Magnesium

This mineral is the fourth most abundant mineral in the body and is essential to good health. Approximately 50% of total body magnesium is found in bone. The other half is found predominantly inside cells of body tissues and organs. Only 1% of this mineral is found in blood, but the body works very hard to keep blood levels of this mineral constant.

Function

This mineral is needed for more than 300 biochemical reactions in the body. It helps maintain normal muscle and nerve function, keeps heart rhythm steady, supports a healthy immune system, and keeps bones strong. this mineral also helps regulate blood sugar levels, promotes normal blood pressure, and is known to be involved in energy metabolism and protein synthesis. There is an increased interest in the role of this mineral in preventing and managing disorders such as hypertension, cardiovascular disease, and diabetes. Dietary magnesium is absorbed in the small intestines. This mineral is excreted through the kidneys.

Food Sources

Green vegetables such as spinach are good sources of this mineral because the center of the chlorophyll molecule (which gives green vegetables their color) contains this mineral. Some legumes (beans and peas), nuts and seeds, and whole, unrefined grains are also good sources of this mineral. Refined grains are generally low in this mineral. When white flour is refined and processed, the magnesium-rich germ and bran are removed. Bread made from whole grain wheat flour provides more of this mineral than bread made from white refined flour. Tap water can be a source of this mineral, but the amount varies according to the water supply. Water that naturally contains more minerals is described as "hard". "Hard" water contains more this mineral than "soft" water.

Eating a wide variety of legumes, nuts, whole grains, and vegetables will help you meet your daily dietary need for this mineral.

Deficiency Side Effects

Early signs of this mineral´s deficiency include loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, and weakness. As deficiency worsens, numbness, tingling, muscle contractions and cramps, seizures, personality changes, abnormal heart rhythms, and coronary spasms can occur. Severe deficiency can result in low levels of calcium in the blood (hypocalcemia). This mineral´s deficiency is also associated with low levels of potassium in the blood (hypokalemia).

Many of these symptoms are general and can result from a variety of medical conditions other than magnesium deficiency. It is important to have a physician evaluate health complaints and problems so that appropriate care can be given.

This mineral´s supplementation may be indicated when a specific health problem or condition causes an excessive loss of this mineral or limits it´s absorption.

Eating a variety of whole grains, legumes, and vegetables (especially dark-green, leafy vegetables) every day will help provide recommended intakes of this mineral and maintain normal storage levels of this mineral. Increasing dietary intake of this mineral can often restore mildly depleted levels. However, increasing dietary intake of this mineral may not be enough to restore very low magnesium levels to normal.

			topic: magnesium