Why Magnesium? What you need to know

A primer to magnesium

The hardest working mineral in the body does more than you know.

Very few people give a moment’s thought to what goes on at the cellular level in our bodies. We have trillions and trillions of cells in our bodies, each one less than a nanogram, each one performing enzymatic reactions, energy transfers every millisecond. Magnesium is a pivotal part of this dance in and around our cells.

The multitasking mineral

Every cell in our body relies on magnesium. It’s known as the “spark of life” because without magnesium, the very process by which our cells derive energy ceases to function.

Magnesium is critical for the success of hundreds of biochemical or enzymatic reactions across all bodily systems: for our nerves, brain, muscles, bones, organs, and hormones—magnesium is essential.

There are only seven macro-minerals in the body, and magnesium is ranked fourth in terms of abundance. Magnesium’s multitasking properties are linked to the way it partners with other nutrients. Magnesium is a cooperative mineral, aligning itself with other nutrients to help them perform their functions.

Magnesium and calcium

Magnesium lives in the centre of the cell, and with adequate levels, keeps calcium on the outside of the cell where it belongs—until the body calls for energy and then calcium floods the cell.

Too much calcium and not enough magnesium creates an unhealthy balance, allowing calcium to seep into the cell. Calcium in the centre of the cell puts the body in a perpetual state of excitement.

There is ample evidence that tension-based conditions such as migraines, restless legs, muscle cramps, PMS and even day-to-day stress can be attributed to the troubling imbalance of too little magnesium and too much calcium.

The health benefits of magnesium

Every muscle and nerve in your body relies upon magnesium to maintain normal function. This includes the biggest muscle of them all: your heart. Magnesium also has a direct connection to the electrical system of your heart, keeping heart rhythm steady.

Magnesium has a crucial, yet little-known role in maintaining strong bones and teeth. It is the mineral that activates the vitamin D that assimilates calcium into your bones to help keep them strong.

This critical mineral also regulates blood sugar levels, promotes normal blood pressure, and is known to be involved in energy metabolism and protein synthesis. Protein synthesis is an enormously complicated process that utilizes DNA, RNA, amino acids, and ATP (energy) to form proteins at the rate of hundreds of proteins per second in a healthy cell.

Magnesium’s multitasking properties are so diverse that deficiency is thought to be a key contributor to the diseases described as Metabolic Syndrome. “Metabolic” refers to the chemical processes of an organism. Metabolic Syndrome is so named because the diseases of Metabolic Syndrome, specifically heart disease and diabetes, show similar deficiencies at the cellular level.

Magnesium is also instrumental for temperature regulation, electrolyte balance, and activating nutrients including the vitamin B group and omega 3’s, as well as crucial hormones such as melatonin and serotonin.

How much magnesium do you need?

According to Dr. Carolyn Dean, M.D., N.D. and bestselling author of The Magnesium Miracle, most North Americans aren’t getting enough magnesium. Dean recommends 500mg daily as a healthy starting place, in line with the common intake for adults 100 years ago.

Health Canada sets a lower bar, suggesting 350mg per day as an adequate intake. Even based on this modest figure, up to 65% of us fall short. Today, many Canadian adults are getting only 200 mg per day.

Unlike many nutrients, magnesium is depleted every 12 hours. It must be constantly replenished.

As a supplement, it’s non-toxic; any excess is safely eliminated. While too much magnesium is almost never a problem, too little can be a health disaster.

Who is deficient and why?

 “Both our current diet and tendency to over-supplement with calcium…makes getting enough magnesium almost impossible.”

– Dr. Carolyn Dean

The truth is, most of us just aren’t getting enough magnesium through food. Lifestyle, processed foods, and modern agriculture’s depleted soils are to blame. What magnesium we do ingest is often poorly absorbed or depleted by medication, caffeine, sugar, alcohol, excess calcium, and stress.

Low magnesium is even more dangerous given Canadians’ high intake of calcium through dairy, fortified foods and supplements. Calcium and magnesium need to be in balance for the chemistry of our cells to function properly. When calcium is in excess, we may experience symptoms of magnesium deficiency.

The common symptoms of magnesium deficiency

Magnesium deficiency can manifest as a number of symptoms because magnesium is such a wide-ranging, multi-tasking mineral. These include:

  • Headaches and migraines
  • Stress, nervousness, panic attacks, and anxiety
  • Insomnia and poor-quality sleep
  • Restless legs, muscle spasms, cramps, and twitching
  • Depression and irritability
  • Fatigue, low energy
  • Chronic neck and back pain, stiff, sore muscles
  • Sugar cravings and weight gain
  • Abnormal heart rhythm and palpitations
  • PMS and hormonal imbalances
  • Constipationindigestion, and acid reflux
  • Teeth grinding

Conditions associated with low magnesium

In addition to everyday symptoms, there are a number of conditions with strong links to low magnesium. These may include:

  • Alzheimer’s
  • Arthritis
  • Asthma
  • Blood clots
  • Bowel issues
  • Cardiovascular diseases
  • Cystitis
  • Diabetes
  • Hearing loss
  • Hypertension and heart disease
  • Irritable Bowel Syndrome
  • Kidney disease and kidney stones
  • Low bone density and osteoporosis

Research shows that supplementation with an effective, absorbable magnesium can be helpful.

If there’s just one thing you can add to change your health, make it magnesium!

Many of our customers aren’t the type to use supplements. We frequently hear that Natural Calm is the only natural health product many rely on daily.

It’s so simple, yet so effective.

Why? Because Natural Calm is the better magnesium. Here’s what people love about us:

  • Our proprietary magnesium citrate is highly absorbable, delivering fast relief from symptoms of deficiency
  • The great tasting flavours are organic and sweetened with organic stevia
  • Natural Calm is non-GMO, vegan, gluten-free, certified C.L.E.A.N. and R.A.W.

Natural Calm is the top-selling magnesium in North America, supported by thousands of five-star reviews on Amazon.com and on our website. It’s the winner of dozens of natural health product awards, and we’re so confident in our product, we offer a 100% money-back guarantee.

Is Natural Calm right for you?

Magnesium is a safe and effective supplement for most people. If you have kidney failure, myasthenia gravis, excessively slow heart rate or bowel obstruction, consult your healthcare practitioner before taking any supplements.

It’s easy to find the level of supplementation that’s right for you. Take Natural Calm to the point at which bowel movements are comfortably loose. If you experience diarrhea, take smaller, more frequent doses, or decrease total daily dosage.

Our transdermal magnesium gel, magnesium liquid and spray completely bypass the digestive tract. For those who wish to avoid any laxative effect, topical magnesium is a wonderful alternative.

This post is sponsored by Natural Calm Canada.

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