Health
Are You Getting Enough Magnesium?
This precious mineral is a lifesaver.
As soon as the warm weather arrives, I get nasty leg cramps in bed early in the morning. The reason is always the same. I need more magnesium by improving my diet and taking some magnesium supplements. Problem solved.
Discover why getting enough magnesium can change your life for the better. It certainly does that for me.
How much do we need?
The good news is that we need 310–420 grams of magnesium a day. Women can get by with 300 grams. The bad news is that only about 25% of Americans are actually getting the right amount via their diet or by using supplements.
Magnesium is a vital mineral. It is no exaggeration to say that every organ and cell in our bodies need it. It plays a crucial part in helping the kidneys, heart, and muscles to work efficiently. Just think that magnesium plays a leading role in about 300 of our bodies’ biochemical reactions.
When I take it, I certainly find that I am more energetic. Maybe I should take more magnesium supplements all year round although I do eat a very healthy diet.
The great thing about magnesium is that it can help us absorb other minerals and also vitamins, especially Vitamin D.
“There’s no magnesium aisle in the supermarket.” ― Michael Greger, How Not to Die: Discover the Foods Scientifically Proven to Prevent and Reverse Disease.
Why do we need it so much?
If you look at the list of health issues a lack of magnesium can cause, you will realize how important this is. Here are the main ones:-
- Depression
- Headaches
- Insomnia
- IBS (irritable bowel syndrome)
- Moodiness
- Seizures
- Fatigue
- Irritability
- Facial tics
- Chronic pain
An interesting study showed how an increase in magnesium intake can help patients with depression and other major health problems. This study was published by the Medical Hypotheses journal.
The researchers mention that fortifying whole wheat grain and drinking water with biological magnesium could be a possible solution. Food processing strips it out of the flour grain — leaving it with 16% of its normal unprocessed amount.
What about a blood test?
Your doctor might recommend this “total serum magnesium test.” There may be other issues causing the problem such as poor digestion of certain foods, increased alcohol intake, or side effects of medications you are taking.
Lifestyle may be the key.
There are certain stress hormones that seem to flourish when you lead a stressful lifestyle. These are known as catecholamines and corticosteroids. Related illnesses are cardio problems and hypertension.
If your diet contains too many sugary snacks or too much coffee, this can also deplete your magnesium levels. This is simply because the kidneys get rid of the precious magnesium much more quickly. Magnesium is also a major player in keeping our blood sugar levels stable.
The food chain is not helping.
The way our food is processed is certainly not helping. Just take a look at all the pesticides, herbicides, and the processing of food which is stripping out precious nutrients such as magnesium. Not to mention the purification of drinking water.
Interesting to note that our ancestors had no problems with low levels of magnesium!
“Magnesium is farmed out of the soil much more than calcium… A hundred years ago, we would get maybe 500 milligrams of magnesium in an ordinary diet. Now we’re lucky to get 200 milligrams.” — Dr. Carolyn Dean, naturopathic doctor
What should we eat and drink to increase our levels of magnesium?
Let me show you what is on my shopping list now:-
- Leafy greens such as spinach or kale
- Dark chocolate
- Nuts and seeds
- Bananas
- Fish
- Soya
- Avocado
If you are like me, you will never have to worry about low magnesium levels. All you have to do is to eat a healthy balanced diet. Try these for some ideas.
6 easy recipe ideas rich in magnesium (gluten-free).
“Serotonin, the “feel-good” brain chemical that is boosted by Prozac, depends on magnesium for its production and function.” ― Carolyn Dean, The Magnesium Miracle
Additional resources:-
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