Restless Legs driving you buggy?

I used to have restless legs.  (Notice the past tense?)  I found an easy, fast, and cheap way to say "Good-bye" to restless legs.  I don't know how many nights I would be sitting on the couch at night watching TV, trying to relax, and I felt like I just couldn't keep my legs in one spot for too long without moving them.  It's hard to describe.  Just a nagging need to move them every few minutes.  Are you a restless sleeper?  Could be the same thing making you stir all night long and keeping you from a good night's sleep.

While researching info for my Dad's osteoporosis, after he broke is hip this summer, I stumbled upon this.  I found that restless legs are likely a symptom of magnesium deficiency.  Some of you may already know that magnesium is a key element in calcium absorption, very important for building strong bones.  Through my research I found references to studies on people living in parts of the world where osteoporosis is almost non-existent in the population.  Really?!  The factor that appears to be the key is the ratio of magnesium to calcium in their diets.  In those populations, the diets consisted of a large percentage of fresh veggies, especially green leafy veggies, and essentially no processed foods in their diets at all.  They live off the land.  The ratio in their diets of magnesium to calcium was typically 2:1 or even 3:1, 2 to 3 times as much magnesium as calcium.

In the typical American diet, so many foods, especially veggies, are over processed, grown in soil that has been leached of many important vitamins and minerals, or we just don't eat enough veggies.  Organic veggies have far more nutrients than conventionally grown, primarily due to the soil they are grown in.  The typical ratio of magnesium to calcium in the American diet is 1:2, twice as much calcium as magnesium.  The focus with many food manufacturers is supplementing things such as milk, cereals, etc. with calcium, but no mention of magnesium.  If our food wasn't so overly processed, the good stuff would still be in there and wouldn't need supplementing.  Without enough magnesium, the calcium cannot absorb into the bones properly, resulting in brittle bones.  Too much calcium, with no way to absorb it all, and your body starts depositing it in parts of the body where it shouldn't be, such as in breast tissue, muscles, and blood vessels.  Ever heard of calcification in the breast tissue when you have gotten your mammograms done?  The doctors and radiologists watch these calcifications very closely, since many times they are a precursor to abnormal breast cell growth or even breast cancer. 

Researchers estimate that about 1 out of 5 American women over the age of 50 have osteoporosis. About half of all women over the age of 50 will have a fracture of the hip, wrist, or vertebra (bones of the spine).  Obviously, whatever most of us are doing in America is not working very well.  Those heavily advertised, expensive, pharmaceutical solutions are not the solution, either.  They come with a whole new set of issues.

Enough of the background of why and how.  Here is the solution I found that worked for my restless legs:  Supplement your diet with Magnesium, if you are not getting enough.  Not all forms of magnesium supplements are equal, though.  Many of the cheaper forms of magnesium that many vitamin manufacturers include in multivitamins, surprisingly, either don't include enough magnesium or use a form that is not easily absorbed.  Look for 100% Chelated Magnesium.  Also, when considering and comparing the strength of the supplement, the important numbers to look for is the "Elemental" Magnesium.  Any other numbers are really not important.  I found a supplement by Doctor's Best brand that contains 200 mg Elemental Chelated Magnesium in 2 tablets.  Depending on your deficiency, you will likely feel improvement in your restless legs, as well as your sleeping habits, after only 2 to 3 days.  I started with 2 pills twice a day.  Once in the morning, and once before bed.  After you improve your deficiency, you will likely need to cut back on your dosage to maybe only one pill, once a day, maybe less if you are getting more by adding more green leafy veggies to your diet.  You will know if you are getting more than your body needs if you start having soft bowel movements.  Remember the old ads for Milk of Magnesia?  Yes, magnesium is the active ingredient.  So, it will help you go if you are feeling a little stopped up, too.  Everyone is different and everyone's diet will vary, too, so your adjust your dosage accordingly.

You may even want to stop supplementing your calcium for a period of time, to be able to get your ratios in check.  Some doctors have suggested that their research has shown by stopping calcium supplementation (relying on calcium from only dietary sources) and focusing on magnesium supplementation, osteoperosis can be slowed, stopped or even reversed.  Some doctors also have suggested that this will cause your body to pull calcium from parts of your body where it has built up, but shouldn't have, and draw it into your bones where it needs to be.  Some other vitamins that are also key in this process are vitamins K2, and D3.  Important vitamins that many Americans are also typically deficient in.  Direct sun exposure for 15-20 minutes a day without sunscreen is a very good source of vitamin D.  Vitamin K is also found in high percentages in leafy greens.  Dad will be going back for another bone scan in a few months.  It will be interesting to see how his diet changes and supplements have changed his bone density over the year's time.