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Valerie mentioned that many celiacs have problems with constipation.  I 
thought of this site that my husband recently found, with many many problems 
that may be due to Mg deficiency.  http://www.coldcure.com/html/dep.html   I 
will be sending it to someone whose wife has long suffered from 
constipation, more recently from depression, and now confusion, memory loss, 
apathy and inattention.  Anyone who wants to try magnesium for any of these 
conditions should know about Dr. Lendon Smith's taste test for Mg.  Using 
it, you can take the maximum amount of Mg your body will accept per day.  It 
can take quite a while to "top up" your system if it has been low for a long 
time.  In my own case, it took about 10 days to get back my short term 
memory, but only about 2 days to get rid of my insomnia.  I don't know how 
it works on constipation, but I would expect that until the system is 
saturated that the relaxation of muscles in the gut won't be complete.  I 
have noticed that when I am low on Mg, that water seems to go straight from 
my mouth to my bladder.  I doubt drinking water could help constipation at 
all when that is going on, but the Mg stops that cycle.  Water goes in and 
stays in when I keep up my Mg intake.
    The taste test uses 1/8 tsp Epsoms Salts in 8 oz water, you stir and 
taste, and if it's not bitter, you drink it.  If it turns bitter, you stop 
for the day.  It's as simple as that.  If you think you are pretty low, you 
can mix up a quart of the solution every day and use it for your drinking 
water till it turns bitter, then drink plain water the rest of the day. 
Many people find it never turns bitter, as they have a high requirement. 
About the only time it ever turns bitter for me is when I have been so 
stressed for days that my adrenals are crashing, which lets sodium out the 
kidneys and drops the blood pressure to where my " elevator is not getting 
all the way to the top."  At those times the same Mg solution that tastes 
fine to me year in and year out becomes unbelievably bitter.  (Most celiacs 
have been through these washed out feelings back in the bad old days when 
gluten kept their system stressed, it makes it very hard to focus one's 
attention.  A little salt will help get me through the stress by bringing my 
blood pressure back up. )  I hope this will help someone.  Do take a look at 
that website, I think we all know someone with some of the symptoms they say 
Mg can help.      Donna

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