Getting enough Magnesium?

Magnesium Benefits Undervalued: Are you Getting Enough of this Instrumental Mineral?

When you walk into a Health Shop and read the benefits being extoled on all the bottle labels you’ll probably want to take everything! But a “less is more” approach can be more beneficial. Better yet – you should test exactly what it is you need to be taking. I’m often asked, “If you could suggest just one supplement, what would it be?” For me that’s an easy one. It would be a good, absorbable mineral supplement that’s high in Magnesium.

The importance of magnesium in the human body is often under rated and it’s responsible for so much more than muscle and bone health. This mineral works as your body’s “Master Commander” in more biological processes than any other mineral. It’s fundamental to maintaining normal blood pressure and healthy bones, brain, nerves, and muscles and it helps produce antioxidants that ward off illness.

Despite symptoms of a low Magnesium state – blood tests often don’t show the deficiency. This is something we can establish using muscle testing.

Just some symptoms of a Magnesium deficiency (but by no means all) include:

1. Low Energy

Medicine nutritionist Allan Boden claims that magnesium is involved in at least 300 different chemical reactions in our body and is known to play an important role in energy production. The potential correlation between low energy and weakness with a magnesium deficiency becomes indisputable.

2. Muscle cramps and contractions

Magnesium plays an important role in maintaining muscle health. Habitually low intake of this mineral can result in unintentional muscle movements, like twitching or cramping.

3. Regular headaches

Medical research has indicated that about 50% of people who suffer from migraines have lower levels of magnesium, while other studies have proved that regular intake of this mineral sufficiently reduces the frequency of migraine attacks.

4. Insomnia

Problems with falling asleep can be closely connected to the fact that your body lacks magnesium, especially if you are under stress. Nervous tension increases blood pressure and heart rate. If this situation is accompanied by low levels of magnesium, which restricts the release of stress hormones, sleeping becomes a problem.

5. Anxiety

Magnesium controls stress hormones, acting as a filter to prevent them from entering our brain. Dr Carolyn Dean claims that the deficiency of this mineral can cause anxiety and even panic attacks.

6. Low bone density

According to recent research, even a mild deficiency of magnesium can contribute to and become a leading risk factor for the development of osteoporosis.

7. High Blood Pressure

According to WebMD: Eating foods with magnesium can help prevent high blood pressure in people with pre-hypertension.

8. Type 2 diabetes

According to the NIH (the National Institute of Health): People with higher amounts of magnesium in their diets tend to have a lower risk of developing diabetes.

If you suspect you have a magnesium deficiency, it’s still advisable to consult your doctor before taking any supplements or adjusting your diet.