Why does the body need magnesium?

Magnesium (Mg) is one of the trace elements that play an important role in the body for strong bones, healthy heart and normal blood sugar. However, not everyone knows about the importance of magnesium for the body.

Magnesium is an essential mineral for the body to function properly. Magnesium is involved in hundreds of important body processes, including the process that controls how muscles and nerves work.
In fact, an adult woman needs about 310 milligrams of magnesium per day and 320 milligrams after the age of 30, while pregnant women need an additional 40 milligrams per day. Adult men under 31 need 400 milligrams and 420 milligrams if they're older. Children of any age should be offered between 30 and 410 milligrams, depending on their age and gender.
However, most people don't get enough magnesium every day. Nearly half of all Americans get the magnesium they need from their diets. Over time, low mineral levels can set the stage for a host of health problems, including type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure and migraines. Older adults, alcoholics, and people with type 2 diabetes or digestive problems are most likely to be deficient in magnesium, either because their bodies have eliminated too much magnesium or they not getting enough at the beginning.
But, when the body gets too much magnesium, it can also cause some health problems such as cramps or nausea. If you are healthy, your kidneys will remove less of the magnesium you get from food. The same is true if you take a laxative or antacid that contains magnesium. When used in high doses, the mineral can make people sicker.

Magnesium is an excellent mineral for the body, it is essential for energy production, muscle contraction, nerve function and maintaining strong bones. Therefore, it is necessary to supplement magnesium for the body every day. Here are some great benefits of magnesium:
Strengthens bones Magnesium plays a role in helping the body build new bone cells, increase bone mineral density, reduce the rate of fractures caused by osteoporosis. Magnesium is essential to promote calcium absorption. Without enough magnesium, calcium in the body can collect from soft tissues and cause arthritis. Studies show that women with osteoporosis tend to have lower magnesium levels than the general population.
Anti-inflammatory Inflammation is your immune system's response to potential harm. In the short term, anti-inflammatory helps the body fight viruses and heal wounds. But if the body is inflamed all the time, it can lead to health problems like heart disease, arthritis, and diabetes. Magnesium can help the body fight inflammation and solve health problems.
Protects the heart Magnesium helps pump blood to the heart, the right amounts of the mineral can reduce the chances of an irregular heartbeat, heart disease or a heart attack. Magnesium relaxes the walls of blood vessels, which can help lower blood pressure.

Prevents Migraines Experts think magnesium helps block or lower pain chemicals in your brain and keep your blood vessels from tightening. When the body does not get enough magnesium, it increases the risk of migraine. In particular, magnesium chloride significantly reduced symptoms of depression, anxiety disorders, regardless of age, sex compared to the degree of depression at baseline.
Reduces incidence of diabetes For people with diabetes, insulin helps keep your blood sugar stable and magnesium plays a role in insulin control. Magnesium has an impact on the hormone that metabolizes sugar in the body, so in some obese people regularly supplementing with magnesium reduces the risk of developing diabetes. In one study, people with the most magnesium in their diet were less likely to develop the disease than those with a magnesium deficiency.
Magnesium reduces the risk of stroke Many studies show that, when eating foods containing magnesium mineral, will reduce the rate of stroke. An ischemic stroke, which is when a blood clot blocks a blood vessel in the brain, is most common in the elderly. Regularly eating magnesium-rich foods also helps reduce your chances of having a stroke. Research shows that, if supplemented with 100 milligrams of magnesium per day, will reduce the risk of stroke by 8%.
Whole grain products, green leafy vegetables, nuts and beans will help supplement the body's natural magnesium. Foods that provide nearly 100 milligrams of magnesium per day include almonds or cashews, one cup of beans or brown rice, three-quarters of a cup of cooked spinach, or one cup of cooked oat bran cereal.

Article reference source: webmd.com