The Story of Magnesium

Fast facts

• Magnesium,isanabundantmineral inthebody

• Magnesiumisacofactorinmorethan300 enzymesystemsthatregulatediverse biochemicalreactionsinthebody,including proteinsynthesis,muscleandnerve function,bloodglucosecontrol,andblood pressureregulation.

• Magnesiumisrequiredforenergy production,oxidativephosphorylation, andglycolysis.

• Assessingmagnesiumstatusisdifficult becausemostmagnesiumisinsidecells orinbone.Themostcommonlyusedand readilyavailablemethodforassessing magnesiumstatusismeasurementofserum magnesiumconcentration,eventhough serumlevelshavelittlecorrelationwithtotal bodymagnesiumlevelsorconcentrations inspecifictissues.

Hypomagnesia (Magnesium deficiency)

Symptomaticmagnesiumdeficiencyduetolowdietaryintakeinotherwise-healthypeopleisuncommonbecausethekidneyslimiturinaryexcretionofthismineral.Earlysignsofmagnesiumdeficiencyinclude:

• Lossofappetite

• Nausea

• Vomiting

• Fatigue

• Weakness.

Asmagnesiumdeficiencyworsens,numbness,tingling,musclecontractionsandcramps,seizures,personalitychanges,abnormalheartrhythms,andcoronaryspasmscanoccurSeveremagnesiumdeficiencycanresultinhypocalcemiaorhypokalemia(lowserumcalciumorpotassiumlevels,respectively)becausemineralhomeostasisisdisrupted.

Groups at Risk of Magnesium inadequacy

Thefollowinggroupsaremorelikelytobeatriskofmagnesiuminadequacybecausetheytypicallyconsumeinsufficientamountsduetomedicalconditionsormedicationsthateitherreducemagnesiumabsorptionfromthegut,orincreaselossesfromthebody.

• Peoplewithgastrointestinaldiseases.

• Type2diabetes.

• Alcoholdependence

• Metabolicsyndrome

• Olderadults

Magnesiumcanhelptomanagesymptomsandconditionssuchasmigraineheadaches,asthma,osteoporosis,hypertension,restlesslegsyndromeandpremenstrualtension.

Metabolicsyndromeisaclusterofconditions—increasedbloodpressure,ahighbloodsugarlevel,excessbodyfataroundthewaistandabnormalcholesterollevelsoccuringtogether,increasingyourriskofheartdisease,strokeanddiabetes.

Hypermagnesia (Magnesium toxicity)

Severetoxicitycancausemuscleweaknessanddifficultybreathing.Changesinmentalstatusmightalsooccur,includingconfusionandlethargy.Elevatedmagnesiumlevelscanthrowoffthebalanceofothermineralsinthebody,especiallycalcium,whichcancauseadditionalsymptoms.

ItisimportanttotalktoyourDrbeforetakingsupplementsespeciallyifyouareon:prescriptionmedication;havekidneydisease;heartdisease;arepregnantorbreastfeeding;orhaveallergies.

Magnesium rich foods

Itisalwayspreferabletogetsufficientnutrientsfromfoodratherthansupplements,asapproximately30%to40%ofthedietarymagnesiumconsumedistypicallyabsorbedbythebody.However,ifyouhaveahighfatdiet,yourcapacitytoabsorbmagnesiumfromyourfoodwillbereduced.Magnesiumrichfoodsinclude:

• Leafygreenvegetables suchasspinach

• Nutsandseeds;pumpkinseeds, sesameseeds,brazilnuts, cashews,pinenuts,peanuts, pecans,andwalnuts

• Fish;Mackeral,sardines,salmon

• Beansandlentils;soybeans, whitebeans,frenchbeans, black-eyedpeas,kidneybeans, chickpeas,lentilsandpintobeans

• Grains;brownrice,quinoa,bulgur, wheatgerm,buckwheat,millet, wholewheatpasta,barley andoats

• Driedfruit;figs,prunes,apricots, datesandraisions

• Others;avocados,bananas,dark chocolate,seaweedandtofu

JudithKnapp,ClinicalTrialNurseARRCInformationprovidedwithinthisarticlerefers

toinformationprovidedon

https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets