Magnesium

If you know me well, you probably know that I ❤️ magnesium! I love to use it for anything – from muscle soreness to headaches and anxiety… it is my miracle mineral 😁

I mean magnesium has over 300 functions in the human body, isn’t that Impressive?! Some of these include:

• Cofactor for hundreds of enzymes 
• Energy production
• DNA and protein synthesis
• Cell membrane structures
• Bone health & structure
• Glutathione (antioxidant) synthesis
• Blood glucose and pressure regulation
• Cell signalling
• Wound healing
• Muscle & nerve function

And yet many populations around the world do not meet the recommended daily intake according to research statistics. Luckily, magnesium is found in many whole foods, especially in:

1. Brazil nuts
2. Oat bran
3. Brown rice
4. Cashews
5. Mackerel
6. Spinach
7. Almonds
8. Swiss chard
9. Beans

Deficiency in this mineral can produce wide-ranging signs & symptoms such as:

• Muscle cramps
• Fatigue & weakness
• High blood pressure
• Palpitations/irregular heart beat
• Tremors, numbness & tingling
• Loss of appetite
• Nausea & vomiting
• Personality/behavioural changes

Zinc supplementation and high fibre intake may impair magnesium absorption, whereas the active form of vitamin D can increase it. When magnesium is low it can also lead to low calcium levels.

Always aim to get your nutrients from whole foods first!

References

1. Lord R, Bralley J. Laboratory Evaluations For Integrative And Functional Medicine. Duluth, Ga: Genova Diagnostics; 2012.
2. Higdon J. Magnesium. Linus Pauling Institute. https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/minerals/magnesium. Published 2001; Updated 2019. Accessed February 24, 2022.
3. DiNicolantonio JJ, O’Keefe JH, Wilson W. Subclinical magnesium deficiency: a principal driver of cardiovascular disease and a public health crisis [published correction appears in Open Heart. 2018 Apr 5;5(1):e000668corr1]. Open Heart. 2018;5(1):e000668. Published 2018 Jan 13. doi:10.1136/openhrt-2017-000668