Why magnesium is so important for health and wellness
Magnesium is essential for bones, teeth, muscles, the nervous system, and mental health. Magnesium plays a critical role in maintaining health. Still, even if you eat a good and varied diet, you may not be getting the recommended daily dose of this essential mineral. Our modern lifestyle, where we are often busy and quench our thirst with a cup of coffee, means that magnesium is eliminated from the body, and we are deficient. Therefore, to meet the body’s daily needs, we need to supplement our regular diet with supplements.
What is magnesium
Magnesium is the fourth most important substance in the body and is known as one of the essential minerals people need to maintain good health. This mineral plays a vital role in our overall health and regulates more than 300 chemical processes in the body. It is also called an auxiliary mineral because its properties help our bodies stay balanced, prevent disease, work under stress and generally maintain good health. In addition, magnesium is responsible for two critical cellular functions, energy production and new cell formation.
Magnesium benefits
Magnesium regulates and promotes everything from nerve cells to muscles. So there are significant benefits to making sure your body gets the right amount.
Calms the nerves and anxiety. Magnesium promotes the production of the “happiness hormone” serotonin and is essential for hormones that help manage the brain and create a sense of calm.
It helps you fall asleep. Have you been trying to lose sleep, and your thoughts start to rush? The right magnesium balance can help calm the mind and make it easier to fall asleep.
Helps fight constipation. Magnesium helps the digestive system’s muscles, including the intestinal wall, which controls your ability to go to the bathroom. At the same time, it helps neutralize stomach acid and move faeces through the intestines. Keep in mind that if you experience diarrhoea while taking supplements, you may take too large a daily dose. You can counteract it by reducing the amount.
Relieves muscle pain. Magnesium helps muscles relax and soften after exertion. It also applies to our most active muscle, the heart.
Skeleton and teeth. Along with calcium, magnesium develops and maintains bones and teeth. At the same time, it helps fight osteoporosis.
Who especially needs magnesium supplements
Women of all ages benefit greatly from magnesium supplements. Benefits for women include the reduction of menopausal and premenstrual syndrome symptoms.
Magnesium deficiency (and deficiency of other minerals such as calcium and potassium) can occur in the background of diseases. Other causes can be chronic diarrhoea, weight loss from dietary restriction, alcoholism, and if you are taking diuretics.
Check if you have enough magnesium in your nutrition
Do you feel tired and exhausted or have less appetite than usual? Then you may need a magnesium supplement along with your regular diet. Stress, poor eating habits, and lots of cups of coffee all deplete our stores of beneficial minerals and generally make our magnesium balance too low. That’s why most people benefit from taking supplements to supplement their daily diet.
Magnesium deficiency usually manifests as fatigue and just feeling tired physically and mentally. In addition, difficulty sleeping, stomach problems, loss of appetite, and anxiety may indicate that you need an extra magnesium supplement. The recommended daily dose of magnesium (adults) is 350 mg for men and 280 mg for women.
10 foods high in magnesium
Magnesium is already present in many of the most common foods, and you can quickly bring it up to the recommended daily amount. Unfortunately, the magnesium content of most modern foods is low compared to the past, so you should choose foods high in magnesium to cover your daily needs.
10 products with magnesium:
- organic, green vegetables;
- whole grain products;
- Brazil nuts;
- breadcrumbs;
- chickpeas;
- almonds;
- dark chocolate;
- flaxseeds;
- raisins;
- oatmeal.
Can you get too much magnesium
If you get too much magnesium and have normal kidney function, the excess is excreted with urine, faeces, and sweat.
Side effects
Magnesium has few side effects and is generally considered a safe dietary supplement for most people, but its ingestion may cause the following:
- Diarrhea (this can be counteracted by reducing the daily dose);
- Sickness and pain in the stomach;
- Fatigue (ask your doctor if you experience fatigue for a long time).
