There are many vitamins and minerals that are essential nutrients for your body to function properly everyday. Each one plays a different role in your body, from helping to regulate blood sugar levels to improving your immune system function. One of these crucial nutrients is magnesium.

What is magnesium?

Magnesium is an important mineral that our bodies require in order to facilitate many enzymatic reactions that help keep us healthy. Magnesium is responsible for maintaining adequate levels of blood pressure, keeping your bones strong, and ensuring that you have a steady heart rhythm. Magnesium also helps produce ATP (Adenosine triphosphate), something that’s essential to the metabolic activities in every cell. On top of that, it helps maintain normal muscle and nerve function. That’s a lot of responsibility for one mineral!

Without magnesium, essential organs such as the heart and brain, as well as several chemical processes would not be able to function.

3 important benefits of getting enough magnesium

Since magnesium is involved in over 800 chemical reactions in your body, it’s easy to understand why it’s such an important mineral.

1. Improves mood – Studies show that there may be a link between depression and low levels of magnesium. Researchers believe that adequate magnesium intake may help with improving your mood and treating depression.
2. Reduces risk of heart disease – Low levels of magnesium negatively impact blood sugar control and blood pressure. Since these are risk factors for heart disease, some studies link inadequate magnesium to an increase in the risk of heart disease.
3. Alleviates migraine symptoms – Migraines have been linked to insufficient magnesium levels in the body. One study discovered that people who suffered from migraines that took a daily supplement of 600mg magnesium experienced 42% fewer migraines. The migraines were also lessened in intensity.

What does a magnesium deficiency look like?

Without enough magnesium, many fundamental life processes for your body to stay healthy will get disrupted. Signs of a magnesium deficiency may include a loss of appetite, nausea or vomiting, and fatigue or weakness. More advanced symptoms include muscle cramps, numbness, tingling, seizures, personality changes, and changes to your heart rhythm or heart spasms.

Are you getting enough magnesium?

According to Health Canada, almost half of all Canadians are deficient in magnesium. Adults require an intake of 320 to 420mg of magnesium per day.

Sources of magnesium

There are many dietary sources that contain high magnesium levels.

• Almonds (1oz) contains 80mg of magnesium per serving
• Half a cup of spinach contains 78mg of magnesium per serving
• Roasted cashews (1oz) contain 74mg of magnesium per serving
• Oil roasted peanuts ( cup) contain 63mg of magnesium per serving
• 1 cup of soy milk contains 61mg of magnesium per serving

However, even people who eat the healthiest diets can still be low on magnesium. This is because of the total dietary magnesium an individual consumes, only around 24-76% is absorbed by the body. The rest is filtered out by the kidneys. Another reason could be that due to modern-day agricultural methods, the vegetables which were at one time considered high in magnesium content, are now grown in nutrient-depleted soil, lessening their magnesium content.

Try speaking with your doctor, healthcare practitioner or visit your local health food store to see if a magnesium supplement may be beneficial for you.

CanPrev’s magnesium supplements are designed with your health needs in mind. Look for CanPrev’s Gentle, Extra Gentle, or Ultra Gentle formulas featuring blended, buffered, and fully chelated Magnesium Bis-Glycinate. While all three formulations are gentle on the bowels, Extra Gentle is recommended for those with IBS (Irritable Bowel Syndrome) or weak stomach acid and Ultra Gentle for those with multiple prescriptions or digestive conditions like Crohn’s disease and colitis.

Look for CanPrev magnesium supplements in capsule, powder, and a hydrating effervescent drink mix, great for pre or post workout or to sip on throughout the day.

Whether you’re amping up on almonds or opting for a supplement, take charge of your health by including more magnesium.

References:
Magnesium
Magnesium Fact Sheet for Consumers
Magnesium Supplements: Benefits, Side Effects, and Dosage
Magnesium and depression
Circulating magnesium levels and incidence of coronary heart diseases, hypertension, and type 2 diabetes mellitus: a meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies
Dietary Magnesium and Cardiovascular Disease: A Review with Emphasis in Epidemiological Studies
Improvement of migraine symptoms with a proprietary supplement containing riboflavin, magnesium and Q10: a randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind, multicenter trial
Dietary Reference Intakes
Why do we need magnesium?
Magnesium basics

About the Author: CanPrev

CanPrev formulations are designed by licensed Canadian health practitioners and is an exclusive brand to the health food industry. The brand is well-known for its best-selling magnesium products. CanPrev acquired Innovite Health in 2019.