What exactly is magnesium threonate?

Threonate is a metabolite, one that has been so far useful in assisting the body’s absorption of vitamin C. A metabolite is something that is produce by your metabolism. In other words, your body produces threonate, and that threonate helps you to absorb vitamin C.

Not just that, though. Researchers have also found that threonate can assist magnesium in crossing the blood-brain barrier. This new supplement called magnesium threonate (Magnesium L-threonate) is a magnesium salt of L-threonic acid that has the formula Mg(C4H7O5)2. The supplement was made by the following process at a university in Xian, China, if you need more details of the manufacturing method.

A study at Tsing Hua University in Beijing fed magnesium threonate to rats to observe the effects of their cognitive abilities. The results showed that the rats were in fact able to think better after taking these supplements. It should be noted that the rats were not in any way magnesium deficient before the tests.

What can magnesium threonate do for you?

It has long been understood that magnesium is essential to the function of many organs, and that people in developed nations tend to suffer from magnesium deficiencies. The problem, though, was that oral magnesium supplements had little access to the brain, and so little effect on cognition could be expected. By creating magnesium threonate, the researchers hoped to deliver magnesium more directly to the brain. The results (published in a January 2010 issue of Neuron) were impressive, at least for rats:

“We found that increased brain magnesium enhanced many different forms of learning and memory in both young and aged rats,” says Dr. Liu. A close examination of cellular changes associated with memory revealed an increase in the number of functional synapses, activation of key signaling molecules and an enhancement of short- and long-term synaptic processes that are crucial for learning and memory.

According to the research, magnesium threonate “leads to the enhancement of learning abilities, working memory, and short- and long-term memory in rats.”

This is significant. In addition to the increase in number of synapses, short-term memory improved by 18% and long-term memory improved by 100%.

The bad news is, you are not a rat. So we can’t say with any certainty what effect it will have on your brain, and we are blissfully unaware of any possible side-effects.

Should I start taking magnesium threonate?

That’s the million dollar question. It looks very promising, but nothing is guaranteed. The possible risks and rewards are all yours. It seems likely that the risk is small, so if you are willing to try the stuff out and see if you fire up your brain power, give it a whirl. In my case, I need all the help I can get! If magnesium threonate has anywhere near the effect on humans that it showed on rats (in just one test, remember), than I could be a whole different person. What do you think?

Numerous studies have been conducted (see a list of a few at the end of this article), and in all they present strong evidence that increased magnesium intake (even with supplements) can be very effective in reducing or curing migraines. Even the USDA has climbed on the bandwagon, and suggested increased daily intake of food high in magnesium or, if needed, magnesium supplements. The USDA reports says:

Epidemiological findings and supplementation trials show that people’s magnesium status is associated with the severity and frequency of migraine headaches… controlled human studies at the Grand Forks Human Nutrition Research Center (GFHNRC) and elsewhere are being done to conclusively show that inadequate magnesium intake can result in these maladies.

I added the bolded phrase. Whatever the cause, inadequate magnesium has been correlated with migraines. We already know that migraines cause stress, and that stress can reduce the magnesium levels in the human body, but several studies go beyond this to show that additional magnesium in food or via supplements can be the solution for many migraine sufferers. The same report goes on to say “magnesium supplementation reduces the number and duration of migraines, including menstrual migraines, in some people.” It further suggests that “too little magnesium can worsen the suffering from migraine headaches.”

One double-blind study revealed regular use of magnesium helps to prevent migraine headaches. The subject group of patients with recurrent migraines were given either 600 mg of magnesium each day or a placebo. The magnesium group’s migraines were reduced by 41.6%, compared to a reduction of 15.8% in the placebo group. Other double-blind studies have shown similar results. One study found no benefit, but has since been criticized on many significant points, including using an excessively strict definition of what constitutes a benefit.

The patients group at migraines.org relates the following with regards to dosage and types of magnesium to use. Note that magnesium rich water is suggested, and more information is available about those at our magnesium water page.

A Canadian approach suggested that physicians advise migraine patients to consume at least 6 mg magnesium per day for each kilogram of body weight. An even higher intake of 10 mg/day per Kg of body weight may be desirable provided that it does not trigger a laxative effect. Breaking the dosage into three or four parts taken at different times of day helps prevent laxative effect. Magnesium hydroxide is NOT recommended because of poor bioavailability and because they know of no instance of it having any beneficial use other than as a laxative. Other Magnesium compounds appear to be better, including Magnesium oxide, Magnesium sulphate, and Magnesium citrate. Natural magnesium in water (magnesium carbonate dissolved in CO2-rich water) is 30% more bio-available than Magnesium in food or pill, and offers much greater cardio-protection.

As the evidence adds up, we are still left without absolute proof of magnesium’s efficacy with migraines. Yet, magnesium and migraines are strongly linked, and there is plenty to suggest that increased magnesium could not only prevent migraines, but lessen the severity of the migraines that do occur. Couple this with the minimal risk associated with increasing magnesium (unless you have kidney problems) and it would seem a no-brainer to give this a try. But remember to avoid chocolate as a magnesium source, as chocolate may be part of the cause of your migraines.

Again, some of the studies on magnesium and migraines are listed below:

* Pfaffenrath V, Diener H, Fischer M, et al. The efficacy and  safety of Tanacetum parthenium (feverfew) in migraine prophylaxis-a  double-blind, multicentre, randomized placebo-controlled dose-response  study.         Cephalalgia. 2002;22:523-532.

* Peikert A, Wilimzig C, Kohne-Volland R. Prophylaxis of migraine  with oral magnesium: results from a prospective, multi-center,  placebo-controlled and double-blind randomized study.         Cephalalgia. 1996;16:257-263.

* Taubert K. Magnesium in migraine. Results of a multicenter pilot study [in German; English abstract].         Fortschr Med. 1994;112:328-330.

* Facchinetti F, Sances G, Borella P, et al. Magnesium prophylaxis  of menstrual migraine: effects on intracellular magnesium.         Headache. 1991;31:298-301.

* Pfaffenrath V, Wessely P, Meyer C, et al. Magnesium in the  prophylaxis of migraine—a double-blind, placebo-controlled study.         Cephalalgia. 1996;16:436-440.

* Gaby AR. Research review.         Nutr Healing. March 1997.

* Titus F, Davalos A, Alom J, et al. 5-hydroxytryptophan versus  methysergide in the prophylaxis of migraine: randomized clinical trial.         Eur Neurol. 1986;25:327-329.

* Bono G, Criscuoli M, Martignoni E, et al. Serotonin precursors in migraine prophylaxis.         Adv Neurol. 1982;33:357-363.

* Maissen CP, Ludin HP. Comparison of the effect of  5-hydroxytryptophan and propranolol in the interval treatment of  migraine [translated from German].         Schweiz Med Wochenschr. 1991;121:1585-1590.

* Santucci M, Cortelli P, Rossi PG, et al. L-5-hydroxytryptophan  versus placebo in childhood migraine prophylaxis: a double-blind  crossover study.         Cephalalgia. 1986;6:155-157.

Now this is how we start the day, especially if you already eat cereal. While raw oat bran offers about 225 mg of magnesium per 100 grams (and 256 calories), raw wheat bran offers near 350 mg of magnesium at half the calories. You are well on your way here, but there are a couple things to remember. These weights are dry weight. The addition of water will help you to eat more, but most water has very little magnesium content.  They’ll still be fairly high in magnesium, but no magnesium super food.
The other thing to remember is not to overdo it. Too much bran can cause bloating, gas and diarrhea. Take it slowly, and drink lots of water. The more bran you eat, the more water you need. If you stop yourself up with too much raw bran, it can inhibit your body’s absorption of other minerals. If you are wondering how to eat raw bran without feeling like a horse, try mixing with milk or even soymilk. A dd some sweetening in the form of honey or raisins, or others fruits. Add some cinnamon for a little tang.
The nice thing about raw bran for breakfast is that you are almost certain to cover your magnesium needs for the rest of the day by just eating normally.

Pumpkin Seeds

Pumpkin seeds are in a category of their own so far as magnesium rich foods go. At 535 mg per 100 gram serving, you are covered for the whole day. The advantage of pumpkin seeds is that they are very suitable to snacking. Wherever you are, at any time of day, you can pop a few pumpkin seeds in your mouth and get roughly a milligram of magnesium per seed. Can’t go too wrong here, except watch the calories (over 500 per 100 grams).

Chocolate

The estimates of magnesium in chocolate range 100 mg to over 500 mg per 100 grams of chocolate servings. Milk chocolate or other highly diluted chocolates are well below even the 100 mg figure, and not worth considering for their magnesium value. Yet, it’s all here at the top of the list because most of us love to eat chocolate – so here’s an excuse, sort of. The thing to remember is that raw cocoa beans would be your absolute best source for magnesium, though they are certainly not to everyone’s taste, and not all that easy to find. To make them easier to eat, even enjoyable, try grinding the whole beans in a food processor, and sprinkling them on yogurt or ice cream. Or mix them with a drink in a juicer. Or add them to tea. If even this is more than you want to deal with, just take some cocoa powder and make an extra strong hot chocolate, or eat sweetened dark chocolate (at least 89% cocoa content). For more information about chocolate check out our posts about the benefits of chocolate and health chocolate scams.

Almonds and Other Nuts or Seeds

Almonds, with cashews running a close second, are excellent sources of magnesium. 100 grams of almonds pack in roughly 180 mg of magnesium, while 100 grams of cashews have almost 170 mg. Broken down, this means one almond is equivalent to 3 mg of magnesium. In fact, if we look at it that way, brazil nuts are super sources, with about 7 mg of magnesium in each nut (about 145 mg per 100 grams of brazil nuts). Pine nuts and just about all other nuts are also good sources of magnesium. Raw nuts, of course, are best (when they can be eaten).

Spinach

Spinach. No surprise here- we’ve always known it was healthy. A mere 100 grams of spinach is very easy to eat, very low in calories, and very high in magnesium as well as other great nutrients. Before turning up your nose at this food, try some treats such as spinach salad with bacon dressing, or creamy spinach soup. See our spinach recipes page for more. And read one to see a great partner for spinach.

Halibut

While many fish are good sources of magnesium, halibut is the king of magnesium rich foods…er, seafoods. A mere 3.5 oz. (100 gram) serving delivers a solid 107 mg of magnesium. Now halibut doesn’t have much taste, which is either a good or bad thing, depending on how much you like fish. Which is why it needs to be cooked with flourish. And there’s no better partner that our friend above – spinach. If you have doubts about the deliciousness that this powerhouse high magnesium meal can bring you, just look at this picture of halibut with spinach and garlic cream sauce. What a wonderful way to cure a magnesium deficiency!

Beans – Black or White

Beans, glorious beans…

Both white beans and black beans pack anywhere between 110-135 mg of magnesium rich goodness to each cup of boiled beans. That means bean soup!

White beans are high in potassium (but low in sodium), iron, manganese and soluble fiber as well. Soluble fiber is what helps your body rid itself of cholesterol. White beans also contain protease inhibitors, which are know to inhibit the growth of cancer cells.

Black beans are rich in protein, iron and vitamin B. Black beans also help reduce cholesterol, help maintain balanced blood sugar levels and (of course) prevent constipation. All of these factors help to lessen to incidence of heart disease, diabetes and many gastrointestinal disorders. Black beans are also rich in phytochemicals, which are substances found only in plant foods that are know to help fight cancer.

They also couldn’t be easier to eat, as there are a myriad of black bean recipes and white bean recipes. These are among the easiest ways to take in magnesium rich foods and to keep your body fit.

Read more: http://www.livestrong.com/article/238506-black-bean-nutritional-facts/#ixzz1YxPXvAqK

(Click Here for a Full List of Magnesium Rich Foods)

The full FDA list of magnesium content in foods is available from the FDA website.
Otherwise, go to our own list of magnesium rich foods and see a video there showing you some of the best.

A Note on Magnesium Rich Foods Lists

Toxic amounts of this health food are needed to impact magnesium levels.

Magnesium rich foods lists often include things like herbs, cocoa powder and kombu kelp (a tough and chewy seaweed). Great, except they are measuring magnesium per 100 gram (about 3.5 ounces) serving. Now go and try to down 100 grams of coriander. That would be more than a cup, if dry, and a heck of a lot even fresh. Or how about a cup of cocoa powder (not hot cocoa with milk, just the powder)? Don’t even think about the kombu. You’ll be chewing all day, and get an overdose of iodine long before you replenish your magnesium levels. So go ahead to the other lists, and view their advice – usually written by some overworked woman at a content sweatshop in Mumbai.

(Full List and Video of Magnesium Rich Foods)

You see how useless these unedited lists can be? I assume you are here to learn about which foods high in magnesium can help you avoid magnesium deficiency. And by that, I mean foods that you can enough of as a normal person to get the benefits of their magnesium content. Well, here’s a list of magnesium rich foods that you can actually use, and actually consume without some sort of superhuman and dangerous effort. Let’s get started….

Calculate your daily needs for magnesium. This data was taken from the USDA as well as objective research sites, and is not intended as medical advice (as I am not a medical professional, but simply using available research). Please consult your doctor for more information. However, they may provide an idea for those over 18 years of age (calculator not applicable to children). Though diabetes and other health conditions may increase your need for magnesium, I have not included many of them. Enjoy…

So, just look at the right sidebar and use our calculator to determine your magnesium needs.

Enjoy!

When we know that pesticides are likely to have been heavily used on a certain produce, we may choose to go organic. According to the Environmental Working Group, which recently published a survey of fresh foods that were most exposed to pesticides and those that were least expose to pesticides, some interesting things came up. Celery took the dubious honor of being the most exposed of the group in the study. Celery was followed by peaches and strawberries,and then apples and blueberries. Worse, for those of us who love it for its high magnesium levels, is that spinach made it onto the pesticide baddy list, in position number 8.

This doesn’t mean you can’t eat spinach, simply that you might want to buy organic spinach when you can. If you can’t, make sure you wash it with more than the usual thoroughness.

This should be no surprise, as one of the vegetables I had the most trouble with in shipping from China to Japan was spinach, both frozen and fresh. The leaves just seem to absorb so much, and if they are exposed to pesticides and pollution, they’ll pick it up. So eat your spinach, but lean organic for both the fresh and frozen (please tell me you’re not still eating canned, Popeye).

For the food that got the least exposure to pesticides, they were topped by the humble onion. It were followed by avocado, sweet corn, pineapple and mangoes.

In any case, you should already be washing your leafy vegetables well – whether they are organic or not.

The full list for each is reproduced below.

Pesticide heavy (buy organic):

1. Celery
2. Peaches
3. Strawberries
4. Apples
5. Blueberries
6. Nectarines
7. Bell peppers
8. Spinach
9. Cherries
10. Kale/Collard greens
11. Potatoes
12. Grapes

Relatively pesticide free:

1. Onions
2. Avocado
3. Sweet corn
4. Pineapple
5. Mangoes
6. Sweet peas
7. Asparagus
8. Kiwi
9. Cabbage
10. Eggplant
11. Cantaloupe
12. Watermelon
13. Grapefruit
14. Sweet potato
15. Honeydew melon

The artichoke is a good source of vitamin C, folate and potassium as well. With little sodium and no fat, the artichoke is a luxurious way to diet – a medium artichoke is about 25 calories.

It looks unusual because it is actually a kind of thistle, and the the artichoke (or the part we eat) is in fact the flower bud of a beautiful purple thistle flower. That said, as beautiful as it is when it flowers, a flowering artichoke is one that we can no longer eat!

First things first, when you buy artichokes look for a nice clean and green color, and check to see that the petals (leaves) allow you to wiggle them a bit. I prefer larger sizes, but some recipes may call for smaller sizes or even baby artichokes. Try to avoid those with many brown spots, which are caused by frost or simply by not being very fresh.

When you get the artichoke home, use a knife to cut the stem – the same as you would do for fresh cut flowers. You want to expose the still living part of the stem and stand the artichoke in a dish with a bit of water in it. Be sure to cut well enough that the artichoke can stand on its own. This will allow the artichoke to soak up a bit more water and plump out a bit – something that can make a great difference in taste when you are planning to boil them.

Now, when you are ready, the simplest and most elegant way to enjoy an artichoke is to boil it in salted water until tender. Once it’s tender, remove from the water and give it a chance to cool down. During the summer, you may wish to chill it.

To eat the artichoke, simply use your fingers to pull off one petal at a time, put the end that was attached to the stem in your mouth, and use your teeth to pull off the soft pulp at the moist end of the petal. The rest of the petal can be tossed in a dish set to the side. Continue eating this way, and you’ll eventually reach the tender heart. This can be eaten by hand as well, but may be a bit messier. The whole experience of eating this way is one of luxury. Now who says getting magnesium rich foods in your diet can’t be fun?

Speaking of diets…. if you’re not on one, you might like to prepare a dip into which you can dip the petals before eating each one. The most popular is (surprise) mayonnaise, or mayonnaise mixed with mustard. if you are counting calories, then you may want to experiment with a little fresh lemon juice, or vinegar. Or better yet just keep the mayo to a minimum on each bite.

As you get closer to the heart, the magnesium in the artichoke increases, so be sure to eat it to the end.

Of course, though the above is the most popular way to enjoy an artichoke, it’s far from the only way. Keep reading to get a few ideas and great recipes so you can enjoy magnesium rich artichokes without getting bored. (Is getting bored with artichokes even possible??)

Visit our artichoke recipe page, or try one of the recipes below…

Artichoke Recipes

Artichoke and Lima Bean Garlic Saute

Ingredients:

Baby artichokes

Garlic

Lima Beans

Parsley

Salt and pepper to taste

Lima beans are a famously magnesium rich food. Combined with the artichokes you can have a gourmet side dish that is high in magnesium and memorable. This very simple dish can be made by slowly cooking the artichokes and garlic in a pan with a bit of olive oil. As the garlic turns brown, finally add the cooked lima beans and the chopped parsley. Season as needed.

Deep Fried Artichokes

This delectable treat comes from the California Artichoke Advisory Board . Do pay them a visit for more artichoke info, and other recipes including some great Italian dishes.

From the California Artichoke Advisory Board website.

1 cup fish batter mix
¼ teaspoon baking powder
½ cup water
¼ cup beer
2 pounds baby artichokes, prepared as directed and quartered*
1 cup Italian bread crumbs
¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese
solid all vegetable shortening for frying, about 1 inch deep

Heat shortening to 350 degrees F. Mix together the batter mix, baking powder, water and beer. Dip artichokes in batter mix, then roll in bread crumbs mixed with Parmesan cheese. Fry 2 or 3 minutes or until light golden brown.

*For preparation of baby artichokes, trim to hearts, quarter, and place in water with lemon juice to prevent browning. Drain well before dipping in batter.

Of the 172 women, only 21 (fewer than 15%) were able to stick to the required diet for the 5 year study. That left a fairly small sample to make conclusions from, but we have to speculate something don’t we? Otherwise, a 5 year study has been wasted, right? Of those 21 women who completed the study, 16 of them gave birth to girls. That’s a success rate of almost 80%. So if you’re looking for a girl, you’ll have to cut way back on dairy and other potassium/sodium rich foods, and start getting more magnesium and calcium. Keep it up for few years, and have regular sex – except around ovulation. If you believe the results of this study enough to do all that. Of course, since I recommend magnesium all the time on this website, part of it should be easy enough.

On the other hand, if you want a boy, start eating bananas and potassium rich foods. I can’t bring myself to tell you cut back on magnesium rich foods, though. At least, not for this reason.

I came across this list, and was wowed by the number one magnesium super food right at the top. None other than coffee. 15,999 milligrams! That’s an outrageous number, considering your daily requirements are less than 500, or at most 800 if you follow the strongest proponents of magnesium. What does almost 16 grams of magnesium actually mean here? That’s enough to give diarrhea to you even if all you eat are rocks and starchy white rice.

This demonstrates a problem that many such lists have. If they list according to magnesium per 100 gram (about 4 ounces) servings, you’ll get things at the top of the list such as soy sauce, and fresh ground coffee (not the water, just the ground coffee beans).  Try downing 4 ounces of soy sauce or coffee beans in a sitting. You won’t enjoy it, and most likely you’ll stop to get sick before you get even close.

The items at the top of nutrition lists based on one serving size will be top-heavy with things that aren’t meant to be eaten in those volumes.

Lists based on calories have the same issue. While they can be helpful, you will find very low calorie things such as salt, coffee, and kombu seaweed that, once again, cannot be eaten in any bulk.

This is why we need to talk about magnesium foods one by one. So, let’s talk about coffee…

I love coffee, and so I love any excuse to drink more of it. However there’s a problem. Coffee both drains your body of magnesium and contribute. First the contribution:

One 8 oz. cup of coffee will provide you with 7 mg of magnesium. That’s it. If you drink 5 or 6 such cups per day, you’ll get the benefit of 35-42 mg of magnesium. Now, compare that to a cup of spinach, which will give you about 150 mg of magnesium, and a whole lot more nutrition to boot. So yes, coffee gives you some magnesium, but it’s hardly the preferred source.

Now the bad news. Caffeine causes your body to lose magnesium, mainly through the urine. In the long run, coffee probably costs you more magnesium than it gives you.

So, all in all, coffee is not the place to to to get your extra magnesium. On the other hand, if you enjoy drinking coffee, go for it. It does contribute a bit of magnesium to make up for what it takes, and it is one of the most enjoyable things a person can drink.

For a little more on coffee, head over to the Harvard School of Public Health. No matter how much magnesium in coffee there is, this will make you feel good about drinking it.