March 23, 2007, Newsletter Issue #61: How Magnesium Controls Calcium
Tip of the Week
Bones are living tissues that must be constantly rebuilt in a two part process. In part one, cells called osteoclasts clear old minerals out of bone tissue that has become weak and mottled, and carry it into the blood. In part two, osteoblasts deposit new minerals and collagen into the areas that have been cleared.
Osteoclasts and osteoblasts are stimulated by hormones called parathyroid hormone (PTH) and calcitonin. PTH stimulates osteoclasts to pull calcium from the bones, while calcitonin stimulates osteoblasts to deposit calcium in them (12). When we lack magnesium, the balance between PTH and calcitonin tilts too far toward PTH. This results in over stimulation of osteo-clasts, thus causing net bone loss. Increasing magnesium is the only way to correct this. As seen in the chart above, rates of osteoporosis are lowest in cultures where the ratio of calcium to magnesium is between 2:3 and 3:2. In cultures where osteoporosis is a major problem, this ratio is 3:1 or higher. The ratio of calcium to magnesium in dairy products is 10:1. This is why high dairy consumption always correlates with high rates of osteoporosis.
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