Different Forms provide a variety of Health Benefits!
At The Care Group, we offer supplements that are vetted or "kitchen tested" to help ensure that you are taking the right supplement for the appropriate indication and at the appropriate dose. This is very important because supplements you buy over the counter outside of our offices can contain large variations in mineral and vitamin content.
Let's use magnesium as an example of the nuances of various minerals and vitamins. Magnesium is the fourth most abundant mineral in the body and many people are deficient.
One may think that magnesium is simply magnesium and that it doesn’t matter what form you use for general and/or specific health issues. Well, the truth is that there are a few different forms of magnesium and they actually have different uses (or) effects in the body!
Magnesium supports a number of important functions within the body, including: creation of ATP (energy) molecules, the pumping of the heart, relaxation of blood vessels & muscle tissue , proper bone and tooth formation, proper digestion, proper bowel function and , the production of more than 300 enzymatic reactions in the body, etc.
Below, I will list a few of the different forms and explain how each is used. Magnesium salts versus chelated forms of magnesium.
Magnesium salts. Magnesium citrate is a magnesium salt and is one of the most commonly used and easily available forms of magnesium. Salts by definition are a chemical compound formed from the reaction of an acid with a base. In this case, magnesium (base) and citric acid.
Magnesium citrate is poorly absorbed and is ideally suited for increasing intestinal motility and helping with constipation. However, if you want to raise your serum levels of magnesium, magnesium citrate is not the way to go.
Chelated magnesium. Chelation occurs when a mineral is bonded to one or more amino acids. Amino acids are the building blocks of protein. Chelated forms of magnesium are much better absorbed into the bloodstream and will help to raise serum magnesium levels much more effectively than magnesium salts. Higher magnesium levels may help a variety of conditions including high blood pressure, vascular/migraine headaches, osteoporosis, palpitations and even fatigue. There are a variety of chelated forms of magnesium: examples include Magnesium - glycinate, lysinate, and/or malate.
At the office, we can test you for magnesium deficiency.
A normal blood or serum magnesium (unless low) is not a reliable indicator to assess for magnesium deficiency as most magnesium occurs in the cells. The most precise way to check for intracellular magnesium status is the RBC (red blood cell) magnesium test. RBC magnesium levels are inversely related to high blood pressure. Unfortunately, the RBC magnesium test is expensive and not routinely performed.
Is it possible to get too much magnesium? The answer is yes! As an example, patients with chronic kidney disease may build up unsafe levels of magnesium in the body. You should always check with your healthcare provider first to help customize any supplement regimen.