The mineral magnesium serves many vital purposes inside your body. There are more
than 300 biochemical processes in the human body that require magnesium. From
the heart to the bones, some of the body's most fundamental systems and structures
rely on this important mineral. Both day-to-day and long-term health and well-being
call for sufficient intake of magnesium.
Magnesium
is necessary for bone health and structure. Half of the magnesium in the body
is found in the bones. An important contribution magnesium makes to the bones
is to help in the production of the hormone calcitonin, which increases calcium
levels in the bones. Magnesium also controls the acidity of the blood, which benefits
the bones, as high acid levels can weaken bone structure.
Magnesium
plays a part in controlling the neuromuscular activities of the heart and helps
to keep the heartbeat regular. It also assists in keeping blood pressure levels
within normal range.
There
is some scientific interest in magnesium in relation to diabetes. That is because
magnesium is necessary for insulin secretion and function, and enjoys a role in
controlling blood sugar. It also serves to assist in turning blood sugar into
energy.
Enjoying
partnership status with a variety of vitamins, minerals and other nutrients, magnesium
is essential to the health and functioning of the body's neurological system and
muscular system, serving to enable the contraction of muscles and nerves.
It
is important to maintain adequate levels of magnesium in the body, as serious
health problems can result from deficiencies. Adult males need about 350mg of
magnesium per day, with adult women requiring 280mg daily, with an increase of
up to 420mg per day while pregnant or breastfeeding. Children, depending on their
size and weight, need between 130mg to 240mg per day.
Deficiency
in magnesium can cause significant calcium loss, heart spasms, irregular heartbeat,
nervousness, confusion, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, muscle contractions
and spasms, fatigue, and feelings of weakness, both in general and in the muscles.
Consuming
the standard recommended daily intake levels of vitamins, minerals, and other
nutrients is essential to good health and the proper functioning of the body's
many systems. Unfortunately, most people do not achieve this through diet alone.
Using nutritional supplements to make up the difference between what you should
eat and what you really do eat is an effective option. The body's systems are
based upon a delicate balance of chemicals, and too much can often be as harmful
as too little. A licensed nutritionist or herbalist can help you to make a supplement
plan best suited to your individual dietary needs and health goals.
Some
natural sources for magnesium include soybeans, fresh green vegetables, raw wheat
germ, apples, almonds, nuts, raw honey, peaches, brown rice, figs, lemons, and
grapefruit.
Editor's
note:
Although
this article encourages the use of vitamin pills, here at Health & Beyond
Online we get our daily vitamins and minerals from Dr. Ben Kim's Greens,
a fantastic supergreen food. Click
here to learn all about this excellent alternative to popping pills. Oh
yeah, your budget will really appreciate Dr. Ben Kim's Greens per serving
cost when compared to a cabinet full of vitamins and mineral pills.
Click
Here to
share this page with your friends, website visitors, ezine readers, social followers
and other online contacts.
Disclaimer:
Throughout this website, statements are made pertaining to the properties and/or
functions of food and/or nutritional products. These statements have not been
evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration and these materials and products
are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any disease.