Image source: istockphoto
Magnesium (Mg) is an essential nutrient our body need to maintain a healthy living.
Bone contains over half of the body’s magnesium while the rest is found in the muscle and soft tissues, with only 1 percent in extracellular fluid.
This healthy nutrient, plays a crucial role in human body as it promotes biochemical reactions which in turn helps in energy metabolism, protein synthesis, normal heart-beat, nerves impulse transmission, maintenance of teeth, hypertension and heart disease prevention.
However, it is said to be deficient in the body when there is high consumption of alcohol, kidney disease, protein malnutrition, which could lead to impairment of nervous system, weakness, and convulsions.
Consequently, taking more than required cause diarrhoea, alkalosis, dehydration, but moderate keeps your immune system optimized. Water, legumes, leafy vegetables are excellent source of magnesium.
The health benefits include; help maintain heart, regulate blood pressure, biochemical process, reduce insulin insensitivity, immune system, prevent migraines, depression and weakness, bone and teeth, energy metabolism and type 2 diabetes.
Fascinating Health Benefits Of Magnesium (Mg)
1. Maintains Heart Health
Heart pumps out blood to the entire to body which enable our body perform numerous functions. A bridge or abnormality in the heart muscles, reduce these basic function. Surprisingly, heart problem is a leading causes of death worldwide. To keep it healthy, minerals such as magnesium rich food or supplement is needed. It is known for maintenance of heart muscles, promoting relaxation and proper contractions of the muscles. This relaxation and contraction of the heart muscles helps heart push out blood to the whole body, thus optimizing heart health.
2. May Prevent Tetany
Deficiency of magnesium has been associated with tetany. Tetany is characterized with involuntary muscles contraction.(1)
3. Reduce Insulin insensitivity
This occurs when your muscles, adepose tissues, and liver cells cannot effectively take sugar from your bloodstream. Modern science has identified insulin resistance as one of the main factors that contribute to metabolic syndrome as well as Type 2 diabetes. Adequate intake of magnesium rich food help decrease insulin resistance thereby improve your insulin potential.
4. Biochemical process
As stated early, it is a mineral which act as cofactor in human body. This means, it involves in innumerable biochemical reactions in our body which helps produce energy, protein synthesis and gene optimisation. In the developed countries, most people choose magnesium -rich foods, while others supplement their meals to obtain daily requirements for magnesium.
5. Regulate Blood Pressure
People with high blood pressure may benefit from magnesium. Interestingly, magnesium helps regulate relaxation of muscles which play a significant role in systolic and diastolic. According to research, it can low blood pressure in those with high blood pressure but has no proven effect on people with ideal levels of Mg (2).
6. Energy Metabolism
In terms of energy generation, it participate in many biochemical process in the body which aid energy metabolism. Larger amount of magnesium in your meals helps our body produce a generous amount of energy. Deficiency of magnesium may has been associated with inadequate energy metabolism.
7. Immune system
Our body makes use of nutrients derived from food you eat to build immune system. Immune system plays role of defense, and fight against pathogenic growth. Mg is a mineral which combine with other nutrient to improve your immune system.
8. Bone & Teeth
Magnesium also participate in bone and teeth development. Whereas, low serum levels of magnesium may lead to fracture.
9. Type 2 Diabetes
Another crucial role of magnesium is the management of Type 2 diabetes. It has been observed that people with ideal serum levels of magnesium are less susceptible to Type 2 diabetes, although those with deficiency of Mg have higher tendency to experience Type 2 diabetes. It may help lower blood sugar levels . Several studies revealed that low serum levels of magnesium may increase risk of diabetes, while normal concentration of it reduce symptoms linked to diabetes(3)
10. Maintains Nervous System
You can also benefit greatly if you consume appropriate amount of magnesium. This helps moderate neurotransmitter, which stimulate your body to pass message throughout your brain and nervous system. Consequently, lack of this mineral may have negative effect in the brain.
11. Depression & Weakness
Magnesium is an essential mineral that’s very vital for mood regulations and brain’s optimal functions. Scientists believe that deficiency of it may increase risk of depression and weakness.(4). Nevertheless, maintaining adequate amount of magnesium daily can help largely in eliminating symptoms associated with depression and weakness.
12. Help Prevent Migraines
Many people takes magnesium rich foods to prevent migraines headache. Migraine is very annoying and can cause restlessness all day. Experts believe that low Mg levels may cause migraines headache, hence consuming substantial amount of food rich in magnesium can effectively combat migraines symptoms.(5).
Conclusion
Magnesium is an important minerals our body need for numerous functions. It covers a wide range of health benefits include heart health, blood pressure regulation, bone and teeth, immune booster, and energy metabolism . It can be found in the sea, animals and human body. Water, legumes, leafy vegetables are storehouse of it.
