The ‘Miracle Mineral’ that Is Magnesium
Magnesium. The “Miracle Mineral.” The “Spark of Life.” It is absolutely essential for nearly 300 biochemical reactions that take place within our bodies, known for playing a critical role in both bone and heart health. But, for some reason, magnesium is often overlooked. It is estimated that more than 80% of the US population is deficient in this key nutrient, leading to all manner of health issues from the mild to the catastrophic.
What Does Magnesium Do?
- Relaxes your nerves and muscles
- Builds and strengthens bones
- Keeps your blood circulating smoothly
- Helps us sleep, deal with stress and protect our mental health from depression and emotional instability
- Critical for endurance in athletes
What Are Symptoms of a Deficiency?
- Muscle weakness, tremors or spasms
- Heart arrhythmia, irregular contractions or increased heart rate
- Softening and weakening of your bones
- Imbalanced blood sugar levels
- Headaches
- Elevated blood pressure
What’s a Magnesium-Deficient to Do?
Ideally, our diets would be sufficient in keeping our bodies loaded with the proper amount of magnesium. However, owing to our tendency towards processed foods, the overcooking of foods and common digestive problems, absorbing enough magnesium through diet alone can become difficult. Here are some of the foods that can help you do it, though:
Excellent sources: Swiss chard, spinach
Very good sources:Mustard greens, summer squash, broccoli, blackstrap molasses, halibut, turnip greens, pumpkin seeds, peppermint
Good sources:Cucumber, green beans, celery, kale and a variety of seeds, including sunflower seeds, sesame seeds, flax seeds
Otherwise, you have the option of taking an oral magnesium supplement. But, we’d reccomend something else, especially if you’ve had digestive difficulties with a magnesium supplement (which can be quite common). Magnesium Oil! This oil is absorbed through the skin and travels straight into the body to start doing its job. Of course, it’s absolutely vital that you choose a quality magnesium oil. Many products labeled as “magnesium oil” are simply Magnesium Chloride, offering little benefit and can even contain heavy metals. So, do your homework, and get your magnesium on!
image: Clearly Ambiguous
