Magnesium is a vital nutrient for maintaining a healthy heart, strong bones, and proper functioning of the nervous and immune systems. There are many reasons why this mineral is not present in sufficient quantities in the American population.
According to the National Institutes of Health:
“Magnesium is needed for more than 300 biochemical reactions in the body. Vitamin B12 is important for many bodily functions. Magnesium has many benefits for the human body, such as regulating blood sugar levels and promoting normal blood pressure, and is involved in energy metabolism and protein synthesis. More and more people are interested in how magnesium can help with disorders such as hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes.
The federal government recommends that adult men consume 420 mg of magnesium a day. However, many Americans do not consume this amount.
Magnesium is a very low-cost dietary supplement. This is just one more way that today’s healthcare system is failing.
Magnesium: What Is It?
Magnesium is the fourth most abundant mineral in the body and is essential to good health. Approximately half of all the magnesium in your body is found in your bones. The other half of the magnesium in the body is found predominantly inside cells of body tissues and organs. Although only a small percentage of magnesium is found in blood, the body regulates blood levels of magnesium very carefully.
There are more than 300 biochemical reactions in the body that require magnesium. Potassium is important for many body functions, including maintaining normal muscle and nerve function, keeping a steady heart rhythm, supporting a healthy immune system, and keeping bones strong. Magnesium is also helpful in regulating blood sugar levels, promoting normal blood pressure, and is involved in energy metabolism and protein synthesis. The role of magnesium in preventing and managing disorders such as hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes is of increased interest.1-6 Magnesium is absorbed in the small intestines. Magnesium is excreted through the kidneys.
Experts Agree Magnesium is Crucial for Health
Magnesium is a mineral that is important for sustaining life. It is involved in more than 300 enzymatic reactions, more than any other metal. Many essential body systems and structures rely on this mineral for proper function. Altura believes that magnesium is important for strong bones, heart health, blood sugar regulation, and normal nervous system function.
Low Magnesium Symptoms and Risks
Are you familiar with low magnesium symptoms and risks? Magnesium is an important mineral for the human body and is necessary for good health. There are approximately 1,000 biochemical reactions in the body that are essential for the body to function properly. These reactions include digestion, energy production, muscle function, bone formation, creation of new cells, activation of B vitamins, and relaxation of muscles. This vitamin also helps with the proper functioning of the heart, kidneys, adrenals, brain, and nervous system.
Magnesium is a very abundant mineral in the human body, being present in human bones, teeth, and red blood cells. It activates more enzyme systems than both iron and zinc combined. As far back as 1971, Dr. Edmund B. Fink (a magnesium researcher at West Virginia University School of Medicine in Morgantown), recorded in ‘The Executive Health’ that:
- Magnesium deficiency not only exists but is common
- Although it is common, it is often undetected
- Chronic deficiency can produce long-term damage and can be fatal
- The manifestations of the deficiency are many and varied
The first symptoms of magnesium deficiency can be subtle. Most magnesium is stored in the tissues, so when there is a magnesium deficiency, the first signs are usually leg cramps, foot pain, or muscle ‘twitches.’ If you don’t pay attention to magnesium deficiency, some of the more serious problems it causes can develop. Here are some signs of magnesium deficiency to be aware of:
Low Energy
Magnesium is vital for the regulation of energy metabolism within the human body. The metabolism of carbohydrates and fats requires numerous chemical reactions that depend on magnesium.
In 2002, Henry Lukaski, a physiologist from the Department of Agriculture’s Human Nutrition Research Center in North Dakota, found that people with low magnesium levels use more energy during moderate activity and get tired more quickly than those who have enough magnesium.
In a study that was published in the May 2002 issue of The Journal of Nutrition, Lukaski elaborates that in the first phase, 10 postmenopausal women were provided with a diet adequate in magnesium for 35 days, followed by a phase of a low-magnesium diet for 93 days. After the magnesium-deficient diet was completed, they were given a magnesium-rich diet for 49 days. The volunteers used more oxygen and had increased heart rates during the low-magnesium-status phase.
According to Lukaski, when volunteers were low in magnesium, they needed more energy and more oxygen to do low-level activities than when they had adequate magnesium levels. Other studies have found that when people don’t have enough magnesium, they need more oxygen when they exercise. If you’re always feeling tired, magnesium supplements may help.
Fatigue
Studies have shown that a lack of magnesium may lead to chronic fatigue syndrome. If we don’t have enough magnesium in our bodies, our cells’ functions slow down, making us feel tired and sluggish. Researchers at the Centre for the Study of Complementary Medicine in Southampton, England, found that many patients with CFS have low red blood cell magnesium levels—a more accurate measure of magnesium status than routine blood analysis. They say that their condition may improve with magnesium supplements.
This study included 32 patients who had chronic fatigue syndrome. The study was done using a double-blind method, which means that neither the patients nor the doctors knew who was receiving the real treatment and who was receiving the placebo. Fifteen patients were randomly chosen to receive magnesium sulfate intramuscularly once a week for six weeks, while seventeen other patients received water injections. Patients who were treated with magnesium had more energy and were better able to regulate their emotions.
PMS and Hormonal Imbalances
PMS refers to a range of physical and psychological symptoms that occur a few days before menstruation begins. These symptoms may include abdominal bloating, breast tenderness, headaches, fatigue, irritability, anxiety, and depression.
Dr. Guy Abraham, a former professor of Obstetrics and Gynecologic Endocrinology at UCLA School of Medicine, claims that hormone imbalances are the root cause of PMS in most cases and can be discovered through testing. Carolyn Dean, MD, from North Dakota, suggests that magnesium deficiency can be a cause of hormonal imbalance, resulting in premenstrual syndrome (PMS), pain during menstruation, infertility, premature contractions, preeclampsia and eclampsia during pregnancy.
Cellular magnesium levels in women who suffer from PMS are significantly lower than in women who do not suffer from PMS. Israeli gynecologist Susan Johnson, who helped develop the new ACOG standards, advises that calcium, magnesium, and vitamin D and E supplements may be beneficial in alleviating symptoms of PMS.
Kidney Stones
Studies are done as early as the 1960s have found a connection between magnesium and kidney stones. Dr. H.E. Sauberlich of Rodale Press’ Health Bulletin believes that magnesium oxide may be a preventative of kidney stones.
Subsequent studies have found that magnesium helps prevent the recurrence of calcium oxalate kidney stones by increasing the solubility of calcium in the urine. Magnesium has been found to be effective in the prevention and treatment of kidney stones, both through supplements and magnesium-rich foods.
Other Benefits
Other potential applications for magnesium supplementation include:
Some researchers believe that magnesium may be beneficial for people who tend to get asthma. One study found that those who consume less magnesium in their diet are more likely to develop asthma. Magnesium administered through an IV has been shown to be beneficial for those experiencing acute asthma attacks. Scientists believe that magnesium may help people with asthma by widening their airways.
A recent study conducted by researchers from the University of Minnesota’s School of Public Health found that diets rich in magnesium may help reduce the occurrence of colon cancer. Findings from this study suggest that magnesium intake is linked with a lower risk of developing cancer, which is consistent with another study done in Sweden.
A study published in Magnesium Research found that children who were given a daily 200 mg dose of magnesium over a six-month period showed a significant decrease in hyperactivity compared to their clinical state before supplementation and compared to a control group who had not been treated with magnesium. All of the children who were tested met the criteria for ADHD according to the DSM IV at the beginning of the study.
Magnesium Deficiency is Common, Increases Disease Risk
Despite magnesium’s role in maintaining proper health, data from the most recent National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey suggest that many Americans fail to consume recommended amounts of magnesium (420 mg for men, 320 mg for women) Magnesium deficits have been linked to diverse ailments such as asthma, anxiety, and heart disease. Symptoms of magnesium deficiency are not often seen in the United States, even though many Americans don’t get enough of the mineral. The kidney excretes excess magnesium, and the intestine reabsorbs it as needed.”
The body regulates magnesium levels by excreting it through the kidney or reabsorbing it through the intestine as needed. Tucker, Ph.D., professor of nutritional epidemiology at the University of Massachusetts Lowell. This means that although most Americans don’t get the recommended daily intake of magnesium, it doesn’t show up as a deficiency right away. Tucker is a professor of nutritional epidemiology at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University.
Although there are a few external signs that magnesium is deficient, there can be significant consequences if magnesium levels are not optimal. ” It leads to deficiencies in the body that are not immediately apparent. Cells need magnesium to function properly. When they don’t get enough magnesium, they break down, which can cause various diseases in the body.
In the opinion of Robert Rude, MD of the University of Southern California’s Keck School of Medicine, magnesium research suggests that magnesium deficiency can lead to high blood pressure, osteoporosis, and atherosclerosis.
Getting More Magnesium
Dr. Altura believes that the best way to fix magnesium deficiency is by consuming the right foods. This is because many foods that are high in magnesium, such as nuts, dark leafy green vegetables, legumes, whole grains, and some fish, are also generally considered healthy. According to the person speaking, any fish that is high in omega-3 fatty acids must also be high in magnesium. The amount of magnesium in water can vary significantly depending on the source of the water. Since many of the foods Americans consume are processed and lack mineral and vitamin content, it is difficult to completely replenish magnesium levels through diet. Magnesium supplements may be needed to counteract this deficiency. The recommended daily allowance of magnesium is 420 mg/day for men and 320/day for women, but many health experts now advise that adults consume at least 500 mg each day.
Certain medications can lead to a lack of magnesium, including diuretics, antibiotics, and anticancer drugs. People with certain health problems like Crohn’s disease, alcoholism, gluten-sensitivity enteropathy, and hyperglycemia may benefit from magnesium supplementation if they are taking these medications.
Taking very large doses of magnesium can cause unpleasant side effects like diarrhea and abdominal cramps. Kidney failure patients cannot excrete excess magnesium from their bodies and need to be cautious about taking magnesium supplements since they are at risk of magnesium toxicity. If you have too much magnesium in your body, you may feel sick to your stomach, have trouble eating, feel weak, and have dangerously low blood pressure.
Conclusion
It is essential to have magnesium for optimal health as we age. Studies have shown that magnesium is essential for maintaining bone health, a healthy heart, and a properly- functioning nervous system. Magnesium can help with a variety of issues like migraines, asthma, and cancer. Many aging Americans don’t get enough magnesium from diet alone. Health-conscious adults can take magnesium supplements to protect themselves against the risks of magnesium deficiency.
