13 Wonderful Health Benefits of Magnesium

Health benefits of magnesium include the maintenance of bodily nerves, muscles, and bones. It also helps in protein synthesis and cellular metabolism. It is vital for sustaining a normal heartbeat and is used by doctors to treat irregularities in heart rhythm.

Other health benefits include a positive impact on reducing osteoporosis, eclamptic seizures, and maintenance of sugar level, as well as its favorable effects on asthma, diabetes, constipation, back pain and various psychiatric disorders.

What Is The Importance Of Magnesium?

Medical and health specialists often highlight the importance of including adequate vitamin and mineral intake to our daily diet. Magnesium is one of those essential minerals that aid the human body in absorbing calcium and plays an important role in the formation and strengthening of teeth and bones.

Magnesium is extremely important for your health because it is needed for more than 300 biochemical reactions in the body. It is fourth most prevalent mineral in the body and is partially responsible for countless aspects good, sound health. Roughly 50% of our body’s total magnesium is stored in our bones, while the remaining part is predominantly found in the cells of body tissues and organs. Only 1% of it is available in the blood, although the human body is very good at regulating a constant level of magnesium in the blood.

Sources of Magnesium

Natural sources of magnesium include sea vegetables, leafy vegetables such as spinach, and whole grains that are usually major components of a person’s regular diet. Some other vegetables that can be classified as rich magnesium sources include tomatoes, beet greens, broad beans, lima beans, artichokes, sweet potatoes, buckwheat flour, pumpkin seeds, peanuts, wheat flour, oat bran, barley, cornmeal, and chocolate. Also, you can consume dairy products such as yogurt, as well as non-vegetarian products like fish. Whole wheat bread containing bran and germ has twice the magnesium content compared to white bread. Water also has a high magnesium content; hard water has more magnesium than soft water, although hard water is not good for the body, especially the kidneys.

Symptoms of Magnesium Deficiency

The deficiency symptoms of magnesium include pain in the neck and back, anxiety, fatigue, migraine attacks, muscle weakness and spasms, loss of appetite, vomiting, nausea, insomnia, abnormal heart rhythms, diarrhea, muscle twitching and Raynaud’s spastic vessels.

When you are under stress, your body tends to quickly deplete its stores of magnesium. One very common symptom of its deficiency is chocolate cravings since chocolate is rich in this essential mineral. Its deficiency can be a major cause of diabetes, depression, and menopausal symptoms.

Health Benefits of Magnesium

Magnesium is needed to keep muscle and nerve functions normal and to keep the heart beating rhythmically. It also helps to support a healthy immune system and keeps bones strong. It is important in terms of regulating blood sugar levels, thereby promoting normal blood pressure. It also supports energy metabolism and protein synthesis. It has a positive effect on the treatment of disorders such as cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and diabetes. Dietary magnesium is absorbed in the small intestines and is excreted through the kidneys.

Prevents Asthma

Patients that suffer from chronic asthma may be able to normalize their breathing with the help of magnesium supplements that aid in relaxing the bronchial muscles and regulating breathing. Even wheezing and breathlessness can be relieved through the administration of intravenous magnesium.

Keeps Bones Healthy

Magnesium is directly related to bone density, and subsequently, an inadequacy of this mineral in the body can be a cause of osteoporosis. It helps in the regulation of calcium levels in the body, along with vitamin D, copper, and zinc. It, along with calcium and Vitamin D, should be taken throughout the developmental years and adulthood, since it eliminates the chances of developing osteoporosis when you get older.

Prevents Eclamptic Seizures

Magnesium is one of the vital elements to ensure a healthy pregnancy. Proper intake of its supplements during pregnancy is extremely beneficial for reducing the risk of osteoporosis and increasing the pain tolerance level, thereby resulting in a smooth delivery process and an optimization of blood pressure. Magnesium sulfate is the best treatment for preventing eclamptic seizures in expectant mothers who may have hypertension.

Relieves Back pain & Cramps

Magnesium helps to treat people with severe backaches by relaxing back muscles, kidney stress, and muscular tension. As mentioned earlier, it also helps in the body’s absorption of calcium, which may lead to faster healing of the bones. Symptoms of cramps in the legs, as well as general fatigue, are traditional symptoms of its deficiency. Therefore, proper intake of its supplements acts as a cure for chronic leg cramp problems.

Prevents Heart Attack

Magnesium protects the heart from irregular heartbeats and tenderly shields your heart from damage, particularly from muscle stress. It actually calms the nerves and mediates digestive processes and prevents problems like vomiting, cramps, indigestion, abdominal pain, flatulence, and constipation, all of which can put undue stress on various parts of your cardiovascular system. And its deficiency can result in heart disease, often leading to fatal results.

Prevents Constipation

Magnesium provides quick relief from constipation, and a high dose of water-soluble magnesium supplements is known to bring sound relief for even the most severe constipated state. The laxative property of this vitamin relaxes the intestinal muscles, thereby helping to establish a smoother rhythm while passing bowels. It also has another property of attracting water, which in turn softens the stool and helps it to pass easily.

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Diabetes Control

The health benefits of magnesium extend to diabetic patients also, as this mineral helps to regulate the insulin reaction to blood sugar levels. Its supplements are vital for all diabetic patients as many of them suffer from magnesium deficiency. It aids in regulating blood sugar status, thus promoting normal blood pressure. Hypertension is one of the major reasons for an impending heart attack, and it has been found that many people with high blood pressure also have a magnesium deficiency. Therefore, extra nutrients and mineral supplements with magnesium content are vital in order to avoid any medical complications.

Treats Psychiatric Disorders

Magnesium is known to cure some of the psychiatric dysfunctions such as panic attacks, stress, anxiety, and undue agitation.

Relieves Migraines

Migraine attacks badly affect many Americans, especially, females. Magnesium supplements and liquids considerably reduce the severity of such attacks and may also help in reducing the rate of recurrence.

Produces Collagen

Magnesium is important for producing proteins that are slowly transformed into collagen. Collagens are naturally occurring proteins mostly found in fibrous tissues like tendons, ligaments and the skin. It is also present in the cornea, bones, the gut, cartilage, blood vessels, and intervertebral discs. The more collagen in the system, the stronger those areas of the body will become.

Promotes Mineral Absorption

Magnesium helps to absorb vital vitamins and minerals like sodium, calcium, potassium, and phosphorus. Mineral absorption usually occurs within the small intestine and this benefit of magnesium ensures the detoxification of many harmful toxins in our body.

Boosts Energy Production

Magnesium also helps to boost the energy production in the body and it promotes the activation of enzymes to create cellular energy.

Controls Bladder Functions

Many people who have blabber problems and suffer from the frequent urge to urinate may find relief by taking magnesium supplements. Urination problems can come from a variety of reasons such as nephritis, infections, or sometimes interstitial cystitis; however, regular intake can bring great relief to these ailments.

Dosage and Side Effects

The importance of magnesium is still not widespread or “common knowledge”, so many people ignore the importance of its consumption in their diet. At Healing4Soul we recommend 350 mg twice daily for adults and ½ of the dosages for children

The side effects of magnesium are very rare, but it is important to cover them. Excess intake often leads to diarrhea, because it has a laxative quality. However, if you take it in the form of nutritional supplements, there are fewer chances of such side effects.

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