The Importance of Magnesium
It is very important to include Magnesium in our diet.
Deficiencies of magnesium can be dangerous. However, Magnesium is a mineral that not many of us give any thought to. It is important to know all of the vitamins and minerals we need to get. We should all be eating a healthy and balanced diet.
Magnesium is used by all the cells in your body. It is used to keep bones strong, helps maintain nerve and muscle functioning, and keeps the heart rhythmic and steady. You can see why a deficiency of this mineral can be dangerous.
Magnesium is found in green leafy vegetables, nuts, seed, and some whole grains.
While your body only needs a small amount of magnesium there is also only a small amount found in most of the foods listed above. This is why it is imperative to eat a balanced diet full of healthy and nutritious foods.
Magnesium deficiency is fairly uncommon but symptoms include disorientation, confusion, depression, abnormal heart beat, loss of appetite, cramps, numbness, and seizures. Magnesium is often depleted though the urine and over-consumption of alcohol has been linked to magnesium deficiencies.
The best way to find out the recommended daily amount of magnesium is to consult with your doctor or nutritionist.
In addition, you can find many books and websites that can help you determine your daily needs for magnesium consumption. This number is quite different for men, women, different age groups, pregnant women, and lactating women.
It's important to how much magnesium you should be taking, and how much is in certain foods, so as to prevent any deficiencies.
If you do not think you are getting enough magnesium in your diet consider taking a supplement. You can take magnesium supplements or multi vitamins. If you are not getting enough magnesium you probably are not getting enough of other vitamins and minerals as well. The best source for all vitamins and minerals is fresh and healthy foods, but the next best thing is a multi vitamin.
If you find yourself relying solely on multi vitamins for your dietary needs, perhaps you should consider making some changes in your eating habits. There are some conditions that may require you to take a magnesium supplement. One example is if you have chronic malabsorption of magnesium, you may need to take a supplement to guarantee that you have enough magnesium in your diet.
Some studies have shown that high blood pressure or hypertension can be lowered by magnesium. Whether or not this is true it cannot hurt to increase the number of vegetables and fruits you eat each day. Metabolic changes that may cause heart attacks or strokes have been linked to Magnesium deficiencies. As you can see, magnesium is a very important mineral to have in your diet.
Be wary of taking too many supplements, laxatives, and antacids. There is the danger of too much magnesium. There is little risk of any overdose if you are getting magnesium through your diet. However if you take too many supplements there is the danger of magnesium toxicity. The symptoms of too much magnesium are very similar to those of magnesium deficiencies.
Make sure you are getting the proper amounts of fruits and vegetables each day, as magnesium is a very important mineral. You probably never need to worry about a magnesium deficiency if you eat a balanced diet.
