6 reasons to eat more magnesium-rich foods:
Magnesium is a mineral that is used in almost every part of the body.
According to Medline Plus, “Magnesium is needed for more than 300 biochemical reactions in the body. It helps to maintain normal nerve and muscle function, supports a healthy immune system, keeps the heart beat steady, and helps bones remain strong. It also helps regulate blood glucose levels and aid in the production of energy and protein.”
Let’s take a look at 6 reasons to eat more magnesium-rich foods:
1. Bone health:
Magnesium has been linked to bone density. Magnesium levels in bones do decrease with age. Magnesium works with calcium to help makes bones denser. The beauty of magnesium is that it helps extract calcium from the blood and brings it to the bones.
2. Helps with fibromyalgia:
According to Mayo Clinic, “Fibromyalgia is a disorder characterized by widespread musculoskeletal pain accompanied by fatigue, sleep, memory and mood issues. Researchers believe that fibromyalgia amplifies painful sensations by affecting the way your brain processes pain signals.” Research from the University of Texas shows that magnesium supplementation may help with pain and tenderness symptoms from fibromyalgia.
3. Lowers heart disease death risk:
Magnesium is essential to heart health. A study published in the journal Atherosclerosis found that people with low magnesium levels had twice the risk of heart disease mortality, and were 7 times more likely to die from all causes.
4. May lower colon cancer risk:
Low magnesium levels have been linked to a higher risk of colorectal cancer, and by the same token, high levels of magnesium have been linked to a lower risk. A large-scale study from the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition of over 300,000 participants found that high magnesium intake was linked to an 11 percent decrease in colon cancer risk.
5. May prevent migraines:
Magnesium may help reduce the severity and longevity of migraines. One study showed that taking magnesium oxide for 3 months significantly lowered the frequency and severity of migraines in the participants. Another study from Kaiser Permanente showed that supplementing children with magnesium reduced the amount of time they had migraines.
6. Regulates blood sugar:
Low magnesium levels are common amongst persons with type-2 diabetes. A study from the journal Diabetes Care found that magnesium supplementation helps regulate blood sugar in type-2 diabetics.
The best way to reaping the benefits is to include the following foods in your diet:
• Fruits and vegetables (spinach, chard, bananas, figs)
• Peas, beans, and legumes, and seeds
• Nuts (almonds and cashews)
• Whole grains (brown rice, quinoa)
Note: None of the information in our website is intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent any illness or disease. The content on our website is for educational purposes only.
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REFERENCES:
1. “7 Reasons to Get More Magnesium.” GreenMedInfo.com. GreenMedInfo.com, 1 May 2015. Web. 20 May 2015.
2. “Magnesium in Diet.” Medline Plus. U.S. National Library of Medicine, n.d. Web. 20 May 2015.
3. “Low Serum Magnesium Concentrations Predict Cardiovascular and All-cause Mortality.” National Center for Biotechnology Information. Atherosclerosis, Nov. 2011. Web. 20 May 2015.
4. “The Effects of Magnesium, L-carnitine, and Concurrent Magnesium-L-carnitine Supplementation in Migraine Prophylaxis.” National Center for Biotechnology Information. U.S. National Library of Medicine, Dec. 2012. Web. 20 May 2015.
5. “Oral Magnesium Oxide Prophylaxis of Frequent Migrainous Headache in Children: A Randomized, Double-blind, Placebo-controlled Trial.” National Center for Biotechnology Information. U.S. National Library of Medicine, n.d. Web. 20 May 2015.
6. “The Effect of Magnesium Supplementation in Increasing Doses on the Control of Type 2 Diabetes.” National Center for Biotechnology Information. Diabetes Care, May 1998. Web. 20 May 2015.
7. “Fibromyalgia.” Mayo Clinic. Mayo Clinic, n.d. Web. 20 May 2015.
8. “Treatment of Fibromyalgia Syndrome with Super Malic: A Randomized, Double Blind, Placebo Controlled, Crossover Pilot Study.” National Center for Biotechnology Information. U.S. National Library of Medicine, n.d. Web. 20 May 2015.
9. “Magnesium Intake and Risk of Colorectal Cancer: A Meta-analysis of Prospective Studies.” Nature.com. European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 3 Oct. 2012. Web. 20 May 2015.
10. “Top 10 Magnesium Rich Foods Plus Proven Benefits.” Dr. Axe. Dr. Axe, 26 Feb. 2014. Web. 20 May 2015.
