Magnesium is one of the most important minerals in our body. It is essential as a coenzyme in over 300 different biochemical reactions at the cellular level. Magnesium is essential for the development or production of the cell’s primary energy producer which is ATP (adenosime triphosphate) and is essential in the utilization of glucose and the synthesis of fat, protein and nucleic acids. It’s also essential in muscle contraction. Magnesium excretion from the body is increased through the use of medical drugs including diuretics and also alcohol. Magnesium is important in heart function.

Past studies have shown that many people who die a sudden death from heart stoppage have elevated levels of calcium in their heart muscle and decreased levels of magnesium.

There is a large amount of magnesium in chocolate which may explain why some people crave chocolate, they may be magnesium deficient.

Studies have shown that people who drink hard water, i.e. high in minerals including magnesium, have less incidents of heart problems than those who have soft water. Because of magnesium’s importance in heart function and in muscle function, it is often used intravenously (in the case of a magnesium push, which is a large amount in a short period of time), to treat things like cardiac irregularity, muscle spasm and other spastic problems of muscles. Intravenous magnesium can also be helpful for migraine headaches, asthma, angina, menstrual cramping, Raynaud’s syndrome, esophageal spasm, urethral colic (spasm of the tube leading from the kidney to the bladder caused by kidney stones), back muscle spasm and intestinal spasm.

Magnesium is used as a push for these indications because the tissues must be flooded with magnesium, you cannot take enough orally in a short period of time because it will cause diarrhea.

A study in a 1998 issue of the Journal of the American College of Cardiology spoke about magnesium reducing free radicals in coronary artery blockage. Another study from the same journal in 1999 showed a relationship between low magnesium and insulin resistance, a common contributing factor in diabetes.

In summary, it is obvious that magnesium is an important mineral.  It’s an important part of a properly prescribed chelation therapy program and other nutrient programs to treat acute and chronic degenerative disease. The intravenous push can sometimes be dramatic in its effect.  Muscle spasm, heart irregularity and angina may be relieved almost instantly.