Magnesium
Magnesium is an essential mineral in the human body.
It participates in many processes in the human body, helps create proteins, and assists in muscle functioning. Magnesium is important for the proper functioning of the heart. It prevents arrhythmias. Magnesium also helps maintain normal blood pressure, is important for building bones and the immune system and helps prevent migraines. Magnesium helps reduce blood pressure and reduces the risk of type 2 diabetes. It helps decrease sugars and insulin resistance. In addition, magnesium increases bone density and prevents osteoporosis and fractures.
The symptoms of magnesium shortage:
• Loss of appetite
• Nausea, vomiting
• Fatigue
• Weakness
• Muscle cramps
• Convulsions
• Vibration of limbs
• Changes in heart rate
The damage caused by magnesium deficiency:
Magnesium deficiency can cause muscle cramps, osteoporosis (bone thinning), high blood pressure, diabetes, stroke, atherosclerosis, heart rhythm disorders, and risk of heart attack, indigestion, diarrhea, constipation, tremors, headaches, nausea, and dizziness. Magnesium shortage also leads to deficiency in potassium, sodium and calcium.
Diseases that cause magnesium deficiency:
· Liver diseases
· Heart failure
· Renal failure
· Inflammatory bowel disease
· Pancreatitis
· Alcoholism
· type 2 diabetes
Other causes of magnesium deficiency:
• Increasing age - With increasing age, the level of magnesium in the body decreases.
• Loss of magnesium in sweat and urine.
• Drinking desalinated water - desalination of water removes the salts and minerals from the water, including magnesium. Tap water in Israel and elsewhere is mixed with desalinated water and therefore has less magnesium. Therefore, it is recommended to take a magnesium supplement to complete the magnesium deficiency.
• Processed food - In modern Western society we consume processed food and less vegetables and fruits and as a result there is a lack of magnesium in the body.
Types of foods that contain magnesium:
Magnesium is found in green vegetables (especially green leaves), whole grains, nuts, seeds, bananas and legumes.
Potassium
Potassium is an essential mineral in the human body. It participates in the process of muscle contraction and transformation of nerve information through nerve cells. It also participates in the metabolic process and thus it helps in producing energy from proteins, fats and carbohydrates.
Potassium deficiency can cause weakness and fatigue, muscle aches, heart rhythm disturbances, difficulty in breathing, high blood pressure, and diabetes.
The symptoms that appear when the blood sugar level rises for an extended period of time are increased thirst and increased urination.
Causes of potassium deficiency:
• Kidneys that are not functioning properly. The kidneys are responsible for regulating potassium levels. They cause it to be excreted in the urine when it is too high and to reduce the amount of urine when there is no potassium in the body.
• Magnesium deficiency can cause potassium deficiency.
• Insulin treatment for diabetics causes potassium to enter the cells and as a result there is a deficiency of potassium in the blood.
• Taking diuretics.
• Other medicines: Ventolin, medicines for blood pressure and medicines for heart failure.
• Increased consumption of salt in food. Salt contains sodium which causes increased excretion of potassium in the urine.
• The secretion of adrenaline into the blood, in stressful situations, causes the entry of potassium into the cells of the body and decreases the level of potassium in the blood.
• Drug use decreases the level of potassium in the blood.
Foods that contain potassium:
• Meat
• Fish
• Vegetables
• Fruits
• Legumes
• Nuts
• Almonds
• Dairy products
The stated above does not constitute a medical advice. Please consult your healthcare provider with any question or concerns you have on your medical condition.
The importance of magnesium and its effect on the digestive system
Magnesium is an essential mineral for the proper functioning of various systems in the body. Many in the general public know about the important role that magnesium plays in building bones and regulating the activity of muscles and nerves; in maintaining a stable heart rate; normal blood pressure; the proper functioning of the immune system; and regulating blood sugar levels. However, the general public is much less aware of the virtues of magnesium when it comes to helping the digestive system in the human body.
Why are good digestion and gut health so important?
At least 70 percent of the immune system may be in the gut, where "good" bacteria work to maintain a balanced environment and body health. If this balance is disturbed, it can affect the health of the entire body, which is why maintaining the proper functioning of the digestive system should be an integral part of our daily health routine. Taking care for the gut is one of the best ways to support overall wellness.
How does magnesium help with digestion?
- In the digestive process, three primary enzymes turn food into nutrients that can be absorbed and assimilated by the body. Magnesium plays an important role in many enzymes systems within the body. Some of these processes involve the production of energy from the exchange of proteins, carbohydrates and fat metabolism.
- The intestines are made up of a muscle called a "smooth muscle", which is responsible for moving the food and pushing it forward in an action called peristalsis. In this way, the food makes its way from the small intestine - where most of the food components are absorbed, to the large intestine - where the fluids are absorbed and eventually out through the anus.
Magnesium works in three ways:
- First, magnesium helps to relax the smooth muscle in the intestinal wall, thus aiding in the process of moving food forward in the same peristaltic movement.
- Second, it helps absorb water into the gut, which softens the stool and makes it easier to move.
- Third, magnesium also helps to relax the anus muscles, where the waste of food goes out after the digestion process is over.
Through these three ways, in addition to the important role that magnesium plays in the process of digesting food and getting the waste out of the body, it also helps a lot in relieving constipation.
Notably, sometimes magnesium can cause watery and liquid stools. Therefore, although it is an extremely essential mineral for the human body, with an emphasis on the digestive system, people should be consulted with their healthcare provider before taking it, as with any other dietary supplement.
Another interesting effect of magnesium, indirectly related to the digestive system, is its effect on the feeling of thirst. If there is a deficiency in this mineral, it is possible that the body will subsequently translate the feeling of thirst that arises in it into a desire for sweetness. Food high in sugar and sweets are so common in our society, and it seems that everyone is struggling with the craving for them. But there are a number of reasons why people suffer from an uncontrollable urge to sweets more than others. One of these reasons is the aforementioned magnesium deficiency. Therefore, if it has been a while since the last blood tests, it is advisable to ask your healthcare provider for another set of blood tests. If a magnesium deficiency is discovered, it will be possible to take a dietary supplement to solve it.
Indeed, consuming a sufficient amount of magnesium through diet is becoming increasingly difficult in the Western world. This is due to various reasons that include, among others, food processing, lack of food diversity, magnesium deficiency in drinking water, medications and / or chronic diseases that impair the processes of magnesium absorption in the body. In fact, even if one adheres to a diet based on magnesium-rich sources like green leaves, beans, nuts and legumes, most of today's crops grow in soil so poor in minerals that even the healthiest foods are still low in magnesium. The vitality of magnesium for the proper functioning of various systems in the body, including the digestive system, is so great that it is worthwhile to ensure adequate consumption of this essential mineral.
Magnesium Deficiency
Magnesium is the most important mineral for heart health.
As a result of the desalination of water in many countries, people drink desalinated water without magnesium.
The agricultural products we eat grows on soil with low and decreasing levels of magnesium.
We also lose magnesium through sweating, urine, stress and mental strain.
As a result, there is a risk of magnesium deficiency in our body.
Magnesium deficiency can cause heart rhythm disturbances, fatigue and cramps and muscle aches.
Magnesium improves heart rate, helps lower blood pressure, helps relax contracted muscles, reduces the risk of blood clots forming in the arteries and helps lower cholesterol.
Do not take magnesium if you are taking medicines to lower your blood pressure.
For athletes:
Magnesium helps to produce energy in the body, to relax muscles and prevent muscle cramps.
Those who engage in sports lose magnesium in sweat and urine so it is especially important for athletes to consume magnesium supplements to maintain a balanced amount of magnesium in the body.
The stated above does not constitute a medical advice. Please consult your healthcare provider with any question or concerns you have on your medical condition.
