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It is very important to include Magnesium in our diet. Deficiencies of
magnesium can be dangerous. However, Magnesium is a mineral that not many of
us give any thought to. It is important to know all of the vitamins and
minerals we need to get. We should all be eating a healthy and balanced
diet.
Magnesium is used by all the cells in your body. It is used to keep bones
strong, helps maintain nerve and muscle functioning, and keeps the heart
rhythmic and steady. You can see why a deficiency of this mineral can be
dangerous. Magnesium is found in green leafy vegetables, nuts, seed, and
some whole grains.
It is imperative to eat a balanced diet full of healthy and nutritious
foods. Though your body only needs a small amount of magnesium there is also
only a small amount found in most of the foods listed above.
Magnesium deficiency is fairly uncommon but symptoms include disorientation,
confusion, depression, abnormal heart beat, loss of appetite, cramps,
numbness, and seizures. Magnesium is often depleted though the urine and
over-consumption of alcohol has been linked to magnesium deficiencies.
The best way to find out the recommended daily amount of magnesium is to
consult with your doctor or nutritionist. In addition, you can find many
books and websites that can help you determine your daily needs for
magnesium consumption. This number is quite different for men, women,
different age groups, pregnant women, and lactating women. It's important to
how much magnesium you should be taking, and how much is in certain foods,
so as to prevent any
deficiencies.
If you do not think you are getting enough magnesium in your diet consider
taking a supplement. You can take magnesium supplements or multi vitamins.
If you are not getting enough magnesium you probably are not getting enough
of other vitamins and minerals as well. The best source for all vitamins and
minerals is fresh and healthy foods, but the next best thing is a multi
vitamin.
If you find yourself relying on multi vitamins for all your dietary needs
you should consider some drastic changes in your eating habits. There are a
number of conditions that could require you to take a magnesium supplement.
For example if you have chronic malabsorption you may need to take a
supplement to ensure you have enough magnesium in your diet.
Studies indicate that magnesium can be useful in lowering high blood
pressure or hypertension. While there is no definitive proof, it certainly
cannot hurt to increase the number of vegetables and fruits you eat each
day. Magnesium deficiencies are also linked to metabolic changes that can
result in heart attacks or strokes. As you can see, magnesium is an
essential mineral to have in your diet.
While magnesium is essential, there is also a danger of consuming too much
magnesium. If you are relying on your diet to provide magnesium there is
little risk of any overdose. However if you ingest too many supplements
there is the danger of magnesium toxicity. There are a number of symptoms
that are very similar to magnesium deficiencies, be wary of taking too many
supplements, laxatives, and
antacids.
Make sure you are getting the proper amounts of fruits and vegetables each
day, as magnesium is a very important mineral. You probably never need to
worry about a magnesium deficiency if you eat a balanced diet.
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Written by Frank Landrens, the owner and operator of BHP Magnesium, a fantastic resource for information about magnesium, For questions or comments about this article why not visit: http://www.bhpmagnesium.com/articles |
