Lee Ward: 11/01/09 — Panning for magnesium, not gold » Columns

Columns

Discussion

October 30, 2009

Lee Ward: 11/01/09 — Panning for magnesium, not gold

Anonymous The Daily Independent Fri Oct 30, 2009, 09:10 AM EDT

Magnesium is one of Earth’s most precious and rare minerals.

To me, it is, anyway.

During the summer, I spend some time in the hospital. I became dehydrated and, as a result, became low on several minerals, including magnesium.

After more than two months of taking supplements and getting frequent blood tests, I remain low on magnesium.

I had no idea we had magnesium in our bodies and I certainly didn’t have a clue how important it is until I lost mine.

My cousin Bob, who is one of the most intelligent and well-informed people I know, said before my battle to regain my magnesium, if someone had told him he had magnesium in his bloodstream, he would have said, “Well, let’s get busy on the purification process and get it out of there.”

Being the journalist that I am, as soon as I left the hospital, well aware of my shortage, I began researching magnesium to understand why I needed it and how I could get it.

The National Institutes of Health had quite a bit to say about it:

‰Magnesium is the fourth most abundant mineral in the body; about 50 percent of total body magnesium is found in bone. The other half is found predominantly inside cells of body tissues and organs. Only one percent of magnesium is found in blood, but the body works very hard to keep blood levels of magnesium constant.

‰Magnesium is needed for more than 300 biochemical reactions in the body, including normal muscle and nerve function, steady heart rhythm, healthy immune system and strong bones.

It also helps regulate blood sugar levels and promote normal blood pressure.

‰Magnesium is found in abundance in leafy, green vegetables, nuts, seeds and whole grains, all of which I was instructed to avoid for a while, for reasons unrelated to my deficiency.

That probably doesn’t really matter. To rebuild the amount of magnesium I lost requires tablets. A person who hasn’t experienced such a drop in magnesium can easily maintain a normal level of magnesiium by eating a healthy, varied diet.

Still, I have tried to include magnesium-rich food in my diet recently, at least ones I’m allowed to have.

The NIH said some of those are halibut, soybeans, oatmeal, potatoes, yams, peanut butter, yogurt and bananas.

Fortunately for me, chocolate pudding and pumpkin pie also have plenty of magnesium.

Hey, I’m just following the guidelines set forth by the National Institutes of Health.

LEE WARD can be reached at lward@dailyindependent.com or (606) 326-2661.

Text Only

Columns

Carrie Stambaugh: Memories of years spent at the pool: 5/25/12
The official start to the summer is upon us. As a kid, this weekend was the most anticipated of the year.

May 25, 2012
Mark Maynard: Smelling your way to stories: 5/24/12
We do what we can to sell newspapers these days.

May 24, 2012
JOHN CANNON: Playing with Peepaw can be fun
When my youngest granddaughter, who will turn 3 in September, walked into the family room and asked Peepaw to take her to the “chicken place,” this old man knew immediately what she wanted. And I was eager to grant her request.

May 23, 2012
TIM PRESTON: Leftovers, small biz winners, pet spa
Tim Preston's weekly business column.

May 22, 2012
Cathie Shaffer: The search goes on: 5/22/12
Forget the calendar. As we all know, the long Memorial Day weekend signals the beginning of summer. Pools open, campers come out for the first time since fall and kids beg to put on their swimsuits and run through sprinklers.

May 22, 2012
Fond memories of 6 rooms and a path
Two country music performers, Bobby Bare and Billy Edd Wheeler, made lots of money several years ago with a cute little song about outhouses.

May 21, 2012
Lee Ward — 05/20/2012: Hey, up here: Thinking about parenting guidelines
Time magazine recently published a story about extreme parenting.

May 20, 2012
RONNIE ELLIS: Tea party influence still felt
Weekly political column from Ronnie Ellis in Frankfort.

May 18, 2012
Carrie Stambaugh: Help for those who serve just up the road: 5/18/12
A couple of weeks ago, I received a phone call from a local veteran who served in the Marine Corps during the Vietnam War.

May 18, 2012
MARK MAYNARD: Grandchild can get Corky out of the pool
It takes a lot to get Corky Haberek out of the pool. You see, the pool is his sanctuary, the place where he goes to relax and compete.

May 17, 2012
More Columns Headlines

Columns

Search Results

Discussion

Lee Ward: 11/01/09 — Panning for magnesium, not gold

Site Map

Contact Us