Let me share with you my secret weapon... It’s Magnesium!

Statistics tell us that More than 50% of Australians are deficient in this essential mineral. It is a problem because Magnesium is a cofactor in more than 300 enzyme systems that regulate diverse biochemical reactions in the body, including protein synthesis, muscle and nerve function, blood glucose control, and blood pressure regulation. Magnesium is required for energy production, oxidative phosphorylation, and glycolysis.

Now you may not know what all those reactions do, but let me tell you, it’s a whole lot of essential reactions that allow your body to function well.

But aside from that, I, notice a difference if I don’t take Magnesium. However, when I do take it, I feel like a superwoman! I can train hard each morning and not pull up sore, as long as I take my Magnesium. As a chiropractor, I love Magnesium because I see a difference in those who take it. I see better recovery and a decrease in muscular-skeletal pain. (Continue reading to watch my video)

So why does your body need Magnesium?

• It is the 4th highest mineral found in the body. Every organ utilises Magnesium for a range of activities, including bone, protein and fatty acid formation.

• Essential in activating vitamins B and D (think about the countries with plenty of sunlight with vitamin d deficiency. It may not be just the D vitamin, but the lack of its activation?)

• Relaxing muscles

• Regulating calcium levels and helping blood to clot

• Required for the secretion of insulin

• Adults require about 300 to 400 milligrams a day.
  

Magnesium deficiency can occur due to many factors such as:

• Diminished levels of Magnesium in processed and non-organic foods.

• Everyday staples contribute to less than 20% of the RDI of Magnesium, Such as meat, sugar and flour.

• The use of heat such as cooking and boiling produce results in a significant decline of Magnesium in food.

• A reduction in absorption of Magnesium occurs in the face of Vitamin D deficiency.

• Common medications diminish the absorption of Magnesium, such as antibiotics, antacids and hypertensive drugs.

• Some commonly used pesticides have the propensity to chelate minerals, potentially decreasing the content of Magnesium in soil and crops.

• Loss of Magnesium due to excessive excretion with alcohol use and the presence of type 1 or type 2 diabetes.

• Soil depletion of certain essential nutrients due to fertilisation techniques not providing the spectrum of required minerals.

• Aging, which can reduce magnesium absorption by as much as 30%.

(Continue reading to watch my video)

To supplement or not to supplement?

I know what you are thinking. Why do I need to take some extra supplements? Can’t I get it from my food? Yes, you can. However, the quality and quantity of these minerals in our food have decreased with modern farming methods. Magnesium is absorbed into the plant during its growth stage. As reported in the literature, the soil is becoming depleted of minerals. As a result, our fruit, vegetables and grains do not contain the necessary amounts of required Magnesium. Therefore many of us do not get enough Magnesium in our diets.

Magnesium is found in varying levels in:

Nuts, whole grains, dark green vegetables, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds, bran, tofu, potatoes, spinach and baked beans.

Suppose you cannot purely eat organic foods. In that case, you will need some form of supplementation, so taking a good quality magnesium supplement (preferably one that has Magnesium in the form of magnesium Bi-glycinate or magnesium amino acid chelate) is recommended.

If you need help with picking the correct Magnesium for you, ask us!

At Balanced for Life, we share because moving better matters.

https://www.abs.gov.au/statistics/health/health-conditions-and-risks/australian-health-survey-usual-nutrient-intakes/latest-release

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Schwalfenberg, G. K., & Genuis, S. J. (2017). The Importance of Magnesium in Clinical Healthcare. Scientifica, 2017.

Krejs G. J., Nicar M. J., Zerwekh J. E., Norman D. A., Kane M. G., Pak C. Y. C. Effect of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 on calcium and magnesium absorption in the healthy human jejunum and ileum. The American Journal of Medicine. 1983;75(6):973–976.

Medalle R., Waterhouse C., Hahn T. J. Vitamin D resistance in magnesium deficiency. The American Journal of Clinical Nutrition. 1976;29(8):854–858.

Jahnen-Dechent, Wilhelm, and Markus Ketteler. “Magnesium basics.” Clinical kidney journal vol. 5,Suppl 1 (2012): i3-i14.

Al Alawi, Abdullah M et al. “Magnesium and Human Health: Perspectives and Research Directions.” International journal of endocrinology vol. 2018 9041694. 16 Apr. 2018.