Magnesium Functions
Magnesium is an essential mineral for bones, teeth, metabolic enzymes, muscle activity, regulation of body temperature, and assimilation and utilization of Calcium, Phosphorus, Potassium and Sodium. Fresh Green Vegetables, Seafoods, Soybeans, Special Nutritional Yeasts, Seeds, Apples and Whole Grains are rich sources. Most Americans are marginally deficient in Magnesium. Crude mineral Magnesium is poorly absorbed and utilized. Plant-complexed forms are superior but quite bulky to supplement. Including green vegetables in your daily diet is by far your best option.
Role of Magnesium in your body
- Sixty percent of tissue magnesium is located in the skeleton.
- The rest is within the cells, where it performs very essential functions.
- Regulation of Cell Membranes – permeability, muscular contraction, nerve impulse conduction and antagonism to calcium.
- Enzyme Activation within the cells – magnesium is essential for energy production, and protein synthesis.
Functions of Magnesium
- Excretory– prevention of kidney stones
- Digestive– laxative
- Nervous– maintains nerve conduction
- Muscular – prevents tissue calcification, needed for muscle contraction
- Skeletal – required for bone formation
- Metabolic– required for energy production, for glucose and fat metabolism, and for protein synthesis
- Detoxification– required for liver activity
Magnesium Deficiency Symptoms
fast oxidation rate, kidney stones, irritability, anxiety, hyperkinetic behavior, muscle spasms, tissue calcification, fast heart rate, irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure, muscle cramps, especially after exercising, seizures
Magnesium Excess Symptoms
slow oxidation rate, fatigue, lethargy, confusion, diarrhea, low blood pressure, muscle weakness, depression, mental
Synergistic Nutrients
Vitamin D, lactic acid, lactose, high protein diet, Potassium is a magnesium synergist in many enzyme systems
Antagonistic Nutrients
Absorption – phytates found in grains, fluoride, phosphorus, low-protein diet
Utilization – calcium. Drinking alcohol lowers magnesium levels. Junk food diets are often low in magnesium.
Hair Analysis Notes
High Magnesium: often associated with a slow oxidation rate, fatigue and depression
a high magnesium level often indicates that magnesium is being lost through the hair, resulting in deficiency symptoms such as anxiety and hyper-irritability
Low Magnesium: often associated with a fast oxidation rate, anxiety, irritability and high-strung personality.
Reasons for Magnesium Supplementation
- to prevent calcium buildup in body tissues
- to enhance energy production and raise low sodium levels
Sources
- Nuts – almonds, brazil nuts, cashews, pecans, walnuts
- Vegetables – soybeans, parsnips, parsley, watercress, legumes
- Grains – Buckwheat, wheat bran, wheat germ, other grains
- Miscellaneous – cocoa, molasses, brewer’s yeast, kelp
- Fruit – coconut, elderberries, raspberries, lemons
Supplementary Vitamins to lower Magnesium:
vitamin C
The Effects of Magnesium on Personality
Keywords: Physiological stability
Low Magnesium: high-strung, irritable, hyperactive, belligerent
High Magnesium: tired, sluggish, withdrawn, lethargic; hibernating animals have high tissue magnesium levels