Magnesium : Contributes to the Structural Development of Bone

Magnesium

(Magnesium is one of the seven essential macro minerals which one need to be consumed in relatively large amounts)

Magnesium, known as the mineral of insulin sensitivity, found abundantly in our body. It is the second most prevalent electrolyte in the human body. Most of the magnesium in the body is found in the bones and inside the cells. An adult body contains approximately 25 g magnesium, with 50 to 60 percent present in the bones and most of the rest in soft tissues. Only a tiny amount of magnesium is normally present in the blood i.e. less than 1% of total magnesium. It is crucial for normal functioning of our body. One can find out his/her magnesium status in his/her body as urinary excretion is reduced when magnesium and other electrolyte status is low.

What role plays Magnesium in our body?

• It plays a role in balancing blood concentrations of vitamin D, which is a major regulator of bone homeostasis.

  

  Functions

• It play a role in the transport of calcium and potassium ions across cell membranes, a process that is important to nerve impulse conduction, muscle contraction, and normal heart rhythm.
• It also helps our body in moving other electrolytes i.e. potassium and sodium into and out of cells.
• It is used in energy production, oxidative phosphorylation, and glycolysis in our body. 
• It plays a role in synthesisizing our DNA, RNA, and the antioxidant glutathione. 
• It helps keep our heart rhythm steady. It works with calcium to regulate our blood pressure and prevent hyper-tension.
• It is used as an important electrolyte in human body.
• It supports enzyme function. In fact, it is a co-factor in more than 300 enzyme systems that regulate diverse biochemical reactions in the body.

Benefits from Magnesium

• There are certain hormones regulated by magnesium who are responsible for calming our brain and promoting relaxation, for example Magnesium helps in producing happy hormones like ‘serotonin’. 
• Without adequate amount of magnesium, one can also suffer from sleeplessness or insomnia. It calms the central nervous system, lowers the heart rate and enables restful sleep.
• In our body, Magnesium is involved in neurotransmitter function and blood circulation. It helps in controlling migraine headache pain by releasing pain-reducing hormones and by reducing constriction of the blood vessels that raises blood pressure.

Natural food sources

Magnesium is naturally present in many foods. As it can be lost during refinement and processing, eating whole foods is always best. One can take these foods as a source of magnesium. They are Almonds, Cashews, Peanuts, Cereal, shredded wheat, Peanut butter, whole wheat Bread, cooked brown Rice and white Rice, Breakfast cereals, Oatmeal, Kidney beans, Raisins, Soymilk, Milk, plain yogurt, Black beans, peas, soybeans, Edamame, Avocado, Spinach, Broccoli, Apple, Banana, Raw Carrot, Potato baked with skin, cooked Halibut, Salmon fish, Chicken breast and Ground Beef. In general, foods containing dietary fiber provide magnesium.

Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA)

It includes the magnesium one get from both the food he/she eats and any supplements he/she takes.

Children

1-3 years : 80 mg/day

4-8 years : 130 mg/day

9-13 years : 240 mg/day

Females

14-18 years : 360 mg/day

19-30 years : 310 mg/day

31 years and over : 320 mg/day

Pregnant

Under 19 years: 400 mg/day

19 to 30 years: 350 mg/day

31 years and up: 360 mg/day

Breastfeeding

Under 19 years: 360 mg/day

19 to 30 years: 310 mg/day

31 years and up: 320 mg/day

Males

14-18 years : 410 mg/day

19-30 years : 400 mg/day

31 years and up : 420 mg/day

Overdose of Magnesium

• Excess Magnesium supplements can cause nausea, cramps, and diarrhea, low blood pressure, muscle weakness, and fatigue. At very high doses, magnesium can be fatal. Usually this happens when someone goes over a 600 milligrams dose of magnesium.
• Magnesium supplements may not be safe for people who take diuretics, heart medicines, or antibiotics or People with diabetes, intestinal disease, heart disease or kidney disease should not take magnesium.
• Excessive use of magnesium supplements can be toxic. The highest dose one can take is: 65 mg/day for children ages 1-3, 110 mg/day for children ages 4-8 and 350 mg/day for adults and children ages 9 and up.

Deficiency

Magnesium deficiency in healthy people is uncommon because the kidneys limit urinary excretion of this mineral. So, severe magnesium deficiencies are rare to be seen. They're more likely in older adults, in people who abuse alcohol, have kidney disease, Crohn's disease or other conditions that affect digestion, parathyroid problems and who take antibiotics or drugs for type 2 diabetes and cancer. 

Signs of Deficiency i.e. objective evidence of disease

Early signs of magnesium deficiency are loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, and weakness. In medium stage of deficiency numbness, tingling, muscle contractions and cramps, seizures, personality changes, abnormal heart rhythms, and coronary spasms can occur. In advanced stage of deficiency, hypokalemia i.e. low serum calcium or potassium levels respectively developed as mineral homeostasis is disrupted. 

Symptoms of Deficiency i.e. subjective evidence of disease

These symptoms are generally seen in case of magnesium deficiency:-

• It’s deficiency leads to high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease.
• It’s deficiency leads to kidney and liver damage.
• It’s deficiency leads to restless leg syndrome, worsened PMS symptoms, behavioral disorders and mood swings, migraine headaches, insomnia and trouble sleeping.
• It’s deficiency leads to osteoporosis, tooth cavities, impotence and muscle weakness and cramps.
• It’s deficiency leads to recurrent bacterial/fungal infections due to low levels of nitric oxide or a low immune system.
• It’s deficiency leads to multiple sclerosis, glaucoma/Alzheimer’s disease. 
• It’s deficiency leads to nutrient deficiencies i.e. vitamin K, vitamin B1, calcium and potassium.
• It’s deficiency leads to obesity and appears to be more related to glucose metabolism and cardiovascular health.

Supplements

Approximately 30 to 40 percent of the dietary magnesium consumed is typically absorbed by our body. Hence 80 percent of people being deficient in this vital mineral. So here comes the role of supplements along with magnesium-rich foods. They are available in a variety of forms which are highly absorable, including magnesium Glycinate, Threonate, Chelate, Citrate, and Chloride. Magnesium helps in neutralizing stomach acid and moving stool through the intestines. Thus supplementation helps in softening the stool. It helps our digestive tract and the intestinal wall muscles in relaxing. Thus, it clears the constipation at the same time it improves digestion. Magnesium supplements should be taken daily, with food.

Why we need supplements?

• Now-a-days soil depletion lowers the amount of magnesium present in crops.
• Digestive disorders lead to less adsorption of magnesium in the gut.
• Human body loses stores of magnesium every day from normal functions such as muscle movement, heartbeat and hormone production.

Role of Magnesium in the life of Athletes

• Magnesium activates adenosine triphosphate, also known as ATP in human body, as a result energy creates in our body. Without sufficient magnesium, one don’t have the energy he/she needs to do exercises and can suffer from fatigue more easily. Then the athlete tires more quickly and must need a higher level of oxygen during exercise. 

  

  Improves Performance

• Magnesium also helps our muscles to relax and contract. Thus enables us to move around. Without sufficient magnesium, our muscles go into spasms. Due to severe muscle spasms, a heart attack can occur. So a proper balance of magnesium is required for athletes along with other minerals like calcium.
• Magnesium helps the enzymes that are responsible for enabling muscle protein synthesis. Sufficient amount of magnesium accelerates recovery processes after work out and aid sleep. It also allows for the metabolism of cortisol after hardcore workouts by reducing nervous system activation. 
• Magnesium helps human body metabolize carbs, while influencing the activity of hormones that control blood glucose levels. Magnesium creates a metabolic environment that will help us get superior muscle development and a leaner body composition in less time. It also fights inflammation, raises antioxidant levels, and helps replenish energy stores in the muscle.
• Magnesium is necessary for the explosive movements. A 2012 study of elite runners found that it was magnesium, not sodium or potassium, that was the electrolyte most depleted during the race. The low magnesium stores resulted in significant inflammation for the runners.

What studies revealed?

• One research shows that eating foods high in magnesium and other minerals can help in preventing high blood pressure in people.
• Several studies show that when sufferers of migraines supplemented with magnesium, their symptoms improve.
• One study from the National Institute of Health and Nutrition in Tokyo shows that low magnesium intake was associated with significant increases in the prevalence of constipation. 
• Another study also found that elderly people, who were experiencing constipation and took magnesium supplements, were more efficient at reducing constipation than the use of bulk-laxatives.
• One study found that very high doses of zinc from supplements i.e. 142 mg per day can interfere with magnesium absorption and disrupt the magnesium balance in the body.
• A study published in the Journal of Research in Medical Science in 2012 concluded that magnesium supplementation is low-risk and effective for lowering insomnia symptoms; improves sleep efficiency, sleep time and sleep onset; plus it aids in early morning awakening and lowers concentrations of cortisol. 
• Research shows that women suffering from osteoporosis can reverse by increasing their magnesium consumption. According to several studies, a higher magnesium intake correlates with increased bone mineral density in both men and women. 
• Small studies have found that magnesium in the aspartate, citrate, lactate, and chloride forms is absorbed more completely and is more bio available than magnesium oxide and magnesium sulfate.