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Craving Chocolate? You’re Really Craving
Something Else!
Dr. Wayne Neal
Do you crave
chocolate? Whether it is chocolate kisses, candy bars, or chocolate chip
cookies, your body is really craving a nutrient that is missing.
Chocolate’s Little Secret
According to Dr. Carolyn Dean, M.D., craving
chocolate is an indication of a magnesium deficiency. Since chocolate is loaded
with magnesium, you may not have enough of this vital mineral. Do you have any
of the following: muscle spasms, leg cramps, PMS, migraines, osteoporosis,
insomnia, or heart arrhythmias?
How could a mineral deficiency impact so many
different problems? Magnesium is vital for the following functions in the body:
Muscle relaxation
Vasodilatation of arteries
Bone structure
Nerve signal transmitting
Muscles and Magnesium
The body uses magnesium to relax the muscles. When
there is not enough, spasms can result. My father suffered with chronic leg
cramps. He would regularly wake-up in the middle of the night in pain. Nothing seemed
to work until his doctor suggested he take a magnesium supplement. When the
magnesium level returned to normal, the leg cramps went away. This also works
with muscle spasms of the back and shoulders.
A deficiency of magnesium also affects the smooth
muscle tissue in the uterus. In women, the magnesium levels are lowest around
menstruation. So, there is a biochemical reason why chocolate cravings are so
strong with PMS. However, the sugar added to chocolate only makes matters
worse. In The Miracle of Magnesium,
Dr. Dean suggests there are better sources than chocolate. Whole foods like
nuts, seeds, grains, and greens are the answer. When the magnesium levels
return to normal, the cravings will stop.
Migraines and Magnesium
I have suffered with migraine headaches since
childhood. The reason was two fold. First, a bad misalignment in my neck, which
was the reason I became a Chiropractor, (Click here for
details.) The second reason was allergies to certain foods. When I would eat something I was allergic to,
it caused a vasoconstriction reaction and a migraine would result. Magnesium
relaxes the blood vessels and allows them to dilate, reducing the spasms and constrictions
that cause migraines. For more information, read What Your Doctor May Not Tell You about Migraines by Dr.
Mauskop, M.D.
Osteoporosis and Magnesium
Everyone knows of the importance of calcium in
preventing osteoporosis, but the real hero is magnesium. For the body to be able to absorb and use
calcium, sufficient magnesium must be present.
It is used to dissolve calcium in the blood and is required to form new
bone. According to Susan Brown, Ph.D.,
director of the Osteoporosis Education Project in
Nervous System and Magnesium
Nerves require magnesium to send electrical
transmissions to and from the brain. The brain and the heart have high
concentrations of magnesium compared to other tissues of the body. According to
Dr. Dean, it is no wonder why a deficiency in magnesium can result in insomnia and heart arrhythmias. It is interesting to note that the blood
contains only 1% of the body’s 
magnesium. This is why a blood test can show a normal level of
magnesium, but other tissues can be deficient.
What Foods Have Magnesium?
Pumpkin seeds, kelp, almonds, millet, baked or
broiled halibut, blackstrap cane
molasses, and brewer’s yeast are some of
the best sources of magnesium. In addition to eating whole foods, you may need
a good magnesium supplement. To determine the best type of magnesium for your
situation, I suggest reading Dr. Carolyn Dean’s book, The Miracle of Magnesium. It is easy to read and covers a variety of conditions that
researchers have found respond well to magnesium.
For further information on this topic, you may contact Dr. Neal at
770.952.5353, or by email at DrNeal@humberparkerson.com.
The Highest Level is the monthly e-mail newsletter of the
© Humber Parkerson
Clinic 2006
February 2006 issue of The
Highest Level
