Let's look at Magnesium

1st November 2018

Magnesium is very trendy at the moment. Magnesium oil in particular is everywhere, from local pharmacies, in online stores, supermarkets and even my local
beautician!

So, why the focus on magnesium, and should we all be taking it, or rubbing it on? What does it do?

Magnesium is involved in building protein, muscle contractions, nerve function, blood glucose control, blood pressure control, regulating hormones, and regulating calcium stores. It's also important for energy production and DNA synthesis.

People who might be deficient in magnesium include:

  • Diabetics or people with insulin resistance
  • Those who don’t eat enough magnesium rich foods to meet their requirements
  • People with vitamin D deficiency or kidney disease
  • People who take antacids and some medications for hypertension
  • Alcoholics
  • People who sweat excessively

Recommended magnesium intake

  • Men 400-420 mg/day
  • Women: 310-320 mg/day

Signs of magnesium deficiency include:

  • Muscle cramps
  • Poor sleep, general fatigue
  • Headaches
  • Depression
  • Nausea
  • Loss of appetite

Good food sources of magnesium include:

  • Legumes, nuts (especially brazil nuts), seeds, wholegrains (breads, cereals and crackers) and green leafy vegetables (such as spinach)
  • Breakfast cereals based on wholegrains and fortified breakfast cereals
  • Milk, yogurt, and some other milk products

By Corinne Cox (APD, Evolve Nutrition and Health Solutions and MOW NSW)
Useful references
J Hum Nutr Diet. 2013 Aug;26(4):349-58. doi: 10.1111/jhn.12018. Epub 2012 Nov 30
Scientifica (Cairo). 2017; 2017: 4179326.
Published online 2017 Sep 28. doi:  10.1155/2017/4179326
https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Magnesium-HealthProfessional/