How Magnesium Contributes to Great Health
March 6, 2010 by Neil Butterfield
Filed under Weight Loss Diet
When the benefits of minerals to our health are being discussed most of the emphasis seems to be on bulk minerals like calcium and iron. This is unfortunate because our good health truly depends on getting plenty of a wide array of minerals. Magnesium is a mineral that does not receive enough attention. Based on the US RDA, 61% of adults lack sufficient magnesium to stay healthy. This means that most people today could be benefited by a supplementing their diet with magnesium.
Magnesium is best known for its role in preventing and reversing osteoporosis. Osteoporosis is a condition in which the bones become weak and brittle. Magnesium assists the body absorb and use calcium. It also affects the various hormones in the body that influence bone density and calcium absorption. Getting plenty of magnesium helps increase bone density but helping the body utilize calcium more efficiently. Excess calcium can migrate into the muscles, leading to cramps and pain. It can also move into the kidneys where it solidifies forming kidney stones. Getting adequate magnesium makes sure that more of this calcium is used and may help prevent kidney stones.
Magnesium also helps control high blood pressure. Magnesium does this by relaxing smooth muscles in the arteries that cause them to dilate. Studies suggest that through this action and its ability to work with potassium to manage blood pressure, magnesium helps to prevent hypertension.
Magnesium deficiency may also be a contributing factor in type 2 or adult-onset diabetes. Magnesium is an important element in the metabolism of carbohydrates. A deficiency of magnesium can lead to a condition called insulin resistance. Insulin resistance is when the enzyme responsible for regulating blood sugar no longer works as efficiently. It takes the much more insulin to lower the blood sugar in this case. Insulin resistance eventually can lead to type 2 diabetes. By getting plenty of magnesium, the body’s ability to break down and utilize carbohydrates will be improved and this may help prevent diabetes later on.
Magnesium is also important to cardiovascular health. This only seems natural since magnesium is involved in the prevention of diabetes and hypertension, two conditions that can lead to poor cardiovascular health. Magnesium helps regulate the heart’s rhythm. Too little magnesium can also lead to abnormal blood clotting in the heart, a dangerous condition that can lead to heart attack. Doctors have also found that magnesium can greatly speed recovery from strokes. It’s also quite likely that magnesium can prevent heart disease and stroke.
Much of the population does not get enough magnesium. This mineral influences a number of vital processes and in the body. This makes it one of the more important minerals of which to get an adequate amount. Supplementation is an excellent way to receive the many health benefits magnesium provides. A recommended supplemental amount of magnesium is twice the amount as any calcium supplements. Another recommendation is to use liquid mineral supplements. Liquid minerals are much more readily absorbed by the body and make a far greater amount of the magnesium available for use by the body’s cells. Don’t you owe it to yourself to make sure you benefit from the correct level of magnesium?
To learn more about the power of magnesium supplementsas well as other important mineral supplements, visit us online and download your FREE audio Minerals: What your body needs and why. Neil Butterfield is the owner of Mineralife LLC and is also their mineral supplement expert, Mineralife LLC is known countrywide for its quality mineral supplements.














