By Dr. LaToya Roberts
Which nutrient can support healthy sleep quality, aid relaxation, encourage normal healthy bowel movements, optimize muscle health and support your cardiovascular health as well? It’s magnesium.
Magnesium is the fourth most abundant mineral in the body, supporting more than 300 enzymatic reactions, and is required for daily energy metabolism.
Did you know that magnesium is also important for the structural development of bone, is necessary for making DNA and RNA, is needed for regulation of body temperature, and is absolutely important for healthy nerve conduction?
The recommended daily intake of magnesium is 310-320 mg per day for women and 400-420 mg per day for men.
Increasing magnesium intake may be accomplished with diet and supplementation. Foods high in magnesium tend to be good sources of fiber such as dark green, leafy vegetables, broccoli, avocados, bananas, legumes, whole grains, nuts and seeds. Pumpkin seeds are a household favorite. A 1-ounce serving of pumpkin seeds contains 156 mg of magnesium.
Taking a daily supplement is essential to help fill in appropriate nutrient gaps that occur in the standard American diet. Be mindful of the different “flavors” of magnesium when considering a magnesium supplement because magnesium exists in different forms.
Magnesium glycinate is gentle on the digestive tract and also easy to absorb. Magnesium malate is easily absorbed and also well tolerated by most. Magnesium oxide and magnesium citrate help promote bowel movements and therefore, aid with constipation issues. Taking vitamin C with magnesium is another useful tip recommended to help improve magnesium absorption.
Although magnesium plays a role in many aspects of health, various scientific communities report that approximately 40 percent of the US population may be deficient. Keep in mind that certain medications alone or in combination with other medications may cumulatively decrease the body’s serum magnesium levels.
Certain disease states that involve chronic diarrhea and fat malabsorption such as Crohn’s disease will deplete magnesium levels over time. Certain kidney diseases may create difficulty in the body’s ability to regulate serum magnesium levels, requiring frequent lab monitoring by a specialist. Additionally, magnesium deficiency is commonly seen in people with chronic alcoholism.
For more information on magnesium speak with your healthcare provider to help determine if you are magnesium deficient or if supplementing with magnesium is a necessary step for you. The National Institutes of Health website is a reliable online source that may also help shed more insight to this topic.
LaToya Roberts, DO practices internal medicine at Harbor Internal Medicine. Her office is located in Bayside Commons suite 105, 501 Bay Avenue.in Somers Point.
