Magnesium

Why I test:

Magnesium is one of the most beneficial vitamin supplements I recommend because it helps so many areas of the human body.  It is necessary for more than three hundred chemical reactions in your body.  Maybe most importantly magnesium helps our bodies produce energy.  Many of the chemical reactions cannot take place in the body without magnesium and low levels are often associated with fatigue.  It also plays a key role in the nervous system and the regulation of anxiety and depression.  Also important from a wellness perspective, magnesium controls blood sugar balance and decreases inflammation.

What I test:

The average physician does not test magnesium levels in your blood.  In my office I use a test called RBC magnesium, which represents the amount of magnesium intracellularly.  I have been amazed how many patients are deficient now that I more routinely check levels.  The normal range for RBC magnesium is 1.5 to 3.1 mmol/L.  I aim for levels in the higher range of normal about 2.5 mmol/L and greater. 

Who i test:

I commonly test patients for magnesium levels who have a history of migrane, asthma, anxiety, insomnia, PMS, high blood pressure, low thyroid function, blood sugar inbalance, digestive issues, muscle spasm and back pain as these conditions can be related to magnesium deficiency. However, anyone can request the test and learn from the results.