According to a NAS report, 80 percent of American men and 70 percent of American women don’t get the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of magnesium from their diets and whatever supplements they are taking.
Described as the multi-tasking mineral, magnesium is a critical but often overlooked nutrient, known for the prevention of such diseases as asthma, diabetes, heart disease, insomnia, migraines, osteoporosis, and many more.
And, this isn’t really surprising since magnesium plays a key role in over 325 enzyme reactions in the body, from energy production to cholesterol control.
In January, 2003, Dr. Dean published the first edition of The Magnesium Miracle, after studying and writing about magnesium for about 15 years. She is currently working on the third edition of this book.
“What I want to convey today is the importance of magnesium, how you can get it, how you can know how much you require in your body, and the incredible benefits from using this simple mineral,”- she says.
Why Not Magnesium?
Here are the top 22 conditions that may be caused by magnesium deficiency, taken from The Magnesium Miracle. Each of these can be treated with magnesium supplementation.
- Anxiety and panic attacks.
- Asthma.
- Blood clots.
- Bowel disease induced by constipation.
- Cystitis and bladder spasms.
- Depression.
- Diabetes.
- Fatigue.
- Heart disease.
- Hypertension.
- Hypoglycemia.
- Insomnia.
- Kidney stones.
- Migraine.
- Musculoskeletal conditions including fibrositis; fibromyalgia; muscle spasms; eye twitches; cramps; and chronic neck and back pain.
- Nerve problems including migraines; muscle contractions; gastrointestinal spasms; calf, foot and toe cramps; vertigo; and confusion.
- Premenstrual Syndrome; dysmenorrhea; infertility; premature contractions; preeclampsia; and eclampsia in pregnancy.
- Osteoporosis.
- Raynaud’s syndrome.
- Sudden infant death syndrome.
- Tooth decay.
- Toxicity.
Lack Of Magnesium in the Diet
Cooking and processing reduces the magnesium levels in foods.Even from those foods high in magnesium. Alcohol, coffee, sugar, and high protein in the diet are also responsible for diminished magnesium levels in the body.
Seaweed, deep green leafy vegetables, nuts, seeds, and dark chocolate are rich in magnesium.
Lack of Magnesium on the Farm
Magnesium can also be depleted within the soil, even before we start destroying it in the kitchen. Magnesium is not a component of modern-day fertilizers, andwhen the plants have used up all the magnesium in the soil, unless it’s replaced, there is none in the next crop.
In her book, The Magnesium Miracle, Dr. Dean lists 100 factors that will help you decide whether or not you might be deficient. You can also follow the instructions in her blog post, “Gauging Magnesium Deficiency Symptoms,” which will give you a checklist to go through every few weeks. This will help you gauge how much magnesium you need in order to take away your deficiency symptoms.
Source: Organic Health