Benefits of Magnesium

Facts on the benefits of magnesium and foods high in magnesium.

Magnesium is an abundant elemental mineral that is essential to many biological systems on earth. Of the many magnesium benefits is that it can help the body absorb calcium. In every cell type and in every organism, magnesium is essential as a mineral nutrient. The mineral is the main source of energy in cells and plays a major role in DNA and RNA.

Magnesium is needed to maintain proper cell function in living organisms. In single-celled organisms, such as bacteria or yeast, a decreased level of magnesium results in declined growth rates.

In the United States, over 60 percent of the population does not meet the levels of magnesium, set by the United States RDA, required for the body to function properly.

Deficiencies of magnesium are thought to be rare, but with so many people not getting the magnesium benefits that they need, it can become a problem in the future. If you are not getting the benefits of magnesium, you can suffer from the following symptoms such as muscle weakness, tiredness, insomnia, high blood pressure, and hyper excitability. Magnesium deficiency over an extended period of time may lead to heart failure.

There are many different treatments for magnesium deficiency. To gain back all of the benefits of magnesium you have lost, your doctor will suggest you use milk of magnesia, Epson salts or magnesium sulfate and citrate supplements. For severe magnesium deficiencies, you will have to be treated with a magnesium sulfate solution intravenously.

These treatments are really effective, but probably the best way to get magnesium benefits is to eat foods that are rich in magnesium.

Chlorophyll molecules contain magnesium, so a great source of magnesium would be green vegetables such as spinach. Other great sources where you can get the benefits of magnesium include fruits, cashew nuts and almonds, whole grains, and seeds. Processed foods including white bread are never a good source for magnesium.

Even though foods contain magnesium, it is usually a small amount. So, just eating one serving of a magnesium food source a day will not give you the magnesium benefits that you need for your body to function correctly. To get the daily intake of magnesium that you should get per day, fill your meals throughout the day with a variety of fruits, green vegetables, seeds, and whole grains or take magnesium supplements.

"Hard" water is another source of magnesium, since it usually contains iron, which "soft" water does not have. But, the different types of water people drink are not assessed in dietary surveys, which can lead to a false understanding about the total amount of magnesium intake.

Although there are many magnesium benefits, if it is overly present within the body it can cause many problems. Having too much magnesium in your body can make it harder for your body to absorb calcium which can lead to bone and tooth problems such as osteoporosis.

Magnesium is needed by living organism on Earth to function properly and survive, including plants, animals, and single-celled organisms. There are many benefits of magnesium and you should take advantage of. So, make sure that you are getting the levels of daily magnesium that you need to live a healthy life.

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