Did you know magnesium is responsible for over 300 reactions in your body? Because of magnesium’s broad impact, treating a magnesium deficiency in your child with autism can potentially alleviate a host of symptoms.
What Can Magnesium Help Treat?
Magnesium is a co-factor–meaning it’s necessary for a variety of biochemical reactions–in many of your body’s functions. That means you have the potential to resolve a bunch of symptoms by simply supplementing your child’s magnesium levels.
Magnesium can help:
- Constipation
- Trouble sleeping
- Mood regulation
- Anxiety
- Hyperactivity
- Energy production
- Blood sugar balance
- Headaches
- Muscle tension
How Can I Supplement My Child’s Magnesium Levels?
There are a variety of ways to increase your child’s magnesium levels.
- Magnesium Rich Foods: You can find lists of foods with high levels of magnesium online, but the level of magnesium a food should contain is often different from what it actually contains.
When we farm food, the magnesium in the soil is not replaced. That means, over time, the food we eat contains less magnesium than it should. Because of this, using magnesium-rich foods alone to supplement your child’s magnesium levels can be unreliable. - Magnesium Supplements: Magnesium supplements can be found in pills, liquids, and powders. You’ll also notice different chemical types of magnesium such as:
- Magnesium Glycinate: This is my favorite type of magnesium supplement because it’s the best-absorbed form, it’s the easiest on the intestines, and it’s relatively inexpensive.
- Magnesium Threonate: This form of magnesium is best suited for treating neurological symptoms, like headaches, because it easily crosses the blood-brain barrier.
- Magnesium Citrate: This type of magnesium works well in the treatment of severe constipation. However, be cautious with magnesium citrate because it can cause cramping and intestinal irritation at higher doses.
- Magnesium Glycinate: This is my favorite type of magnesium supplement because it’s the best-absorbed form, it’s the easiest on the intestines, and it’s relatively inexpensive.
- Topical Magnesium: Magnesium can also be absorbed through the skin. For children with autism who are unable or unwilling to take oral supplements, this is a wonderful option.
- Epsom Salt: Epsom salt, also known as magnesium sulfate, can be dissolved in a warm, relaxing bath and absorbed through the skin.
- Magnesium Creams or Gels: I rarely advise the use of magnesium creams or gels because, in my experience, they frequently cause skin irritation.
- Epsom Salt: Epsom salt, also known as magnesium sulfate, can be dissolved in a warm, relaxing bath and absorbed through the skin.
How Do I Determine the Correct Magnesium Dosage?
For my patients, I dose magnesium based on their bowel tolerance. That means on the first night I may suggest a single dose and then increase the dosage each evening. Because too much magnesium will cause loose stool, I advise my patients to continue increasing their child’s dosage until the first loose stool. The dose just before the loose stool occurred is the tolerated dose for that individual.
If a magnesium imbalance is the root cause of your child’s symptoms, resolving that imbalance can solve a variety of your child’s issues with one fairly simple intervention.
Learn More Here!Want to find out more about functional medicine and how to identify the root cause of your child’s symptoms? Check out my video: What is Functional Medicine and Why It Should Be a Part of Your Autism Game Plan?
Be gentle with yourself. You’re doing a great job.
I hope this information has been helpful to you as part of creating Your Autism Game Plan.
Do you have a topic you’d like to learn more about? Email me at joya@yourautismgameplan.com
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