Calcium and Magnesium

	Amount Per Serving		% Daily Value
Calcium (as calcium chloride, ascorbate and/or citrate)	180 mg		18%
Magnesium (as magnesium chloride, ascorbate and/or citrate)	220 mg		55%
Daily value is based on a 2,000 calorie per day diet.

In one way or another, most physiologic processes in the body depend on calcium to function. Calcium is necessary for muscle contraction, blood vessel contraction and expansion, hormone and enzyme function, building strong bones and teeth, and nerve signal conduction. Both vitamin D and magnesium are required for calcium to be absorbed in to the body. Calcium and phosphorus work together in a delicate balance to achieve proper bone density. In the presence of excess phosphorus, the body will draw out calcium stored in the bones, which can lead to reduced bone mass, osteoporosis, and gum and teeth problems. Proper muscle function requires both calcium and magnesium working together in tandem, with calcium contracting the muscles, while magnesium helps them to relax.

Magnesium is important for the transport of ions across cell membranes, enabling nerve impulses, muscle contraction, and normal hearth rhythm. Magnesium is an important co-factor in more than 300 enzymatic reactions in the human body. Magnesium is also involved in the synthesis of protein, as well as in regulating mitochondrial respiration, a process in which oxygen is taken in and carbon dioxide is given off. Proper muscle function requires both calcium and magnesium working together in tandem, with calcium contracting the muscles, while magnesium helps them to relax. Too much calcium in relation to magnesium may cause heart spasm, hypertension, kidney stones and other health problems. High doses of intravenous magnesium is used to reduce the risk of eclampsia in women with pre-eclampsia. Those who suffer from recurrent migraine headaches or who have diabetes mellitus have been found to have lower intracellular magnesium levels. Magnesium is the central core of the chlorophyll molecule in plant tissues.