The Health Benefits of Magnesium

The benefits of magnesium in your body are almost too many to count, but count them we must! So what is magnesium exactly?

Magnesium is a mineral that enzymes need to keep your body functioning properly. Enzymes are substances that act like spark plugs for our cells – they are the catalysts that bring about hundreds of biochemical reactions in our bodies, such as during digestion or the conversion of food into energy. Without enzymes, toxic chemicals can grow to dangerous levels in your organs.

Magnesium helps you store energy and it’s a powerful antidote to stress and insomnia. It helps relax your muscles and transmit nerve signals. Magnesium keeps your teeth and bones healthy, and can be used to treat many chronic conditions including fibromyalgia, menstrual cramps, migraines, acid reflux, diabetes and hearing loss.

Magnesium is probably the most important mineral for your heart. It helps the heart function properly, protects blood vessels, and acts as a natural blood thinner. A number of studies have shown magnesium can benefit your blood pressure and possibly prevent a heart attack or stroke.

Fewer than 30% of adults get enough magnesium in their foods to meet the recommended daily allowance, which is between 350mg and 400mg. Symptoms of magnesium deficiency can include anxiety, restless leg syndrome, irritability, nausea, abnormal heart rhythms, muscle spasm or weakness, hyperventilation or even seizures.

By taking your nutrition seriously and learning more about the roles that vitamins and minerals play in your body, you will feel better and maybe even prevent the need for additional medications.

Dr. Carolyn Dean, author of The Magnesium Miracle, sums it up nicely:

“All the metabolic processes in the body depend on vitamins and minerals. Magnesium is responsible for the function of 325 enzymes – it’s an absolute requirement for calcium to be incorporated into bone, it keeps toxic chemicals out of the brain, it dances with calcium to create nerve and muscle impulses, it keeps muscles (including your heart and blood vessels) relaxed…and if deficient, it triggers dozens of health conditions.”


Click here to learn more about how to build more magnesium into your diet.