Magic magnesium - an essential mineral

Our bodies are amazing machines, but just like any fine tuned motor, they need the correct fuel in the correct amounts to operate optimally.

One of those elements is a mineral called magnesium.

Magnesium is one of the most abundant minerals found in the body. It is predominantly found within our body’s cells and bones playing an important role in health and nutrition. Magnesium is essential for hundreds of biochemical reactions in the body.

These include contribution to maintenance of normal bone health, normal psychological function and muscle function as well as metabolism of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins.

Magnesium plays an important role in lifelong health and vitality. Low levels of magnesium have been associated with a number of chronic diseases.

Additionally, magnesium plays a critical part in physical performance. Adequate magnesium status is of the utmost importance for both competitive and recreational athletes, given the role magnesium plays in cellular reactions, releasing energy from carbohydrates and fats, and its important role in muscle contraction during strength training and endurance activity.

There are many reasons why magnesium deficiencies exist including: consuming foods that are low in magnesium, changes in farming practices, food processing techniques, along with the consumption of over-the-counter and prescription drugs.

Magnesium is a mineral that plays a role in over 700 reactions within our body. Magnesium is essential from head to toe, being particularly important for energy production and for regulating the muscular, skeletal, and cardiovascular systems and immune and hormonal function. Our muscles are in fact very rich in magnesium—a massive 25 to 30% of total body magnesium is in the muscle (and around 50 to 60% is stored in the bone). With this in mind, think about the muscles in your body. There are skeletal muscles visible in your arms and legs as they are attached to bones, but there are two other muscle types—smooth muscle within internal organs, and then cardiac muscle is found within the walls of the heart. With over 600 muscles in the body, you can imagine the large role that magnesium has in our muscular system.

Fun Fact: Nearly 85% of our body heat is created by muscle contraction!

When considering your personal dietary choices, it is of course important to have a balance of nutrients from foods. To ensure that you are consuming an adequate amount of magnesium, be sure to incorporate magnesium-rich foods such as dark green vegetables, legumes, cereals, fish and nuts in your daily diet. Though we need 310 to 420 mg per day for males and females, magnesium is generally an under-consumed nutrient for between 50 to 80% of Americans. In addition, magnesium is often poorly absorbed from food sources and along with unhealthy lifestyle factors and stress, many factors can impact your body’s magnesium levels. A magnesium supplement may therefore be useful in addressing these nutrient gaps.

When considering a supplement however, it is important to look at the ingredients for optimal absorption. Like any mineral, it should be derived from a food source, be easily absorbed and in a chelated form, meaning that it is bonded by an amino acid for optimal absorption.

Should you need help deciding if you need to supplement, and if so, what and how to take, feel free to reach out to me. I will set up a free, no obligation interview with you to see if we are a fit to work together.