JOSH K REEDMagnesium 101 - You need this in your diet!
Summary
Magnesium (Mg2+) is an essential mineral found in the human body.
The average adult contains around 25g of it.
Up to 60% of this is found in the bones, with the rest found in soft tissues, like muscles.
Magnesium is involved in over 300 very important chemical processes in your body.
We excrete (urine & faeces) around 100 to 400mg of magnesium out of our bodies each day.
If you don't consume enough magnesium, your body won't function at its bests, and negative symptoms will likely result.
Functions
Magnesium is involved in a number of processes in the body, including muscle and nerve function, blood glucose (sugar) regulation, as well as bone and DNA synthesis. Further to this, magnesium plays a role in:
Energy production
Blood pressure regulation
Protein synthesis
Muscle contraction
Normal heart rhythm
Nervous transmission
Magnesium balance
Checking your levels
You can get your magnesium levels checked through blood testing, however your blood levels of this mineral have little correlation with your overall total body levels.
For a more comprehensive check, it is recommended to have both a blood test and a clinical assessment performed, including a diet history.
Those at higher risk of magnesium deficiency
Gastrointestinal disease
Intestinal surgery
Diabetes
Excess alcohol intake
Older adults
Poor diet
High exercise volume
Signs of severe magnesium deficiency
Loss of appetite
Nausea
Muscular weakness
Low energy
Weight loss
Muscle spasms
Hyper-irritability, -excitability
Tetany
Convulsions
Insulin resistance and impaired insulin secretion
Foods rich in Magnesium
In general, foods containing dietary fibre are good sources of magnesium. When foods are processed, this can lower the magnesium content substantially.
Pumpkin seeds
Sunflower seeds
Almonds
Cashews
Peanuts
Tahini
All-bran
Wholemeal spaghetti
Spinach
Black beans
Soy milk
Dried figs
Sardines
Brewers yeast
Take home message
Eat more plants!