Every day people ask me “what is magnesium” and “what is it good for?” Therefore I thought this would be a good topic for my first blog! Let’s review what is does. Magnesium has a variety of purposes and nutritional value. Did you know that it is actually one of the most abundant active nutrients in the body? It participates in over 300 enzymatic reactions that help keep your body in homeostasis, or balance. Magnesium is an important co-factor for ATP production which is a fancy way of saying that it helps create energy in the body. Other ways your body uses magnesium include: regulating nerve transmission, relaxing muscles and it can even help with skeletal and dental health!
Deficiency in magnesium can be caused by diuretics, alcohol, birth control pills, and with poor absorption. You should try magnesium supplementation if you have:
- Asthma (decreases spasms in the lung)
- Heart conditions (decreases spasms in the heart muscle)
- Other conditions such as: kidney stones, cramps, osteoporosis, migraines, PMS, hypertension, type 2 diabetes, and insomnia.
Toxicity of magnesium is rare, but do be careful because excessive amounts can cause diarrhea. (Yuck)
Dosages for magnesium can vary but the recommended daily allowance is 400 mg/day. Therapeutic dosages are between 500-1,500 mg/day.
Looking to add magnesium to your diet? Here are some foods high in magnesium!
- Nuts
- Legumes
- Cereal grains
- Dark green leafy vegetables
To learn more about how magnesium can be implemented in your daily nutritional intake? Call today for a consultation!