I have been looking into nutrient deficiencies lately and came across Magnesium. Magnesium is a mineral that is essential to the body for maintaining normal muscle and nerve function. It also plays a key role in keeping a healthy immune system, maintaining heart rhythm, and building strong bones.(Don’t rely on milk for strong bones, find out why here.) Magnesium is also a key ingredient in over 300 biochemical reactions in the body.
If one were to have a magnesium deficiency, they might experience muscle spasms, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, high blood pressure, anxiety disorders, migraines, osteoporosis, and cerebral infarction. So if any of these symptoms are showing up within your body, it might be worth having a look at a magnesium deficiency.
Can you have too much magnesium? Yes. Interestingly, dietary consumption of magnesium has not shown any adverse effects when going over 400mg daily. However, when taken in supplement form, 400+mg caused diarrhea as the body attempts to excrete the excess.
When it comes to daily recommended values it can differ:
- Adult males between the ages of 19 to 30 is 400 mg and for their female counterparts, it’s 310 mg.
- Adult men over age 31 need 420 mg, while females over age 31 need 320 mg daily.
- During pregnancy and lactation adult females are require 310 to 360 mg.
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There are quite a few benefits of including Magnesium in your diet. These include prevention of stroke, reversing osteoporosis, regulating blood pressure, treating diabetes, preventing heart disease, easing menstrual pain, and more! Magnesium can be obtained from various fruits and veggies or supplements. It is important remember that if you are not buying organic produce there isn’t as many nutrients in conventional farming!
Foods that are high in Magnesium:  beets, dates, raisins, broccoli, black beans, spinach, whole grains, cacao powder, sunflower seeds, almonds, cashews, flax and sesame seeds.
More Benefits of Magnesium
1. Better sleep – The sleep regulating hormone melatonin is disturbed when Magnesium is deficient. Furthermore, Magnesium brings balance and controls stress hormones. Stress and tension are often reasons why people suffer from insomnia in the first place
2. Relaxes the nervous system – Serotonin, which relaxes the nervous system and elevates mood, is dependent on Magnesium
3. Bigger, stronger muscles – Magnesium allows the body to produce more Insulin-like Growth Factor (IGF-1), which is a major contributor to the growth and strength of muscles. Furthermore, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is the cell’s energy store, and is created with help from Magnesium
4. Better flexibility – Magnesium loosens tight muscles. Without Magnesium, muscles do not relax properly and cramps occur. Magnesium is important for flexibility, because low Magnesium results in a buildup of lactic acid, causing pain and tightness
5. Bone integrity and strength – Magnesium helps to fix calcium properly. It may blow some people’s mind that the calcium supplements they’re taking are not only useless, but are actually contributing to osteoporosis! There are actually about eighteen essential nutrients that contribute to bone health; Magnesium is definitely one of the most essential, because it stimulates a particular hormone called calcitonin. And, it also suppresses a hormone called parathyroid that breaks down bone
6. Remineralizes teeth – Magnesium deficiency causes an unhealthy balance of phosphorous and calcium in saliva, which damages teeth
7. Alkalizes the body – Magnesium helps return the body’s pH balance. Magnesium reduces lactic acid, which is partly responsible for post-exercise pain (Delayed Onset Muscle Soreness)
8. Hydrates – Magnesium is a necessary electrolyte essential for proper hydration
9. Helps to relieve constipation – Magnesium can be used to cleanse the bowels of toxins
10. Enzyme function – Enzymes are protein molecules that stimulate every chemical reaction in the body. Magnesium is required to make hundreds of these enzymes work and assists with thousands of others
11. Diabetes – Magnesium enhances insulin secretion, which facilitates sugar metabolism. Without Magnesium, glucose is not able to transfer into cells. Glucose and insulin build up in the blood, causing various types of tissue damage, including the nerves in the eyes
