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I found the following newsgroup article from a fellow that sells mineral
water with a high magnesium content. He claims that our current diet is low
in magnesium and that is creating all sorts of ills in our society - mostly
heart disease. Since magnesium could be one of the deficiencies of an
undiagnosed celiac, I find his research to be of interest. For convenience,
I have included below his new material on asthma and migraines.

There is also talk in the asthma group from people saying that magnesium
supplements have allowed them to reduce their meds. Don Wiss.

From: [log in to unmask] (Paul Mason)
Newsgroups:
sci.med.nutrition,sci.med,misc.health.alternative,sci.life-extension
Subject: Medical Journal articles on Asthma and Migraine
Date: 27 Aug 1995 03:43:54 GMT

A list of excerpts and references of medical journal articles is
available, which makes the connections between magnesium deficiency
and Asthma, and magnesium-deficiency and Migraine Headache.  It is
on the WEB at:  http://www.execpc.com/~magnesum

When you reach the Homepage, click on your choice of ASTHMA or
MIGRAINE, as most of the rest of the data deals with Heart Disease.

Paul Mason
--
          More magnesium information can be downloaded from:
          ftp.execpc.com.  The file is in:
          /pub/magnesium/mgresrch.asc  Use "anonymous" as the user
          name, and set line length to 80.

          Paul Mason
          Researcher
==============================================================

 http://www.execpc.com/~magnesum/asthma.html

Asthma and magnesium deficiency
-------------------------------

A quick search of Medline brought up numerous references to the connection
between magnesium deficiency and asthma. In the past the connection was
clouded because researchers were trying to connect asthma to the SERUM level
of magnesium, but serum levels cloak the intracellular deficiencies of Mg,
so they found no connection. There is still no easy test for Mg deficiency,
but by using tissue samples it is with difficulty possible to determine the
intracellular deficiency, so now the connection to asthma is becoming clear.

Dietary Magnesium, Lung Function, Wheezing, And Airway Hyperreactivity In a
Random Adult Population Sample. Lancet 1994 Aug 6;344(8919):357-62.
  Low magnesium intake may be involved in the aetiology of asthma and
  chronic obstructive airways disease.

Effect of Parenteral Magnesium Sulphate On Pulmonary Functions In Bronchial
Asthma. J. Asthma 1994;31(2):109-15.
  They infused MgSO4 and found: It is concluded that modest improvement
  in airways resistance and specific conductance and only small
  improvement in maximal expiratory flow rates is consistent with a
  predominant effect of MgSO4 on large airways in patients with bronchial
  asthma.

Clinical Studies With The Nova ISE for IMg2+. Scand. J. Clin. Lab Invest
Suppl 1994;217:53-67.
  The Ca2+/Mg2+ ratio appears to be an important guide for signs of
  vascoconstriction and/or spasm and possibly enhanced athergenesis.
  Overall, the data point to important uses for ISE's for IMg2+ in the
  diagnosis and treatment of disease states. (He studied asthma).

The Role Of Disorders In The Homeostasis Of Divalent Cations In The
Pathogenesis And Clinical Picture Of Bronchial Asthma. (Russian) Ter Arkh
1994; 66(3):8-12.
  Lack of Mg and excess of Ca in blood cells (seem to be)...
  responsible for bronchial hyperreactivity.

Rapid Infusion Of Magnesium Sulphate Obviates Need For Intubation In Status
Asthmaticus. Am J Emerg Med 1994 Mar;12(2):164-6.
  Rapid infusion of MgSO4 .... obviated the need for endotracheal
  intubation and mechanical ventilation.

Magnesium Sulphate Potentiates Several Cardiovascular And Metabolic Actions
of Terbutaline. Chest 1994 Mar;105(3):701-5.
  MgSO4 has been shown to be efficacious .... for the emergency
  treatment of asthma.

Magnesium And Its Therapeutic Uses; A Review. Am J Med 1994 Jan; 96(1):63-76
  Evidence investigating magnesium's use is presented, with a number of
  studies suggesting it should be seriously considered in such conditions
  as .... asthma.

Role of Magnesium In Regulation Of Lung Function. J Am Diet Assoc 1993
Jun;93(6):674-7
  (Indicates patients should be monitored routinely for Mg deficiency).

Intravenous Magnesium For Acute Asthma. Ann Emerg Med 1993 Mar;22(3):617-9
  (letter)

Hypomagnesemia Due to beta 2-agonist Use In Bronchial Asthma (letter). J
Assoc Physicians India 1992 May;40(5):346

There were many other studies and references to magnesium and asthma. Many
of the studies noted that drugs used in the treatment of asthma caused loss
of magnesium. A great many drugs, including alcohol, cause rapid loss of
magnesium. Common sense would suggest that instead of waiting for an asthma
attack before dministering magnesium, oral magnesium supplementation should
be a part of treatment for asthma as a preventive.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

 http://www.execpc.com/~magnesum/migraine.html

Migraine and magnesium deficiency
---------------------------------

A number of studies have been done on the relationship between magnesium
deficiency and migraine. Some of these are listed below:

Ferrari MD; Biochemistry of migraine; Pathol Biol (Paris) 1992 Apr;40(4).
  The author discusses changes in neuroexcitatory amino acids and
  magnesium, which may reflect a predisposition of the migraine patient,
  notably those having attacks with aura, to develop spreading depression.

Gallai V, Sarchielli P, Morucci P, Abbritti G; Magnesium content of
mononuclear blood cells in migraine patients; Headache 1994 Mar;34(3):160-5.
  The migraine patients studied had a reduced mononuclear magnesium
  content compared to e-matched healthy control subjects. The authors say
  that the lower magnesium content in mononuclear cells could indirectly
  indicate the reduction of brain magnesium concentration, which has
  recently been demonstrated in the course of migraine.

Gallai V, Sarchielli P, Morucci P, Abbritti G; Red blood cell magnesium
levels in migraine patients; Cephalalgia 1993 Apr;13(2):94-81; discussion 73
  The authors believe that low red blood cell magnesium levels could be a
  peripheral expression of the reduced brain magnesium concentration
  observed in migraine patients.

Gallai V, Sarchielli P, Coata G, Firenze C, Morucci P, Abbritti G; Serum and
salivary magnesium levels in migraine: Results in a group of juvenile
patients; Headache 1992 Mar;32(3):132-5
  "In the last few years a fundamental role for magnesium in establishing
  the threshold for migraine attacks and involvement in the
  pathophysiologic mechanisms related to its onset has become evident.
  In comparison with normal subjects, migraine patients had lower levels
  of serum and salivary magnesium interictally. Serum magnesium levels
  tended to be further reduced during attacks (which) could be an
  expression, at the peripheral level, of reduced cerebral magnesium levels
  which would contribute, at least in part, to defining the threshold for
  migraine attacks."

Sarchielli P, Coata G, Firenze, Morucci P, Abbritti G, Gallai V; Serum and
salivary magnesium levels in migraine and tension-type headache. Results in
a group of adult patients. Cephalalgia 1992 Feb;12(1):21-7.
  The authors state that serum magnesium levels and to a lesser extent
  salivary magnesium levels might express indirectly the lowering of brain
  extracellular magnesium concentration which occurs in migraine patients.

Taubert K; [Magnesium in migraine. Results of a multicenter pilot study];
Fortschr Med 1994 Aug 30;112(24):328-30.
  The hypothesis that magnesium may be useful in the prevention of migraine
  attacks has been confirmed by this pilot study. Further studies are in
  preparation.

Thomas J, Thomas E, Tomb E; Serum and erythrocyte magnesium concentrations
and migraine; Magnes Res 1992 Jun;5(2):127-30.
  "The findings support the hypothesis of a magnesium deficit in people
  suffering from migraine and raise the problem of the relationship between
  migraine and other pathologies, including chronic magnesium  deficit,
  latent tetany due to magnesium deficit, mitral valve prolapse, and
  allergy."

Thomas J, Tomb E, Thomas E, Faure G; Migraine treatment by oral magnesium
intake and correction of the irritation of buccofacial and cervical muscles
as a side effect of mandibular imbalance; Magnes Res 1994 Jun;7(2):123-7.
  This study shows that migraine patients have a magnesium deficit, which,
  while not constant, is a frequent occurrence.

Welch KM, Barkley GL, Tepley N, Ramadan NM; Central neurogenic mechanisms of
migraine; Neurology 1993 Jun;43(6 Suppl 3):S21-5.
  This study indicates that low intracellular brain magnesium concentration
  may be the link between the physiologic threshold for migraine and the
  attack itself.

Welch KM, Barkley GL, Ramadan NM, D'Andrea G; NMR spectroscopic and
magnetoencephalographic studies in migraine with aura: support for the
spreading depression hypothesis; Pathol Biol (Paris) 1992 Apr;40(4):349-54.
  "The authors propose that patients who suffer from migraine with aura
  have a susceptibility to spontaneous neuronal discharges and subsequent
  spreading depression... hypersusceptibility is supported by increased
  turnover of high-energy phosphates, low intracellular Mg2+ and large
  amplitude depolarizing waves on magnetoencephalography."