Ray Peat on magnesium

The role and effects of parathyroid hormone in aging

"Phosphate, which is predominant in grains, beans, nuts, meat, and fish, increases our production of parathyroid hormone, while calcium and magnesium inhibit its production. This hormone, which increases with age, suppresses immunity, and in excess it causes insomnia, seizures, dementia, psychoses, cancer, heart disease, shortness of breath and pulmonary hypertension, osteoporosis, sarcopenia, histamine release, inflammation and soft tissue calcification, as well as many other problems."

September 2017 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Influence of sodium on magnesium storage during stress

"One of the most important effects of sodium is that it tends to conserve magnesium, which is likely to be lost during stress and hypothyroidism. If we eat salty foods when we crave them, we can retain our magnesium more easily."

Nutrition For Women

Substances that counteract estrogen in cancer therapy

"Anything that induces tissue atrophy will tend to induce cancer. The important question is: What will trigger differentiation and useful function in cancer cells? There are many substances that promote differentiation and counteract the effects of estrogen, and some of these have proven useful in cancer therapy. Among the substances that counteract estrogen are dopamine and nickel, prolactin inhibitors; chalones, the tissue-specific proteins that inhibit cell division (and possibly, more volatilely, the peptides of memory); the aprotic solvents DMF and possibly DMSO; progesterone and testosterone; thyroxine and iodine; magnesium-ATP, the stable form of the biological energy molecule; vitamin A, a protein-sparing nutrient that promotes differentiation; and vitamin E (as well as the closely related coenzyme Q, or ubiquinone)."

Nutrition For Women

The effects of vitamin E deficiency on tissue function

"In a vitamin E deficiency, certain tissues lose so much ATP that they can no longer function normally. Muscles cramp and can eventually harden and become dystrophic. Magnesium also helps maintain ATP levels and can be used, for example, to stop menstrual cramps. In an extreme case of vitamin E deficiency, reflexes become abnormal; in some animals, softening of the brain is the first symptom of a vitamin E deficiency."

Nutrition For Women

Stress management through adjustments to diet and environment

"Generally, stress should first be addressed by correcting the deficiency, which may be environmental or dietary. Increased nutritional needs usually include protein and fat; acute hypoglycemia may require a large amount of sugar, and this suggests that the adrenal glands may be exhausted. In this case, pantothenic acid, vitamin C, vitamin A, magnesium, and potassium should be provided in addition to other nutrients."

Nutrition For Women

Long-term pancreatic damage due to malnutrition and deficiencies

"The pancreas can be damaged by prolonged malnutrition, so that the inability to produce insulin may be permanent. Magnesium and vitamin B6 deficiencies are known to contribute to pancreatic damage. Insulin itself is only one part of the insulin-like system (Adv in Metabol Disorders 7, p. 26, 1974); appropriate treatment requires a thorough investigation of all factors."

Nutrition For Women

High doses of niacin to relieve hysterical feelings

"Sometimes up to 500 mg of niacin may be required to stop a feeling of hysteria. The mildly sedative effect of magnesium can also have a dramatic effect."

Nutrition For Women

Effects of cancer on stress hormones and nutritional needs

"Cancer overstimulates the anti-stress hormones of the adrenal cortex and usually causes extreme wasting through the mobilization of fat and protein; blood sugar and glycogen storage are disrupted. During or after cancer treatment, a hypoglycemic diet seems desirable: frequent small meals, liver (or similar nutrients), magnesium, potassium. Vitamins A, E, C and pantothenic acid are particularly important during stress, but all nutrients are necessary."

Nutrition For Women

Nutritional requirements for stress resistance and recovery

"Stress apparently increases a person's need for all nutrients, including calories and protein. The vitamins most commonly used for stress resistance are A, C, E, and pantothenic acid. The minerals magnesium, calcium, potassium, and zinc can help in the early stages of stress, and sodium supplements may be necessary in the final, extreme stress phase when the adrenal glands are exhausted."

Nutrition For Women

Nutritional and nutrient recommendations for coping with stress-related mineral imbalances

"Adrenal hormones and mineral metabolism become unbalanced under stress—regardless of whether the cause is a disorganized lifestyle or a surgical injury. The diet should include about 90 grams of protein (in frequent meals), eggs as a source of sulfur (which is needed, for example, for the synthesis of joint lubricants), and maintain a high magnesium-to-calcium ratio (as found in vegetables, bran, and fruit), while keeping phosphate intake low (this includes using leafy greens instead of some meat, as well as avoiding cheese). Vitamins C, E, and pantothenic acid are needed in particularly high amounts during stress. Vitamins A and B2 are also essential for the production of anti-stress hormones. Inositol is known to protect biological materials from many types of damage and could have this effect in arthritis, but I am not aware of any research on this specific application."

Nutrition For Women

The benefits of magnesium carbonate for nerve stability

"Magnesium carbonate is very useful for stabilizing nerves and muscles while also increasing energy levels: One gram of magnesium per day is a reasonable amount."

Nutrition For Women

Link between high cholesterol, hypothyroidism and heart attacks

"High cholesterol usually indicates low thyroid function. When the thyroid gland is underactive, cholesterol is not efficiently converted into progesterone. The real cause of heart attacks appears to be hypothyroidism and its effects, including magnesium loss."

Nutrition For Women

Estrogen's contribution to heart attacks and magnesium deficiency

"Estrogen causes heart attacks instead of curing them. It causes a magnesium deficiency, which promotes blood clotting."

Nutrition For Women

Magnesium deficiency and its role in impaired fat metabolism and heart disease

"Magnesium deficiency also promotes abnormal fat metabolism and thus contributes to heart disease."

Nutrition For Women

The role of magnesium in preventing blood clots and for vascular health

"Magnesium counteracts calcium (and estrogen) in the coagulation system, can prevent cramps in the blood vessels and can save oxygen."

Nutrition For Women

Clinical study links magnesium deficiency to heart disease

"There are several reasons to suspect that magnesium deficiency is often involved in heart disease; in one clinical study, for example, injected magnesium sulfate helped with angina pectoris and coronary thrombosis and tended to lower blood lipids."

Nutrition For Women

The role of magnesium in lowering cholesterol and preventing blood clots

"Numerous studies have found that high magnesium intake is associated with low blood cholesterol levels. Magnesium also counteracts the formation of blood clots and vascular spasms, which can be promoted by an excess of calcium."

Nutrition For Women

Importance of nutrients for mitochondrial function and aging

"As we age, the walls of blood vessels tend to harden due to calcium. At least in some tissues, it is known that calcification begins in degenerating mitochondria, and mitochondria tend to degenerate in aging tissue. Nutrients such as iodine, vitamin E, magnesium, and vitamin B2 are particularly important for maintaining the function of the mitochondria, which produce the majority of our energy."

Nutrition For Women

Interplay of stress, immune function and fat metabolism with phagocytosis

"Stress, the immune system, and fat metabolism are interconnected in complex ways. For example, it is known that a fat, triolein, stimulates phagocytosis – as does magnesium."

Nutrition For Women

Effect of magnesium chloride on the phagocytosis of white blood cells

"P. Delbet used physiological magnesium chloride (12.1 grams per liter) to stimulate phagocytosis in white blood cells. The activity was more than doubled by injecting 150 cc of this solution into a dog or by applying it to cells in vitro."

Nutrition For Women

Potential of magnesium carbonate for improving sleep quality

"Sometimes just a few hundred milligrams of magnesium carbonate per day (or a spoonful of Epsom salt, if this dose is divided into several portions to avoid the laxative effect) can immediately restore normal sleep."

Nutrition For Women

Benefits of honey and milk for liver glycogen

"Two or three tablespoons of honey in a glass of milk provide some magnesium as well as sugar to increase the glycogen stored in the liver."

Nutrition For Women

Rapid effect of vitamin B1 on irritability and mental clarity

"A peculiar kind of irritability, sometimes with the feeling that the head is in a kind of fog, is often the result of a vitamin B1 deficiency. If this is the cause, it clears up within a few minutes of taking the vitamin. Magnesium deficiency is another common cause of irritability."

Nutrition For Women

Tooth sensitivity as an indication of nutrient deficiencies

"Teeth that are sensitive to heat or cold indicate a deficiency in calcium, magnesium, or vitamin D."

Nutrition For Women

Nutritional therapy and hormonal support for abnormal Pap smears

“Many women with abnormal Pap smears, even with a biopsy showing so-called carcinoma in situ, have returned to normal within just two months – with a diet that includes the following: 90 grams of protein, 500 mg of magnesium chloride, 100,000 IU of vitamin A, 400 IU of vitamin E, 5 mg of folic acid, 100 mg of pantothenic acid, 100 mg of vitamin B6, 100 mg of niacinamide, and 500 mg of vitamin C, plus thyroid and progesterone as needed. Liver should be eaten twice a week. Some of the women apply vitamin A directly to the cervix.”

Nutrition For Women

Changes in nutrient requirements due to estrogen for maintaining blood sugar levels and a healthy pregnancy

"Vitamin E, vitamin A, and magnesium are other nutrients that help maintain blood sugar levels. Vitamin B12 is needed to utilize vitamin A. Folic acid, vitamin B6, and zinc are depleted by increased estrogen and are particularly important for a healthy pregnancy. Too much copper can lower blood sugar; too much iron can destroy vitamin E, and a vitamin E deficiency can lead to jaundice, which can affect the baby's brain."

Nutrition For Women

American dietary habits lead to deterioration of bones and teeth.

"Almost all Americans have porous, weakened bones and teeth by the age of 50 because of the large amount of meat consumed relative to other foods. When excess phosphate (for example, from meat or wheat germ) is eaten, calcium and magnesium are leached from teeth and bones to be excreted along with the phosphate."

Nutrition For Women

Milk improves the calcium-phosphorus ratio, but provides too little magnesium.

"Consuming large amounts of milk improves the calcium to phosphorus ratio, but does not provide enough magnesium to prevent tooth decay, heart problems, and cramps."

Nutrition For Women

ATP stability and the role of magnesium

"ATP is more stable than many chemists realize – only a deficiency of magnesium or an excess of calcium destabilizes its molecular structure. This seems to be involved in the sedative and antispasmodic effect of magnesium."

Nutrition For Women

Overlooked nutritional factors in infertility

"Too much carotene, too little vitamin A, not enough magnesium or sodium and too much cortisol are frequently overlooked factors in infertility."

Generative Energy Restoring The Wholeness Of Life

Natural antagonists in the treatment of degenerative brain diseases

"Antiendorphin, anti-excitotoxic, anticholinergic, antiserotonergic, antiprostaglandin, and antiglucocorticoid drugs have been used with good results in various degenerative nerve diseases, but all so-called anti-drugs are imprecise antagonists and have many side effects. The natural antagonists and nutrients are usually helpful. Protein, sodium, magnesium, carbon dioxide/bicarbonate, progesterone, thyroid function, vitamins, etc., can have a healing effect in many brain diseases."

February 2001

The role of carbon dioxide in cellular ion regulation

"The adsorptive effects of carbon dioxide and a wide variety of other chemical effects modulate the structure and function of the cell so that it retains significantly more potassium than sodium and can excrete calcium while binding magnesium."

January 2000 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Natural factors for correcting edema and improving cell function

"The thyroid gland, protein, sodium, and magnesium will correct most edema. Progesterone, which acts on mitochondria to increase respiratory efficiency and on structural proteins to alter their ion affinities, works synergistically with the other natural factors to correct permeability and water regulation."

January 2000 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Studies on parathyroid hormone and the interchangeability of minerals

"About 88 years ago, W.K. Koch (who is known for his cancer therapy) investigated parathyroid hormone and its relationship to tetany (sustained muscle contraction) and seizures and was able to show that the main minerals – sodium, potassium, magnesium and calcium – are interchangeable to some extent in alleviating tetany and seizures caused by the removal of the parathyroid gland, with magnesium being the most effective."

December 1999 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Treatment of hypocalcemic tetany with calcium and magnesium

"The theory of hypocalcemic tetany led to the practice of treating tetany with intravenous calcium solutions; for example, veterinarians often treat so-called grass tetany in cows with large intravenous doses of calcium. The treatment works, but tetany is now attributed to a magnesium deficiency (since magnesium supplementation is more effective, as Koch noted), and excess ammonia produced in the cow's rumen may contribute to this magnesium deficiency."

December 1999 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Excitatory receptors, calcium release and the energy requirements of cells

"These excitatory receptors release calcium into the cytoplasm and activate many cellular processes, including the release of fatty acids and the breakdown of proteins. When these receptors are activated, the cells' energy demands increase, and glucose is consumed more rapidly. Whenever these receptors are activated, magnesium protects the cell from toxic excitation. Effective antidotes to excitotoxins are based on blocking these receptors."

December 1999 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Magnesium deficiency and energy waste during muscle relaxation

"Cells with low thyroid function are also unable to efficiently retain magnesium, and a magnesium deficiency prevents muscle relaxation, thus wasting energy. Sufficient sodium prevents the loss of magnesium through urine."

1998 - Ray Peat's Newsletter - 4

Treatment of scleroderma with thyroid, magnesium and progesterone

“Men diagnosed with scleroderma have told me that their symptoms improved with the use of thyroid and magnesium supplements, Epsom salt baths, and topical progesterone and vitamin E. I suspect that the carbon dioxide produced in the mitochondria is the main factor removing calcium from them.”

1997 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Thyroid gland and magnesium in the normalization of mitochondria

"The thyroid gland and magnesium are often the factors needed to normalize mitochondria and prevent calcification. Generally, depleted cells absorb calcium and lose magnesium."

1997 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Systems that counteract the toxic effects of adrenaline

"There are several systems that counteract the toxic effects of adrenaline. GABA, dopamine, and adenosine have diverse anti-adrenergic effects. In many situations, the parasympathetic nervous system acts protectively against adrenaline. The protective steroids also act on many levels. Magnesium, which is largely kept under the influence of ATP and the thyroid gland within the cell, is our fundamental calcium blocker or calcium antagonist. GABA and dopamine inhibit the ACTH-glucocorticoid system and shift the steroid balance toward the protective anti-glucocorticoids: progesterone, testosterone, pregnenolone, and DHEA."

June 1992 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Comprehensive list of protective food-related chemicals

“A complete list of protective dietary chemicals and natural medicines or analogs to our body’s own protective factors would be very long, but we should pay particular attention to some, including succinic acid, which stimulates respiration and the synthesis of protective steroids; thyroid and vitamin E, which promote normal oxidation while preventing abnormal oxidation; magnesium; sodium and lithium, which help us retain magnesium; tropical fruits containing GHB; coconut oil, which protects against cardiac necrosis, lipid peroxidation, hypothyroidism, hypoglycemia, and histamine damage; Valium agonists, natural antihistamines; adenosine and uridine. Stays at higher altitudes and exposure to bright, long-wavelength light can cause the body to optimize its own anti-stress chemistry. Avoiding the feeling of being trapped is a high-level adaptive factor.”

June 1992 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Dietary supplements in the treatment of degenerative diseases

"In degenerative diseases, stress and age-related accumulation of iron and other mitochondrial toxic material (e.g., calcium, aluminum, and products of lipid peroxidation, including age pigment), as well as the failure of detoxification systems, render therapy with ordinary dietary supplements quite ineffective. Direct supplementation with the various natural protective substances (or their analogues) in addition to protective vitamins (especially E) and minerals (especially magnesium) is more appropriate."

August–September 1992 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

The role of energy in brain function and behavioral patterns

"The availability of energy is central to our stable functioning, and energy requirements significantly alter how we function. For example, when hunger increases, the brain's interpretive system changes so that increasingly unfamiliar things are considered as potential food. The spreading arousal that leads to this expanded search likely also occurs in relation to needs other than hunger and could lead to experimentation with drugs and other activities that provide indirect gratification. Compulsive and obsessive patterns can sometimes be resolved by supporting the brain's energy metabolism, for example, with magnesium and thyroid supplementation."

June 1991 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Effects of thyroid hormones on sleep, cramps and anxiety

"While many people view the thyroid as a kind of stimulant because it can cure the coma or lethargy of myxedema, this is a very misleading notion. In hypothyroidism, the brain-stimulating hormones adrenaline, estrogen, and cortisol are usually elevated, and the neuromuscular relaxant magnesium is low. Normal, deep sleep is rare in a hypothyroid person. The correct dose of triiodothyronine (the active thyroid hormone) along with magnesium is a reliable treatment for insomnia, cramps, and anxiety—regardless of whether these symptoms are caused by fatigue, aging, or alcohol withdrawal."

June 1991 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

The role of vitamin E and magnesium in preventing blood clots

"Vitamin E and magnesium, as well as some substances produced by the body, shift the balance away from blood clots."

April 1991 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Vitamins and thyroid extract in the treatment of allergies and serious conditions

"They achieved good results with their allergy patients when they gave them supplements of vitamin A, pantothenic acid, and vitamin C. Later, thyroid extract or triiodothyronine and magnesium were added to the other supplements – for patients who had more serious problems than ordinary allergies."

November 1989 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

Magnesium supplementation is recommended for stress and hypothyroidism.

"Magnesium is not well retained during periods of stress or hypothyroidism, therefore a supplement of several hundred milligrams daily is desirable."

January 1988 - Ray Peat's Newsletter

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Supplements according to Ray Peat

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