What’s my favourite mineral? Easily magnesium! I’ve been obsessed with this mineral for a few years now and it is a supplement I regularly buy. So what is magnesium? Magnesium is one of six essential minerals that our body requires and it is needed in order to perform more than 300 biochemical reactions. Magnesium is found in every cell in our body and is an essential nutrient. Magnesium is essential for the energy (ATP) production within our body and it plays a vital role as a co-factor to many enzyme activities. An enzyme is a substance which makes chemical reactions occur in our body (very simplified version). Therefore, without magnesium, enzymes would not be able to make essential reaction occur. As mentioned above, without magnesium our bodies cannot produce energy!
Feeling tired and sluggish? You could very well be magnesium deficient!
Symptoms of Magnesium deficiency:
- Muscles spasms
- Muscles cramps
- Irregular heart rate
- Chronic fatigue
- Impaired cognitive function
What causes magnesium deficiency?
- Poor magnesium intake through diet, especially with consumption of processed foods and carbonated drinks
- Magnesium poor soil. Organic soil contains magnesium which is then absorbed into plants and vegetables, but soil now-a-days the majority of vegetables are grown in poor soil leading to less nutritious fruits and vegetables!
- Calcium supplement intake
- Alcohol intake
- Certain disease states
Food sources of magnesium:
- Dark leafy greens such as spinach and kale
You can buy magnesium supplements at your local health food store and follow the direction on the container! I personally noticed a big difference when I was in university studying for exam because taking magnesium supplements helped to ease my anxiety and focus on my studies! Give magnesium supplements a shot and let us know what you think in the comment section.