How much Ca/Mg/Zn/Taurine, etc do you supplement?

[chubbermommy]

I'm trying to find info on the min and max dosages of supplements like Ca, Mg, Zn, L-glutamine and taurine and I can't really find anything concrete. I'd just like an idea so I don't give DS too much, but enough to be able to possibly see some effect? If you are giving your child any of these, would you find posting how much? And maybe the weight of your child? Thanks!

[LNN]

My advice - do some testing first if you have a doctor who's willing to help. Try doing a Spectracell test, which will tell you what minerals and vitamins are in a good range and which are low. I also highly recommend 23andMe testing, which will tell you which supplements would benefit you and which would be harder for your body to handle. For my family, this was a huge part of recovery. But you do need to understand the privacy issues of dna testing as well as be prepared to do a fair amount of research once you get the results.

 

If neither of these is an option, then I suggest only introducing one thing at a time, for a minimum of 2 weeks, before adding another thing. Otherwise, you'll never know what supplement was behind any particular response. My personal preference would be to add magnesium first, since it's calming and can help some people with tics. 400mg is the RDA but no one in my family (even the adults) take that much on a regular basis. Too much magnesium produces very loose stools, so we dose based on "results" - which is generally 200-300mg.

 

The second supplement I'd add is zinc, which is essential for the immune system. My DD (60lbs) only takes 10mg. My son and I have pyroluria, which is a zinc/B6 deficiency, so we each take 40-50 mg/day - which is very high for most people. So stick with the lower dose unless your doctor can test you for pyroluria to see if you need a higher dose. Zinc has little effect on my DD but for my DS, it had huge cognitive impact. Zinc deficiency is also implicated in some cases of anorexia. Dr Greenblatt says in one of his books that you can drink 10ml of liquid zinc and if it has a strong metallic taste, you have enough zinc. If it has no taste, you're zinc deficient. You can buy liquid zinc on amazon.

 

I'm the only one in my family who supplements calcium, for bone density. Yasko discourages calcium supplements unless blood work shows deficiencies because calcium excites neurotransmitters.

 

L-glutamine is a tricky one. It can change into either gaba or glutamate. Not sure how you'd control it once in the body and I wouldn't want to increase glutamate. So not sure I'd be eager to use this one.

 

Taurine is something I'd want to test first. Depending on your genetics, not everyone can process taurine well. I used to give this to DS then found out thru 23andMe that it was something he should avoid. I know a lot of naturopaths suggest it but it isn't a good fit for everyone.

 

Sometimes just throwing supplements at the problem without first testing ended up creating issues rather than solving them for my kids. Go slow, start with low doses, and only add one thing at a time. Too much of something can be as bad as too little.

[cara615]

LLM what a fantastic answer! It wasn't my question but wanted to let you know how very helpful you are in your responses.

[chubbermommy]

Thanks for taking the time to answer me, LLM.

 

I needed to get more Mg for DS and he currently takes glycinate, but at the store I saw some Mg and taurine and thought maybe that would help since I have read about taurine and how it helps tics (in some people). He's already on Zn, and since going dairy free he hasn't had much other sources of Ca so I'm worried he won't have enough.

 

The probiotic that our ND recommended has some L-glutamine in it (250mg). I have no idea if that is considered a lot or a little.

[qannie47]

_{I read that when you introduce magnesium, it increases your calcium absorption, so you may not have to supplement....}