day or two of not taking magnesium.

If you begin to get loose stools at any time, then decrease the dosage to the last dosage that you DIDN’T have problems. If your symptoms begin to resolve, continue taking the same dosage that helped you.

When will you feel better

Some people may feel better right away, others may take up to a month or two months to feel significantly better. In fact, if you have a serious tissue deficiency of magnesium, it may take up to 2 months simply to replenish your tissue stores of magnesium. So, be patient- you didn’t get sick overnight and you are not going to get well overnight either. A word of caution- you may need high doses of magnesium at first but when your magnesium deficiency begins to resolve you may begin to get loose stools. When this happens, just decrease your daily dose of magnesium.

I hope that this helps you to determine the BEST magnesium dosage for you. Good luck and feel free to ask any questions you may have about magnesium, your dosage or any health conditions that you may want to try out a regimen of magnesium supplementation.

Next --->
Magnesium Level

Magnesium Resources

• Transdermal Magnesium Gel- Simply rub this lotion like substance right into your skin and get a quick 'Magnesium Supplement' without taking pills. The magnesium absorbs right through your skin and into your bloodstream. It really works!
• Transdermal Magnesium -The Book - Learn the science and methods behind how and why Transdermal Magnesium works
• Jigsaw Health's Extended Release Magnesium Malate - Extended release high absorption magnesium allows you to have better and longer lasting effectiveness with fewer pills. Jigsaw's magnesium gets rave reviews.
• The Magnesium Miracle- Dr. Carolyn Dean is the foremost expert on magnesium. A must read for magnesium education!

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