The Body’s Demand for Magnesium
Magnesium is an essential mineral used in over 300 biochemical processes in your body. Magnesium can improve your vitality and wellbeing, help you function well in times of stress and support healthy moods. It also relaxes your muscles and plays a key role in energy production. This important mineral also helps your heart by supporting healthy blood pressure and blood sugar levels, as well as maintaining a steady heartbeat.
Demands of Modern Lifestyles
The reality is that many Australians are magnesium deficient. Common conditions such as stress, cardiovascular disease and diabetes increase the body’s demand for magnesium. This increased requirement is often not met due to our reduced dietary intake of magnesium rich foods. Hundreds of years ago, our foods were naturally rich in magnesium and deficiency in this mineral was rare. However, with our modern day lifestyles increasing the need for food processing and the refinement of grains, these once magnesium abundant foods are now containing significantly less magnesium. For example, the refined wheat flour often eaten today contains only 16% of the magnesium found in whole wheat grain.
Minimise consumption of refined and processed foods,
sugar, tea, coffee, carbonated drinks and alcohol, as they all
deplete your magnesium stores.
Need a Magnesium Boost?
A surprising number of people have low magnesium levels and early detection may assist in the prevention and improved management of certain health conditions. Magnesium deficiency may be associated with:
• Chronic fatigue.
• High blood pressure.• Stress, anxiety, and nervousness.
• Insomnia.
• Muscle tension, cramping and spasms.
• Tension headaches and migraines.
• Tiredness, lethargy and fatigue
• Premenstrual syndrome (PMS).
• Diabetes.
• Asthma.
• Fibromyalgia.
Stop the Vicious Stress Cycle
In the 21st century we are all too familiar with stress, be it related to work, relationships, finances or traffic jams. Many of us are stressed on a daily basis which means our body’s demand for magnesium is increased. Stress hormones are increasingly released when magnesium levels are low. When you are stressed, your body excretes more magnesium, at a time when you need it the most. This may lead you to feel uptight, anxious and even more stressed, thus perpetuating the cycle of ongoing stress and magnesium depletion. Magnesium combined with specific B vitamins can help rapidly reduce these negative effects of stress and help break the stress cycle.
The Heart Loves Magnesium
Magnesium can be of great benefit in supporting cardiovascular health. Low magnesium levels can place stress on the cardiovascular system, leading to hypertension and arrhythmia’s. Magnesium supplementation has been shown to decrease both systolic and diastolic blood pressure and support healthy heart function.
Cramps and Restless Legs
Muscular cramps and tension are commonly associated with magnesium deficiency. Magnesium has long being recognised for its important therapeutic applications in enhancing muscle relaxation and relieving spasms.
Munch on Magnesium Foods
Magnesium is found in a wide range of foods. Include the following fresh, nutrient-rich foods in your diet each day:
- Green leafy vegetables; spinach, kale and silver beet.
- Nuts and seeds; raw almonds, cashews, brazil nuts, pumpkin seeds and sunflower seeds.
- Whole grains; rye, quinoa, oats, wheat and buckwheat.
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