The Critical Role of Magnesium in Your Health

For a mineral that’s involved in more than 300 chemical reactions in your body, magnesium gets far less attention than more “common” minerals like calcium, potassium and zinc.

Yet, it’s a good idea to make magnesium a ‘household’ term, as it’s the fourth most abundant mineral in your body. While most magnesium is stored in your bones, where it plays a key role in bone metabolism, considerable amounts are also stored in your soft tissues and blood.

Magnesium plays a critical role in human health, but The National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey showed that significant numbers of women and men do not consume the recommended daily dietary intakes of 320 and 420 mg, respectively. Among adults, 68% consume less than the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of magnesium, and 19% consume less than 50% of the RDA.

Why is Magnesium So Important?

At least 100 health benefits have been attributed to magnesium so far. For instance, the mineral is known to play a beneficial role in heart health, blood sugar metabolism, premenstrual syndrome, bone health and even aging. There’s likely far more waiting to be discovered about magnesium too, as one study found that human proteins have more than 3,700 binding sites for this mineral.

As reported by GreenMedInfo:

“The … [study] indicates that a deficiency of magnesium may profoundly affect a far wider range of biological structures than previously understood …

The discovery of the “magneseome,” as its being called, adds additional complexity to the picture, indicating that the presence or absence of adequate levels of this basic mineral may epigenetically alter the expression and behavior of the proteins in our body, thereby altering the course of health.”

Notably, magnesium also acts as a co-factor for enzymes that produce energy, which is why, if you’re magnesium-deficient, fatigue may be one of your primary symptoms. In addition, magnesium plays an important role in:

• Protein synthesis
• Muscle and nerve function
• Cardiovascular health
• Bowel regularity
• Enhanced bone health
• Mood and sleep support

The University of Maryland Medical Center continues:

“Every organ in the body — especially the heart, muscles, and kidneys — needs the mineral magnesium. It also contributes to the makeup of teeth and bones. Most important, it activates enzymes, contributes to energy production, and helps regulate calcium levels, as well as copper, zinc, potassium, vitamin D, and other important nutrients in the body.”

Magnesium Deficiency and Inadequacy: Who’s at Risk?

According to some estimates, up to 80 percent of Americans may be lacking in magnesium. While it’s certainly possible to get enough from your diet, many Americans do not regularly eat magnesium-rich foods like whole grains and green leafy vegetables. Further, certain factors can make magnesium inadequacy (lower than recommended intake but not quite a deficiency) much more likely. This includes:

• People with gastrointestinal diseases: Crohn’s disease, celiac disease and bypass of the small intestine can lead to magnesium depletion and loss.
• People with chronic alcoholism: Magnesium deficiency is common among this group.
• Older adults: You become less able to absorb magnesium from your gut, and magnesium excretion increases, as you age.
• People taking certain medications: For example, prescription proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), like Prevacid and Nexium, may lead to low magnesium levels when taken long term. Certain antibiotics, diuretics, chemotherapy drugs, and steroids may also lower magnesium levels.

Other factors, such as chronic stress or consumption of large amounts of coffee, soda or salt are also known to lower magnesium levels. However, because only 1 percent of your body’s magnesium is stored in your bloodstream, a blood test cannot determine if your levels are low. Since magnesium levels are difficult to measure, if you have a deficiency the symptoms may be your only indication. They can include:

Agitation	Sleep disturbance	Irritability
Fatigue	Nausea and vomiting	Abnormal heart rhythms
Low blood pressure	Confusion	Muscle spasm and weakness
Poor nail growth	Seizures	Hyperventilation

What are the Best Dietary Sources of Magnesium?

Green leafy vegetables, including spinach and Swiss chard, are among the best, but you can also find magnesium in:

• Pumpkin and sunflower seeds
• Green beans
• Navy, pinto, lima and kidney beans
• Cashews and almonds
• Seaweed
• Whole grains
• Bananas
• Baked potatoes (with the skin)
• Chocolate and cocoa powder

Keep in mind, however, that only 30 percent to 40 percent of the magnesium you consume via your diet will be absorbed by your body. This is partly why it can be difficult to get enough magnesium from your diet alone, especially as you get older and your body has more difficulty absorbing this mineral.

If you decide to take a magnesium supplement, certain forms, such as magnesium glycinate or magnesium citrate, have been shown to be more bioavailable and easier to absorb. Taking magnesium along with vitamin D and calcium can also enhance the absorption of calcium, magnesium and other minerals. And, since magnesium may help support sound sleep, it is best taken in the evening. You can further help your body absorb magnesium from supplements by:

• Taking two or more divided doses throughout the day
• Taking it with meals containing carbohydrates
• Ensuring you have adequate intake of vitamins D3 and B6 (your level of vitamin B6 determines how much magnesium will be absorbed into your cells)

As for how much you need, the recommended daily intakes are as follows:

• Men 19-30 years of age: 400 mg daily
• Women 19-30 years of age: 310 mg daily
• Men 31 years of age and over: 420 mg daily
• Women 31 years of age and over: 320 mg daily

Remember, one of the best ways to ensure you’re getting the magnesium you need is to eat a varied, healthy diet full of whole foods like green leafy vegetables, nuts, seeds and whole grains. If you think your diet is lacking, a high-quality magnesium supplement may be necessary to fill in the gap.

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