What You Need To Know About The Benefits Of Magnesium
Magnesium is an important mineral that is often overlooked. In fact, up to 90 percent of Americans don't get the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of magnesium from their diet alone. This might account for the fact that the amount of magnesium people are getting has plummeted over 50 percent over the last century! If you aren't getting enough magnesium, you might be experiencing symptoms of magnesium deficiency. Symptoms can include leg cramps, migraines, fatigue, loss of appetite, depression, nausea and vomiting or high blood pressure.
The RDA of magnesium is 320 mg/day for women and 420 mg/day for men. In order to get the recommended amount, you'd have to eat large quantities of foods high in magnesium. To make up for not getting the right amount through their diet alone, many people take magnesium supplements. Renal failure patients should not take a magnesium supplement. As with any supplement, you should consult your physician.
"Not getting the right amount of magnesium is a growing concern for everyone-it's vital to overall health, especially for those people with certain medical conditions," says Andrea Rosanoff, co-author of a consumer education book titled "The Magnesium Factor." "Eating foods like leafy greens, mixed nuts and whole grain foods that contain a lot of magnesium is a good start, but it's also important to take a magnesium supplement, to make sure you are getting the right amount."
So why is magnesium so important? It plays a big part in keeping the heart healthy, making sure bones are strong and helping the body absorb other important minerals such as calcium and potassium. Magnesium supplementation also helps people with type 2 diabetes and cardiovascular disease maintain adequate magnesium levels which is especially important for these patients. Magnesium is also important to women who are pregnant, experience menopause or are at risk for osteoporosis. Getting the right amount of magnesium daily can help prevent leg cramps, migraines and fatigue.
It is estimated that up to 80 percent of those with type 2 diabetes have a magnesium deficiency. This happens when high glucose levels make the body flush magnesium from its system. In a recent study, people with diabetes who took magnesium supplements had improved insulin and glucose levels.
Magnesium is also good for the heart. People with heart conditions, including heart attacks, high blood pressure, abnormal heart rhythms and coronary artery disease, are more likely to be magnesium deficient. In fact, studies show that people with low amounts of magnesium in the body are twice as likely to develop coronary heart disease, and that magnesium supplementation can lower cholesterol by as much as 20 percent. Magnesium supplementation can increase individuals' magnesium levels and minimize the risks associated with heart disease.
Women of all ages can benefit from magnesium-it's been shown to help build and maintain strong bones, relieve symptoms of menopause and premenstrual syndrome (PMS), and minimize the risk of premature labor. A recent study showed that pregnant women with pre-eclampsia (a condition marked by water retention, high blood pressure, and protein in the urine) taking magnesium supplements had a 58 percent lower incidence of eclampsia, which are seizures associated with pre-eclampsia.
Magnesium is an essential mineral to maintaining a healthy lifestyle. It's important for people with certain medical conditions, as well as anyone who may have a magnesium deficiency with symptoms including leg cramps, migraines and fatigue, to take a magnesium supplement.
Comments
I really do like your writing skills…
thank you…
Bob
I’ve been diagnosed with hyperthyroidism and was experiencing heart palps. My natural-path put me on a crazy vitamin and supplement regiment and magnesium is the most important of them all. When I get heart palps, I just take extra magnesium 250 mg and in 20 minutes it all goes away.
I have been through the gamut with cranial nerve palsy - reason unknown - I take magnesium for the tinnitus (constant noise in the ears) - and it really helps. I’m not sure how it works - but I read on a message board that it may be helpful - so I gave it a shot.
I am a healthy 26 year old male and for the past several years I have been experiencing sweaty, cold hands, anxiety, sleep problems, and general trouble concentrating. Despite my regular jogging of 4-6km 3-4x a week and weight training routine 3-4x a week, if I were to stop exercising for a week I would feel extremely weak and out of shape. Almost as of all the benefits of my cardio disappeared.
Now i only began taking magnesium because someone recommended it to me for a pulled muscle that didn’t seem to go away. So being cautious, I started with 100mg the first two days, then 200mg the next two and I’m still at 200mg/day a week and a half later. not only has my muscle gotten better, I no longer have sweaty, cold hands and I feel healthier in general! I’ve taken a break from my jogging during the past week and my heart seems to be stronger than it usually gets when i stop jogging for a week.
Not only that, but I’m also noticing an improvement in my stamina and concentration for weight training! Sleeping is marginally better and so is my concentration.
I wonder why my GP never recommended this to me. I’ll talk to him about it during my next physical.
This was a very interesting article. I have suffered from leg cramps during exercise for years. I can’t even walk any distance at a good pace without pain. A friend in my Zumba class recommended Slow Mag so I started taking it yesterday but I didn’t know anything about it.
After reading your article, I am feeling hopeful it might help and even more hopeful that it might help my overall well being.
Thank you for the great article.
I was diagnosed with high blood pressure so I started taking CALM..an all natural powered magnesium that I drink like a tea before bed! wow that with Dandelion root tea three times a day has my blood pressure totally under control AND the magnesium helps me sleep like a baby! Your article is good news for us all..thanks
I’ve had shoulder pain for years, including tingling feeling down to my hands. I saw somewhere on the internet that someone with similar symptoms tried magnesium for it. So I gave it a try, and sure enough my shoulder pains went away after about a week and haven’t returned since I’ve been taking magnesium. And of all the vitamins I take, this is the first one that I actually notice a real result.
Thanks
Another option would be to use magnesium transdermally no? Ancient Minerals magnesium oil products seem to be the most talked about, although I have never tried them personally. You can get more information at magnesiumforlife.com
After suffering with undiagnosed hypothyroidism for 2 years and struggling with the proper treatment for the last year, I finally went to my “brother recommended” Chiropractor today. Wow….what an amazingly knowledgeable man. He started me on magnesium today along with a high protein diet. I’m a carbaholic so this should be interesting but I’m soooo thankful to have a doc that may be able to help.
I recommend Natural Calm Magnesium
and Calcium Supplements! They are wonderful and help a lot!