I am a reasonably healthy woman of 71 years, but physically limited by the effects of polio in my childhood. As a result, I suffer from a lot of joint complaints and muscle aches. I have recently started using Metarelax, a product with magnesium and vitamins, in addition to a regular vitamin pill. Isn’t that too much?
Joris Bartstra, journalist with a medical degree.
In short: if you eat healthy you don’t need extra vitamins, and you shouldn’t take what you don’t need. By taking more vitamins and minerals than healthy food contains, you are in fact doing something unnatural. The product Metarelax mainly contains magnesium. Your body contains about 25 grams of magnesium and it is also found in many foods. It is a divalent ion, just like calcium. Calcium can cause muscle cramps, and there are theories that magnesium can take the place of calcium without having its effects on muscle tone, among other things. However, reliable studies on the effects on muscle cramps have shown that magnesium does nothing. In that regard, your experience is not surprising. Magnesium overdose is uncommon but causes nausea, vomiting, feeling faint, and headache; extreme overdose causes cardiac arrhythmias. I see that Metarelax is quite pricey; at best it’s harmless. I’d say don’t do it.
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