Why are we Magnesium (magnesium) Deficient?

At a Glance - Factors affecting our Magnesium Levels
PRO- CESSES	Magnesium deficiency in soil - today's common use of potassium and phosphorus based fertilizers causes these minerals to be taken up by plants in preference to magnesium and calcium; magnesium and calcium used up neutralizing nitric acid in acid rain; herbicides/pesticides kill bacteria/worms that enable plants to absorb minerals.	Water-treatment methods - deplete mineral content, including magnesium; water from deep wells supplies more than surface water, typically the source of city water. Most filtered, bottled water provides little or no magnesium. Fluoride in water / toothpaste - binds magnesium
	Magnesium lost in food processing and refinement - 80+% lost in flour milling. Not in the oils of magnesium-rich nuts/seeds	Soaking / boiling / broiling /steaming foods** - leaches magnesium into the water or drippings. Magnesium is in the broth or vegetable water;
COND- ITIONS	Malabsorption Disorders - Prevents effective use of magnesium: any intestinal inflammatory disease. E.g. Crohn's, celiac disease; leaky gut; gluten / casein insensitivities; fungi/parasites; fat malabsorption (greasy /offensive stools; magnesium binds to unabsorbed fat; usually no gall bladder, gallstones)	Removal of any part of small intestine - reduces magnesium absorption Low stomach acid production - needed for digestion, decreases with age
	Mental and Physical stress - any “fight or flight” reaction increases magnesium need; Eg. worry/anxiety, perfectionism, anger, guilt, lonliness, fear, overwork, lack of sleep, troubled relationships, career/financial pressure; Type A's (aggressive; living on adrenaline, time pressure, and stress) drain the body of magnesium - Prolonged psychological stress raises ADRENALINE, the stress hormone, which depletes magnesium. Surgery / Chronic Pain / Large area burns / Chronic Disease / infections / extreme temperatures Stress causes magnesium deficiency / magnesium deficiency magnifies stress reaction - Studies associate the stress hormones ADRENALINE and CORTISOL with decreased magnesium. Stress decreases stomach acid (HCl) needed for effective magnesium digestion/absorption;
	Sweating / Diarrhea / Excessive vomiting - causes loss of magnesium. Eg. regular use of saunas / steam rooms.	Larger people - have higher amounts of magnesium in their body, which lowers magnesium absorption, regardless of source.
	Diabetes - magnesium excretes in urine with sugar	High bloodINSULIN levels
	Aging - > 55 may impair magnesium uptake.	Excessive physical exercise / over-training
DIET	Sugar, caffeine, coffee, tea, sodas, alcohol ALL increase magnesium excretion in the urine Alcohol - more than 7 drinks / week (significant loss) Coffee  (significant loss) Tea - tannins bind magnesium Soda - (diet or not, especially colas) - most dark colored sodas contain phosphates, which bind with magnesium in the GI tract, rendering it unavailable to the body. Refined sugar - not only lacks magnesium, since sugar-refining removes magnesium-containing molasses from sugar cane, but it also causes the body to excrete magnesium through the kidneys. Average consumption of carbonated beverages has increased 10-fold since 1940, and is certainly responsible for the body's reduced availability of both magnesium and calcium. Dean C. The Magnesium Miracle. New York: Ballantine Books; 2007. Weiss GH, Sluss PM, Linke CA. Changes in urinary magnesium, citrate and oxalate levels due to cola consumption. Urology 1992;39:331-3. Brink E. J., Beynen A. C., Dekker P. R., Beresteijn E.C.H., Meer R. Interaction of calcium and phosphate decreases ileal magnesium solubility and apparent magnesium absorption. The Journal of Nutrition. 1992; 122:580-586 Seelig M, Rosanoff A. The Magnesium Factor. New York: Avery Books; 2003. Heaney RP, Rafferty K. Carbonated beverages and urinary calcium excretion. American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 2001; 74:343-347.
	Phytic acid - in cereals, most grains, nuts, seeds; binds magnesium;
	High carbohydrate intake - white sugar/flour, HFCS;
	Trans fats / excess saturated fat - alter cell membrane integrity disrupting magnesium transport in/out of cells
	Highly refined table salt intake
	Oxalic acid ( e.g. in rhubarb, spinach, chard, cocoa, almonds) - intake may form insoluble magnesium salts with magnesium
	High calcium levels - blocks magnesium uptake. E.g. from overuse of calcium carbonate antacids.
	Low potassium levels - can increase urinary loss of magnesium
	Vitamin D, calcium and phosphorus - reduce magnesium uptake. A high phosphorus blood level tends to cause magnesium and calcium levels to be low
	High or low protein diets -can decrease magnesium absorption
	Dieting - reduces magnesium intake; causes stress;
DRUGS	Amphetamines, Antacids, Antibiotics, Cocaine, Corticosteroids, insulin, diuretics (even potassium sparing types) / birth control pills, Estrogen Replacement Therapy, heart and asthma medications, Phentermine or Fenfluramine (appetite suppressants), Warfarin (anticoagulant), Cyclosporine (immunosuppressant). EXTRA magnesium is protective. These drugs deplete body's magnesium

**    Soups retain some magnesium in water;   magnesium content retained after cooking varies greatly with the food - Where magnesium in a food is found mostly in water-soluble form, blanching/steaming/boiling results in a substantial loss of magnesium. E.g. ~ 1/3 magnesium is lost blanching spinach and cooking navy beans loses 65%. However, as long as whole almonds are used, the magnesium is retained even after roasting or making into almond butter.