You may not know you’re lacking magnesium until it’s too late. Magnesium deficiency has been associated with type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, atherosclerotic disease, sudden cardiac death, migraines, and colon cancer. Nearly half the U.S. population consumes less than the required amount of magnesium from food. Magnesium is essential for brain health.
Magnesium and Brain Health
According to Healthline.com, magnesium is essential for energy and repair of neurons:
Magnesium Supplements for Brain Health
It’s crucial for seniors to maintain adequate levels of magnesium but because chronic conditions and medications can interfere with absorption, you may need to supplement. If you have high blood sugar, it causes magnesium levels to dwindle impairing both your nervous system and liver. If you take over-the-counter Proton Pump Inhibitors for an acid stomach, you can decrease the bioavailability of magnesium. Other causes of low magnesium include alcohol use, intestinal dysfunction, and stress.
Magnesium creates energy and facilitates DNA repair, but that is only a fraction of its use in the body. Our bodies require this mineral for more than 300 enzymatic reactions. When there is magnesium deficiency, whatever quantity is available is shuttled into short-term needs, leaving the important long-term need for DNA repair for later.
Greens Are Good Food for Magnesium
Chlorophyll, the energy-generating molecule that gives dark leafy greens their color, contains magnesium. It is also present in legumes, nuts, and seeds. If we don’t eat a lot of green vegetables or salads, we may lack sufficient magnesium. And with nutrient scarcity, the brain can’t use magnesium to repair damaged DNA because it needs it for short-term energy needs.
What can you do if you’re not eating salads daily? Supplementation can help. I was told by a naturopath that adding Magnesium Citrate would help with sugar cravings. She advised the citrate rather than the oxide version of this mineral. Citric acid is found naturally in citrus fruits, giving them a tart taste. Magnesium citrate improves the bioavailability of magnesium.
Different Forms of Magnesium
While there are many forms of magnesium available, magnesium citrate is helpful for people suffering from constipation, while the glycinate form is more useful for conditions like anxiety, insomnia, chronic stress, and inflammatory conditions.
It’s best to ask a health practitioner about dosages, especially if you don’t want the laxative effects of higher dosages. It is also used as a calming agent for depression and anxiety.
You can easily find Magnesium Citrate online or in stores. But note this: a recent study showed that people who ate just two servings of dark leafy greens a day had brains that looked eleven years younger on scans.
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