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I have been hearing good things about the magnesium supplement Natural Calm, should I try it? It seems un-paleo, if you will, kind of like Emergen-C, sort of unnatural?? I have fierce chocolate cravings and have read that it may be due to magnesium deficiency. Also, is it recommended to get the one with additional calcium? I am an active and fit 38-year old woman, generally healthy although I think the years of coffee, chocolate, veganism etc may have contributed to some adrenal fatigue, hence the need to give up cacao for a month or so...as it is a daily strong craving. Thank you!

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 I take 600mgs of magnesium citrate daily and still crave chocolate sometimes. It could be magnesium, but it could more likely just be an addiction to the sugar spike chocolate provides. – NewEra Aug 8 2011 at 18:21
There shouldn't be much sugar in 90-99% cacao.. My bars have around 3g of sugar in half a bar. (I also thought it might be the sugar) Could be the caffine that makes it addictive? Or maybe cacao alone is mildy addictive. – CaveDad Aug 8 2011 at 18:31
Working around chocolate all day is probably a major factor in the cravings. – Karen Aug 8 2011 at 18:51
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 Natural calm is good in general cuz most of us don't get mag from our food. The chocolate craving is just cuz chocolate is really good. You've been eating it your whole life and like it. Don't overthink it. If you wanna lose the drive to eat it, stop eating it. Don't buy it. start with promising yourself one month, two months etc of not eating any. Then extend it. You will be able to but you simply have to decide to do it. – ben61820 Aug 8 2011 at 18:51
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 just curious, could it be that you actually need more fat?? When I first started I was craving chocolate, I thought the general advice seemed to be towards getting more fat to cut any cravings. Well, at least for me it worked!! I do use 90% chocolate for any treats but generally I'm not craving it anymore. – Kelly Aug 8 2011 at 19:01
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A magnesium insufficiency is a lot less paleo than taking natural calm.

Yes I do think it will help things, generally magnesium works to relax the nerves and inhibit various neurotransmissions that can lead to cravings. Calcium is always needed, just make sure you are getting enough from somewhere. Too little calcium and satiety signaling is sluggish. You can get enough calcium from a paleo diet but often people don't.

Try to associate chocolate with something bad in your mind, I suppose your fatigue is bad enough.

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 +1, Natural Calm is the shiz! @Love, just make sure you start at the lowest dose and titrate slowly up or else you will get lose stools. – Geoff Aug 8 2011 at 18:56
Yeah, and be close to a toilet! I never did get loose stools but it made me feel kind of weird. I switched to malate. If you don't like citrate try malate or glycinate, people do report some problems with citrate for whatever reason. Especially with weird dreams. I actually liked the dreams but the little bit of a groggy feeling wasn't pleasant. – Stabby Aug 8 2011 at 19:07
It's not uncommon to have loose stools at any dose of citrate. Unfortunately, I couldn't tolerate it at all. Not even 100 mg. I also can't tolerate mg glycinate. Or regular mg malate. I pretty much hate that I can only tolerate an expensive time released form of mg malate (Jigsaw Magnesium) but at the same time I'm very grateful it's there. Just wish someone else would start mfg'ing it so the price would (could, may, might) drop. – Katherine Aug 9 2011 at 1:32
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I also eat a lot of chocolate and have found myself making excuses to go to the store because I'm out of it. (Honey, you are out of bananas!! No no.. I will go get you some, I love you that much) Here is my question on the same topic for more info.

Here is a thought.. maybe there is nothing wrong with getting your magnesium from chocolate?? What is a more or less natural food source? Wonderful, yummy, satisfying chocolate? Or Natural Calm pills??.

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 Some good reasons would be that chocolate contains various other unhealthy things and that the tannin and phytic acid may reduce the amount of magnesium you can absorb. If you have adrenal fatigue the last thing you want is chocolate. Actually, the first thing you want is chocolate, but the last thing you need is chocolate. – David Moss Aug 8 2011 at 18:30
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 Couldn't agree more, David. Chocolate should be considered not an acceptable food source for magnesium, but rather a "lesser evil" amongst "treats". – Katherine Aug 8 2011 at 18:36
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 PPFfftt.. phytic acid in chocolate.. damn you and your book learnin.. – CaveDad Aug 8 2011 at 20:24
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 +1 for the honey you are out of bananas... – Eazine Aug 8 2011 at 23:29
Uh-oh I think David Moss may have hit the nail on the head... – love Aug 13 2011 at 20:56
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I have been taking Natural Calm for several months, maybe 6 or 7. It does help with the chocolate craving but doesn't get completely rid of it for me.

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I take 400-600 mg of Magnesium Citrate daily & it has never helped reduce my desire for chocolate!

I use EFT for food cravings and it works really well--since so many cravings are emotionally connected.

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