Alkali Earth Metal: Magnesium
I picked magnesium because I always wonder if I get enough of it in my diet. It is an alkali earth metal (of course) which means it's in group 2 of the periodic table. These elements have two outer electrons and want to get rid of them by forming a (covalent?) bond with other elements.
Magnesium is necessary for life in all biological organisms. It is light and strong, and so is used in industrial applications such as car wheels ("mag wheels"), aircraft, and in soda cans with aluminum. It is also a good conductor so is used in electronic applications.
The real reason I chose magnesium is epsom salts (magnesium sulfate). Growing up, everything that ever went wrong with my horse seemed to be cured by soaking in epsom salts. I went to the industry website on epsom salts and learned this:
1. Over-farming has lead to depleted amounts of magnesium in our vegetables.
2. Everyone is taking calcium supplements, but calcium can only work to form bones in the presence of sufficient magnesium. So, the extra calcium completely gobbles up whatever magnesium was there, and after that is worthless. So, taking a calcium supplement without magnesium actually depletes magnesium levels in the body. Research shows that we have five times the amount of calcium than magnesium in our bodies, and the ratio should be two to one.
3. Predictably, the epsom salt industry says you have to use epsom salts to improve the situation (eye roll). Here's what they say it does (pasting this in)
Researchers and physicians report that raising your magnesium levels may:
Improve heart and circulatory health, reducing irregular heartbeats, preventing hardening of the arteries, reducing blood clots and lowering blood pressure.
Improve the body's ability to use insulin, reducing the incidence or severity of diabetes.
Flush toxins and heavy metals from the cells, easing muscle pain and helping the body to eliminate harmful substances.
Improve nerve function by regulating electrolytes. Also, calcium is the main conductor for electrical current in the body, and magnesium is necessary to maintain proper calcium levels in the blood.
Relieve stress. Excess adrenaline and stress are believed to drain magnesium, a natural stress reliever, from the body. Magnesium is necessary for the body to bind adequate amounts of serotonin, a mood-elevating chemical within the brain that creates a feeling of well being and relaxation
No wonder my horse lived to be 35!!!
Colors of Food in My Kitchen
I've decided to report only on my fridge, so I'm leaving out pantry items that would score big points like Goji berries, seaweed, tomato products, etc.
Red: red pepper, red stalks on swiss chard,
Orange: a few oranges that need to be eaten right away, bunny love carrots
Yellow: nothing, to be honest. I do have a lemon tree outside.
Green: romaine lettuce, basil, celery, chard, dead avocado.
Blue: nothing at all
Indigo: zero
Violet: eggplant, red wine
Link Discovery
Strontium chloride is very beautiful when it's burned. The website with the little movies keeps crashing my computer though. Seeing the spectrum of light emitted by burning gasses makes the discussion about fireworks much more alive. Fireworks are amazingly ingenious in their design, and I never would have even considered this before chemistry class!!
3 comments:
Rachel,
I really enjoyed your discussion of magnesium! I'm surprised that I've heard so much about increasing calcium intake to deter osteoporosis but have not heard anything about increasing magnesium intake. I wonder why that is? Do the companies that produce supplements enjoy a larger profit margin on calcium than on magnesium? Perhaps calcium is more stable and, therefore, easier to secure in a useable form?
Yeah, I tend to shy away from supplements for just this reason. Supplementing one element, to deplete another. I prefer to get my nutrition from eating a variety of healthful foods. Nature creates a balance for us outside of the laboratory.
Many of the calcium supplements that you see in stores now include calcium. However, that doesn't mean they are good forms of either. There has been a lot of debate about what forms of calcium and magnesium are most absorbable for the human body. There's on called Ionic Fizz that is touted to be one of the best. Also, what is scary is that crappy forms of calcium are now thrown into so many things, like orange juice for instance. Not only are these forms of calcium often the kind that does no good for humans, they also are not accompanied by magnesium.
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