Role of " Magnesium"- The master mineral in maintaining health

Do you know the role of ” Magnesium”- The master mineral in maintaining health? Magnesium is a highly important mineral, as it contributes to fortifying human health, especially bones and muscles. It is known to be the fourth and most abundant mineral found in the human body, and is often referred as the “Master Mineral” since it is crucial to the heart, musculo-skeletal system, and brain for producing antioxidants that combat multiple diseases.

Furthermore, it is one of the six essential macro-minerals that comprise 99% of the body’s mineral contents. It enables the smooth functioning of thousands of enzymes and aid in the regulation of human system. It is considered extremely essential in the process of production of energy from food.

As a vital component of the immune system, magnesium helps to keep a number of illnesses at bay such as asthma, diabetes, insomnia, high blood pressure, constipation, depression, migraines and more. It also regulates calcium in bones, cardiac and skeletal muscles. Cleaning the bowel, balancing blood-sugar levels, inducing optimal blood circulation, calming the nervous system, making joints and ligaments flexible, regulating the sleep pattern, combatting depression, and improving Premenstrual Syndrome (PMS) symptoms are some of the other functions of magnesium in the body .

Unfortunately, one of the most commonly encountered problems, as per several medical experts and practitioners, is the deficiency of magnesium in the human body. Despite following an adequate diet, a large number of people across the globe tend to be magnesium deficient. While not many short-term ill effects have been discovered, this could cause abundant damage to health in the long run.

With the absence of magnesium in the body, producing adequate energy in cells will become increasingly difficult, with muscles not being able to relax or contract. This will hinder the synthesis of essential hormones. In turn, this might hamper the control of vital functions within the system and make the body prone to common diseases.

Studies have found that magnesium deficiency is strongly connected to mineral bone density. Therefore, its deficiency adversely affects bones by decreasing their strength, volume, and causing poor bone development.

Moreover, the lack of magnesium in daily diet has most frequently been associated with chronic depression, especially among today’s youth, leading to increased risk of Type II diabetes. It can also become a major contributor to severe hypertension and lead to a rise in systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Digestive disorders such as chronic diarrhoea and celiac diseases are also a result of low magnesium intake.

There is no evident symptoms of magnesium deficiency that show up in any specific part of body. However, certain mild and common symptoms include dizziness, difficulty in concentration, fatigue, constipation, IBs (irritable bowel syndrome), heart palpitations, irritability, muscle cramps, anxiety, and increased food cravings as well as a loss of appetite, headaches, mood swings, facial twitching, and excessive pain during menstruation. If these persist for a long period of time, it is advisable to have necessary check-ups done.

To steer away from its ill effects and in turn, reap its benefits, it is imperative to understand the value of magnesium as an extremely important mineral, and to thus, include it in daily diet. Experts recommend a good amount of magnesium consumption to women, i.e. 310mg for ages 19-30, and a little more than that for women above the age of 31. In extreme cases of magnesium deficiency, it is also advised to opt for an Epsom salt bath, but only when prescribed by a medical practitioner.

In order to ensure the smooth functioning of immune system and maintain good health, it is ideal to consume magnesium-rich foods such as dark chocolate, legumes(black beans, chickpeas, peas, and soybeans), nuts (almonds, cashews, and Brazil nuts), seeds (flax, pumpkin, sunflower, and chia seeds), grains (wheat, oats, and barley), bananas, leafy vegetables (kale, spinach, broccoli and mustard greens), fatty fish (salmon and mackerel), tofu and skim milk.