Approximately 80% of adults are magnesium deficient. The Recommended Dietary Allowance(RDA) for men is 400mg and women is 310mg.
Magnesium is required for
- Protein synthesis
- Blood sugar regulation
- Energy metabolism
- Blood pressure regulation
- Nerve function
- Neurotransmitter release
- Decrease constipation
Deficiency Can Result In:
- Insomnia – magnesium is important in the function of GABA, a neurotransmitter that calms the brain and promotes relaxation(1)
- Anxiety – with GABA unable calm the mind, there will be bouts of irritability and nervousness leading to higher levels of anxiety, depression and hallucinations. Magnesium has shown to calm the body, muscles, and mind and help improve mood.(2)
- Leg Cramps – I used to get leg cramps in the middle of the night when I was in high school. It was very annoying and I had to make sure I laid in a relaxed position and did not stretch my legs. Later on I discovered I was deficient in magnesium. Supplementing it helped stop the cramps. Such a relief! There are studies to back up the correlation between leg cramps and magnesium as magnesium plays a role in neuromuscular signaling and muscle contraction (3,4)
- Hypertension – in 2012, the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition found a diet high in magnesium helps decreases the risk of strokes. (5)
- Risk for type 2 diabetes (6)
- Frequency of headaches & migraines (7)
- Stress increases magnesium burn rate
Foods High in Magnesium
- Yogurt or Kefir — 1 cup: 50 milligrams
- Pumpkin seeds — 1/8 cup: 92 milligrams
- Almonds — 1 ounce: 80 milligrams
- Spinach — 1 cup: 157 milligrams
- Figs — ½ cup: 50 milligrams
- Dark Chocolate — 1 square: 95 milligrams
- Banana — 1 medium: 32 milligrams
- Chard — 1 cup: 154 milligrams
- Black Beans — ½ cup: 60 milligrams
- Avocado — 1 medium: 58 milligrams
- Baked Sweet Potatoes – 1 baked potato with skin contains 50milligrams
- Tofu – in 150g serving, there is 40-80 milligrams of magnesium
- Fish – 1 serving of fatty fish(ie salmon) contain 92 milligrams
- Quinoa – 1/2 cup: 62 milligrams
Co-factors
- Vitamin B6, boron, and bicarbonate help magnesium get inside the cell
