When I think of magnesium, my mind takes me back to chemistry lessons at school. Our teacher, sporting a rather large pair of safety goggles, would take pieces of magnesium and hold them in the flame of the Bunsen burner. A brilliant, glowing, white light was produced and everyone would stare at the pretty light in awe. Magnesium, however, is much more than a white shining light and it plays a special and crucial role in our bodies!
Magnesium, also known by the chemical symbol Mg, is a mineral that is used by every organ in the body but most specifically the heart, the muscles and the kidneys. It is an essential mineral that is required by the body for maintaining normal muscle and nerve function, keeping a healthy immune system, maintaining heart rhythm and building strong bones. Magnesium is also involved in at least 300 biochemical reactions all over the body! This surely proves how important it is to have a sufficient amount floating around and in use at different parts all around our bodies. The importance of magnesium, especially for menopause women can not be addressed enough. shortage or lack of magnesium can cause a great deal of stress for the body's systems. Which can cause lack of sleep, inability to relax, irritable feet, constipation and so forth. Stress, often caused by the onset of menopause or transformation process while women go through menopause, can easily deplete the body of magnesium or result in reduced amounts available for the various body's functions like metabolism and relaxation.
The importance of magnesium for menopause and stress is therefore vital and women should make sure to have adequate amounts in their daily diet or supplement on a good quality magnesium from time to time.
If you are prone to suffer from unexplained fatigue, abnormal heart rhythms or even muscle spasms, a magnesium deficiency could be the root cause. However, it can often be hard to know whether you have a deficiency or not. After a blood test, many assume that it will reveal the answers. But only 1% of the magnesium in the body is distributed in the blood, with most of it being stored in the bones and organs. Therefore, it is quite possible to be deficient and also completely unaware of it. These are a number of early signs that can help you identify whether you have a magnesium deficiency. These include loss of appetite, headaches, nausea and fatigue. Conversely, consuming too much magnesium can also have negative side effects such as diarrhoea as the body attempts to get rid of the excess magnesium by excretion.
Magnesium is a necessary mineral and aids in many different jobs around the body. It activates muscles and nerves and it creates energy in the body through the production of ATP (the energy storage unit of the body’s cells). It also helps digest proteins, carbohydrates and fats and serves as a building block for RNA and DNA synthesis where proteins and new cells are made. It plays an important role in mineral balance which is necessary to maintain cell life.
Many people take magnesium as a supplement on a daily basis to avoid magnesium deficiency. However, there are many foods that are rich in this mineral that you can consume too. Foods high in magnesium typically include dark leafy greens, nuts, seeds, beans, whole grains, avocados, bananas and dark chocolate and many more. The current daily value for magnesium is 400mg. A dark leafy green with a high magnesium content is raw spinach with 1 cup containing 24mg which is 6% of the daily value. Squash and pumpkin seeds on the other hand have a much higher magnesium content with 1 cup containing 606mg which is a massive 152% of the daily value! Which is good news for those loving a courgette brownie.
For some super tasty food ideas, why not try Avocado Chocolate Mousse. Containing avocado, banana and raw cacao, this is the perfect treat to indulge on but at the same time get your magnesium fix. You can also make a tasty Spicy Pumpkin Seed Snack, rich in magnesium. Start by soaking them for 12 hours and then discard the water. Prepare your favourite spice mix. I tend to use paprika, cayenne pepper, cinnamon and black pepper with a dash of tamari sauce. Cover the pumpkin seeds with the mixture and dry in your oven or dehydrator, if you have one, until dry and crunchy. Then store in an airtight jar and munch on this delicious snack between meals.
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