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We all know that minerals are generally very important for our health. Medical experts say that a lack of vitamins and minerals can cause various dangerous health problems.
Did you know that there are up to 30 grams of magnesium in the human body, which is mostly concentrated in the teeth and bones? In smaller concentrations it is also found in the brain, the heart, and directly in the blood. You should also know that every single cell in the body needs magnesium to function properly.
This wonderfully healthy mineral participates in over 300 different metabolic functions in the body. According to recent statistics up to half of the population is deficient in it. The main reason for magnesium depletion is the modern way of life, in which our bodies are under constant physical and mental stress.
This causes it to be used up much faster than under normal circumstances. Magnesium intake should be in the range of 500 to 1000 mg per day.
Symptoms of magnesium deficiency
Health experts warn that magnesium deficiency manifests with the following early symptoms:
- bone thinning
- fatigue
- insomnia
- facial nerve twitching
- muscle cramps in the legs
- anxiety
- irritability
- migraines
- depression
- heart arrhythmias
In the case of long-term magnesium deficiency, there is a risk of severe muscle cramps, chronic fatigue, muscle weakness, high blood pressure, type 2 diabetes, swallowing problems, osteoporosis, or even abnormal heart rhythm and memory lapses.
If you want to increase your daily magnesium intake, you should start consuming foods with a high content of it. Foods high in magnesium are:
- whole grain foods
- fish
- leafy vegetables (spinach, lettuce, cabbage)
- legumes
- dark chocolate
- nuts
- avocado
- various types of seeds (flax, millet, sunflower, chia, pumpkin).
It is appropriate to also take dietary supplements containing magnesium.
Let’s dwell a little on supplements, because magnesium can occur in several forms – glycine, taurine, orotate and malate.
These are organic and chelated forms (bound to 2 amino acids or to an organic acid), which are absorbed more easily than inorganic forms (the mineral bound to carbonates, oxides, chlorides, hydroxides or sulfates).
This form of magnesium has the following effects:
- controls irritability, anxiety, insomnia and hysteria
- reduces stiffness
- suppresses depression
- acts as a laxative
- helps with long-term magnesium deficiencies
- calms and relaxes the body
This form is recommended in these cases:
- to improve athletic performance
- to improve heart function
Take malate when you want to:
- help the body treat fibromyalgia
- eliminate muscle fatigue
- relieve menstrual problems and headaches
- improve digestion
- increase energy
And finally, the taurine form provides the following:
- improves heart function
- prevents migraines
- reduces heart arrhythmia
It is good if magnesium supplements also contain vitamin B6, because this vitamin improves its absorption. The very best are supplements that also contain several different chelate forms. They can thus simultaneously cover improvements in brain, heart and muscle functions.