Minerals

From Lowering Stress Naturally

I'm sure that others far more knowledgeable than me on this subject will be writing about supplements one can take to reduce stress, but I wanted to relate how magnesium can be useful.

When I was in my mid 30s I had a very unusual experience with stress. Though I was employed at the time in a rather stressful management position, my life was comparatively stress free in other areas. I was able to control stress well with the technique described in my article under Meditation. Then something changed. I began to feel extremely agitated, almost panic.

I tried everything but to no avail. Our family doctor gave me a good exam, said all was well and once again prescribed tranquilizers. I was so desperate for relief that in spite of my previous experience with them 10 years before, I followed his orders. Medical science had made great progress since my previous experience and the pills did help this time, but I was sleepy all day and didn't care about anything. I knew I couldn't go on this way. Then something happened for which I will always be grateful.

My wife and I had always been avid gardeners and decided to have our garden soil tested to see how we might improve it. The report came back showing an extreme deficiency in magnesium. I contacted our county agent and he said that was true of all soil in our area. He related how farmers in this area who fed their cattle off their own farms needed to add magnesium to their feed or the cows became very sick and even died. We were raising all our own vegetables and many of our fruits. We also had free range chickens for meat and eggs, and each hunting season we added a deer or two to our freezer. I estimated that we were getting at least two-thirds of our total diet from our own land. We were also getting fresh milk from a local farm and churning our own butter from the cream. It was a wonderful, healthful way to live, and totally deficient in magnesium.

One evening a short time later we were visiting with a local farmer and his wife, and I brought up the subject with him. He told me that just recently one of his cows became deranged. It acted like it was a nervous wreck, running around wildly and beating his head against the gate. It had a wild look in it's eyes and he was afraid to get near it. He had called the veterinarian who asked him if he was feeding the cows from his own farm. He replied that he was, and the vet said he thought the cow was suffering from a magnesium deficiency. Tests soon proved him right, and adding a magnesium supplement to the cows feed brought him back to good health.

I ordered a calcium and magnesium supplement for myself the next day and within a week began to feel the stress leaving. A month later I was back to normal. We also bought a product called Mag-Ox for our garden and over the next two years brought the soil up to the correct levels.

A word of warning to those who decide to take supplements. Follow the directions on the bottle and consult your own physician! Too much magnesium is more harmful than too little. Take it along with calcium and potassium in the proper ratios.

~Jim