Magnesium - An Important Mineral

It is very important to include Magnesium in our diet. Deficiencies of magnesium can be dangerous. However, Magnesium is a mineral that not many of us give any thought to. It is important to know all of the vitamins and minerals we need to get. We should all be eating a healthy and balanced diet.

All the cells in you body use magnesium. Magnesium keeps bones strong, helps maintain nerve and muscle functioning, and, perhaps most important, keeps the heart beating steadily. It's easy to see why a deficiency of this mineral is dangerous to your health. Magnesium can be found in naturally in green leafy vegetables, nuts, seed, and some whole grains.

It is imperative to eat a balanced diet full of healthy and nutritious foods. Though your body only needs a small amount of magnesium there is also only a small amount found in most of the foods listed above.

The symptoms of Magnesium deficiency include disorientation, confusion, depression, abnormal heartbeat, loss of appetite, cramps, numbness, and seizures. Magnesium deficiency is fairly uncommon. Magnesium deficiencies has been linked to over-consumption of alcohol. Magnesium is often depleted though the urine and magnesium deficiencies.

The best way to find out the recommended daily amount of magnesium is to consult with your doctor or nutritionist. In addition, you can find many books and websites that can help you determine your daily needs for magnesium consumption. This number is quite different for men, women, different age groups, pregnant women, and lactating women. It's important to how much magnesium you should be taking, and how much is in certain foods, so as to prevent any deficiencies.

If you think it's possible that you aren't getting enough magnesium in your diet, consider taking a magnesium supplement or a multi vitamin. If you have a deficiency in magnesium you may not be getting enough of other vitamins and minerals as well. The best way to get all vitamins and minerals is fresh and healthy foods, but the next best thing may be a multi vitamin.

Drastic changes in your eating habits should be considered if you find yourself relying on multi vitamins for all your dietary needs. There are a number of reasons that could require you to take a magnesium supplement. For example you may need to take a supplement to ensure you have enough magnesium in your diet if you have chronic mal-absorption.

Some studies have shown that magnesium helps to lower high blood pressure or hypertension. Whether or not this is true it cannot hurt to increase the number of vegetables and fruits you eat each day. Magnesium deficiencies have been linked to metabolic changes that may cause heart attacks or strokes. As you can see, magnesium is a very important mineral to have in your diet.

While magnesium is essential, there is also a danger of consuming too much magnesium. If you are relying on your diet to provide magnesium there is little risk of any overdose. However if you ingest too many supplements there is the danger of magnesium toxicity. There are a number of symptoms that are very similar to magnesium deficiencies, be wary of taking too many supplements, laxatives, and antacids.

Magnesium is an essential mineral, and you make careful to get the proper amounts of fruits and vegetables in your diet daily. If you eat a balanced diet, chances are you will never need to worry about a magnesium deficiency.

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Frank Landrens is the owner and operator of BHP Magnesium, a fantastic resource for information about magnesium, For more articles on magnesium why not visit: www.bhpmagnesium.com/articles
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