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Magnesium Questionnaire
Taken from the book, "The
Magnesium Factor"
This is one of the most well
documented books in the world. Stairway to Health®
strongly suggests you purchase and read this book and keep it in your home as a
part of Home Health. Dr. Seelig and Dr. Rosanoff have placed their reputations
and professional lives "out there" and this usually gains criticism from the
conventional world of the day. Congratulations, Drs., for a job well done!
"Use this questionnaire to help you
assess your probable magnesium status. It is not rigorously scientific,
but it is a guide that will aid you in identifying factors in your life that
may be affecting your magnesium status. In conjunction with any
cardiovascular risk factors you may have and, possibly, laboratory testing, it
will help you to determine how likely you are to be magnesium-deficient and
what steps you may wish to take to correct any deficit." Drs.
Seelig and Rosanoff
Download and take this questionnaire
once bi-monthly or quarterly to assess your magnesium levels frequently...your
life may depend upon your magnesium levels according to the book, "The
Magnesium Factor"
Part One
Circle
the appropriate number beside each statement and total your score at the
bottom.
Statement
Less than once a month Once Month to once Week
2 - 4 X's Week 4-7 X's Week More
Than Once Daily
1a.
I take a calcium
0
1
2
3
4
supplement
with no
added
magnesium
1b. I
am on hormone
0
1
2
3
4
replacement therapy
or birth
control pills
2. I
drink distilled or
0
1
2
3
4
deionized
bottled water 0
1
2
3
4
3. I drink
fruit drink, ade
0
1
2
3
4
or punch
4. I
drink sodas con-
0
1
2
3
4
taining
Phosphoric Acid
5. I
eat candy
0
1
2
3
4
6. I
eat pastries, cakes 0
1
2
3
4
7. I have
sugar in my coffee 0
1
2
3
4
8. I eat
white bread products 0
1
2
3
4
(including
bagels, croissants
muffins,
French bread, croutons,
crackers,
etc.)
9. I eat
pasta, spaghetti 0
1
2
3
4
or noodles
(Including Chinese
noodles)
10.
My diet is high in
0
1
2
3
4
saturated
fat
11.
I drink alcohol
0
1
2
3
4
Part Two
How many total cup servings of nuts or
vegetables (1/4 cup of nuts or 1/2 cup of vegetables) do you eat each day?
include salads and legumes such as soy and other beans. Circle the
score beneath the appropriate number of servings.
Average servings of
5-7 servings daily 3-4 servings
daily 1-2
servings daily
less than 1 serving daily
nuts or veggies eaten
0
3
5
10
Part Three
When you eat brads and cereals, how often are
they whole-grain foods? circle the score beneath the appropriate
description of how often you choose whole-grain products over
processed-grain products.
Occurrence
Exclusively whole grains Mostly whole grains
Sometimes whole grains Rarely or
never whole grains
Score
0
3
5
10
Part Four
Circle the appropriate number beside each
statement and total your score at the bottom.
Statement_______________________________________________________True___________False
1. I have high blood pressure, whether
treated or untreated
15
0
2. I have high triglycerides, high LDL
cholesterol and/or low HDL cholesterol 15
0
3. I have Type II Diabetes or a high fasting
glucose level
15
0
4. I take a thiazide diuretic
15
0
5. I take digitalis
15
0
6. I am 70 years old or older
15
0
7. I have a family history of heart dis/ease
25
0
Total: Part Four __________________
Now add up your scores from all four parts:
Part One: ________________
Part Two: _________________
Part Three: ________________
Part Four: _________________
TOTAL: __________________
Interpreting YOUR Results
Use the following general guide to assess
your likely risk of magnesium deficiency
0-12 Points = Low risk of magnesium
deficiency
13-20 Points = Mild risk of magnesium
deficiency
21-30 Points = Moderate risk of magnesium
deficiency
31-40 Points = High risk of magnesium
deficiency
41+ Points = Very high risk of magnesium
deficiency
Why Are Calcium and
Phosphorus on the Questionnaire?
Getting too much calcium and/or
phosphorus while in a suboptimal or deficient magnesium state may worsen the
magnesium inadequacy. High dose Vitamin D supplements can have an impact
on these minerals (discussion on page 260 of "The Magnesium Factor" by
Seelig and Rosanoff - Stairway to Health highly recommends you purchase the
book for your family health library).
Calcium
When a magnesium deficit
occurs, calcium levels in the blood go down, even if calcium intake is
adequate. When the body is in such a state, the absorption of calcium
can remain normal while excretion of calcium in the urine become low.
Thus, even though blood calcium is low, the body tends to retain calcium when
in a magnesium-deficient state. Extra calcium intake at such a time
could cause an abnormal rise of calcium levels inside the cells, including the
cells of the heart and blood vessels. If magnesium is replenished, the
calcium level in the blood returns to normal, as does its excretion in the
urine. Given the delicate balance necessary between calcium and
magnesium in the cells, it is best to be sure magnesium is adequate if you are
taking calcium supplements. This can be especially important if you are taking
hormone replacement therapy or birth control pills (chapter 7 of "The
Magnesium Factor" Seelig and Rosanoff).
Phosphorus
Experimental rats can be made
magnesium deficient - enough to cause calcification of kidney tissue --by
adding excess phosphorus and calcium to their diets. The amount of
phosphate-containing additives in processed foods can be substantial
(providing up to 1 gram per day, especially from baked goods and processed
meats). Phosphoric acid-based sodas contain between 50 to 160 mg of
phosphorus per serving, depending upon the size of the drink. Given
these unintentional sources, people may be ingesting more phosphorus than a
low magnesium intake can safely counteract, especially if calcium supplements
are part of the dietary picture. However, if calcium intake is low and
phosphorus intake high, the bone can be adversely affected. Once again,
the proper balance is necessary. Studies on this interaction between
calcium and phosphorus often do not include an assessment of the subjects'
magnesium status, but the physiological parameters of excess phosphorus and
calcium can be similar to those described in magnesium deficiency. This
is a complex area of nutrition but it is safe to say that adequate
magnesium plus a proper balance between calcium, magnesium and phosphorus
intakes is desirable, and you should remember that the amount of phosphorus in
processed foods that contain phosphate-based additives can be higher than you
would expect.
The DRI/RDA for phosphorus is
around 700 mg for adults. an adequate intake for calcium for adults is
1,000 mg per day from all sources, 1,200 mg pr day if you are over age
seventy. At these intakes of calcium, keeping the recommended two to one
(2:1) calcium-to-magnesium ratio requires daily magnesium intakes of 500 mg,
an amount rarely consumed by Americans. (Taken form "The Magnesium
Factor" by Seelig/Rosanoff - Stairway to Health highly recommends your
purchase this book for your family health library).
High dose Vitamin D
Vitamin D is necessary for
calcium absorption. When vitamin D levels are low, not much
calcium is absorbed from the intestines into the blood-stream, even if there
is plenty of calcium in the diet. However, doses of vitamin D
higher than the amount necessary to achieve normal calcium levels can have
negative effects. If magnesium status is low or suboptimal and vitamin D
is very high, and especially if calcium is also high, calcium absorption can
be high enough to make the magnesium deficiency worse and to worsen the risk
of calcium moving abnormally into cells and soft tissues, including those of
the heart and arteries. The amount of vitamin D people need varies with
age, skin pigmentation, exposure to sunlight, the latitude at which they live,
and even their individual genetic makeup, all of which can limit the amount
that can be safely consumed without causing excess calcium levels.
Vitamin D nutrition is a complex subject that is difficult to quantify or
generalize about. It does play a role in magnesium, calcium, phosphorus
nutrition. The adult adequate intake for vitamin D ranges from 200 to
400 international units per day, 600 international units per day for people
over age seventy. The upper limit has been set at 2,000 international
units per day.
Like most nutrients, calcium,
phosphorus, and vitamin D have a range of optimal intakes. An intake
below this range means deficit; an intake above it means that the otherwise
beneficial nutrient can become toxic. If you are low in magnesium, it is
easier for calcium, phosphorus and vitamin D to become toxic or, conversely,
for resistance to vitamin D to develop.
We are not suggesting that you
forgo calcium supplements to prevent osteoporosis, to do without phosphorus
and vitamin D, or to avoid vitamin D-fortified milk. we are suggesting
you get adequate magnesium so that a high level of these nutrients will not
exacerbate a deficient or suboptimal magnesium intake. If you are told
that you need unusually high doses of any vitamin, keep in mind that magnesium
activates vitamin D, and that lower doses of vitamin D are needed when
inadequate magnesium is corrected.
NOTE: This article is
taken from "the Magnesium Factor" by Seelig and Rosanoff. We highly
recommend you purchase and make this book a part of your family health
library.
Why Are Fruit Drink, Ade
and Punch on the Questionnaire?
These sweetened drinks are
quite high in sugar. A 12 ounce serving of fruit drink contains roughly
12 teaspoons of sugar, whereas the same amount of colas has 9 teaspoons and a
piece of white layer cake with chocolate frosting has 6 teaspoons. A
high intake of refined sugar can lead to magnesium loss in the urine and these
drinks can really add a lot of sugar to one's life, even though their fruit
flavor leads some people to believe they are healthy. Look for pure
fruit juices rather than fruit drinks or ades. Fruit juices though (from
STH fruit juices are generally mostly fructose and should be consumed
sparingly)...Fruit drinks, ades and punches have added sugar. (from the
book ((except STH insert)) "The Magnesium Factor" by Seelig and Rosanoff - STH
highly recommends you purchase this book and make it a part of your family
health library).
Why Are Other Common Foods
on the Questionnaire?
The reasons for including some
of the other elements of the questionnaire can be summarized as follows:
-
Candies and desserts are
usually made with refined sugar. Refined sugar has not only had
all the magnesium removed from it, it increases the excretion of magnesium in
the urine. There is one bright spot to this restriction. if you
must break your diet with a little candy, take a piece of chocolate,
preferably dark semi-sweet. chocolate contains magnesium.
-
White breads and pastries made
with white flour are low-magnesium foods. These products can also be a
significant source or phosphate-based additives. A steady die, year
after year, of white bread or baked products made with white flour can easily
be low in magnesium, especially if it does not include several servings of
vegetables each day.
-
Alcohol, especially the
excessive consumption of hard liquor, promotes the excretion of magnesium,
enhancing the risk of cardiovascular disease, while moderate, regular use of
alcohol may spare magnesium.
-
Certain types of bottled water
may have all the natural magnesium removed.
-
Saturated fats impede the
absorption of magnesium through the intestine (STH We would generally refer to
highly heated saturated fats like those you overheat or hydrogenated, even
hydrolyzed in America as the dangerous saturated fats, raw saturated fats are
generally very good for us)
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