One cannot understate the importance of magnesium in the body. It is the fourth most concentrated mineral in our bodies, and plays a vital role to keep our mind and bones healthy.
Ideally, we should be getting it from our diets, but you can supplement magnesium with a slow release supplement or through a tropical stray, or you could get your daily dose by swimming in the ocean.
No matter how you get your magnesium in, it is important that you do. This article will tell you why you should be by looking at the benefits of this mineral.
1 You need magnesium as it is involved in biochemical reactions within our bodies
Magnesium is found within each cell of your body, with around 60% in your bones. The rest of this mineral is in your muscles, fluids, blood and soft tissue. But magnesium is not only to be found in humans, it is also in the soil, plants, ocean and other animals.
Shockingly, 50% of Americans and Europeans get less than the recommended dose of magnesium per day.
Our bodies need magnesium to function correctly. This as this mineral has the function to act as a helper molecule in the more than 600 biochemical reactions constantly executed by enzymes. Some of these reactions include:
- Magnesium aid the process of converting food into energy
- Magnesium helps in in the process of protein formation by creating proteins from amino acids
- Magnesium helps in creating and repairing of RNA and DNA
- Magnesium aids muscle movements by being part of the contraction and relaxation of muscles
- Magnesium also helps regulate the nervous system by regulating neurotransmitters, which have the function of sending messages from between the brain and nervous system.
2 Magnesium can help boost your exercise performance
To aid the body from recovery after exercise, our bodies needs around 10 to 20 percent more magnesium than normal. What magnesium does during this time is to aid in the movement of blood sugar into your muscles to deal with the lactic acid that can build up in the muscles during exercise, and that can cause pain. More so, some studies has found that if athletes take 250 mg of magnesium per day, they could improve their performance. Moreover, those athletes will have lower stress and insulin hormone levels.
3 Magnesium helps with depression
Research studies have found a link between magnesium and improved mood and brain function, but also avoid depression. In fact, low levels of magnesium was found to lead to depression.
As the food produced today are lower in magnesium than in the past, there is a need to supplement of diet with alternative source of this mineral, from either supplement or swimming in the ocean. Whichever way you add magnesium, studies has found that adding around 450 mg of magnesium could reduce the symptoms of depression.
4 Magnesium could have benefits for people with type 2 diabetes
The lack of magnesium could impair insulin’s role in keeping blood sugar levels under control. With around 48% of diabetics, having low levels of magnesium is understandable that these people should be supplementing their diets with magnesium to ensure that they meet the daily-recommended dose of this mineral. More so, other studies have found those that are not diabetic can reduce their risk significantly, in fact by 47%, of becoming diabetic if they had enough magnesium in their blood.
5 You can lower your blood pressure with magnesium
Research studies have found that adding around 450 mg of magnesium to the diet can lower blood pressure, particularly systolic and diastolic blood pressure. However, these studies only found that adding magnesium was effective in lowering folks with high blood pressure and not people with normal blood pressure.
6 Magnesium has anti-inflammatory benefits
Magnesium has been found to combat inflammation, by reducing the inflammatory marker CRP. What the research has found is that low magnesium is linked to chronic inflammation. This inflammation is the driver to obesity, chronic disease and aging.
To fight possible problems such as chronic disease, add fatty fish or dark chocolate to your diet. Thereby you can gain the anit0inflammatory benefits of magnesium.
7 Magnesium can aid in inhibiting migraines
There is a good chance that if you suffer from migraines that your magnesium levels might be low. More so, migraines can be agonizing and incapacitating, but also lead to voting, nausea and a sensitivity to noise and light. However, research has shown that adding enough magnesium to the diet, by eating magnesium-rich foods, could prevent and speed up the recovery of migraines just as effective as some medication can.
8 Magnesium can lessen insulin resistance
One of the leading cause of metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes is insulin resistance. This is characterized by a compromised ability of muscle and liver cells to appropriately absorb sugar from the bloodstream. However, magnesium plays a critical role in this process, and many people with metabolic syndrome are deficient. In addition, the high levels of insulin that accompany insulin resistance lead to the loss of magnesium in the urine, further reducing your body’s levels. Fortunately, increasing magnesium intake can help.
9 If you have PMS symptoms, then magnesium could improve that
Premenstrual syndrome or PMS is one of the most common disorders among women of childbearing age. Its symptoms include water retention, abdominal cramps, tiredness and irritability.
Interestingly, magnesium has been shown to improve mood in women with PMS, and may reduce water retention and other symptoms.
Closing notes
Getting enough magnesium is essential for maintaining good health. Be sure to eat plenty of magnesium-rich foods such as fish, or avocados, or take a supplement if you are unable to get enough from your diet alone. Alternatively, you can absorb magnesium through your skin, so you could swim in the ocean and then be able to abort this mineral in that manner. Nevertheless, without enough of this important mineral, your body simply cannot function optimally.
