Magnesium can be one of those forgotten about nutrients in our diets. What most do not realize is the fact that magnesium plays a major role in metabolism. Magnesium is like a supporting actor in a movie or the backup dancer to a star. It doesn’t receive the infamy that other nutrients get like calcium, but it is just as important as the others. Who would’ve guessed that it is necessary for over 300 chemical reactions in the body? Since magnesium can sometimes be forgotten about, average diets frequently fail to meet the necessary supply of magnesium. It can leave adults about 100-125 milligrams short of the adequate amount even if they take supplements on top of their daily diet. In order to properly get the amount of magnesium we need, there are foods you may love or that you should try to incorporate into your diet more. After all, magnesium plays a key role in our health support.Many of you may already know that magnesium is mostly found in nuts and seeds, but did you know it was also rich in spinach and halibut? The chart above are the top 10 healthiest foods that are rich in magnesium. Bananas, figs, dark chocolate and avocado are also very high in magnesium. However you still may be asking, but what does magnesium even really do? Why is it all that important? Well the simple answer is that it helps with 5 main processes in our bodies.
1. Magnesium CREATES AND MAINTAINS BONE INTEGRITY since about 50 to 60% of a person’s magnesium is stored in the bone. researchers have found that even a mild ongoing deficiency of magnesium can lead to a significant amount of bone loss.
2. Magnesium ENABLES ENERGY PRODUCTION, which is a critical task that our cells perform, involving dozens of chemical reactions and unless these chemical reactions can take place in that exact necessary order, then we don’t receive the energy production that we need. Low levels of magnesium can be the potential contributory factors of fatigue.
3. Magnesium MAINTAINS NERVOUS SYSTEM BALANCE since it plays a key role in the activity of our NMDA receptors, which are brain cell receptors and when magnesium is low in our diet, we have an increased risk of depression and that low amount of magnesium can actually cause depression.
4. Magnesium ENHANCES CONTROL OF INFLAMMATION, it has been shown that a diet low in magnesium is linked to unwanted increases in the inflammatory process. Increasing magnesium intake to the needed amount has led to normalization of inflammation in clinical trial settings.
5. Lastly, magnesium ENHANCES CONTROL OF BLOOD SUGAR. It is a co-factor for over 100 enzymes involved in the control of blood sugar and glucose metabolism. Low magnesium levels can have adverse effects on blood sugar control.
Are you getting enough magnesium? In Bodyology, we love to do experiments! Since everyone has a different reaction to different foods, the only way you can know what is right for your body is to do an experiment. So give it try: make it a point to eat a diet rich in magnesium for at least a month and stay aware of subtle differences in how you feel. You may even notice the differences in a few weeks!