Episode 290: Dr. Carolyn Dean | Magnesium, Yeast Overgrowth & Sugar Cravings

Fatigue. Brain fog. Cravings that never quit no matter how "good" you're eating. In this episode of Food Junkies, Dr. Vera Tarman sits down with Dr. Carolyn Dean — MD, naturopath, and author of more than 50 books including The Magnesium Miracle — to unpack a piece of the addiction and recovery puzzle that rarely gets airtime: magnesium deficiency and its tangled relationship with yeast overgrowth, sugar metabolism, and chronic cravings.

Dr. Dean has spent over five decades in integrative and functional medicine, and in this conversation she lays out her theory that a huge share of chronic symptoms — anxiety, insomnia, heart palpitations, muscle tension, even conditions mistaken for neurological disease — trace back to a mineral most conventional labs never test properly. She also digs into candida overgrowth, why restrictive diets like keto and carnivore may be working for reasons people don't realize, and why sugar cravings might be your gut asking for something other than sugar.

This episode isn't a replacement for individualized medical or clinical treatment, and it isn't an endorsement of any product mentioned. As always, we encourage listeners to bring these questions to their own care team.

In this episode, you'll learn:

Why magnesium is required to produce ATP — the energy currency of every cell — and what happens when your body can't get enough The difference between a magnesium compound and a bioavailable magnesium ion, and why so many supplements underdeliver How soil depletion and modern agriculture have quietly lowered magnesium in the food supply over the past century The link Dr. Dean draws between candida/yeast overgrowth, leaky gut, and persistent sugar cravings Why she believes some people on restrictive diets (keto, carnivore, paleo) may be managing yeast overgrowth without realizing it The connection between sugar metabolism, vitamin C, and cardiovascular health Her recommended starting point for anyone wanting to address deficiency: diet, timing, and sequencing of supplementation About Our Guest

Dr. Carolyn Dean, MD, ND is a physician and naturopath with over 50 years of experience in integrative and functional medicine. A graduate of Dalhousie University's medical school, she is the author of more than 50 books, including The Magnesium Miracle, Detox Your Body, and multiple works on sugar toxicity and mineral deficiency. Her clinical focus centers on magnesium, mineral absorption, and yeast overgrowth as root contributors to chron