Monday, August 16, 2010

Magnesium is good for muscle relaxation

The thought of being at ease is an easier task when you’re at the spa, but how do you get from stressed out to breathing ease in every breath? And what offers real relief from inflammation? Thalassotherapy is ocean therapy; the word was coined in the mid 1860’s in France where the healing benefits of ocean baths in seaweed were en vogue. Coincidentally or not France was also the location where iodine was discovered and classified as a new element 50 years earlier. ‘Taking to the waters’ or soaking with raw seaweed in a bath allows for the therapeutic absorption of the vitamins & minerals that are available in concentrations 10 to 30 times that of land plants or vegetables. The cofactors & enzymes present in raw seaweed are what make the vitamins and minerals in seaweed readily absorbable by the body in a chelated form. Along with the understanding that the chemistry of our blood is very similar in terms of chemical makeup to that of ocean water which readily accepts the nutrients present in the ocean flora. As per Rene Quinton over 100 years ago, again a great coincidence or not, he was also from France.
Warming the ocean water and collecting raw seaweed to bath with allows those vitamins & minerals, found in the seaweed at higher concentrations to promote a homeostatic or balancing effect for the mind & body that is felt as a deep relaxation or release of mind & body tension. We all know magnesium is great for muscle relaxation and therefore required for homeostasis or the balancing of our internal oceans in our bodies. Thalassotherapy is natural healing modality whose therapeutic benefits are widely touted around the world for those dealing with nervous conditions or exhaustion. Those who are regularly feeling exhausted or that struggle for energy could require more magnesium in their body. And an interesting thing about magnesium is that a correct balance between calcium and phosphorous is needed for proper utilization of all the minerals. The magnesium in our blood works to regulate the concentrations of calcium and also serves as a carrier for phosphorus. Magnesium is also very important in the utilization of polysaccharides and energy production in our cells. To have a strong immune system & fight pathogens, the body requires white blood cells and magnesium is absolutely vital in the production of white blood cells. What is the best source of magnesium? You guessed it, seaweed and more specifically brown kelps such as Kombu or Alaria are high in magnesium.