Magnesium - My favourite mineral

I find minerals fascinating, purely because they do wonderful things to our bodies. Out of all the minerals I have researched, and studied, Magnesium is my favourite. I found it to be the one mineral that helps almost everyone. Studies have shown that even persons with many relevant issues, magnesium seemed to help so many of their symptoms.

Magnesium (Mg) is brilliant at calming the mind and body, which in turn helps with sleep, constipation, stress management, anxiety, depression, energy and sugar cravings – to name a few. Symptoms of magnesium deficiency can include muscle aches, cramps, anxiety and insomnia. 

As a dietary source, magnesium is naturally found in many of our favourite foods, including black beans, avocado, nuts, seeds, leafy greens and whole grains. However, most of us don’t consume the recommended daily intake of magnesium, which is mainly attributed to poor soil quality and a low consumption of magnesium-rich foods. This is when supplementing with a quality magnesium formula may be helpful. 

Table 1: Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) for Magnesium

https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Magnesium-HealthProfessional/

Benefits of Magnesium
Muscle relaxation and bone support

Magnesium helps reduce muscle cramps when dietary intake is inadequate. It can support muscle relaxation, function, contraction and bone density. Magnesium is involved in energy metabolism, and helps maintain normal muscle contraction and relaxation. 

Better sleep
Magnesium helps improve your sleep by regulating specific receptor systems. It can also influence the neurophysiologic and neuroendocrine mechanisms involved in sleep. A deficiency in Magnesium can negatively affect the quality of your sleep.

Nervous system health
Magnesium plays an essential role in nerve transmission and neuromuscular function, and can therefore play a part in neurological conditions. Low magnesium levels may cause stress in your body. Magnesium helps activate your parasympathetic nervous system, which is responsible for helping your body enter into a calm, relaxed state. 

Heart health
A sufficient magnesium intake is linked to lower risks of cardiovascular complications such as metabolic syndrome, diabetes, high blood pressure and other heart conditions.

Sugar and carbohydrate metabolism
Magnesium assists with sugar and carbohydrate metabolism, as well as protein synthesis. Insulin secretion also requires Magnesium. Inadequate Magnesium intake can lead to problems with insulin secretion.

Menstrual support

Studies have reported low magnesium levels in women with PMS. Low magnesium can affect mood and lead to feelings of anxiety, which can be compounded during PMS. Evidence also suggests that magnesium deficiency may play an important role in many clinical conditions concerning women’s health such as premenstrual syndrome, dysmenorrhea (period pain), and postmenopausal symptoms.