Research Review - Magnesium for Hypertension, Migraines, Anxiety & Chronic Fatigue - Julie Chen, MD

"...Magnesium: Chronic Fatigue Syndrome Sufferers’ New Best Friend?

One of the most interesting areas of study involving magnesium supplementation is in relation to chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), a complicated disorder that has puzzled the medical community for decades. The cause of CFS is not entirely clear and is difficult to explain by any one or two underlying medical conditions, making its treatment quite difficult. One study took on this interesting angle by examining the relationship between CFS patients and low levels of magnesium in red blood cells, a common characteristic of CFS (9). Researchers wanted to know if magnesium supplementation would improve the symptoms of these patients and matched them with 20 healthy control subjects. In the trial, CFS patients were either allocated intramuscular magnesium injections every week for six weeks or to a placebo (9). Those treated with magnesium reported improved energy levels, better emotional state and less pain and 80 percent of them said they had benefited from treatment in some way (9). By contrast, only 17 percent of those in the control group said they felt better, showing that magnesium may have a positive effect on CFS sufferers (9).

One study conducted by the Department of Internal Medicine at the University Hospital in Antwerp, Belgium approached magnesium supplementation in a different way, first testing how many CFS sufferers were magnesium deficient before supplementing them. In the 97 patients with CFS that were considered in this study, 44 were proven to be magnesium deficient before any supplementation. After supplementation in 24 patients, the study showed that there was a significant decrease in magnesium retention (10). Though this study was small, it could help pave the way for future research related to chronic fatigue syndrome and its root causes..."

read more: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/julie-chen-md/are-you-getting-your-dose_b_9620824.html

Magnesium is an essential mineral found in foods like dark leafy vegetables, nuts and whole grains that's needed for your body to function. Though not ne...