10 Scientifically Backed Health Benefits of Magnesium

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Reasons Why You Need Magnesium

Magnesium is one of the most overflowing and common minerals you have in your body. It plays several essential roles in your body and brain. The only bad side to it is that you cannot get enough of it through foods, even if you adopt a healthy diet. Eating healthy and well does not guarantee your meeting up with the daily required amount of magnesium in your body. This is why magnesium supplements are advised to help complement your magnesium diet.

In addition to this, it is very important to note that excess magnesium could lead to certain health conditions. This is why it is important not to stick to your magnesium diet and supplement for so long, as prolonged and excessive usage could spell harm for you. When you hit the required daily consumption amount, stop taking it.

The following are health benefits of magnesium that have scientific backings;

The Engineer of Biochemical Reactions in Your Body is Magnesium

Magnesium is a mineral that can be found in different places – earth, plant, seas, humans, and animals. Your body consists of tiny magnesium compounds. According to research, about 60% of the magnesium in your body can be found in your bone, while the remaining percentage can be found in your body tissues and fluids. Every cell of your body consists of magnesium and needs it to properly function. One of magnesium’s major roles is assisting and contributing to the body’s biochemical reactions carried out by enzymes. In fact, studies show that magnesium is involved in about 600 reactions in the human body, some of which include;

  • Energy creation; helps with the conversion of food to energy
  • Protein formation; helps with the creation of amino acids from protein
  • Muscle movement; ensures the relaxation and contraction of muscles
  • Gene maintenance; is known to contribute to the creation and repair of genes
  • Nervous system regulation; it sees to the regulation of the neurotransmitter in your body that ensures that messages are properly sent to your brain and throughout your nervous system.

Unfortunately, studies found that almost half of the world’s population gets less than the required daily amount of the mineral.

May Improve Physical Exercise Performance

Magnesium plays an essential role in the performance of performance. Studies have shown that about 10 to 20 more magnesium is needed during exercise, compared to when you are just resting. With enough magnesium in your body, blood sugar is successfully moved into your muscles, and lactate is disposed of in the process. Lactate is a compound that induces fatigue during physical exercises. Magnesium helps supply sugar to your muscles and tissues to ensure smooth and enjoyable exercise while eliminating lactate that induces fatigue during physical activities. Consuming magnesium supplements would not only boost the exercise performance of athletes but also strengthen elderly people who are suffering from chronic diseases.

Athletes who took magnesium supplements experienced faster cycling, running, swimming performances. They also recorded a reduction in stress hormones level as well as insulin.

Combats Depression

Magnesium makes a great impact on mood and the brain in general, which leads to the reduction of depression risks. People who consumed less magnesium were discovered to have about a 22% risk of falling into depression. Experts and Dieticians believe that people with a low magnesium diet may experience depression and mental illness cases. Supplementing your magnesium meals with magnesium supplements can help reduce your depression risks and symptoms and can help improve your condition if you are already suffering from it. In other words, there is a link between magnesium deficiency and depression. According to research, 450mg of daily magnesium supplement consumption has the same effect as anti-depressant drugs.

Improves Type-2 Diabetes

Magnesium is also beneficial for people who are suffering from type 2 diabetes. Studies have recently shown that about 40% of people with type 2 diabetes have low magnesium contents in their bodies. Magnesium deficiency can impair the body’s insulin and its ability to regulate blood sugar. In addition, research pointed out that people with low blood magnesium could have a high risk of developing type 2 diabetes. People with type 2 diabetes who consumed magnesium supplements daily reported improvements in blood sugar levels. However, this may depend on the amount of magnesium you consume.

Tackles Blood Pressure

Studies indicate that there is a link between magnesium and blood pressure. The research found that taking magnesium can lower blood pressure. People who consumed about 400mg of magnesium supplements daily experienced a decrease in their diastolic and systolic blood pressure. This benefit of magnesium can only be significant in people who have high blood pressure. Other studies found that magnesium reduced the blood pressure levels of people with high blood pressure, and no visible effect was discovered in people who had normal blood pressure levels.

Contains Anti-inflammatory Properties

One of the major causes of prolonged inflammation is low magnesium intake. Chronic inflammation, on the other hand, is a trigger for obesity, chronic diseases, and early aging. Most people who have high inflammatory markers today have low magnesium contents in their blood. Low magnesium asides this also comes with higher blood sugar, higher triglycerides level, and higher insulin levels. Magnesium supplement usage can reduce inflammation in older adults, people who are prediabetic, and those who are overweight. In addition, foods that are high in magnesium, like dark chocolates and fatty fishes, can help reduce inflammation.

Prevents Migraine

A migraine is a kind of headache that is usually about 80 degrees higher than your usual headache. It is extremely debilitating and painful. It comes with nausea, sensitivity to light and sound. It is a kind of headache you would not want to experience.

Experts believe that almost half of people who suffer from migration are magnesium deficient. In other few kinds of research, magnesium can help with the relief and treatment of migraines to some extent. In fact, 1 gram of magnesium supplement can help relieve chronic migraines faster than certain migraine medications.

Insulin Resistance Reduction

One of the world’s leading causes of metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes is insulin resistance. When insulin becomes resistant, there is an impaired ability to absorb sugar into the liver cells from the bloodstream properly. Increasing magnesium intake can help combat and eliminate insulin resistance. Studies showed that magnesium helps reduce insulin resistance and high blood sugar levels, even in people who have normal blood sugar levels.

Improves Premenstrual Syndrome

Women of childbearing age face premenstrual syndrome, among other common disorders associated with this age. Some of the symptoms of the premenstrual syndrome include menstrual cramps, irritability, tiredness, and water retention. Magnesium has been found to reduce water retention, improve mood, and other symptoms of premenstrual syndrome in women who are of childbearing age.

Safe and Available

cashew nutsMagnesium is an imperative nutrient for good health. The required daily intake of magnesium supplements is between 400 and 430 mg daily for men and 310 and 330 mg daily for women.

  • Magnesium can be gotten from food sources, as well as supplements. Some of the food origins of magnesium include;
  • Black beans; 172 grams of black beans holds about 30% of magnesium
  • Boiled swiss chard; 175% of boiled swiss chard contains 38% magnesium
  • Boiled spinach; in 180 grams of boiled spinach, about 39% magnesium can be found
  • Halibut; 100 grams of halibut contains 27% of magnesium
  • Pumpkin seeds; quarter cup, that is, 16 grams of boiled pumpkin seeds contain 46% magnesium
  • Almonds; 24 grams of almond contains about 25% magnesium
  • Mackerel; 100 grams of mackerel contains 19% magnesium
  • Salmon; 9% magnesium can be found in 100 grams of salmon
  • Avocados; 200 grams of avocados contain about 15% magnesium
  • Cashews; quarter cup, that is, 30 grams of cashews contain 25% magnesium
  • Identify which magnesium food sources go well with you, incorporate them into your diet, and complement your diet with magnesium supplements.

Magnesium Supplements

It is rather significant to check with your doctor first if you have certain underlying health conditions before embarking on any magnesium diet or supplement. Though magnesium diets and supplements may be safe, they could be harmful to people who use some diuretics, antibiotics, and heart medications. Magnesium supplements that get absorbed easily include; glycinate, citrate, carbonate, and orotate.

In conclusion, one of the important ways of maintaining good health is by getting enough magnesium. Eat a lot of magnesium-rich foods, but if you have aversions to magnesium-rich foods, try out magnesium supplements. Without enough magnesium content in the body, the body will not function properly.