How to boost your magnesium levels

If you are eating lots of processed food or ready meals or have a history of alcoholism then you are more likely to not be getting enough magnesium in your diet.

What role does magnesium play?

Magnesium is an important element in the body because it activates or is involved in many basic processes or functions, including:

cofactor for over 300 enzymes
oxidation of fatty acids
activation of amino acids
synthesis and breakdown of DNA
neurotransmission
immune function
interactions with other nutrients, including potassium , vitamin B6, and boron

How to up the intake

A simple tip to boost your magnesium intake is to eat more dark green vegetables. These are important sources of magnesium because it is the central atom in the structure of chlorophyll.

Other dietary sources of magnesium include nuts; dried peas and beans; whole grain cereals such as oatmeal, millet, and brown rice; bone meal; blackstrap molasses; brewer's yeast.

Magnesium as a cure

Many naturopaths believe that the official government recommended daily allowance (RDA) of magnesium is too low. They think that it should be doubled to about 600 or 700 mg daily for adults. Most recommend the use of dietary supplements containing magnesium to make up the difference.

Naturopathic practitioners regard magnesium to be important in the relief or cure of the following conditions:

Mitral valve prolapse: Magnesium deficiency may lower the body's ability to repair defective connective tissue, including defective mitral valves.

Atherosclerosis.

Certain psychological conditions, including apathy, decreased ability to learn, memory loss , and confusion.

Kidney stones : Magnesium increases the solubility of certain calcium compounds that form kidney stones if they are not excreted in the urine.

Hypertension: Hypertensive people often have lower levels of magnesium within their cells than people with normal blood pressure.

Angina pectoris: Magnesium is thought to relax spastic arteries and help prevent arrhythmias.

Osteoporosis : Many osteoporosis patients have low levels of magnesium in their bodies.

Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and menstrual cramps: Some women report relief from the symptoms of PMS when taking magnesium supplements.

Naturopaths also treat asthma, epilepsy, autism , hyperactivity, chronic fatigue syndrome , noise-induced hearing loss, insomnia , and stress-related anxiety with supplemental magnesium.

Wrap up

I recommend to everyone to up their intake of dark green vegetables. As well as providing magnesium, they also supply a host of vitamins, minerals, phytonutrients and dietry fibre.

I further recommend supplemental magnesium taken 45 minutes before bed if sleep is an issue for you.