Benefits of Magnesium – The Anti-Stress Mineral
It continuously surprises me that the benefits of this incredible mineral are so unknown to the public. Therefore, we have dedicated this month to Magnesium and all its benefits!
Although Magnesium only accounts for several ounces of the human body, it is responsible for several hundred enzymatic reactions. 65% of this Magnesium is contained in the bones and teeth, the rest can be found in our blood, fluids, tissues and even in the heart. Below you will find a list of problems that may be helped by Magnesium.
- Alcoholism
- Anxiety
- Arrythmias
- Autism
- Bronchial Asthma
- Epilepsy
- Fatigue
- Hyperactivity
- Hypertension
- Insomnia
- Kidney stones
- Menstrual pain
- Muscle cramps
- Osteoporosis
- Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS)
You will find that we refer to Magnesium as the anti-stress mineral, that is because of its natural tranquilizing mechanisms. It functions to relax the skeletal muscles and the smooth muscles of blood vessels and gastrointestinal tract. Knowing now how Magnesium works to relax the different muscular systems in the body we can understand why its use for the above problems make sense.
Where can you get Magnesium? Vegetables and seafood are the best-known food sources of Magnesium. Dark green vegetables are good sources of magnesium as are nuts, seeds, and legumes. Whole grains, in particular wheat, millet and brown rice as well as avocado, and dried apricots are other sources. Although in their most whole form these foods are great sources of magnesium, a lot of it is lost in processing and refining. For instance, about 85% of magnesium in grains in lost in milling flours and some magnesium is lost in boiling these foods as well (the magnesium ends up in the water we use to boil the food!). Due to these reasons Magnesium deficiency is quite common.
Symptoms such as fatigue, anorexia, irritability, insomnia, and muscle tremors, muscle twitching or cramping can be early signs that you might be deficient in magnesium. Psychologically, you may see signs of; apathy, apprehension, decreased learning ability, confusion, and poor memory. If you are a person who menstruates, magnesium is at its lowest during menstruation. Therefore, symptoms such as menstrual cramps, irritability, fatigue, depression, and water retention may be lessened with increased magnesium during that time.
Finally, as is with many different vitamins and minerals there is always a balance that needs to happen. When taking a magnesium or calcium supplement we need to be aware that a balance of about 2:1 calcium to magnesium is preferable. If you are someone that takes a calcium supplement it is important that you take at least half of that amount in magnesium as well, if you increase your calcium supplement your magnesium should also be increased.
We have many different Magnesium supplements in the store but one of our favorites is Oligo Magnesium. Oligo Magnesium is a plant derived form of Magnesium that is in a convenient dissolvable pill. When these micro-tablets are dissolved under the tongue, the magnesium completely and directly enters the bloodstream, bypassing the gastrointestinal tract making it our most usable form.
This month only (February 2021), we are selling Oligo Magnesium for 20% off!
