I've been reading about the need for sufficient magnesium in the body lately and been wondering if it would be a good idea to take a supplement.
Here's an excerpt from wikipedia on the symptoms of deficiency;
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Magnesi...%28medicine%29Symptoms
Symptoms of magnesium deficiency include: hyperexcitability, muscle weakness and fatigue.[1] Severe magnesium deficiency can cause hypocalcemia, low serum potassium levels (hypokalemia), retention of sodium, low circulating levels of PTH, neurological and muscular symptoms (tremor, muscle spasms, tetany), loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, personality changes [2] and death from heart failure.[3] Magnesium plays an important role in carbohydrate metabolism and its deficiency may worsen insulin resistance, a condition that often precedes diabetes, or may be a consequence of insulin resistance.[4] Deficiency can cause irregular heart beats.
The EC RDA of magnesium citrate is 300mg. It seems to vary dependant on the source of the magnesium since some magnesium sources are less bioavailable such as the cheaper magnesium oxide. (Holland & Barrett magnesium oxide 250mg tablets only count as 67% of RDA whereas 300mg magnesium citrate counts as 100%)
http://www.gvtc.co.uk/articles/article008.html
Sources of magnesium
Food Magnesium Content
(milligrams per 100g)Pumpkin seeds (roasted) 532 Almonds 300 Brazil nuts 225 Sesame seeds 200 Peanuts (roasted, salted) 183 Walnuts 158 Rice (whole grain brown) 110 Wholemeal bread 85 Spinach 80 Cooked beans 40 Broccoli 30 Banana 29 Potato (baked) 25 White bread 20 Cow's milk
10 Rice (white) 6 Apple 4
Vegan sources of magnesium
Now personally, I don't think I get nearly 300mg from natural sources. I can see that you could, but we don't, not least because the best sources are expensive and fattening.
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