BISHOFIT - NATURAL MAGNESIUM OIL FOR HEALTH

Galina St George

"Magneisum chloride is a nutrient medicine
that belongs in every household in the world, in
every doctor’s clinic and in every hospital".
http://www.magnesiumforlife.com

When I started writing this article I found this wonderful free e-book - "MAGNESIUM -THE NUTRIENT THAT COULD CHANGE YOUR LIFE" written by J.I.Rodale and Harald A.Taub. I strongly recommend you read it if you are interested in magnesium and its crucial importance in our lives. The book can be found on the following website: http://www.mgwater.com/rodtitle.shtml

General Information

Bishofit is a natural mineral which lies deep underground in the form of Magnesium Chloride salt crystals. It is obtained by dissolving the crystals in water and pumping up the saturated solution.

Being an alternative name for a naturally occurring magnesium salt solution, it is also known as Magnesium Oil and Magnesium Chloride Solution. It is an oily odourless transparent liquid, yellowish in colour. Its main constituent is Magnesium Chloride (96%), some calcium sulphate, calcium chloride, calcium hydrocarbonate, sodium chloride, with the overall mineral content of 400-450g/l. Additionally, Bishofit contains sodium, iodine, iron, bromide, silica, molybdenum, titanium, lithium, as well as traces of almost all the chemical elements of the Periodic Table.

Healing Properties of Bishofit

People have known about the healing properties of Bishofit for a long time and have been using it to treat muscle cramps, aches and pains, to calm nerves, relax, etc. It is widely used in balneology due to its analgesic and anti-inflammatory effect to treat osteoarthritis, rheumatoid arthritis, lumbago, and other conditions of the Musculo-skeletal and Nervous systems. It is also used to treat nervous tension, stress, a variety of skin conditions and a number of other problems.

In the past few years there has been a lot of scientific research on the subject of Magnesium Chloride (alternative name for Bishofit) worldwide - much of it done in Russia.

Bishofit (Magnesium Chloride solution) is widely used in medicine for a number of pharmacological properties.

It has been found to:

Stimulate protein/fat metabolism
Reduce inflammation by lowering the levels of hystamine and serotonin (mediators of inflammation)
Speed up rehabilitation processes in the body
Increase testosterone levels and sperm production
Inscrease metabolic rate
Strengthen immunity
Slow down ageing
Reduce cholesterol levels in the blood
Improve the functioning of the Musculo-Skeletal system
Reduce blood pressure
Significantly reduce heart disease and mortality
Lower the incidence of cancers
Improve the functioning of the Nervous System
Reduce the effects of stress
Increase phagocytosis
Speed up tissue regeneration
Improve skin condition

It has been proved to be a:

Sedative
Anti-inflammatory
Bactericidal / fungicidal
Improve micro-circulation
Analgesic
Immune regulator

The Volgograd Medical Academy has been working on the research of Bishofit for 20 years. The mineral has been approved in Russia as a balneological remedy. Considering the wide use of Bishofit in the treatment of various diseases in Russia, as well as its close similarity to a variety of medical products, a number of balneological products based on Bishofit have been developed. Russian scientists are working on pharmacological preparations based on Bishofit.

Chemical Composition of the Bishofit solution (Volgograd, Russia)

Density, g/l	1.320-1.330
ρН	7.8
Mineral content, g/l	400-450
Salt content ( %) in dry matter:
Mg Cl₂
Mg Cl₂× 6H₂O	90-96
Mg SO₄
Mg SO₄× H₂O	0.1-2.5
Mg(HCO₃)₂
MgBr₂	0.4-0.95
NaCl	0.1-0.4
CaCl₂
CaBr₂
CaSO₄	0.1-0.7
KCl
KCl× MgCl₂× 6H₂O	0.1-5.5
Microelements (%):
Fe	0.003-0.03
Bi	0.0005-0.001
Mo	0.0005-0.001
B	0.002-0.08
Al	0.001-0.02
Ti	0.0005-0.001
Cu	0.0001-0.0006
Si	0.02-0.2
Ba	0.0001-0.0006
Sr	0.001-0.02
Co	0.003-0.005
Rb	0.0001-0.002
Cs	0.0001-0.001
Li	0.0001-0.0003

The role of Magnesium in our lives

Magnesium is rightly called a "miracle mineral". There are few minerals which attract so much attention and instigate so much scientific research. The reason is that it not only participates in over 300 biochemical reactions in the body, but helps maintan so many bodily functions, such as the normal muscle and nerve function, steady heart rhythm, normal blood pressure, healthy immune system and strong bones. It also helps maintain the blood sugar at normal levels. It plays a vital role in preventing heart disease, diabetes, cancer, osteoporosis and a whole range of other dangerous and debilitating diseases.

Magnesium is the fourth most abundant mineral in the body. About half of the total body magnesium is found in bones. The other half is found mostly inside cells of body tissues and organs. Only 1% of magnesium is found in the blood where it plays a vital role, so the body works very hard to keep the blood magnesium levels constant.

"...Important participant in enzyme processes which ensure protein biosynthesis and carbohydrate metabolism. It is also very important for the nervous and muscular systems, helps to maintain the healthy tone of the blood vessels. Magnesium is a 'calming' element for the nervous system slowing down the brain activity. It expands the blood vessels and is a natural diuretic. Generally, it is vital for all body systems and processes. Adult requirement in magnesium is 350-500mg per day. Fresh Green Vegetables, Seafoods, Soybeans, Special Nutritional Yeasts, Seeds, Apples and Whole Grains are
rich sources. Read more about the important role of magnesium in the body". http://www.traceminerals.com/research/magnesium.html

Magnesium deficiency - how it affects our health

There is increasing evidence which connects low levels of magnesium in the body with a whole range of diseases. "...Magnesium deficiency is a health problem of first cause. Magnesium is a nutritional element that is dangerously low today. Because of its essential role as a foundational building block of cell physiology we have a huge health problem that allopathic medicine is dragging its feet to address. Populations in the first world are dangerously deficient and are actually starving for magnesium. Doctors are missing a huge opportunity to help their patients when they ignore the increasing deficiency of magnesium in them. We are familiar with the malnourishment of third world populations and do not expect to see this in the west. The clinical impact of magnesium deficiency is huge and can be tied into the majority of clinical situations".
http://www.magnesiumforlife.com/magnesiumdeficiency.shtml

And this is what Mildred S. Seelig, M.D., M.P.H., F.A.C.N. says in her book "MAGNESIUM DEFICIENCY IN THE PATHOGENESIS OF DISEASE - Early Roots of Cardiovascular, Skeletal and Renal Abnormalities":

"Magnesium plays an important role in maintaining the integrity of the myocardium, kidneys, and bone. Its deficiency has been shown to cause cardiomyopathy in several animal species, and to intensify myocardial lesions caused by a variety of modalities. Its deficiency has caused arteriosclerosis and has intensified formation of atheromata, or arteriosclerosis, thrombosis, and even myocardial infarction, induced by atherogenic diets, high intakes of vitamin D, calcium, phosphate, and fat. Its deficiency has caused renal lesions and intensified damage produced by vitamin D, calcium, and phosphate. And its deficiency has been implicated in some forms of bone damage. Magnesium supplementation has prevented or reversed some of the lesions in the experimental models and been used clinically in cardiovascular disease and urolithiasis".

Dr. Nan Kathryn Fuchs, author of "The Nutrition Detective", says the following about Magnesium deficiency: “Our diets today are very different from those of our ancestors though our bodies remain similar. Thousands of years ago, our ancestors ate foods high in magnesium and low in calcium. Because calcium supplies were scarce and the need for this vital mineral was great, it was effectively stored by the body. Magnesium, on the other hand, was abundant and readily available, in the form of nuts, seeds, grains, and vegetables, and did not need to be stored internally. Our bodies still retain calcium and not magnesium although we tend to eat much more dairy than our ancestors. In addition, our sugar and alcohol consumption is higher than theirs, and both sugar and alcohol increase magnesium excretion through the urine. Our grains, originally high in magnesium, have been refined, which means that the nutrient is lost in the refining process. The quality of our soil has deteriorated as well, due to the use of fertilizers that contain large amounts of potassium a magnesium antagonist. This results in foods lower in magnesium than ever before.”

According to American nutrtionists, an average adult needs 200mg more magnesium per day than is obtained from a diet. The fact is, that dietary magnesium is not sufficient in providing the body with this important mineral.

Symptoms of chronic magnesium deficiency

"Early signs of magnesium deficiency include loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, and weakness. As magnesium deficiency worsens, numbness, tingling, muscle contractions and cramps, seizures, personality changes, abnormal heart rhythms, and coronary spasms can occur. Severe magnesium deficiency can result in low levels of calcium in the blood (hypocalcemia). Magnesium deficiency is also associated with low levels of potassium in the blood (hypokalemia).

Many of these symptoms are general and can result from a variety of medical conditions other than magnesium deficiency. It is important to have a physician evaluate health complaints and problems so that appropriate care can be given." http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/magnesium.asp

An extract from Magnesium Research (1994) 7, 3/4, 313-328 (http://www.mgwater.com/dur01.shtml) says:

"Open and controlled trials have established the clinical and paraclinical pattern of chronic magnesium deficiency (CMD). Whatever the age nervous consequences must be first studied: clinical and paraclinical symptoms of latent tetany (hyperventilation syndrome, chronic fatigue syndrome, spasmophilia, cryptotetany) with or more often without 'idiopathic' mitral valve prolapse (idiopathic Barlow's disease, Da Costa syndrome, soldier's heart, effort syndrome, neurocirculatory asthenia) with or without pseudoallergy (through peripheral hyperreceptivity) more often than allergy (type I mainly). The non-specific pattern of this symptomatology brings the patient to consult a wide range of specialists as well as the general practitioner. It includes non-specific central, peripheral and autonomic manifestations.

The neurotic, or rather, 'central' symptoms consist of anxiety, hyperemotionality, fatigue, headaches (and sometimes migraine), insomnia, light-headedness, dizziness, nervous fits, lipothymiae, sensation of a 'lump in the throat', of 'nuchalgia' and 'blocked breathing'.

The peripheral signs are acroparaesthesiae, cramps, muscle fasciculations and myalgiae. The functional disorders include chest pain, sine materia dyspnoea, blocked respiration, precordialgia, palpitations, extrasystolae, dysrhythmias, Raynaud's syndrome, trends to orthostatic hypotension or conversely to borderline hypertension. In fact, the dysautonomic disturbances involve both the sympathetic and the parasympathetic systems".

What causes magnesium deficiency?

The levels of magnesium in the body are depleted due to a number of factors, such as stress - physical and mental, certian medications (e.g. insulin, diuretics, some asthma medications, birth control pills, corticosteroids), extreme physical training, chemical toxins getting into the body from the environment, excessive intake of sodium chloride (table salt), sugar, caffeine, alcohol, nicotine, cocaine, fizzy drinks (especially colas), intense sweating, diarrhoea, etc. Age is another factor which plays a major role in magnesium deficiency.

This information is quoted from the Office of Dietary Supplements website:

"...There is concern about the prevalence of sub-optimal magnesium stores in the body. For many people, dietary intake may not be high enough to promote an optimal magnesium status, which may be protective against disorders such as cardiovascular disease and immune dysfunction.

The health status of the digestive system and the kidneys significantly influence magnesium status. Magnesium is absorbed in the intestines and then transported through the blood to cells and tissues. Approximately one-third to one-half of dietary magnesium is absorbed into the body. Gastrointestinal disorders that impair absorption such as Crohn's disease can limit the body's ability to absorb magnesium. These disorders can deplete the body's stores of magnesium and in extreme cases may result in magnesium deficiency. Chronic or excessive vomiting and diarrhea may also result in magnesium depletion.

Healthy kidneys are able to limit urinary excretion of magnesium to compensate for low dietary intake. However, excessive loss of magnesium in urine can be a side effect of some medications and can also occur in cases of poorly-controlled diabetes and alcohol abuse". http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/magnesium.asp

Who may require extra magnesium?

This is what the above mentioned website says about the subject:

"Magnesium supplementation may be indicated when a specific health problem or condition causes an excessive loss of magnesium or limits magnesium absorption.

Some medicines may result in magnesium deficiency, including certain diuretics, antibiotics, and medications used to treat cancer (anti-neoplastic medication). Examples of these medications are:
- Diuretics: Lasix, Bumex, Edecrin, and hydrochlorothiazide
- Antibiotics: Gentamicin, and Amphotericin
- Anti-neoplastic medication: Cisplatin
Individuals with poorly-controlled diabetes may benefit from magnesium supplements because of increased magnesium loss in urine associated with hyperglycemia.
Magnesium supplementation may be indicated for persons with alcoholism. Low blood levels of magnesium occur in 30% to 60% of alcoholics, and in nearly 90% of patients experiencing alcohol withdrawal. Anyone who substitutes alcohol for food will usually have significantly lower magnesium intakes.
Individuals with chronic malabsorptive problems such as Crohn's disease, gluten sensitive enteropathy, regional enteritis, and intestinal surgery may lose magnesium through diarrhea and fat malabsorption. Individuals with these conditions may need supplemental magnesium.
Individuals with chronically low blood levels of potassium and calcium may have an underlying problem with magnesium deficiency. Magnesium supplements may help correct the potassium and calcium deficiencies.
Older adults are at increased risk for magnesium deficiency. The 1999-2000 and 1998-94 National Health and Nutrition Examination Surveys suggest that older adults have lower dietary intakes of magnesium than younger adults. In addition, magnesium absorption decreases and renal excretion of magnesium increases in older adults. Seniors are also more likely to be taking drugs that interact with magnesium. This combination of factors places older adults at risk for magnesium deficiency. It is very important for older adults to consume recommended amounts of dietary magnesium". http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/magnesium.asp

Food Sources of Magnesium

Most dietary magnesium comes from vegetables, particularly dark green leafy variety (spinach is very rich in magnesium). Other foods that are good sources of magnesium are:

Soya products
Legumes
Nuts and seeds (peanuts, almonds, cashew nuts, pumpkin seeds, brazils, pine nuts, hazelnuts, etc)
Wheat germ
Wheat and oat bran
Whole grains (e.g. brown rice, millet)
Fruits and vegetables (e.g. bananas, dried apricots, avocados)
Milk
Seafood

Magnesium and Disease

"Magnesium sulfate therapy in certain emergency conditions

American Journal of Emergency Medicine (USA), 1997, 15/2 (182-187)

Intravenous magnesium has been suggested as a treatment for certain emergency conditions for more than 60 years. It is currently proposed to be beneficial in treating asthma, preeclampsia, eclampsia, myocardial infarction, and cardiac arrhythmias. The use and efficacy of the drug, however, are controversial. This article discusses the current state of magnesium sulfate research and therapy".http://www.mgwater.com/abstract.shtml#ra1

Magnesium in Acute and Chronic Diseases

Following is an outstanding article on the subject which I reproduce in full:

"MAGNESIUM CHLORIDE IN ACUTE AND CHRONIC DISEASES

by Raul Vergini, M.D.

Back in 1915, a French surgeon, Prof. Pierre Delbet, M.D., was looking for a solution to cleanse wounds, because he had found out that the traditional antiseptic solutions actually mortified tissues and facilitated the infection instead of preventing it.

He tested several mineral solutions and discovered that a Magnesium Chloride solution was not only harmless for tissues, but it had also a great effect over leucocytic activity and phagocytosis; so it was perfect for external wounds treatment.

Dr. Delbet performed a lot of in vitro and in vivo experiments with this solution and he became aware that it was good not only for external applications, but it was also a powerful immuno-stimulant if taken by injections or even by mouth. He called this effect "cytophilaxis". In some in vivo experiments it was able to increase phagocytosis rate up to 300%. Dr. Delbet serendipitously discovered that this oral solution had also a tonic effect on many people and so became aware that the Magnesium Chloride had an effect on the whole organism.

In a brief time, he received communications of very good therapeutics effects of this "therapy" from people that were taking Magnesium Chloride for its tonic properties and who were suffering from various ailments.

Prof. Delbet began to closely study the subject and verified that the Magnesium Chloride solution was a very good therapy for a long list of diseases.

He obtained very good results in: colitis, angiocholitis and cholecystitis in the digestive apparatus; Parkinson's Disease, senile tremors and muscular cramps in the nervous system; acne, eczema, psoriasis, warts, itch of various origins and chilblains in the skin. There was a strengthening of hair and nails, a good effect on diseases typical of the aged (impotency, prostatic hypertrophy, cerebral and circulatory troubles) and on diseases of allergic origin (hay-fever, asthma, urticaria and anaphylactic reactions).

Then Prof. Delbet began to investigate the relationship between Magnesium and Cancer. After a lot of clinical and experimental studies, he found that Magnesium Chloride had a very good effect on prevention of cancer and that it was able to cure several precancerous conditions: leucoplasia, hyperkeratosis, chronic mastitis, etc.

Epidemiological studies confirmed Delbet's views and demonstrated that the regions with soil more rich in magnesium had less cancer incidence, and vice versa.

In experimental studies, the Magnesium Chloride solution was also able to slow down the course of cancer in laboratory animals.

Prof. Delbet wrote two books, Politique Preventive du Cancer (1944) and L'Agriculture et la Santé (1945), in which he stated his ideas about cancer prevention and a better living. The first is a well documented report of all his studies on Magnesium Chloride.

In 1943 another French doctor, A. Neveu, M.D., used the Magnesium Chloride solution in a case of diphteria to reduce the risks of anaphylactic reaction due to the anti-diphteric serum that he was ready to administer.

To his great surprise, when the next day the laboratory results confirmed the diagnosis of diphteria, the little girl was completely cured, before he could use the serum.

He credited the immuno-stimulant activity to the solution for this result, and he tested it in some other diphteric patients. All the patients were cured in a very short time (24-48 hours), with no after-effects. As Magnesium Chloride has no direct effect on bacteria (i.e.it is not an antibiotic ), Neveu thought that its action was aspecific, immuno-enhancing, so it could be useful, in the same manner, also against viral diseases.

So he began to treat some cases of poliomyelitis, and had the same wonderful results. He was very excited and tried to divulge the therapy, but he ran into a wall of hostility and obstructionism from "Official Medicine". Neither Neveu or Delbet (who was a member of the Academy of Medicine) was able to diffuse Neveu's extraordinary results. The opposition was total: Professors of Medicine, Medical Peer-Reviews, the Academy itself, all were against the two doctors. "Official Medicine" saw in Magnesium Chloride Therapy a threat to its new and growing business: vaccinations.

Dr. Neveu wasn't discouraged by this and continued to test this therapy in a wide range of diseases. He obtained very good results in: pharyngitis, tonsillitis, hoarseness, common cold, influenza, asthma, bronchitis, broncho-pneumonia, pulmonary emphysema, "children diseases" (whooping-cough, measles, rubella, mumps, scarlet fever...), alimentary and professional poisonings, gastroenteritis, boils, abscesses, erysipelas, whitlow, septic pricks (wounds), puerperal fever and osteomyelitis. But the indications for Magnesium Chloride therapy don't end here.

In more recent years other physicians (and I among these) have verified many of Delbet's and Neveu's applications and have tried the therapy in other pathologies: asthmatic acute attack, shock, tetanus (for these the solution is administered by intravenous injection); herpes zoster, acute and chronic conjunctivitis, optic neuritis, rheumatic diseases, many allergic diseases, spring-asthenia and Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (even in cancer it can be an useful adjuvant).

The preceding lists of ailments are by no means exhaustive; maybe other illnesses can be treated with this therapy but, as this is a relatively "young" treatment, we are pioneers, and we need the help of all physicians of good will to definitely establish all the true possibilities of this wonderful therapy.

From a practical standpoint, please remember that only Magnesium CHLORIDE has this "cytophylactic" activity, and no other magnesium salt; probably it's a molecular, and not a merely ionic, matter.

The solution to be used is a 2.5% Magnesium Chloride hexahydrate (MgCl2-6H2O) solution (i.e.: 25 grams / 1 liter of water).

Dosages are as follows:

- Adults and children over 5 years old....................125 cc
- 4 year old children..............................................100 cc
- 3 year old children................................................80 cc
- 1-2 year old children.............................................60 cc
- over 6 months old children....................................30 cc
- under 6 months old children..................................15 cc

These doses must be administered BY MOUTH. The only contraindication to Magnesium Chloride Therapy is a severe renal insufficiency. As the magnesium chloride has a mild laxative effect, diarrhea sometimes appears on the first days of therapy, especially when high dosages (i.e. three doses a day) are taken; but this is not a reason to stop the therapy.

The taste of the solution is not very good (it has a bitter-saltish flavor) so a little of fruit juice (grapefruit, orange, lemon) can be added to the solution, or it can be even used in the place of water to make the solution itself.

Grapefruit juice masks the bitter taste very well (especially if cold).

For CHRONIC diseases the standard treatment is one dose morning and evening for a long period (several months at least, but it can be continued for years).

In ACUTE diseases the dose is administered every 6 hours (every 3 hours the first two doses if the case is serious); then space every 8 hours and then 12 hours as improvement goes on. After recovery it's better going on with a dose every 12 hours for some days.

As a PREVENTIVE measure, and as a magnesium supplement, one dose a day can be taken indefinitely. Magnesium Chloride, even if it's an inorganic salt, is very well absorbed and it's a very good supplemental magnesium source.

For INTRAVENOUS injection, the formula is:

Magnesium Chloride hexahydrate........................25 grams

Distilled Water...................................................100 cc

Make injections of 10-20cc (very slowly, over 10-20 minutes) once or twice a day. Of course the solution must be sterilized.

This therapy gives very good results also in Veterinary Medicine, at the appropriate dosages depending upon the size and kind of animals.

Raul Vergini, M.D. - Italy - author of: "Curarsi con il Magnesio" Red Edizioni -Italy 1994 (book translated in French and Spanish but not in English, sorry). http://www.mgwater.com/vergini.shtml

Magnesium and the Heart

Magnesium is an essential element for the heart. People suffering from heart problems have low magnesium and high calcium levels in the heart muscle. High calcium levels constrict the arteries, making them rigid and reducing their elasticity, which increases the rate of heart attacks. Also, artherosclerosis is the condition which involves calcium deposits in the arterial walls. Magnesium, on the other hand, dilates the arteries and lowers cholesterol deposits in the arterail walls, thus reducing the high blood pressure and a risk of heart attacks and strokes.

There is extensive research showing that when patients with coronary heart disease are treated with high doses of magnesium injections, their survival rate increases dramatically.

Worldwide, the intake of magnesium has decreased and that of calcium has increased - due the high use of fertilisers high in calcium and low in magnesium. This (and of course other factors, such as unhealthy diet and lifestyle) has resulted in the unprecedented increase in the number of people dying from heart conditions. Potassium (coming from fertilisers) is thought to be another culprit for depeltion of magnesium levels in soils and in our diets.

Areas where the soil is low in calcium and potassium and high in magnesium show a much smaller rate of conditions connected with magnesium deficiency.

In her article "MAGNESIUM IN ONCOGENESIS AND IN ANTI-CANCER TREATMENT: INTERACTION WITH MINERALS AND VITAMINS", Mildred S. Seelig, M.D., M.P.H. says about the risk of mortality from cardiovascular disease: "Greater morbidity and mortality from cardiovascular disease is directly correlated with water softness and diet. Metabolic balance studies, with normal young adults on their usual diets, show that the lesser American Mg intake by adults, causing negative Mg balance, than in the Orient, correlates with the much higher death rate from ischemic heart disease (IHD) in the USA. Most American diets provide less than 70% of the 1980 recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of Mg. Experimental and clinical studies, and epidemiologic findings indicate that it is Mg, rather than Ca, that protects against IHD, myocardial infarcts and sudden unexpected cardiac death caused by arrhythmias."
http://www.mgwater.com/cancer.shtml

Magnesium and Cancer

"Cancer is second to heart disease as a cause of death in the aged, and thus is more common in regions where more people reach old age. Depressed B-cell and T-cell immunologic function, occur with aging.(55-57) Also, the longer the exposure to environmental agents with oncogenic potential, the greater the risk of developing cancer". http://www.mgwater.com/cancer.shtml

Worldwide studies have established that the cancer rate increases with the decreased magnesium content of water and of soil.

On May 19, 1931, Dr Schrumpf-Pierron presented a paper entiltled "On the Cause of the Rarity of Cancer in Egypt". In it he concluded:

"(1) Cancer for Egypt is about one-tenth that of Europe and America.

(2) In Egypt, cancer is less frequent in country fellahin than in the Egyptians who live in the towns and who have adopted Europeanized dietary habits.

(3) The degree of malignancy of Egyptian cancers is less than that of European cancers. They develop less quickly, and have less of a tendency to invade neighboring tissues.

(4) The type of cancer which is the most frequent in all the countries rich in cancer is cancer of the digestive, tract, which represents 40 to 50 percent of all cancers. In the case of Egyptians, this type of cancer is remarkably rare; in the country fellahin, practically nonexistent".
http://www.mgwater.com/rod02.shtml

He concluded that the prevalence of potassium in the soils of European countries and their diets and not enough magnesium leads to an increased risk of cancer. In Egypt, both the soil and diet is rich in magnesium, and for this reason he saw it as the main factor in the very low cancer rate among Egyptians.

"An intoxication of potash - an excess of potash poisons - can "kill" the soil where the food is grown. It poisons the plants, then man. Besides, several other authorities have already accused potash of producing cancer. Theis and Benedikt, as will as Mentrier, have already stated that the higher amount of potash in cancerous tissue, which is a radioactive body, would cause the multiplication of cancerous cells".
http://www.mgwater.com/rod02.shtml

In her article "MAGNESIUM IN ONCOGENESIS AND IN ANTI-CANCER TREATMENT: INTERACTION WITH MINERALS AND VITAMINS", Mildred S. Seelig, M.D., M.P.H. says that magnesium deficiency can both decrease and paradoxically protect against cancer. For example, magnesium supplementation of those who are magensium-deficient (e.g. chronic alcoholics) may protect them against developing some tumours.

"Optimal Mg intake may be prophylactic against initiation of some neoplasms. Since cancer cells have high metabolic requirements, it is not indicated (alone) in the treatment of cancer."

The author then points out the correlation between water hardness/softness and longevity: "Since environmental factors have been judged likely to contribute to most human cancers, it is worth effort to ascertain if there are protective geochemical agents. Determining what it is in different geographic regions, that affects life expectancy, provides one approach. The largest area in the United States of America (USA) with increased longevity is in the north and central plains; the largest area with decreased longevity is in the south-eastern coastal area. These are hard and soft water regions, respectively".

Worldwide studies have establsihed a reverse correlation of magnesium deficiency in soil and prevalence of certain types of cancer.

"A Russian report showed that stomach cancer is four times more common (40/100,000) in the Ukraine where the Mg content of soil and drinking water is low, than it is in Armenia (10/100,000) where the Mg content is more than twice as high.(14,66-68) A more recent morphologic and statistical analysis of neoplastic deaths in two Polish communities(69) disclosed a nearly three-fold higher death rate in the one in a low soil Mg area (27%) than in the one with high soil Mg (10%). The malignancies accounting for the differences were mainly adeno- and squamous cell carcinomas in the gastrointestinal tract (61.3%) and respiratory system (22.3%)".

"Correlation of high rates of leukemia with low levels of Mg in soil and water is concordant with experiments showing that chronic Mg deficiency can cause lymphosarcomas and leukemia in rats".

"Connective tissue, made up of fibroblastic cells that produced collagen type III, proliferated in the intestines of rats maintained on severely Mg deficient diets for at least 8 weeks. A less Mg-restricted diet did not evoke such tumors."

She goes on to conclude: "Despite provocative findings that suggest that Mg deficiency might be implicated in aspects of pathogenesis and treatment of neoplasms, there are many unknowns. Investigation of these questions might lead to means to prevent lympholeukemias, or possibly of immuno-incompetence. Whether higher Mg intakes might be protective against oncogens in humans as it is in some animal models deserves study". http://www.mgwater.com/cancer.shtml

Magnesium and Diabetes

There is a lot of scinetific research avaialble nowadays which links diabetes mellitus and magnesium deficiency. In his article, "Diabetes and Magnesium: The Emerging Role of Oral Magnesium Supplementation", Jerry L. Nadler, M.D., says:

"A growing body of evidence suggests that magnesium plays a pivotal role in reducing cardiovascular risks and may be involved in the pathogenesis of diabetes itself. While the benefits of oral magnesium supplementation on glycemic control have yet to be demonstrated in patients, magnesium supplementation has been shown to improve insulin sensitivity. Based on current knowledge, clinicians have good reason to believe that magnesium repletion may play a role in delaying type 2 diabetes onset and potentially in warding off its devastating complications - cardiovascular disease, retinopathy, and nephropathy".

He goes on to say that intracellular free magnesium levels are lower in patients with diabetes than in the general population. This is an important finding, since magnesium plays a crucial role in many enzymatic reactions involved in metabolic processes.

Insulin stimulates the transport of magnesium from the extra-cellular to the intracellular compartment. "Insulin resistance - central to type 2 diabetes - is associated with reduced intracellular magnesium and can be mitigated with magnesium. It has been demonstrated that insulin resistance in skeletal muscle can be reduced by magnesium administration".

Jerry L.Nadler lists the following reasons for low magnesium levels in patients with diabetes:

"Diets tend to be low in magnesium
Renal excretion of magnesium is high
Insensitivity to insulin affects magnesium transport as well as glucose metabolism
Use of loop and thiazide diuretics promotes magnesium wasting".

So what are the benefits of magnesium supplementation in people who have diabetes or are at risk of developing diabetes? Here is what the above article says:

"There are potential benefits supporting the use of magnesium supplementation in persons who have diabetes or risk factors for diabetes (Table 3). Increased magnesium intake is associated with decreased risk of developing type 2 diabetes in populations. In a prospective study of almost 85,000 women, the relative risk of diabetes for women in the highest quintile of magnesium consumption was 0.68 when compared with women in the lowest quintile (Figure 2). Oral magnesium supplementation is contraindicated in patients with significant renal impairment".

"Magnesium supplementation does the following:

Corrects the deficit in intracellular free magnesium levels
Decreases platelet reactivity
Improves insulin sensitivity
May protect against diabetes and its complications
May reduce blood pressure".

At the end of his article, Jerry L.Nadler gives a good example of correlation between diabetes mortality and levels of magnesium in the drinking water:
"In a study from Taiwan, the risk of dying from diabetes was inversely proportional to the level of magnesium in the drinking water (Figure 4). This was all the more striking because the greatest increase in chronic disease mortality in Taiwan since 1970 has been due to diabetes. Because the dysregulation caused by a chronic latent magnesium deficit is probably more important than clinical hypomagnesemia in the pathogenesis of diabetes, this may suggest that dietary magnesium (including that in a water supply) is protective against diabetes and its dreaded complications".
http://www.mgwater.com/diabetes.shtml

"Magnesium in the management of asthma: critical review of acute and chronic treatments, and Deutsches Medizinisches Zentrum's (DMZ's) clinical experience at the Dead Sea.

Harari M, Barzillai R, Shani J.

DMZ Rehabilitation Clinic, Ein-Bokek (The Dead Sea), Israel.

The recognition of asthma as an inflammatory disease has led over the past 20 years to a major shift in its pharmacotherapy. The previous emphasis on using relatively short-acting agents for relieving bronchospasms and for removing bronchial mucus has shifted toward long-term strategies with the use of inhaled corticosteroids, which successfully prevent and abolish airway inflammation. Because some of the biological, chemical, and immunological processes that characterize asthma also underly arthritis and other inflammatory diseases, and because many of these conditions have been successfully treated for the past 40 years at the Dead Sea, we were not surprised to realize and record the significant improvement of asthmatic condition after a 4-week stay at the Dead Sea: lung function was improved, the number and severity of attacks was reduced, and the efficacy of beta2-agonist treatments was improved. After reviewing the acute and chronic treatments of asthma in the clinic (including emergency rooms) with magnesium compounds, and the use of such salts as supplementary agents in respiratory diseases, we suggest that the improvement in the asthmatic condition at the Dead Sea may be due to absorption of this element through the skin and via the lungs, and due to its involvement in anti-inflammatory and vasodilatatory processes".
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/entrez/query.fcgi?db=PubMed&cmd=Retrieve&list_uids=9777879&dopt=Abstract

Magnesium and Chronic Migraines

This is what Mauskop A, Altura BM are saying in their article "Role of magnesium in the pathogenesis and treatment of migraines",Clin Neurosci 1998:

"The importance of magnesium in the pathogenesis of migraine headaches is clearly established by a large number of clinical and experimental studies…However, the precise role of various effects of low magnesium levels in the development of migraines remains to be discovered. Magnesium concentration has an effect on serotonin receptors, nitric oxide synthesis and release, NMDA receptors, and a variety of other migraine related receptors and neurotransmitters.The available evidence suggests that up to 50% of patients during an acute migraine attack have lowered levels of ionized magnesium. Infusion of magnesium results in a rapid and sustained relief of an acute migraine in such patients. Two double-blind studies suggest that chronic oral magnesium supplementation may also reduce the frequency of migraine headaches. Because of an excellent safety profile and low cost and despite the lack of definitive studies, we feel that a trial of oral magnesium supplementation can be recommended to a majority of migraine sufferers. Refractory patients can sometimes benefit from intravenous infusions of magnesium sulfate". http://www.mgwater.com/migraine.shtml

Following is an extract from an article by Mishima K, Takeshima T, Shimomura T, Kitano A, Takahashi K, Nakashima K, Okada H "Platelet ionized magnesium, cyclic AMP, and cyclic GMP levels in migraine and tension-type headache"; Headache 1997 Oct:
"Decreased serum and intracellular levels of magnesium have been reported in patients with migraine. It has been suggested that magnesium may play an important role in the attacks and pathogenesis of headaches…It is suggested that reduced platelet ionized magnesium in patients with tension-type headache is related to abnormal platelet function, and that increased platelet cyclic AMP in patients with migraine is related to alteration of neurotransmitters in the platelet".

Magnesium and Muscle Cramps

Leg cramps are sudden, involuntary contractions of the calf muscles or mauscles in the soles of the feet that occur during the night or while at rest. The cramps can affect people in any age group.

There may be various causes for this to happen. Scientific research has not identified a precise reason for muscel cramps. However, it may be due to the nerves controoling the muscles rather than the muscles themselves.

The cramps can be caused by overexertion of the muscles, structural disorders ( such as flat feet), prolonged sitting, standing on hard surface, inappropriate leg positions, or dehydration. Less common causes include diabetes, hypoglycemia, anaemia, thyroid and endocrine dysfunction, Parkinson's and certain medications.

Low levels of certain minerals acting as electrolytes in the body - they include magnesium, potassium, sodium and calcium - have long been linked to leg cramps. It especially affects long-distance runners and cyclists. Diuretics can also cause leg cramps, as well as pregnancy.

To prevent cramps from happening, consider the regular use of supplements, especially magnesium, potassium, calcium and sodium (be careful with sodium and take it only if it is low or if you sweat a lot). Stretch your calf muscles regularly. Heat applications for 10-15 minutes before going to sleep helps a lot.

Applying a "Bishofit" compress (warmed up) to the calf area for 1-2 hours (or even overnight) helps to replentish magnesium and relax the the calf muscles.

"Canadian doctors have found that magnesium supplements can alleviate muscle cramps. In severe cases, magnesium has been provided intravenously and this has led to relief of symptoms within 24 hours. Many cases of muscle cramps are caused by low concentrations of magnesium in the blood which can The reason why it helps is due to diuretic medications or strenuous exercise. When taken orally, it seems that magnesium glucoheptonate or magnesium gluconate work best". Bilbey ,Douglas L, Prabhakaran V.M. Muscle cramps and magnesium deficiency: case reports. Canadian Family Physician. July http://www.internethealthlibrary.com/Health-problems/Muscle%20cramps%20-%20researchDiet&Lifestyle.htm

"Interrelationship of magnesium and estrogen in cardiovascular and bone disorders, eclampsia, migraine and premenstrual syndrome.

The anticonvulsive and antihypertensive values of magnesium (Mg) in eclampsia, and its antiarrhythmic applications in a variety of cardiac diseases, have caused Mg to be considered only for parenteral administration by many physicians. In contrast, nutritionists have long recognized Mg as an essential nutrient, because severe deficiencies elicit neuromuscular manifestations similar to those justifying its use in eclampsia. More recently, this element has been used to favorably influence latent tetany with and without thrombotic complications, to delay preterm birth, to influence premenstrual syndrome, and to ameliorate migraine headaches. Most of these disorders exclusively or largely afflict women. The lesions of arteries and heart caused by experimental Mg deficiency have been well documented and may contribute to human cardiovascular disease. Estrogen's enhancement of Mg utilization and uptake by soft tissues and bone may explain resistance of young women to heart disease and osteoporosis, as well as increased prevalence of these diseases when estrogen secretion ceases. However, estrogen-induced shifts of Mg can be deleterious when estrogen levels are high and Mg intake is suboptimal. The resultant lowering of blood Mg can increase the Ca/Mg ratio, thus favoring coagulation. With Ca supplementation in the face of commonly low Mg intake, risk of thrombosis increases". Seelig-MS J-Am-Coll-Nutr. 1993 Aug; 12(4)