Do You Need More Magnesium?
We wish we could tell you that assessing your magnesium status is easy, but it is not.
We have designed a questionnaire to help you assess your possible magnesium status, but it is only a guide.
Take this questionnaire for your own information.
Confidential Magnesium Assessment Questionnaire
Part One: Check the appropriate box for each statement and total up your points: Total points:
Questions | Very seldom less than once a month 0 points | Seldom less than twice a week 1 point | Weekly 2 - 4 times per week 2 points | Daily 4-7 times per week 3 points | More than once a day 4 points |
1. I drink milk enriched with vitamin D? | |||||
2. I take vitamin D supplements? | |||||
3. I spend an hour or more in the sunlight? | |||||
4. I drink bottled deionized water? | |||||
5. I drink sodas with phosphoric acid? *(see list below) | |||||
6. I eat candy? | |||||
7. I eat pastries, cakes, pies or desserts? | |||||
8. I have sugar in my coffee? | |||||
9. I eat white bread (include bagels, croissants, muffins, french bread, croutons, crackers, etc.) ? | |||||
10. I eat pasta, spaghetti or noodles (include Chinese noodles) ? | |||||
11. My diet is high in saturated fat ? | |||||
Total, part one |
Part Two: Check the appropriate box for each statement and total up your points: Total:
Questions | Very seldom less than once a month 1 point (0 if never) | Seldom less than twice a week 4 points | Weekly 2 - 4 times per week 6 points | Daily 4-7 times per week 8 points | More than once a day 10 points |
1. I take a calcium supplement with no added magnesium? | |||||
2. I use cocaine? | |||||
3. I feel stressed? | |||||
Total, part two |
Part Three: Check the appropriate box for each statement and total up your points: Total:
Questions | Very seldom Less than once a month 2 points | Seldom less than twice a week 2 points | Weekly 2 – 4 times per week 1 points | Daily 4 – 7 times per week 0 points | More than once a day 15 points |
I drink alcohol |
Part Four: Check the appropriate box for each statement and total up your points:. Total:
Questions | Every Day 0 points | Almost Daily 3 – 6 times per week 1 point | Weekly 1 – 2 times per week 2 points | Seldom Less than once a week 4 points | Very seldom or never 5 points |
1. I eat whole grain foods three times each day? | |||||
2. I eat 7 – 9 servings of fruits/vegetables? | |||||
3. I eat nuts or legumes? | |||||
4. I eat very dark chocolate? | |||||
Total, part four |
Part Five: Check the appropriate box for each statement and total up your points: Total:
For each true statement below, add 15 points:
1. I have high blood pressure (treated or not) - See The Magnesium Factor, chapter 3.
2. I have high cholesterol (high LDL cholesterol and/or low HDL cholesterol) - See The Magnesium Factor, chapter 5.
3. I have type 2 diabetes or high fasting glucose - See The Magnesium Factor, chapter 2.
4. I take thiazide diuretics - See The Magnesium Factor, chapter 3.
5. I use digitalis.
If your family has a history of heart disease, add 25 points.
Points Totals:
Part one ___________
Part two ___________
Part three _________
Part four __________
Part five __________
Total Points Score: ___________
0 - 12 points Low risk of magnesium deficiency
12 - 20 points Mild risk of magnesium deficiency
21 - 30 points Moderate risk of magnesium deficiency
31 - 50 points High risk of magnesium deficiency
50+ points Very high risk of magnesium deficiency
In order to help us refine the Assessment Questionnaire we have the following Additional Magnesium Assessment Questions, please answer the following confidential questions anonymously.
Additional Magnesium Assessment Questions
Today’s date:
Your age: 1 – 8, 9 – 13, 14 – 18, 19 – 50, 51 – 70, 70+
Your gender: female male
Your total points in Magnesium Questionnaire:
0 - 12 points Low risk of magnesium deficiency
12 - 20 points Mild risk of magnesium deficiency
21 - 30 points Moderate risk of magnesium deficiency
31 - 50 points High risk of magnesium deficiency
50+ points Very high risk of magnesium deficiency
Do you currently take Magnesium supplements? Yes No
If yes, what daily amount? _________mg/day How long? _______
If no, have you ever taken Magnesium supplements? Yes No
If yes, for how long? 1 day 1 week 1 month 1 year 1 – 2 yrs 2+years
Please give us your current list of possible Magnesium deficiency symptoms:
Frequently Asked Questions About the Magnesium Assessment Questionnaire
Why are vitamin D and sunshine on the questionnaire?
Vitamin D: Vitamin D is necessary for calcium absorption. When vitamin D is low, not much calcium is absorbed from the intestines into the bloodstream, even if calcium is high in the diet. When magnesium status is low or sub-optimal and vitamin D is high, calcium absorption can be high enough to make the magnesium deficiency worse.
Sunshine: Your body’s skin can make its own vitamin D if it gets enough direct sunlight. If you have enough magnesium, this vitamin D, made in the presence of sunlight, can be good for you. A low magnesium state makes one vulnerable to vitamin D, sunlight and calcium.
Why is phosphorus on the questionnaire?
When magnesium deficit sets in, phosphorus goes up in the serum while calcium and potassium go down. Too much of any of these elements can make the imbalance worse. Only magnesium adequacy can correct the situation.
Why are other common foods on the questionnaire?
Candies, and other desserts usually are made with refined sugar. Refined sugar has not only had all the magnesium removed from it, it enhances magnesium excretion in the urine.
White breads and pastries made with white flour are low magnesium foods. (See Chapter 2). A steady diet, year after year, of white bread or baked products made with white flour can easily be low in magnesium.
Alcohol, especially the excessive consumption of hard liquor, promotes the excretion of magnesium, enhancing the risk of magnesium deficit, while moderate, regular use of alcohol may spare magnesium. See The Magnesium Factor, chapter 8, pp. 201-204.
Stress causes magnesium need to soar. See The Magnesium Factor, chapter 6 and Cell Video.
Bottled water, if distilled or deionized, has had all minerals removed, including magnesium and calcium. Some bottled, deionized waters have sodium added for taste. See The Magnesium Factor, Appendix C, 268-271; also see Water Sources of Nutritional Magnesium.
Saturated fats impede the intestine’s absorption of magnesium. See The Magnesium Factor, chapter 5.
*Soft Drinks Made With and Without Phosphoric Acid
All colas and Dr. Pepper type drinks, with or without caffeine, with or without sugar, have phosphoric acid in them. Here’s how much:
Size of Drink Phosphorus (milligrams)
A 12-oz drink 39 to 44 mg phosphorus.
Small - 16 oz 52 to 59
Med - 22 oz 71 to 81
Large - 32 oz 104 to 118
X-large - 44 oz 143 to 162
All other sodas have no phosphorus. These include:
all lemon-lime drinks
7-UP
Fresca
Sprite
Squirt
etc.
Ginger ale
Root Beer
Orange sodas
Fanta
Mountain Dew
Creme Sodas
Fruit Sodas such as Black Cherry, Grape, etc.
Source: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. 2001. USDA Nutrient Database for Standard Reference, Release 14. http://www.nal.usda.gov/fnic/foodcomp/search/
Note: The adult DRI (Dietary Reference Intake) for phosphorus is 700 mg per day.
| ©2008 Center for Magnesium Education & Research |