7 Health Benefits of Magnesium That You Are Missing Out On!

There are so many vitamins and nutrients that we should be consuming to maintain our body’s health, but none as important as magnesium. As essential as magnesium is to our diet and the maintanence of our internal body functions, many Americans are deficient in this important mineral. In fact, over 50% of Americans and Europeans do not get their daily intake of magnesium.

By not acquiring our daily intake of magnesium, we can be doing our body some serious damage. Magnesium is needed to operate our entire body and, as more researchers are focusing on its effect on our body, it is becoming more important that we educate ourselves on magnesium’s health benefits.

Here are the seven health benefits that magnesium has on our body and why we need to consume it daily:

1. Magnesium is needed in order to maintain the body’s biochemical functions. In fact, the mineral is involved in over 600 reactions that happen in our body. Our body uses magnesium for energy creation, the creation of proteins, maintenance to our DNA and RNA, our ability to contract and relax our muscles, and regulation of our nervous system. Basically, we need magnesium to function.
2. Magnesium has anti-inflammatory benefits. Low magnesium intake is linked to an increase in inflammation. By consuming more magnesium-enriched foods like fatty fish and dark chocolate or by taking magnesium supplements, you can also reduce the inflammatory marker CRP.
3. Magnesium is needed to help maintain heart health and blood pressure. One of the ways that doctors are able to tell if someone is deficient in magnesium is by checking their heart rate. A lack of magnesium can create an irregular heartbeat, which can lead to serious complications. Also, people who have a sufficient intake of magnesium have been shown to have a reduced chance of coronary artery calcification.
4. Magnesium is essential for the formation of our bones. How? It helps with the assimilation of calcium into bone and plays a role in activating Vitamin D in the kidneys. Magnesium’s effect on building up bone density has been seen in various studies and has also been observed in studies done on magnesium in relation to osteoporosis.
5. Magnesium may be able to help fight against Type 2 diabetes. The mineral plays an important role with how our body processes carbohydrates and how glucose metabolizes. Several studies have linked a lack of magnesium to an increase in the likelihood of Type 2 diabetes. One study in particular showed that those with the highest intake of magnesium were less likely to develop Type 2 diabetes down the road.
6. Magnesium can help improve PMS (Premenstrual Syndrome). More studies are showing that magnesium can help improve PMS symptoms in women. Taking magnesium has been shown to improve the mood of women undergoing PMS. Magnesium supplements have also been linked to helping alleviate water retention in women experiencing PMS.
7. Magnesium can possibly help reduce anxiety and depression. The mineral is a key component in brain function and mood. Low levels of magnesium have been linked to increased levels of anxiety. Low levels have also been linked to an increase in depression symptoms. Despite growing evidence supporting the link between low magnesium levels and increases in anxiety and depression, experts agree that more research needs to be done. However, adding a magnesium supplement to your daily routine may be a safe step in reducing those two problems.

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