Just the other day, I was driving down the road with my awesome hubby and 4 amazing kids when something I heard peaked my interest--NPR news! Yep, NPR news. Now I have to admit, I'm really not an NPR news kind of gal. I find politics, government and news in general quite frustrating. However, my awesome hubby is a regular listener. Everyone was quite surprised when I quickly hushed the singing, talking, and bustle coming from the back seat and cranked the NPR news as we drove along the freeway. What was so intriguing???? Magnesium! They were talking about Magnesium and Calcium and it's benefits. It peaked my interest and started an investigation.
Magnesium is quite the hot topic right now. Are you getting enough Magnesium?
Did you know that magnesium is necessary for over 300 chemical reactions in the body? Link 1 everything from bone density, energy, and insulin is managed by magnesium. The chemical reactions in are bodies are complex and some need multiple steps in order to perform the needed task. If we are missing one of the links (vitamins, minerals, hormones, etc) Our bodies do not function as well as they could. Don't we all want our bodies working the best they can? It's about quality of life here, people! :)
Below are some of my favorite points I discovered about the magnificent mineral magnesium. (How was that alliteration?)
1) Magnesium is stored mostly in our bones and cells-- very little is in the blood stream--This is significant for bone density.
2) Magnesium and insulin are deeply connected. Without magnesium, you become insulin resistant which leads to diabetes and that is no fun. However, you have to have insulin to carry the magnesium into the cells. Crazy, right? If one isn't working, the other won't either. It's kind of like a marriage--working together keeps both going strong. NOW, that leads you to ALL the things insulin does (another post for another day) We need our insulin to be awesome and our bodies to respond to it. Link 3
3) This one is for all those ladies out there! Magnesium levels in the body seem to drop during the premenstrual stage. This in returns means the body produces less insulin. Less insulin means sugar cravings which mean over eating and weight gain. Link 2
4) And here is a big one! Chocolate cravings!! Boy, do I know about loving chocolate. Sometimes I NEED chocolate. Other days, I just like it. Did you know that cocoa is super high in magnesium? So when you are craving chocolate, you really might be needing some magnesium. Try bumping your magnesium intake and see what it does to your cravings. :) Link 4
Well, now you are wondering if you are deficient in magnesium. Here is a list of symptoms from magnesium deficiency:
Low magnesium levels are often diagnosed by symptoms alone, and the following symptoms can point to low magnesium levels:
- Inability to sleep or insomnia
- Irritability
- Sensitivity to noise
- Mental disturbances
- Anxiety, depression or restlessness
- Muscle soreness or spasms
- Infertility or PMS
- High levels of stress
- Headaches
- Heart “flutters” or palpitations
- Fatigue or unusual tiredness
- Coldness in extremities
- Fuzzy brain or difficulty concentrating
- Allergies and sensitivities
- Lack of appetite
- Back pain
- Body odor
- Bad short term memory
- Poor coordination
- Insulin resistance
- Carbohydrate cravings
- Constipation
- Frequent cavities or poor dental health
- Gut disorders
- Kidney stones
- Thyroid problems
If you have more than one of the above symptoms and especially if you have more than five, it is highly likely that you could benefit from magnesium supplementation. Link 5
Each one of those symptoms could be dived into in order to learn the interaction and role magnesium plays with each problem. For now this is an overview of a few things I found interesting during my research. AND because my research is simply that--research--I have posted the links to which I discovered my knowledge and information at the bottom of the page. :)
Happy health everyone!
