Magnesium is an essential mineral that the body needs in order to function and maintain good health. While most people understand the value of certain vitamins and other supplements, magnesium is almost always overlooked by consumers as a critical nutrient. With Magnesium being the 4th most prominent nutrient in our body, consumers need to understand why this nutrient is required for overall health and optimized performance.
One Mineral Working Many Fronts
Magnesium regulates bodily functions and facilitates key chemical processes that help performance and relaxation. In fact, Magnesium is involved in more than 300 different enzyme activities that help regulate biochemical reactions in our bodies.
- Energy creation: converting food into energy
- Protein formation: creating new proteins from amino acids
- Gene maintenance: helping create and repair DNA and RNA
- Muscle movements: aiding in muscle contraction and relaxation
- Nervous system regulation: regulating neurotransmitters, which send messages throughout your brain and nervous system
The nutrient also plays a key role in supporting the following aspects of our health:
- Boost Exercise performance: Help move blood sugar into your muscles and dispose of lactate, which can build up during exercise
- Combat Depression: Plays a key role in brain function and mood, with low levels being linked to an increased risk of depression
- Support healthy blood sugar: Studies suggest that about 48% of people with type 2 diabetes have low blood levels of magnesium, which may impair the body’s ability to regulate blood sugar levels effectively
- Promote heart health: Studies show that magnesium supplements can help lower high blood pressure levels, which may be a risk factor for heart disease.
- Prevent Migraines: Some researchers believe that people with migraine are more likely than others to have a magnesium deficiency. In fact, several studies suggest that magnesium supplements may even prevent and treat migraine headaches
- Promote bone health: Magnesium is crucial for maintaining bone health and protecting against bone loss. In fact, 50–60% of your body’s magnesium is found in your bones.
- Support better sleep: Magnesium supplements are often used as a natural remedy for sleep issues such as insomnia. This is because magnesium regulates several neurotransmitters involved in sleep, such as gamma-aminobutyric acid.
Signs of Magnesium Deficiency:
Magnesium deficiency is very common, affecting an estimated 50 percent of adults in the United States. Despite magnesium playing such an important role in an abundance of bodily functions, it is not usually looked at in routine bloodwork. However, if people are experiencing certain symptoms and are noticing a continuous trend in these issues, it may be a result of a magnesium deficiency.
Symptoms may include:
- Muscle cramps and spasms
- Diarrhea or vomiting
- Fatigue and low energy
- Insomnia
- Heightened anxiety and/or depression
The symptoms listed above can be indications of many different medical disorders, including magnesium deficiency. If you experience any of these symptoms, it’s important to see your doctor for a full evaluation.
Can I Get Enough Magnesium Through My Diet?
The body does not produce magnesium so it must come from outside sources, either from the food you eat or dietary supplements. The recommended daily allowances (RDA) for magnesium are:
400-420 mg. per day for men 19-51 years of age
310-320 mg. per day for women 19-51 years of age
350-360 mg. per day for pregnant women
Adults over 51 should aim for the upper limit of the recommended range for their gender
Where can I get magnesium?
Magnesium is abundant in a healthy vegan diet and it’s easy to get enough from diet alone. On the other hand, a diet high in processed foods can be lacking in magnesium. It’s best to get your magnesium from diet as high intakes from supplements may reach excessive levels and affect your calcium absorption, cause heartbeat irregularities and confusion. Doses over 400 milligrams can also cause nausea and diarrhea.
With ARM protein offering almost 200 mg of Magnesium/single serving, our protein blend makes it easy and convenient to not only reach your daily magnesium daily-value, but provide an excellent source of protein (21g) and BCAA (2.5g).
Currently, our chocolate almond protein boasts one of the highest magnesium nutrient levels in the vegan space and is just one of the aspects our customers love our all-natural, vegan almond protein.
