Article about study into effects of magnesium in laminitis.

[amandap]

http://www.horse-journal.com/magazine-article/cresty-and-laminitic-give-em-magnesium/

 

[kirstys 1]

Interesting reading!

 

[Brightbay]

It's interesting, and it goes along with what many of us have observed. But it's still just anecdotal?

The "study" was just adding magnesium to feeds. Didn't look at different types of "magnesium supplement" (in fact didn't say which one was used), didn't have a control group, didn't control for exercise or diet, didn't say how crest reduction was measured, didn't give any information on actual overall weight loss if any.

We really really need a decent controlled trial of magnesium supplementation. This wasn't it, I'm afraid

 

[amandap]

The "study" was just adding magnesium to feeds. Didn't look at different types of "magnesium supplement" (in fact didn't say which one was used), didn't have a control group, didn't control for exercise or diet, didn't say how crest reduction was measured, didn't give any information on actual overall weight loss if any.

You are right of course from what is written. I thought it was a good overview of current thinking.

 

[Hen]

I've been feeding magnesium oxide for a little over a year now to help keep fat deposits down and had been working on around 10g/day - I was amazed when finally I got my forage analysed to find out that what I'd been feeding was so high in calcium I needed to add around 25gof mag ox daily. I confess to having been completely clueless about how minerals need to work in balance with others to fully optimise a diet.

 

[Fintan]

That is interesting. Many people feed Alfalfa / Lucerne to laminitic horses because they have the idea of low sugar.

Now if you whats to this closer you can very easy overdo calcium with alfalfa.

If you watch for an example this luci nuts from simple systems, there is about 1,77% of calcium which is 17 gram per KG.

Now you feed this in top of the rest you have and your diet will end up somewhere in the orbit.

 

[JillA]

It's interesting, and it goes along with what many of us have observed. But it's still just anecdotal?

The "study" was just adding magnesium to feeds. Didn't look at different types of "magnesium supplement" (in fact didn't say which one was used), didn't have a control group, didn't control for exercise or diet, didn't say how crest reduction was measured, didn't give any information on actual overall weight loss if any.

We really really need a decent controlled trial of magnesium supplementation. This wasn't it, I'm afraid

It is extremely unlikely that a proper clinical study would ever be done of a natural mineral, (or any herb etc) because no-one is likely to fund it. Clinical trials take a lot of money and are only viable for a patent protected product. Generic substances are so widely available they will be unlikely to repay anyone's investment in a trial. But the up side is they are cheap enough and accesible enough to give them a try,and as a naturally occuring substance are unlikely to cause any long term problems. As I understand it the body simply excretes any excess.

There is also a strong likelihood that the soil in this country is very short of Mg, thanks to many years of applying nitrogen and artificially boosting crop growth. If that is true for horses, it could also apply to the human food chain too.

The anecdotal evidence for the benefits of supplementing with magnesium are quite strong IMO - certainly I have found it to do a great deal of good, and there is now a suggestion that it can help humans with dispersing fat deposits (as in horses it can result in reduction of crests).

This is what I read about it, thanks to someone on another forum

"Consistent supplementation, especially transdermally, tops up magnesium levels in the body and helps correct the abnormalities in the blood sugar levels, insulin resistance and levels of “bad” cholesterol. Adequate magnesium supplementation also helps to correct hormonal imbalances, which leads to rebalancing the body. Magnesium works in tandem with calcium within the body, and when magnesium is deficient, excessive calcium escapes into the tissues, forming ossifications which lead to body rigidity and joint problems. It also takes part in the formation of atheromas which lead to blood vessel congestion called atherosclerosis.

Magnesium works as a natural cleanser for the body, collecting calcium from atheromas and ossified tissues. This results in the reversal of the symptoms of ageing, general increase in energy levels, flexibility in the body and joint tissues. Magnesium supplementation also helps normalise blood pressure and sugar levels."

No clinical trials but it does make sense to me.

 

[Beatrice5]

Very interesting article - Thank you.

Would love to have known what routine / management they had for the horses. Total grass exclusion, out at night only etc etc.

I ran out of magnesium a month or so ago and now find my pony feeling his feet and his crest has developed significantly with the rain and grass rush He is now in pony prison, soaked hay and awaiting his pro hoof to arrive.... I am very ashamed of myself for being so slack.

 

[lachlanandmarcus]

That is interesting. Many people feed Alfalfa / Lucerne to laminitic horses because they have the idea of low sugar.

Now if you whats to this closer you can very easy overdo calcium with alfalfa.

If you watch for an example this luci nuts from simple systems, there is about 1,77% of calcium which is 17 gram per KG.

Now you feed this in top of the rest you have and your diet will end up somewhere in the orbit.

Agree with this. I find feeding straw is useful as one of the things the oat straw I feed is low in is calcium, enabling me to top up with the things that are low but desirable for my soil eg magnesium and copper (the latter cos of the high iron content)