Magnesium, an essential nutrient vital for maintaining optimal health, plays a pivotal role in numerous bodily functions, such as controlling muscle and nerve activity, regulating blood sugar and blood pressure levels, and contributing to the synthesis of protein, bone, and DNA.
- Your Secret Weapon for Managing Type 2 Diabetes Blood Sugar
- Type 2 diabetes frequently exhibits low levels of both extracellular and intracellular magnesium.
- This deficiency tends to exacerbate with poorly controlled blood sugar levels.
- Magnesium plays a critical role in various aspects of diabetes management, including insulin action, glucose uptake, and vascular function.
- Contributing factors to magnesium deficiency in diabetic individuals include low magnesium intake and increased urinary loss.
- While some studies propose that magnesium supplementation could enhance metabolic profiles in diabetic patients,
- Further research is necessary to validate its efficacy and determine appropriate dosage and administration.
2. Elevate Your Mind: Magnesium’s Key Role in Sustaining Optimal Brain Health .
- Magnesium serves a crucial role in facilitating communication between your brain and body.
- It acts as a regulator for N-metyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptors, which are located on nerve cells and support brain development, memory, and learning.
- Within healthy adults, magnesium resides within NMDA receptors, preventing them from responding to weak signals that might unnecessarily activate nerve cells.
- When magnesium levels drop, fewer NMDA receptors are effectively blocked. Consequently, these receptors become more susceptible to stimulation, potentially leading to excessive nerve cell activity.
- This heightened stimulation can result in nerve cell death and may contribute to alzheimer’s, dementia or brain damage .
3. Unlocking the synergy between magnesium and vitamin D
- Magnesium is a vital component in bone health supplements due to its role in activating vitamin D.
- Enzymes responsible for producing and breaking down vitamin D depend on magnesium for optimal function.
- Magnesium also assists in the metabolism of vitamin D by the liver and kidneys.
- Inadequate magnesium levels can hinder the body’s ability to utilize vitamin D, potentially affecting calcium absorption.
- Even when taking vitamin D supplements, a magnesium deficiency may result in adverse effects such as elevated blood levels of calcium and phosphorus, along with vascular calcification.
- Recent data from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) indicate that higher magnesium intake, whether through diet or supplements, is associated with a significant decrease in the risk of vitamin D deficiency
Toxicity
Toxicity is rare from food sources because the kidneys will remove excess magnesium in the urine. However toxic levels may occur with long-term use of high-dosage supplements. People with kidney disease have a higher risk of toxicity because their kidneys are not working properly and cannot flush out extra magnesium.
- Signs of toxicity include:
- Nausea, vomiting
- Diarrhea
- Low mood, depression
- Muscle weakness
- Low blood pressure, abnormal heartbeat
Food Sources Includes
- Leafy greens: Vegetables such as spinach, kale, and Swiss chard are rich sources of magnesium.
- Nuts and seeds: Almonds, cashews, pumpkin seeds, and sunflower seeds are excellent sources of magnesium.
- Whole grains: Foods like brown rice, quinoa, oatmeal, and whole wheat bread contain magnesium.
- Legumes: Beans, lentils, chickpeas, and peas are good sources of magnesium.
- Avocado: This fruit provides a decent amount of magnesium along with healthy fats.
- Dark chocolate: Opt for dark chocolate with high cocoa content to benefit from its magnesium content.
- Bananas: While not as high as other sources, bananas also contain some magnesium.
- Fatty fish: Fish such as salmon, mackerel, and halibut offer magnesium along with omega-3 fatty acids.
- Dairy products: Milk, yogurt, and cheese contain magnesium, though in lower amounts compared to other sources.
- Tofu: This soy product is a vegetarian source of magnesium and protein
- Reference
- https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Magnesium-HealthProfessional/#:~:text=Magnesium%20is%20a%20cofactor%20in,%2C%20oxidative%20phosphorylation%2C%20and%20glycolysis.
- https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Magnesium-Consumer/#h12
- https://www.hsph.harvard.edu/nutritionsource/magnesium/
- https://www.researchgate.net/publication/259269457_Magnesium_its_role_in_nutrition_and_carcinogenesis
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22034391/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/26322160/
- https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16978367/