There is mounting research establishing the importance of magnesium as a supplement to help women decrease the number and intensity of migraines that occur during the menstrual cycle. Magnesium supplementation is a safe and inexpensive way to prevent a very uncomfortable and common ailment. The American diet doesn't always provide sufficient magnesium to cover everyone's needs. The widespread use of water softeners, while preserving our plumbing, might aggravate the problem by removing magnesium from the household water supply. Additionally, many Americans avoid magnesium food sources such as almonds and soy because of their high fat content and more specifically, in the case of soy, its controversial mild estrogenic activity.
Preventing Migraines.
Migraines can be debilitating and often send you scrambling for ways to find relief. In 1991, Fabio Facchinetti published research indicating that magnesium treatment lessened premenstrual complaints. In 2009, Dr. Christina Sun Edelstein found that the use of magnesium in both acute and preventive headache treatment was a potentially inexpensive, safe and well-tolerated option.
Magnesium in American Diet.
According to Carolyn Dean's 2006 book, "The Magnesium Miracle," the typical American not only is deficient in magnesium but has an increasing need for magnesium. The Office of Dietary Supplements at the National Institutes of Health states that tap water can be a source of magnesium but this increase in minerals makes the water "hard."
It is estimated that more than 85 percent of American homes have hard water. Water softeners remove magnesium from our water and from our diets. Other sources of dietary magnesium include soy and soy products, beans, almonds, spinach and unrefined grains.
Medication Meltdown
There are several different prescription medicines that treat and prevent migraines. Over time, some of these lose their effectiveness despite the larger dosages prescribed. Research conducted at the Luigi Sacco Headache Centre by Dr. Carlo Lovati found that the perception of pain by a nonpainful stimulus or allodynia, is a frequent symptom in migraines that can indicate a reduction in the efficacy of drugs used for migraine attacks.
Recommended Magnesium Dosage.
The recommended dietary allowance, or, RDA, for magnesium is 400 mg daily. A newer set of guidelines, the reference daily intake or RDI, set a slightly higher number for magnesium, 420 mg per day. The main difference between the recommended dietary allowance and the reference daily intake is that the RDI numbers are widely used in nutrition labels to calculate the daily reference values based on a 2,000 to 2400 calorie diet.
When it comes to supplements, more is not better. If you are planning to take magnesium, consult your doctor. High doses of magnesium can cause diarrhea. Magnesium is an essential nutrient, but you should always consult your doctor before you make any changes in your diet, supplements, medication or exercise.
References
- "The Magnesium Miracle"; Carolyn Dean; 2006
- "Headache"; Magnesium prophylaxis of menstrual migraine: Effects on intracellular magnesium; Fabio Facchinetti et al.; May 1991
- "Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics"; Allodynia in migraine: Frequent random association or unavoidable consequence?; Carlo Lovati et al.; March 2009
- National Institutes of Health - Office of Dietary Supplements; Dietary supplement fact sheet: Magnesium
- "Expert Review of Neurotherapeutics"; Role of magnesium in the pathogenesis and treatment of migraine; Christina Sun-Edelstein et al.; March 2009
