The Nutritional Institute

Ever wondered why the age-old tradition of taking an Epsom salt bath is effective at easing most aches and pains? This is due to the breakdown of the Epsom salts into magnesium that reduces inflammation, and helps to relax your muscles and mind.

What is magnesium and why is it important?

Magnesium is one of the most abundant minerals in our body and known to be involved in more than 600 biochemical and metabolic reactions.

It supports the production of energy as well as protein and DNA synthesis. It helps to maintain proper muscle and nerve function, and keeps our bones strong. It also aids in regulating our blood sugar levels, which is why getting enough magnesium is particularly important for diabetics.

How much magnesium do I need?

Below is a table with the current Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) from the Institute of Medicine (IOM). For infants aged 0-12 months, these values are Adequate Intakes (AIs), based on the average intake of magnesium in healthy populations.

Table 1 – Adapted from the Magnesium Fact Sheet for Health Professionals of the National Institutes of Health. Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) for magnesium.

As I’ve mentioned before in previous posts, be cautious with RDAs. They refer to the average healthy person, and you may need more (or less) to achieve the same average health status. If you’re a sporty person, you will almost certainly need more magnesium due to higher energy demands and the loss of magnesium through sweat.

Magnesium deficiency

Reports have shown that 60-80% of people eating a typical Western diet are magnesium-deficient due to this diet’s reliance on highly processed foods. If you are eating a poor diet, relying heavily on processed foods for convenience, and experiencing the daily stress of modern life without any restorative measures, you’re putting yourself at a higher risk of developing magnesium deficiency.

Certain conditions can cause excessive magnesium loss, while others reduce the absorption of magnesium in the gut. These include type II diabetes, chronic alcoholism, and gastrointestinal disorders such as Crohn’s and coeliac disease. The elderly are also at particular risk because appetite and gut absorption decreases with age.

Common symptoms of magnesium deficiency include fatigue, weakness, loss of appetite, nausea and headaches. Other symptoms start to appear over time: numbness, muscle contractions, cramps, tingling, seizures, migraines, mood changes and heartbeat abnormalities. In more severe cases, magnesium deficiency can cause low serum calcium and/or potassium levels.
It is also possible to overdo magnesium but this generally occurs from taking too many supplements rather than food intake alone as healthy kidneys eliminate excess amounts from food through urine.

Your magnesium status can easily be checked by your doctor/healthcare practitioner with a simple blood test, and he/she can then guide you on whether you need supplementation or if changes to your dietary intake will suffice. Taking magnesium supplements should only be considered under the guidance of your healthcare practitioner because overdoing it can lead to a host of symptoms, even cardiac arrest. There are also several medications, such as antibiotics and diuretics, which can interfere with magnesium supplements or affect your magnesium status so it’s important to disclose these to your healthcare practitioner.

Magnesium food sources

Below is a table of some selected magnesium food sources.

Table 2 – Adapted from the Magnesium Dietary Supplement Fact Sheet for Health Professionals of the National Institutes of Health. Selected magnesium food sources and the National Nutrient Database for Standard Reference of the United States Department of Agriculture.

As you can see, magnesium is highly available in a nutrient-dense diet. In general, foods that contain dietary fibre are also good sources of magnesium. However, certain food processing methods tend to reduce magnesium levels. For example, white rice contains substantially less magnesium than brown rice (10 vs 42 mg in ½ cup). Magnesium is also added to foods such as breakfast cereals but these are not a great nutritional choice in my opinion due to the high amount of processed grains and added sugar. The water you drink is also a source of magnesium. Aim to drink a good-quality mineral water, or better still, filtered water. Filtering removes the chlorine and a host of other chemicals that are added to normal tap water, getting rid of harmful pollutants and microorganisms while retaining all the good minerals. Perhaps it’s time to invest in a good water filtration system for your home if you don’t already have one.