Magnesium-rich foods to include in your diet
Let’s talk for a minute about magnesium, what it is and why is important for good health. I am very interested in this mineral as its often the number one deficiency I identify in my clinic. Once this deficiency is corrected all my clients experience significant improvements in their health… and i do mean all.
People that have experienced benefits in my clinic include diabetics, people suffering from blood pressure and metabolic imbalances like Insulin Resistance and Metabolic Syndrome, insomniacs and poor sleepers, depressed, manic and anxious individuals, leaky gut and Chron’s patients, athletes, pregnant women and those who experience stress …which let’s face it … it is most of us. So let’s delve into it and see why so many people swear by it.
What is magnesium and why is god for my health?
The adult human body contains about 25 g of magnesium with 50–60% of which resides in the bones and the remaining in soft tissue (mainly liver), muscle tissue, serum, red blood cells, and cerebrospinal fluid.
It is crucial to over 300 enzymatic processes, helping create energy and metabolize proteins, fats and carbs and supporting the absorption and retention of other electrolytes. More specifically magnesium is important and needed for:
-
Regulating the body’s levels of calcium, phosphorus, zinc, sodium
-
Needed for activation of Vit D, B1, B6
-
DNA synthesis and repair
-
Hormone and neurotransmitter production and stress physiology
-
Regulating blood pressure and myocardial contraction/nerve impulses
-
Assisting with bad cholesterol levels and clogged up arteries
-
Metabolic Syndrome, Insulin Resistance and Diabetes
-
Bone metabolism with even small amounts of magnesium loses resulting in bone loss
-
Mood management helping improve depression, anxiety, mania, PMS and sleep
-
Correcting Attention Deficit and Hyperactivity Disorder
-
Preventing headaches and migraines
-
Assisting with improving Chronic Fatigue and Fibromyalgia
-
Solving legs cramps and Restless Leg Syndrome
-
Improving athletic performance
-
Preventing kidney stones
-
Preventing inflammation and cancer… and much more
Food Sources
Only a few foods, such as spinach, silverbeet, and beet greens, are excellent sources of magnesium. Other food sources include: pumpkin seeds, summer squash, turnip greens, soybeans, sesame seeds, black beans, quinoa, cashews, buckwheat, brown rice, barley, tofu, millet, almonds, wheat, tuna scallops, kale, green beans, raspberries, beets, broccoli, tomatoes, cantaloupe, asparagus, and strawberries, banana, dairy products, some meats and yes chocolate.
Why is magnesium deficiency so common?
You would wonder why magnesium deficiency is a problem given the multitude of foods that contain this nutrient. One of the issues we are facing here in Australia is that the soils are depleted in magnesium which was further exacerbated by agriculture techniques leaving those foods that naturally contain magnesium to be have a lower content. Further many of us require increased amounts above the standard daily recommended intakes due certain genetic variations and medical conditions, gut problems, poor diets and excess alcohol intake, certain medications and high levels of stress.
Genetic variations
-
The Cohorts for Heart and Aging Research in Genomic Epidemiology consortium recently evaluated single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) across the genome in association with serum magnesium levels in 15,366 participants of European descent. The study identified 6 different genomic regions that contained variants associated with serum magnesium concentrations in humans. The identified SNP were also found to be associated with clinically defined magnesium deficiency and the study showed that serum magnesium can vary pending these variation and that these have a heritable component, with heritability estimates of about 30%
Gut problems and nutrient status
-
Magnesium is well absorbed through the gut, absorption rate varying from 30-70% depending on type of magnesium ingested, with absorption increasing further when intake is low. However, individuals suffering from inflammatory bowel conditions such as Chron’s and leaky gut/dysbiotic states, diarrhoea, acute pancreatitis, malnutrition are often at risk of deficiency as they won’t absorb enough though their diet.
-
Further absorption of magnesium requires adequate stomach acid levels, selenium, vit B6 and D which many of us are low in.
Poor diets and alcohol
-
Diets high in refined and packaged foods contain very little magnesium and high sugar diets further increase magnesium loses
-
High dietary intake of calcium without concomitant use of magnesium often used to correct vit D deficiency is an issue as it will negatively impact bone health. By the way did you know you actually need magnesium to activate vit D?
-
Alcohol besides being a poison also depletes magnesium and many other nutrients
Stress
-
When stressed either emotionally (e.g. relationships), mentally (e.g. work), physically (e.g. undereating-overtraining) the body produces high levels of stress hormones which increase requirements for magnesium as well as B vitamins, zinc, glutamine and many other important nutrients.
-
Further excess exercise and sweating particularly in women can increase magnesium loses and exacerbate many deficiencies
-
Did you know that Bikram yoga can deplete your magnesium, zinc and iron levels?
-
-
Pregnant women also require increased levels and can often become deficient
Medical conditions
-
Those individuals that have poorly controlled diabetes lose more magnesium and need more magnesium to help regulate their sugar levels and insulin sensitivity
-
Magnesium deficiency increases with age, especially among those with heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease/asthma. Further those that are obese require higher intakes.
-
Other conditions include: Hyperparathyroidism; Hyperaldosteronism; Diabetic ketoacidosis; Magnesium-wasting kidney disease; Osteoporosis
Medications
-
diuretics, reflux medications like antacids proton pump inhibitors- Nexium, Omeprazole, Somac, or aminoglycoside antibiotics, Metformin (diabetes medication)
Signs and symptoms
Include:
-
Poorer bone health- osteopenia and osteoporosis
-
Fatigue and lethargy
-
Nausea, Loss of appetite, Diarrhoea, constipation
-
Personality changes – Depression and anxiety/ mood changes/ PMS
-
Insomnia
-
Asthma
-
Muscle cramping and pain
-
Seizures, tremors, confusion and hyperreflexia
-
Headaches and migraines
-
Tachycardia, Hypertension, Cardiac dysrhythmias
-
Inflammation and tumour development
What to do next if you think you might be low in magnesium?
The fastest way to optimise your levels is through supplementation, but please don’t just hurry and buy any magnesium of the shelf thinking this will solve all your problems. I must warn you that when it comes to buying a supplement you often get what you pay for so please don’t cut corners and invest into a product that will make a difference. The form of magnesium you should be looking for is a citrate (which can also be helpful for those experiencing constipation) or my favourite which is a bysglycinate form. These two options are the best absorbed and won’t cause the gut irritation and lose bowels that come with supplements containing cheap versions of magnesium oxide which you should avoid.
Dosing will vary pending individual size, gender, age, activity levels, gut health, stress, lack of sleep, medical conditions, supplements, medications and so on. Therefore, I do recommend you see an integrative dietitian that can help assess your diet and healthy status and determine what is best for your needs and how long you should take a supplement for. Supplements should not replace a healthy diet however they are a great tool to use for the short term.
Finally please remember that a healthy lifestyle is key and ensuring that you have a healthy gut and eat a varied nutrient dense diet, manage your stress and get adequate exercise and enough sleep are corner stones to good health and longevity.
If you wish to book an appointment please call 0423 954 729 or visit www.vereenhealth.com.au. Skype appointments are available.
The post Hello magnesium my old friend… appeared first on Vereen Health.
