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Magnesium, known as the “anti stress” mineral, is one of the most important “essential” nutrients in the body. Essential nutrients are those nutrients derived from food that the body is unable to manufacture on its own.
Magnesium helps regulate calcium, sodium, and potassium and is said to activate enzymes that support more than 300 chemical reactions in the body. According to American neurosurgeon and pain medicine pioneer Norman Healy, MD, Ph.D., “every illness is somehow associated with a magnesium deficiency, and it is the missing cure to many diseases”. Sadly, many people are unaware of the role of magnesium and the fact that they may well be deficient.
What magnesium can do for you: Aside from being important in absorbing calcium and other minerals, magnesium is an essential catalyst for food metabolism and energy release. And since it helps in calcium metabolism, magnesium may prevent calcium deposits in organs. It is a cofactor in the formation of RNA/DNA and also boosts your immune system. The most powerful antioxidant in your body, glutathione, requires magnesium for synthesis.
Magnesium prevents bacterial and fungal infections, kidney, and liver damage. This wonderful mineral maintains normal muscle and nerve function, regulates heart rhythms, and keeps bones and teeth strong. It also helps people who are under serious stress, impotent, and prone to forming cavities. Magnesium regulates blood sugar levels, alleviates premenstrual symptoms/menstrual cramps, promotes normal blood pressure, and aids protein synthesis. It brings relief from indigestion. If you have terrible mood swings and arthritic pain that seems not to go away, you may need to up the intake of magnesium in your food.
A lack of magnesium may also lead to the following:
Insomnia: You may be lacking magnesium if you often have trouble falling or remaining asleep, suffer from frequent anxiety, are easily irritated, or restless. Known as the stress reliever, magnesium promotes GABA function to bring about feelings of relaxation and calmness. GABA, gamma-amino butyric acid is a calming neurotransmitter that your brain requires to switch off; without it, you remain tense, your thoughts race, and you lie awake in bed. Adding magnesium-rich food to your diet, especially at dinner, is important for a good night’s sleep and relaxation.
Fatigue: If you feel tired all the time (TATT), even after getting plenty of sleep or finding it hard to concentrate, perform daily activities, and be motivated, please check your magnesium level.Most of the time, it is easy to blame the lives we lead. In as much as your busy life, may be contributory; low energy, weakness, and fatigue can also result from a lack of magnesium. According to the University of Maryland Medical Center300-1,000 milligrams of magnesium per day can help with energy levels.
Leg cramps: magnesium is vital in the control of neuromuscular signals and muscle contraction. A lack of magnesium may lead to leg cramps, which you know is very painful and can be debilitating. If you are a victim, eat magnesium-rich foods, and you will find relief from your cramps.
High blood pressure: magnesium could be the missing cure for millions of people all over the world who suffer from high blood pressure – a precursor to heart disease and stroke. A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found that a diet high in magnesium-rich foods can reduce the risk of a stroke by almost 10 per cent.
Type 2 diabetes: Researchers have also found that many people who have type 2 diabetes have low magnesium levels. Diets rich in magnesium have been shown to reduce health complications associated with type 2 diabetes. One study demonstrated that the addition of just 100 milligrams of magnesium daily lowered the risk of diabetes by 15 per cent.
Migraine headaches: People who suffer from migraine headaches may be lacking magnesium, necessary for balancing neurotransmitters in the body. Studies have shown that 360-600 milligrams of magnesium daily reduced the frequency of migraine headaches by up to 42 per cent.
Since this mineral is very important for the proper functioning of the body, it is imperative that you get enough of it. Unfortunately, some people may not assimilate magnesium properly for various reasons as follows:
Aging- absorption decreases as we age.
Certain medications- including diuretics, certain antibiotics, corticosteroids, antacids, and insulin.
Digestive disorder- like leaky gut, impairs your body’s ability to absorb magnesium.
Alcoholism- alcohol is a “nutrient-sapper” that does not allow you to absorb essential vitamins and minerals from food to your cells.
Excessive intake of soda or caffeine.
Excessive urination- people with increased urination, like diabetics may find it difficult to absorb magnesium.
Heredity- some people even inherit an inability to absorb magnesium.
In as much as the implication of not getting enough magnesium can lead to some of the clinical manifestations listed above, however some of the conditions may also be attributed to other causes other than magnesium deficiency. So, to be sure of your status, get a test done. Keep in mind that deficiency most likely won’t show up on a routine blood test. The best way to tell if you are getting enough magnesium is a bowel test. Concentrations can also be measured in urine and saliva.
To avoid magnesium deficiency, the recommended dose for an average adult male is 420 mg per day, while that for an average female is about 300mg.
These fruits and vegetables contain significant levels of magnesium:
Basil (scent leaf)- fresh basil contains about 500mg of magnesium in a 200-calorie serving. It is one of the healthiest herbs you can consume, and luckily, it is abundantly available.
Parsley – and other green, leafy vegetables like cabbage and spinach are good sources of magnesium. Parsley contains a substantial amount (220 mg); spinach provides 157 mg in a cup while the same serving of cabbage provides 12 mg of magnesium.
Soybeans-and other legumes, including groundnuts (50mg in a cup); lentils (35mg), beans, and peas (ranging from 35-45 mg, depending on the variety).
Watermelon-and other fruits, including banana (35 mg/finger) and avocado (8mg).
Also including cashew nuts, almonds, pumpkin seeds, oats, lemon, grapefruit, apples, sesame seeds, flaxseed, yellow mustard seeds, sunflower seeds, potatoes, thyme, ginger, cinnamon, turmeric and yellow cornmay stop magnesium deficiency.
If you wish to use a magnesium supplement, take the chelated forms.It is always best to speak to your health practitioner before any supplementation.
