High Magnesium can Lower Blood Sugar

Obesity and diabetes rates are soaring in the United States and many Americans are finding it harder and harder to keep their blood sugar stable. Metformin and other diabetic medications are being given to individuals who are showing pre-diabetic and insulin resistance in an effort to slow the progression to Type 2 Diabetes. This is a huge concern because these medications can have debilitating side effects such as headaches, diarrhea, nausea, indigestion, and even vomiting which can severely impact the daily lives of these patients.

We need to find some natural options for these individuals that can help to restore normal blood sugar and decrease insulin response. I've already discussed in previous blogs how diet can play a huge role in not only how your body uses the food you eat, but also how most white flour products (breads, pasta, and processed or boxed foods) and processed sugars can also alter the way your metabolic hormones respond to the food you intake. My recommendations up to this point have been to increase water intake to half your body weight in ounces daily, get 8-10 servings of fruit and vegetables everyday, and to cut out or significantly reduce the amount of bread products and processed sugars you consume. For many of my patients I have also recommended Sugar Balance to help restore insulin response associated with syndrome X, obesity, and type 1 and 2 diabetes.

According to a recently published study from the Medical College of Qingdao University in China, high dosages of magnesium have been shown to significantly lower increased blood sugar, fasting blood glucose, and also increase the expression of insulin receptors on the pancreas and in skeletal muscle in Type 2 diabetic rat models. This study compared magnesium dosages of low (200mg) to medium (1000mg) to high (2000) daily. This is a huge step towards understanding the relationship of essential nutrients in regulating body processes and also introducing an additional mineral that should be evaluated in individuals with insulin resistance and diabetes.

So whats the big deal about magnesium? Well it's used by every organ in your body including the heart, muscles, and kidneys and it also helps to build bone and teeth strength. Approximately 90% of Americans are magnesium deficient and since most of us aren't eating our nuts and dark green leafy vegetables we are really lacking! So how can you make sure that you're getting enough magnesium? I usually find that many of my patients that are suffering from muscle cramping, spasms, and overall tightness are severely deficient in magnesium. I recommend you should start by talking to your doctor about taking a high quality and highly absorb able form of magnesium such as Triple-Mag to increase your magnesium intake. Since individuals vary in how much of a deficiency of magnesium they need, I usually recommend a nutritional consultation with our office by appointment or phone consultation on risk factors, dietary intake, and how to perform a magnesium calibration to make sure you're getting enough.

As a helpful guide to determine if you're magnesium deficient, I've listed common symptoms of magnesium deficiency below:

• Agitation
• Anxiety
• Restless Leg Syndrome
• Sleep disorders
• Irritability
• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Abnormal heart rhythms
• Low blood pressure
• confusion
• muscle spasm or weakness
• hyperventilation
• insomnia
• poor nail growth
• seizures

If you're concerned that many of these symptoms apply to you or that you're not getting enough magnesium, I highly recommend calling our office to schedule a phone consultation to determine risk factors, your dietary intake, and how much magnesium you truly need. Call 309-689-6200 to schedule your consultation with Dr. Andrea Schnowske today.