Magnesium: Introduction, Health Benefits, Sources and Deficiency
Created On: Apr 28, 2021
Dr. Chirag Sethi * and Dr. Swarna Anchal **
* Director, Classic Fitness Academy, New Delhi.
** Technical Writer, Classic Fitness Academy, New Delhi.
Introduction
Magnesium (Mg) is the fourth most important mineral in the body and one cannot get enough
of it even if he is taking a balanced diet. In our body, 60% magnesium is found in bones while
rest is in muscles, soft tissues, and blood. Recommended daily allowance (RDA) for
magnesium is 400 mg/day.
Functions:
Magnesium plays an important role in our body and is critical for almost all vital functions.
1) Boost exercise performance: While doing exercise our body may need 10–20% more
magnesium than when we are resting. Magnesium helps to move blood sugar into
muscles. It disposes of lactate hence less fatigue.
2) Benefits against Type 2 diabetes: Studies show that people who have low levels of
magnesium in their blood have less ability to keep blood sugar levels under control.
Magnesium is also helpful in reducing insulin resistance.
3) Lower blood pressure: Studies show that magnesium can lower blood pressure. In one
study, people who took magnesium (450 mg/day) showed a significant decrease in
systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
4) Anti-inflammatory benefits: Low magnesium intake is associated with chronic
inflammation, which is one of the drivers of aging, obesity, and chronic disease.
5) Magnesium supplements can reduce inflammatory markers in older adults, overweight
people, and those with the pre-diabetes condition.
6) Energy production: Magnesium helps in producing energy from glucose. It is a must for
the first step in glycolysis where glucose is converted to glucose-6-phosphate.
7) Others: Magnesium is required for bone and teeth structure formation, nerve and muscle
function, DNA replication, and RNA synthesis.
Sources
Many of the foods naturally contain magnesium as listed below. To boost the amount of
magnesium one should take healthy foods.
Sign and symptoms
Common signs and symptoms of magnesium deficiency include weakness and fatigue, muscle
cramps and spasm, muscle aches and stiffness, tingles and numbness, irregular heartbeats,
breathing difficulties, digestive problems such as constipation along mood changes.
The reasons for these signs can be varied which includes excess sweat, urine. Parathyroid
disorders can also lead to magnesium deficiency. Type 2 diabetes is also linked with
magnesium deficiency. Sometimes if the person is taking some medications such as diuretics,
antibiotics, and bisphosphates, which can also lead to its deficiency.
References:
(1) Nielsen FH, Lukaski HC (2006). Update on the relationship between magnesium and
exercise. Magnesium Research 19(3):180-9.
(2) Hsuan-Ying C, Fu-Chou C, Huan-Chuan P, Jaw-Cheng H, Ming-Fu W (2014).
Magnesium enhances exercise performance via increasing glucose availability in the
blood, muscle, and brain during exercise. PLoS One 9(1):85486.
(3) Grober U, Schmidt J, Kisters K (2015). Magnesium in Prevention and Therapy.
(4) Nutrients 7(9):8199-226.
(5) Barbagallo M, Dominguez LJ (2015.) Magnesium and type-2 diabetes. World Journal on
Diabetes 6(10):1152-7
(6) Guerrero-Romero F, Rodriguez-Moran M (2009). The effect of lowering blood pressure
by magnesium supplementation in diabetic hypertensive adults with low serum
magnesium levels: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial.
(7) Journal of Human Hypertension (4):245-51.
(8) Nielsen FH (2014). Effects of magnesium depletion on inflammation in chronic disease.
(9) Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care (6):525-30.
(10) Barbagallo M, Dominguez LJ (2010) Magnesium and aging. Current
Pharmaceutical Designs (7):832-9.
* Director, Classic Fitness Academy, New Delhi.
** Technical Writer, Classic Fitness Academy, New Delhi.
Introduction
Magnesium (Mg) is the fourth most important mineral in the body and one cannot get enough
of it even if he is taking a balanced diet. In our body, 60% magnesium is found in bones while
rest is in muscles, soft tissues, and blood. Recommended daily allowance (RDA) for
magnesium is 400 mg/day.
Functions:
Magnesium plays an important role in our body and is critical for almost all vital functions.
1) Boost exercise performance: While doing exercise our body may need 10–20% more
magnesium than when we are resting. Magnesium helps to move blood sugar into
muscles. It disposes of lactate hence less fatigue.
2) Benefits against Type 2 diabetes: Studies show that people who have low levels of
magnesium in their blood have less ability to keep blood sugar levels under control.
Magnesium is also helpful in reducing insulin resistance.
3) Lower blood pressure: Studies show that magnesium can lower blood pressure. In one
study, people who took magnesium (450 mg/day) showed a significant decrease in
systolic and diastolic blood pressure.
4) Anti-inflammatory benefits: Low magnesium intake is associated with chronic
inflammation, which is one of the drivers of aging, obesity, and chronic disease.
5) Magnesium supplements can reduce inflammatory markers in older adults, overweight
people, and those with the pre-diabetes condition.
6) Energy production: Magnesium helps in producing energy from glucose. It is a must for
the first step in glycolysis where glucose is converted to glucose-6-phosphate.
7) Others: Magnesium is required for bone and teeth structure formation, nerve and muscle
function, DNA replication, and RNA synthesis.
Sources
Many of the foods naturally contain magnesium as listed below. To boost the amount of
magnesium one should take healthy foods.
Sign and symptoms
Common signs and symptoms of magnesium deficiency include weakness and fatigue, muscle
cramps and spasm, muscle aches and stiffness, tingles and numbness, irregular heartbeats,
breathing difficulties, digestive problems such as constipation along mood changes.
The reasons for these signs can be varied which includes excess sweat, urine. Parathyroid
disorders can also lead to magnesium deficiency. Type 2 diabetes is also linked with
magnesium deficiency. Sometimes if the person is taking some medications such as diuretics,
antibiotics, and bisphosphates, which can also lead to its deficiency.
References:
(1) Nielsen FH, Lukaski HC (2006). Update on the relationship between magnesium and
exercise. Magnesium Research 19(3):180-9.
(2) Hsuan-Ying C, Fu-Chou C, Huan-Chuan P, Jaw-Cheng H, Ming-Fu W (2014).
Magnesium enhances exercise performance via increasing glucose availability in the
blood, muscle, and brain during exercise. PLoS One 9(1):85486.
(3) Grober U, Schmidt J, Kisters K (2015). Magnesium in Prevention and Therapy.
(4) Nutrients 7(9):8199-226.
(5) Barbagallo M, Dominguez LJ (2015.) Magnesium and type-2 diabetes. World Journal on
Diabetes 6(10):1152-7
(6) Guerrero-Romero F, Rodriguez-Moran M (2009). The effect of lowering blood pressure
by magnesium supplementation in diabetic hypertensive adults with low serum
magnesium levels: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial.
(7) Journal of Human Hypertension (4):245-51.
(8) Nielsen FH (2014). Effects of magnesium depletion on inflammation in chronic disease.
(9) Current Opinion in Clinical Nutrition and Metabolic Care (6):525-30.
(10) Barbagallo M, Dominguez LJ (2010) Magnesium and aging. Current
Pharmaceutical Designs (7):832-9.
