The fourth most prevalent mineral in your body is magnesium. Over 600 biological processes, including the synthesis of DNA and the contraction of your muscles, depend on it. Despite its significance, most folks have a deficiency of magnesium.
Weakness, sadness, high blood pressure, and heart disease have all been related to low magnesium levels, as have other detrimental health effects.
This article describes the physiological effects of magnesium and its advantages for health.
Low Magnesium Levels Warning Signs
How can you know if your magnesium level is too low and could cause a problem? The symptoms include
- Diminished appetite
- Weariness or overall weakness, or nausea
- Cramping or tingling in the muscles
- Muscular aches
- Convulsions
- Unsteady heartbeat
Magnesium Benefits
A stable level of Magnesium can support your body through multiple factors. Magnesium has been proven to provide the following health benefits.
1.) It helps in energy metabolism – People who are overweight or at risk for developing diabetes may benefit from improved glucose parameters thanks to magnesium’s function in the regulation of blood sugar. In participants with insulin resistance, a 2016 study published in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition indicated that magnesium helped stabilize glucose levels. Oral magnesium supplementation increased the ability of participants to lose weight, improved blood glucose levels, and reduced bloating and water retention. The decrease in bloating was significant enough that researchers proposed magnesium as a potential treatment for premenstrual syndrome symptoms (PMS). It’s vital to remember that individuals used calorie restriction and regular exercise to help them lose weight.
2.) Maintain normal muscle contraction and relaxation – Magnesium helps to control how hard the muscles contract. Magnesium works as a natural calcium blocker to aid with muscle relaxation, just like it does in the heart.
Calcium interacts with myosin and troponin C in your muscles. These proteins’ shapes are altered during this process, which causes a contraction. Magnesium and calcium fight for the same binding sites in order to aid in muscle relaxation.
Your muscles may contract excessively, leading to cramps or spasms, if your body doesn’t have enough magnesium to compete with calcium. Because of this, magnesium is frequently suggested as a treatment for cramps in the muscles.
However, research on magnesium’s capacity to ease cramps has produced conflicting results, with some even showing no benefit.
3.) Blood pressure regulation – For many people, high blood pressure is a health problem. It’s interesting to note that research suggests consuming magnesium may lower blood pressure.
In one study, those who consumed 450 mg of magnesium daily had their systolic and diastolic blood pressure readings drop by 20.4 and 8.7 points, respectively. A median dose of 368 mg of magnesium effectively lowered both systolic and diastolic pressure values in both healthy persons and those with high blood pressure, according to a study of 34 trials.
4.) Magnesium May Help Boost Athletic Performance – Magnesium is a key component in muscular contraction and may improve all aspects of exercise performance. First, research has shown that the body requires up to 20% more magnesium while exercising than it does while at rest. Magnesium specifically aids in lowering muscle lactic acid accumulation after exercise. Magnesium boosts workout efficacy and promotes weight loss because an excess of lactic acid can induce pain and muscular weariness.
Magnesium transfers blood sugar into the circulation for energy during exercise in addition to transporting lactic acid. It also makes more oxygen available to working muscles. According to a 2014 study published in the Journal of Sports Sciences, professional volleyball players’ arm and leaping ranges improved after they took a daily magnesium supplement of 250 milligrammes. Another study published in Cardiovascular Drugs and Therapy revealed that triathletes who were supplemented with magnesium for four weeks showed improved performance in long-distance running, cycling, and swimming. These athletes also tested lower for insulin resistance and cortisol, a stress hormone. Magnesium for losing weight may be a simple approach to assist make working out worthwhile if you’re seeking for a way to increase the impact of your workout.
5.) Reduces oxidative stress by inhibiting the generation of free radicals – Because this mineral functions as an antioxidant, participates in various processes as a cofactor, maintains the stability of cell membranes, and reduces the effects of oxidative stress, magnesium deficiency is linked to the onset of oxidative stress in obese people.
About the Author:
Mugdha Pradhan, CEO & Founder of iThrive, TedX speaker, Serial Entrepreneur, Author, and Orator has a Master’s Degree in Nutrition. A few years ago, when she struggled with her personal health issues, learning the nuances of Functional Medicine transformed Mugdha’s health and made her fit, happy and healthy. She moved from Canada to introduce Functional Nutrition for the first time in India through iThrive Healing & Beyond in 2019.
Mugdha also delivered a Ted talk in 2019 about how she dared to reinvent the current healthcare model to reverse the chronic disease epidemic. iThrive is centred on the concept of food as a tool for disease treatment. ‘How I dared to reinvent the current healthcare model to reverse the chronic disease epidemic,’ says Mugdha, following a period of ill health, she was inspired to change her life for the better and began researching the functional nutritive powers of food – an approach that is revolutionizing the nutrition industry.
iThrive is a health and wellness startup that focuses on reversing chronic health conditions and lifestyle diseases through Functional Nutrition using root cause analysis. It is backed by a team of highly qualified functional nutritionists that help people in reversing a multitude of health dysfunctions through their expertise, science-backed functional nutrition coaching and real-time response.
iThrive recently raised $350,000 in a pre-Series A round, which will be used to accelerate iThrive’s growth and scale all three verticals with technology: iThrive, iThrive Essentials & iThrive Academy.
Disclaimer:
The information contained in this article is for educational and informational purposes only and is not intended as a health advice. We would ask you to consult a qualified professional or medical expert to gain additional knowledge before you choose to consume any product or perform any exercise.
