The Many Faces (And Symptoms) Of Magnesium Deficiency

Magnesium isn't present to the same degree in our soil, owing to the processes of modern industrial farming. When our soil isn't well cared for and precious nutrients like magnesium are added back into it after each crop has grown, how can we expect to eat nutritious food?

Magnesium plays a role in over 300 reactions within the body, including nerve impulse transmission, protein and fatty acid synthesis and the metabolism of food. Here is why you can’t afford not to include sufficient amounts of magnesium in your diet.

Transdermal magnesium oil, or simply 'magnesium oil', is not really oil. The name derives from the oily appearance and texture that occurs when water is mixed with chloride flakes.

Its most notable uses are for improving sleep, lowering stress levels and achieving optimal overall well-being. Recent studies have shown that magnesium may also help with diabetes and hypertension, improve skin health and boost athletic performance.

Studies show that magnesium-deficient people who supplement with the mineral may experience beneficial effects when it comes to exercise habits. Magnesium has also been found to relax muscles. Applying magnesium oil may help relax joints and muscles by providing pain relief.

Magnesium oil can similarly lower the severity and duration of migraine headaches, according to a study published in Clinical Neuroscience. The study showed that low levels of magnesium affected several neurotransmitters and receptors that caused migraines.

Bone health very much depends on magnesium to assist with the metabolism of calcium into the bone, which in itself assists with the activation of vitamin D in the kidneys. Proper magnesium levels has been linked to greater bone density and improve bone crystal formation, which helps lower the risk of postmenopausal osteoporosis in women.

Magnesium also improves heart health and diabetes. Studies have shown that increased magnesium intake lowers the risk of diabetes. A person’s risk of developing type 2 diabetes decreases by one point (15 percent) for every 100 milligrams per day of magnesium they take.

One clinical study showed that taking a magnesium supplement of 300 to 365 milligrams improved insulin sensitivity. Magnesium has been shown to improve transmission of electrical signals within the body, including the heart. Taking adequate levels of magnesium has been shown to lower the risk of atherosclerosis and hypertension.

A recent study showed that taking a high amount of calcium without also supplementing with magnesium may actually increase the risk of arterial calcification, kidney stones, and cardiovascular disease.

Another study showed that people who took the highest amount of magnesium had a 58 percent lower risk of developing coronary artery calcification. They also had a 34 percent reduced risk of getting abdominal artery calcification. Interestingly, magnesium may also play a role in mental health.

Low magnesium levels have been associated with increased levels of anxiety, according to one study. It was established that low levels of magnesium had an effect on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which consists of a set of three glands regulating the body's stress reaction.

Another 2015 study showed that a diet low in magnesium altered the types of bacteria located in the gut, which greatly affects how anxious behaviour can alter brain function.

The recommended daily intake of magnesium is given below.

• 30 milligrams for infants up to six months in age
• 75 milligrams for children aged seven to 12 months
• 80 milligrams for children one to three years of age
• 130 milligrams for children four to eight years of age
• 240 milligrams for children aged nine to 13 years old
• 410 milligrams for men aged 14 to 18 years old (360 milligrams for women of the same age)
• 400 milligrams for men aged 19 to 30 years old (310 milligrams for women)
• 420 milligrams for men aged 31 and older (320 milligrams for women)
• 350 milligrams for pregnant women and 310 milligrams for breastfeeding women

Magnesium deficiencies have been linked to period cramps in women, muscle aches and cramps for both men and women, headaches and impaired insulin sensitivity, to name a few.

The best way to keep magnesium levels up is by eating plenty of organic foods that are naturally high in the mineral. Organic farming is an important part of getting essential nutrients as they are often stripped from the soil of conventional farms. The use of pesticides, meanwhile, kills off many nutrients naturally found in food.

Foods that are high in magnesium include:

• Chard
• Spinach
• Almonds
• Yogurt or Keifer
• Pumpkin Seeds
• Figs
• Avocado
• Bananas
• Dark Chocolate
• Black Beans

Supplementing is an easy way to increase magnesium levels in the body. Revitacell Magnesium Citrate is a combination of magnesium and citric acid which is readily absorbed into the blood stream and body tissues. These capsules of magnesium citrate are produced in the UK and contain no magnesium stearate or unnecessary fillers.