Tired? You May Have A Magnesium Deficiency
Have you been feeling a little off lately? Perhaps your energy levels have dropped pretty low and remain there throughout the day, or maybe you’re more easily irritated at things that never used to bother you as much. If you have noticed any of these changes, you could be experiencing a lack of magnesium in your diet. It’s actually surprisingly common for people to suffer from magnesium deficiency today. Here’s why you need this super important mineral, and how to incorporate more of it into your diet.
Why Do I Need Magnesium?
Considering it’s not a mineral that’s talked about too commonly, it is a bit surprising to learn that it’s actually vital for many physical reactions in your body. Magnesium contributes to regulating blood pressure, glucose levels in the blood, and energy metabolism. If that weren’t enough, magnesium also promotes healthy muscle and nerve function and boosts the effects of calcium on bone growth and strengthening. Magnesium also contributes to the prevention of diabetes, and can help with blood pressure and heart health.
Have I Been Getting Enough Magnesium?
In case it's not obvious by now, magnesium is absolutely crucial to maintaining good health all across your body. If you’ve been pretty stressed lately, you may be suffering from a deficiency of the mineral in your body. Carbonated beverages are also known to contribute to lower levels of magnesium in the bloodstream, as the phosphates contained in them actually bind with magnesium and therefore render it useless and unusable to the body. Refined sugar found in sweets, candy, and pastries also cause the body to lose magnesium by way of excreting it out of the kidneys. Caffeine has a similar effect, so if you drink coffee or tea regularly, you may be losing more magnesium than you should.
How Do I Get More Magnesium?
Adding a magnesium supplement into your daily routine is a good idea, even if you aren’t experiencing the stress, fatigue, and sleep difficulties that can come with a magnesium deficiency. Seek out chelated magnesium supplements, which are more easily absorbed into the body’s bloodstream. Bycontrast, magnesium oxide has the hardest time being absorbed into the body, so do your best to steer clear if those supplements. It’s also a good idea to incorporate foods such as Swiss cheese, pumpkin seeds, spinach, almonds, and cashews into your diet for and added magnesium intake. Foods rich in calcium will also help your body absorb more magnesium, so stock up on the dairy products as well.