What’s so important about Magnesium?

Magnesium is a nutrient or mineral needed by the body to:

• Regulate muscle and nerve function
• Regulate blood pressure
• Regulate blood sugar levels
• Role in making protein and DNA
• Assisting the parathyroid glands to produce hormones necessary for bone health
• Helping us to convert energy from our food
• Helping to regulate neurotransmitters our brain and nervous system

It is thought that many of us are not getting enough Magnesium in our diets. Men (ages 19 – 64 years) require around 3050mg per day, and women (19-64) need about 300mg per day.

Magnesium deficiency over time can cause the following symptoms:-

• Appetite loss
• Nausea and/or vomiting
• Weakness and/or fatigue

More extreme magnesium deficiency can cause numbness, tingling, cramps, seizures, changes in heart rhythm and personality 

Below is a list (in no particular order) of the main foods that contain Magnesium:-

• Green leafy vegetables (e.g. spinach)
• Wholegrain bread
• Fish –  especially halibut, mackerel and salmon
• Brown rice
• Meat
• Nuts – especially almonds and cashews
• Fortified cereals
• Milk and yogurt
• Dark chocolate (70-85% cocoa)

If for any reasons you don’t or can’t eat many of these foods it might be worth supplementing with a good quality Magnesium tablet. 

PLEASE NOTE:   If you are on any medications, check with your Doctor or Pharmacist before your start taking a magnesium supplement as it can interfere with the actions of some medications.  It may be a case of taking the supplement at a different time of day to your prescribed tablets or to avoid completely.

DO NOT take doses of over 400mg per day as this can lead to diarrhea, nausea and abdominal cramps. Excessively high doses can cause heart attacks. 

Sources used in the production of this article:

https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vitamins-and-minerals/others/

https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Magnesium-Consumer/

https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-proven-magnesium-benefits#section11