The mineral magnesium is really important for your body to function properly. In fact, every cell in your body contains magnesium and needs it to function.
Magnesium is needed for more than 300 bodily processes. Magnesium is responsible for energy creation, protein formation, repairing and creating DNA and RNA cells, muscle contractions, and regulating neurotransmitters.
Benefits of Magnesium
There are so many benefits Magnesium has to offer. Here are a few:
1. Anti-inflammatory
Inflammation is known as the heart of all diseases. When paired with Vitamin D, magnesium decreases the number of inflammatory proteins and increases anti-inflammatory proteins in the body. C-reactive protein is a molecule produced by your liver when there is too much inflammation in your body. If you supplement with magnesium, it can help to lower c-reactive protein, thereby reducing inflammation.
2. Fights Insomnia
Magnesium plays a key role in the regulation of sleep. Studies have found that magnesium helps promotes muscle relaxation and reduce tension and anxiety- all of which can keep you up at night. Furthermore, studies have found that magnesium helps you fall asleep faster, increases your sleep efficiency, feel refreshed when you wake up in the morning, increases concentrations of melatonin, and decreases the stress hormone cortisol.
3. Promote Bone Health
Magnesium plays a critical role in bone formation and maintaining bone density. This becomes particularly important the older you get. Magnesium is stored in bones as reserves. Magnesium regulates calcium and Vitamin D levels which are vital nutrients for healthier, stronger bones. Magnesium aids in getting back the calcium ingested into the bones which improve bone density and reduces your risk of developing osteoporosis.
4. Reduces Anxiety
Magnesium has amazing calming qualities. There is evidence supporting that magnesium helps decrease many symptoms tied to stress, anxiety, and depression. Magnesium affects a part of your brain called the hypothalamus, which helps regulate the pituitary and adrenal glands. These glands are responsible for your stress responses. Adding in a magnesium supplement if you struggle with anxiety will be beneficial because of its ability to boost brain function and decrease cortisol levels in the body.
5. Decrease PMS Symptoms
Fatigue, cramps, and headache are all part of the PMS package. Studies have shown that taking magnesium supplements you can reduce the severity of PMS symptoms. How does magnesium help with these? Well, firstly it works on serotonin reuptake inhibitors, which improve your mood. Secondly, it aids in reducing cramps as it blocks prostaglandins which cause abdominal pain during PMS. Lastly, it helps to maintain healthy levels of oestrogen which will help keep your hormones more balanced during this time. And it is generally these out-of-balance hormones that give a majority of those nasty PMS symptoms.
Magnesium Deficiency
Did you know that increased stress levels decrease your magnesium levels? Being deficient in magnesium can be dangerous. Here are a few symptoms to watch out for:
- Muscle cramps and spasms
- Loss of appetite
- Constipation
- Insomnia
- Irregular heartbeat
- Poor cognitive processing
- Mood swings
- Frequent migraines
Munch the Magnesium
With such stress-filled lives, it is vital to ensure we are getting in enough magnesium. Here are good sources of magnesium:
- Pumpkin seeds
- Chia seeds
- Spinach
- Almonds
- Cashews
- Black beans
- Brown rice
- Salmon
- Avocado
These magnesium-rich foods would make a fantastic homemade trail mix and can help you fight disease. However, getting magnesium via your food may not be enough. Consider taking a magnesium supplement or an electrolyte drink (such as ReVitalise) to ensure you are getting the daily recommended amount of magnesium.
To Sum Up
Magnesium is such an important mineral as it is essential for maintaining good health. From brain health to bone health, magnesium cannot be ignored.
Ensure to enjoy magnesium-rich foods in your diet. If you feel this is not enough, you can supplement using a multivitamin or an electrolyte drink (such as ReVitalise) as magnesium works best with other important minerals.
