Overview

The contributions of the mineral magnesium to overall health has been largely overlooked until recent years. The latest research suggests that magnesium may play a vital role in facilitating healing and promoting health in the human body in conditions as diverse as fibromyalgia and diabetes. Studies conducted over the past ten years suggest that magnesium plays a role in preventing heart disease and cancer, relieves the symptoms of asthma, lessens the effects of PMS and reduce emotional irritability in cases of chronic depression.

Unfortunately, because the American diet relies so heavily on processed food, few Americans get the level of magnesium their bodies need for optimal functioning. While full-blown magnesium deficiency is rare, there’s reason to believe that many American adults suffer from sub-clinical magnesium deficiency. Many doctors recommend a supplement that contains magnesium, specifically magnesium citrate which is most easily absorbed by the body, along with enzymes and other nutrients that facilitate its use and absorption.

What Magnesium  Does:

Magnesium plays a part in literally hundreds of chemical and electrical processes in the body. Among the conditions where magnesium supplementation may be helpful are asthma, inflammatory bowel disease, attention deficit disorder, atherosclerosis, connective tissue disorders, diabetes, migraines and depression. Magnesium is a catalyst or cofactor in metabolic processes that help break down proteins and fats, assists in metabolizing sugar, keeps heart rhythm regular, supports a healthy immune system, works with calcium to help build strong bones and promotes healthy blood pressure levels.

Health Benefits of Magnesium:

Magnesium has recently been proven effective in facilitating treatment by conventional methods of a number of illnesses and ailments. Some of the conditions in which magnesium has proven helpful include:

• Asthma and Emphysema

A study of over 1200 school children and another with 2600 adult participants indicated that those with low dietary intake of magnesium were at grater risk of developing asthma. In addition, intravenous magnesium has proven useful in treating acute attacks of asthma in children.

• Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

In one study of 119 children with ADHD, 95% were found to have mild magnesium deficiency. In another study, 75 children with both ADHD and a magnesium deficiency were treated with either just ADHD medication, or ADHD medication and a magnesium supplement. The children whose magnesium deficiency was treated showed a significant improvement to behavior, concentration and irritability.

• Diabetes

One small study suggests that taking magnesium supplements may improve the effectiveness of insulin and help lower blood sugar levels.

• Heart Disease

Magnesium is vital to the proper functioning of the heart. It is used by doctors to treat arrhythmia of the heart, and is often suggested for those who have congestive heart failure.

• Irritable Bowel Syndrome

There is preliminary evidence that supplementation with magnesium may be helpful in preventing flare-ups of IBD.

• Menopause

Some medical practitioners suggest that calcium and magnesium be taken together throughout menopause to help minimize bone mass loss.

• Migraine

Several studies have shown that migraine sufferers tend to have lowered levels of magnesium. Supplements that contain magnesium have shown some promise as an alternative to migraine prevention medications.

• Preeclampsia

And eclampsia are treated with magnesium intravenously in the hospital.

• PMS

Magnesium seems to alleviate the symptoms of PMS, particularly those associated with mood swings and bloating, leg swelling and breast tenderness.

• Stroke

Population based studies suggest that those with lower levels of magnesium in their diets are at a greater risk for stroke.

Recommended Daily Intake of Magnesium

• Children 1 to 3 years: 80 mg

• Children 4 to 8 years: 130 mg

• Boys 9 to 13 years: 240 mg

• Teenage boys 14 to 18 years: 410 mg

• Girls 9 to 13 years: 240 mg

• Teenage girls 14 to 18 years: 360 mg

• Pregnant teenagers 14 to 18 years: 400 mg

• Breastfeeding teenagers 14 to 18 years: 360 mg

Adult

• Men 19 to 30 years: 400 mg

• Men 31 years and older: 420 mg

• Women 19 to 30 years:  310 mg

• Women 51 years and older: 320 mg

• Pregnant women 19 years and older: 360 mg

• Breastfeeding women 19 years and older: 320 mg

Symptoms of Magnesium Deficiency:

Symptoms of magnesium deficiency include agitation and anxiety, irritability, nausea and vomiting, abnormal heart rhythms, confusion, muscle spasm and weakness, hyperventilation, insomnia, and poor nail growth. In more severe cases, there may be seizures.

Magnesium Toxicity

Magnesium, when taken at normal levels, has few to no side effects. However, overdoses of magnesium can have serious health consequences, including nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, confusion, lowered blood pressure, low heart rate, coma and death.

Because magnesium and calcium compete for chemical pathways in the body, it is strongly suggested that magnesium and calcium be taken together to ensure a balance of the two nutrient minerals.

Summary

Because of the low incidence of side effects and the great number of conditions that seem to be affected by low level magnesium deficiency, many health practitioners suggest taking a health supplement that includes both magnesium and calcium, along with other nutrients that are important in maintaining healthy systems. A fully balanced health supplement like Xtend-Life Natural Product’s Total Balance includes calcium, magnesium, selenium and over 70 other nutrients, vitamins and minerals that your body needs to be totally healthy. Xtend-Life carefully balances all the ingredients in Total Balance to be certain that they work synergistically with each other to give you the total benefit of each and every one of the nutrients included.