Magnesium
Magnesium (Mg) is an essential mineral for the human body, as it participates in many metabolic reactions and it is necessary for all the most important biological processes.
It is estimated that hundreds of different enzymes in our body strictly need magnesium to function. Magnesium is an essential micronutrient: it must be present in our diet every day.
Food sources rich in magnesium include dried fruit, bananas, beans, broccoli, egg yolk, fish, green vegetables, oatmeal, corn, and whole grains. However, our diet is not always able to guarantee an adequate amount of magnesium and the intake of this mineral through nutrition has decreased in recent decades: it is estimated that the magnesium content in various foods is decreasing, arriving at the total amount of 25 – 80% less than pre-1950 levels (Thomas, Nutr Health, 2007).
A deficiency of this precious mineral is a possible situation, it is not easy to monitor and it can cause nausea, vomiting, arrhythmias, or simply tiredness and fatigue.
Magnesium also participates in the regulation of neurotransmitters that send signals to the nervous system and brain. In fact, magnesium can be useful for insomnia-related disorders. A 2012 study in older people, for example, showed that oral magnesium supplementation helps improve sleep quality and reduces the time to fall asleep (Abbasi B et al., J Res Med Sci, 2012), while another study showed improvements in reducing daytime sleep attacks in women (Yingting Cao et al., Nutrients, 2018).
Women can get another benefit from magnesium: this mineral can help decrease the cramps that occur before and during the menstrual cycle.
The importance of magnesium also affects the muscles: it is crucial for electrical stability and muscle contraction. In fact, it has been observed that in situations of magnesium deficiency the frequency of muscle weakness, cramps, and tremors increases (Uwitonze et al., J Am Osteopath Assoc, 2018).
Magnesium, therefore, represents a very precious mineral for our body, and its presence in the diet must be guaranteed by nutrition and / or adequate food supplementation.
+Watt Advice
Recommended dose: At least 300 mg of magnesium per day.
