Magnesium
by Alison Mitchell
Naturopath
Magnesium is an important mineral for nerve, muscle, vascular and immune health and is essential for the balance of other minerals in the body. Deficiency has been shown to be associated with several health conditions such as congestive heart failure, hypertension, diabetes, asthma, osteoporosis, chronic fatigue, irritable bowel syndrome, depression, chronic pain syndromes and kidney stones.
A primary deficiency of magnesium is rare as the levels are generally well controlled by the kidneys. However a secondary deficiency can develop as a result of insufficient dietary intake, malabsorption or increased magnesium depletion. Symptoms of mild deficiency are common, affecting approximately 15-20% of the general population.
Although magnesium supplementation is traditionally used to correct or avoid a deficiency research has shown that supplementation can play a role in the management of several health conditions.
Symptoms of low magnesium levels
-Muscle spasms
-Cramps and twitches
-Hyper-irritability and excitability
-Vertigo
-Muscular weakness
-Involuntary eye movements
-Lethargy
-Nausea and vomiting
-Premenstrual tension Anorexia
-Reduced pain threshold
-Disturbance of heart rhythm
-Anxiety
-Palpitations
-Hypertension
-Insomnia
Risk factors for magnesium depletion
-Excessive intake of alcohol, salt, phosphoric acid (soft drinks) and caffeine
-Hyperaldosteronism, hyperparathyroidism with hypercalcaemia, hyperthyroidism, diabetes mellitus
-Profuse sweating
-Intense, prolonged stress
-Coeliac disease, inflammatory bowel diseases, malabsorption syndromes, partial bowel obstruction, vomiting/diarrhoea, pancreatitis, infections, parasitic infection
-Hyperthermia, phosphate depletion, potassium depletion, hyper catabolic states such as burns
-Pregnancy, lactation, excessive menstruation
Recommended Daily Intake
-400mg/day (men 19-30 years); 420mg/day (men >30 years)
-310mg/day (woman 19-30 years); 320mg/day (women >30 years)
-400mg/day (pregnancy < 18 years); 350mg/day (pregnancy >18 years)
-360mg/day (lactation < 18 years); 310mg/day (lactation > 18 years).
Sources of Magnesium
| Animal Sources | mg/100g | | Shrimp | 51 | | Cheddar cheese | 45 | | Crab | 34 | | Lean Beef | 21 | | Lean lamb | ?? | | Lean pork | ?? | | Chicken | 19 |
| Grain Sources | mg/100g | | Wheat germ | 336 | | Wheat bran | 490 | | Buckwheat | 229 | | Millet | 162 | | Wheat grain | 160 | | Brown rice | 88 | | Barley | 35 |
| Beans and Vegetables | mg/100g | | Tofu | 111 | | Beet greens | 106 | | Spinach | 88 | | Swiss chard | 65 | | Collard leaves | 57 | | Sweet corn | 48 | | Parsley | 41 | | Beans | 37 |
| Fruits | mg/100g | | Figs, dried | 71 | | Apricots dried | 62 | | Dates | 58 | | Avocado | 45 | | Prunes, dried | 40 | | Raisins | 35 | | Banana | 33 | | Blackberry | 30 |
| Other | mg/100g | | Brewers yeast | 231 | | Almonds | 270 | | Cashews | 267 | | Brazil nuts | 225 | | Peanuts | 175 | | Pecan | 142 | | Walnuts | 131 |
Side effects
Doses of greater than 350mg/day have been shown to have side effects of diarrhoea or gastric irritation.
Other Links: Are You Magnesium Deficient?
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