“Stress!”
It’s a ubiquitous part of life, right?…
We’ve all felt that agonizing sensation in our gut when a deadline starts to loom, when our creditors start terrorizing us for more timely payments, when we have a fight with our spouse or significant other, when our car breaks down at the worst possible moment… And then the fun begins: the increased pressure, the feeling of being “on,” that veiled sense of fear — sound/feel familiar?
So what’s really going on?… That’s our body on Stress Hormones, especially Cortisol, the grand-daddy of the Adrenal Glands! It makes sure that we respond to these “Stressors!” — whether they be real or paper Tigers — and that we have enough energy to mobilize a response to the crisis. And under the right conditions, this “fight or flight” syndrome is supposed to subside… at least it has for the last 6 million years, give or take a decade.
And even animals face this same dynamic, but it seems that they are better at recovering from “Stress!” In fact, there’s a wonderful book written to that effect called Why Zebras Don’t Get Ulcers, by Robert Zapolsky, (http://www.amazon.com/Zebras-Dont-Ulcers-Third-Edition/dp/0805073698) It’s a great book should you wish to delve deeper into this phenomenon of “Stress!” But what’s notable is that critters in the wild are constantly faced with “Stress!” — it’s an absolute in nature! All is bought and nothing is given — yet they don’t get the chronic symptoms that we two-legged critters get… After being chased by the Lion, they are able to effortlessly calm down and take a relaxing drink. Now why is that?…
I set out to get a better handle on that, because it didn’t make sense to me.
And as you might expect, lurking in the shadows was our friend and faithful companion, Maggie — or lack thereof. It turns out that there is both an inactive (Cortisone) and an active form (Cortisol) — OK, that makes sense. And in a body (human or animal) that has plenty of Magnesium, there is a natural process of acting on the impulse of this very strong Hormone, and then being able to “calm down,” naturally and effortlessly. But it seems that in the last decade or two, we seem to have lost the natural ability to do so.
Now, anybody who’s followed my nostrums for the last couple of years knows that I’m quick to tell folks who are overwhelmed with “Stress!” — “Take Mo’ Maggie!”
With increasing frequency, we are learning that Maggie is the “Chill Pill” (http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/evolutionary-psychiatry/201106/magnesium-and-the-brain-the-original-chill-pill) and that it provides “calm energy.” And for those that have dug a bit deeper, you’ve learned that there’s actually an inverse relationship between Cortisol and Magnesium. So, when Maggie’s down (as it would be under “Stress!”), Cortisol’s up! And vice versa… But what I learned recently is why, and I’d like to share that with you…
As you might expect, it involves an enzyme or two, known as the 11beta-Hydroxysteroids, which manage the conversion of Cortisone into Cortisol and back. And back, you say?… Yes, you see our body’s are supposed to effortlessly move back and forth between “fight and flight”(Sympathetic state) and “rest and recovery” (Parasympathetic state). And here’s the actual biological equation that runs this pathway (please forgive my geekness):
11beta-Hydroxysteroid + NADP+ <==>an 11beta-Oxysteroid + NADPH + H+
The very enzyme, 11beta-Hydroxysteroid Dehydrogenase type 2 (11-BHDT2), is what converts Cortisone >> Cortisol to deal with the “Stress!” and then back to >> Cortisone, once the crisis is over. OK, OK, that’s impressive, but I don’t see Maggie anywhere in that equation, and neither did I.
But I kept digging, and digging… and then I came across this important article: http://www.biochemj.org/bj/
And this is but one of thousands of roles that Maggie plays in our bodies — non-stop, day-in and day-out. In fact, many who are familiar with this vitalizing mineral suggest that it does too much! In some respects it does, but it’s because it plays such a key role in the functioning of hundreds and hundreds of enzymes in our body. (For the moment, I’ll let it slide that there’s a “Magnesome” [docking station] that has recently been confirmed on 3,751 proteins — no other element or mineral comes even remotely close to that level of presence and importance in the metabolism on the body.)
OK, so there you have it.
My recommendation still stands… when you feel your Magnesium Burn Rate accelerating due to a rise in “Stress!” — Take Mo’ Maggie! And I strongly advise a daily regimen of the “full-court” press: Mg supplements, Mg water, and a good Mg Cl oil to bathe your skin — the largest organ of your body.
And now you’ll know exactly how Mg helps you deal with both the crisis, as well as the recovery that is supposed to happen naturally — when we have more than enough Maggie — inside our bodies and ultimately inside our cells!
A votre sante!
