Magnesium and our body

Magnesium is a cofactor for over 300 enzymatic processes in the body. Magnesium is needed for many bodily processes such as muscle and nerve function, making protein, bone heath, hormone balance, thyroid health, balancing blood sugar levels and blood pressure. Magnesium is a nutrient that the body needs to stay healthy overall and it can easily be depleted if we are not actively ensuring that we are getting the right amounts.

Symptoms of Magnesium deficiency

Some of the symptoms associated with magnesium deficiency includes:

Anxiety

Depression

Constipation

Fatigue

Migraines

Fibromyalgia

Hypertension

Heart arrhythmia

Insulin resistance

Restless leg syndrome

Muscular cramps and twitches

Low intake is linked to type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, osteoporosis, heart disease, asthma, colon cancer.

For those who suffer from autoimmune issues and oestrogen dominance, magnesium is especially important due to its ability to help flush excess oestrogen from the body and keep symptoms at bay.

Current causes of Magnesium deficiency

Magnesium is a common nutrient deficiency faced by many and there are a number of different causes. The general cause can be attributed to poor diet and unhealthy food choices. Sugar and caffeine can quickly deplete magnesium levels and these are frequently consumed in the regular diet. However there is another cause which can be easily overlooked which is poor quality soil that produce. Depleted soil conditions cause plants (and animals that are fed from those plants) to be lower in magnesium making it harder for people to ensure they are getting their RDI through their diet alone. Gastrointestinal issues and reduced digestive function can contribute to magnesium not being adequately absorbed into the body resulting in a deficiency.

Depletion of magnesium can also be caused due to emotional stress as well as physical from over exercising or not getting enough sleep.

Finally, certain chemicals that we are frequently exposed to can deplete us of magnesium. Chemicals such as fluoride from toothpaste and tap water and chlorine from swimming pools. Cigarette smoke and toxic mould exposure also quickly zap your body's magnesium levels.

What you can do to increase your intake

Actively increasing your consumption of magnesium rich foods is a healthy way to address deficiency. Most green vegetables, legumes, peas, beans and nuts are rich in magnesium, as are prawns, oysters and salmon. It could be as simple as adding spinach to your morning smoothie and snacking on some almonds during the day and having wild caught salmon for dinner. A good winter option could be to add okra to soups, stews or kitchari dishes.

Supplementation with magnesium can be very helpful for many people to maintain health and to assist with managing health conditions such as Hashimoto's disease. For those who are following an autoimmune protocol where nuts, beans and legumes are off the menu, drinking magnesium powder can be a great substitute. Magnesium powders can be taken any time of the day but they are great for settling digestive discomfort, relaxing muscles and aid in better sleep quality.

RDI varies between male and females and differs between age brackets.

For adult women 320mg per day and the requirement increases during pregnancy

For adult men the RDI is 430mg per day.

Magnesium bath with epsom salts may be a great way to increase your intake of this nutrient whilst relaxing. De-stressing can reduce the rate of magnesium depletion in the body.

Sources:

Australian Government, National Health and Medical Research Council, Nutrient Reference Values, accessed at: https://www.nrv.gov.au/nutrients/magnesium, Last updated 9/04/2014

Wacker WE, Parisi AF. Magnesium metabolism. N Engl J Med 1968;45:658-63