The body requires 15 essential minerals to function optimally. Essential means they must be taken in the diet as they cannot be produced by the body. Magnesium is one of these essential minerals and has long been praised for its benefits for muscle health. But given its involvement in over 600 biochemical reactions, it’s clear that the breadth of Magnesium’s Health Benefits is far more extensive than once thought.
Magnesium is a ‘jack-of-all-trades’ mineral which is important for supporting:
Muscle health
Magnesium is an important mineral for muscles, working by balancing calcium which has an influence on both the contraction and relaxation of muscles. If you aren’t getting enough magnesium, your muscles may cramp and spasm more easily. That is why it’s important to ensure a healthy intake of magnesium as well as calcium daily. Also, byproducts of metabolism, such as lactic acid, become harder to flush out without enough magnesium. This often happens during or after excess, where high lactic acid levels are produced at a faster rate than they are cleared, which can lead to sore muscles.
Energy production
Magnesium assists carbohydrate metabolism to support energy production by facilitating the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the energy currency of cells. Without proper levels of magnesium, the nutrients you take in through the diet are not efficiently metabolised into energy.
A healthy stress response
Stress and magnesium have an inverse relationship. The body needs magnesium to appropriately respond to stress, however situations of ongoing physical and emotional stress put a continual drain on magnesium levels in the body. When magnesium stores are depleted, our vulnerability to stress heightens, creating a vicious cycle. Addressing the causes of stress and maintaining adequate magnesium intake are therefore essential for supporting a healthy stress response.
Menstrual cramps and spasms
Premenstrual tension, including menstrual cramps, spasms and dysmenorrhea (painful periods) can be debilitating. Uterine cramps and pain are associated with a dysfunction in the contraction and relaxation of muscles. Magnesium is beneficial for supporting healthy muscle contraction function, relieving dysmenorrhoea and the symptoms of premenstrual tension.
Heart and cardiovascular health
Magnesium is required for the health of the heart through the role it plays in both muscle contraction function and energy production. In essence, the heart works like a large muscle, expanding and contracting to pump blood around the body to deliver oxygen and nutrients to cells and tissues. As an organ, the heart also has some of the highest energy demands of the body, where large amounts of ATP are required to sustain the heart’s continual 24-hour contractile function.
If you are looking for some extra support in these health areas, make magnesium your best friend! In times of increased magnesium requirements, consider a supplement, which can provide higher doses for a desired benefit. In addition to that, Magnesium Supplements are available in various forms such as capsules, tablets, powders, chewable tablets and topical creams, so choose one that suits your individual needs.
