Anxiety, diabetes, high cholesterol, high blood pressure (hypertension), heart disease, insomnia, migraines, and osteoporosis. Did you know that one single, mighty mineral can prevent and treat all of these serious health conditions? Not only that, but this mineral’s deficiency in the body may cause: kidney stones; depression; bowel disease; musculoskeletal conditions including fibromyalgia and chronic neck pain; nerve problems including gastrointestinal spasms and vertigo; asthma; nausea; cystitis; tooth decay; and sudden infant death syndrome.

The importance of this mineral’s presence in the body cannot be overstated. Magnesium is this miracle-worker, and it is required for more than 325 enzyme reactions, contributing to energy production, calcium regulation, protein synthesis, and blood pressure regulation among others. An adult body contains roughly 25 grams of magnesium, with 50-60% in the bones and most of the rest in soft tissues. The heart, muscles and kidneys are especially dependent upon this mineral for optimal functioning. The mineral calcium contracts muscles, and magnesium relaxes them. Since the heart is the body’s hardest-working muscle, adequate magnesium stores positively influence nearly every cardiovascular function and condition. Heart attack victims are always found to have low coronary magnesium levels. Magnesium may mitigate stress, relieving muscle tension and improving sleep. Magnesium homeostasis in the body is controlled largely by the kidneys, and urinary excretion is reduced when magnesium status is low.

Dietary magnesium is affected by many factors. Crop soil is depleted of magnesium unless it is replaced, cooking and processing deplete the mineral, even from high-magnesium foods. Alcohol, coffee, refined sugar, excessive protein, and prolonged stress all deplete magnesium from the body. People at special risk of deficiency include Type II diabetics and people with gastrointestinal diseases such as Crohn’s disease or celiac, which impair absorption. Good food sources include green leafy vegetables, seaweed, nuts, whole grains, legumes, and dark chocolate.

Supplements: How to Choose?

People taking single large doses of calcium supplements especially should be aware that they may require magnesium. Too much calcium in the body is not only unusable and causes a host of problems including hardening of the arteries, but throws off the healthy magnesium balance the body needs to use the calcium. The available array of magnesium supplements is bewildering at first glance. Generally speaking, any mineral bound to an amino acid, which is referred to as a chelate (pronounced KEY-late), is a superior form. Look for glycinate, taurate, or aspartate here. These forms have very good absorption in the body. Magnesium citrate is also a well-absorbed, popular form, as is gluconate. Magnesium chloride is often found as a liquid. Several poorly-absorbed forms such as magnesium oxide and hydroxide are often used as laxatives. Various delivery methods exist as well. Aside from pills, there are liquids, powders, chewables, and even a transdermal oil. This latter may be applied topically anywhere on the body to relieve muscle tension and deliver its benefits into the body through the skin, bypassing the stomach and thereby avoiding the gastrointestinal upset which may occur with some people taking oral supplements.

Recently, powder forms of this hard-working mineral have become popular. Evergreen is featuring two different brands of magnesium powder supplements in November and December. New from Garden of Life, in their Dr. Formulated line, comes Relax & Restore Whole Food Magnesium. This product features a magnesium chelate made from organic pea protein, as well as live probiotics along with the standard citrate form found in other powder products. Each serving provides 350 mg of magnesium. Available in three flavors and two sizes, this is a handy way to get the magnesium your body craves, particularly before bedtime which is when many people take this product and assure themselves a restful sleep.

Another popular powder we have had for some time is Natural Calm. This product has 325 mg of magnesium citrate per serving and like the Garden of Life powder fizzes up nicely in water to make an effervescent drink. Many of our customers report taking this at bedtime with great results. Available in two flavors and sizes, this product and Relax & Restore are certified gluten free, non-GMO and vegan.

Relieve muscle tension and stress, feed your heart and sleep better all with mighty magnesium, the unsung hero of minerals!

 

 

 

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