Skip to main content

Magnesium, an Essential for the Body

Good information on magnesium from the Web MD:
Magnesium is a mineral that is important for normal bone structure in the body. People get magnesium from their diet, but sometimes magnesium supplements are needed if magnesium levels are too low. Dietary intake of magnesium may be low, particularly among women. Magnesium deficiency is also not uncommon among African Americans and the elderly. Low magnesium levels in the body have been linked to diseases such as osteoporosis, high blood pressure, clogged arteries, hereditary heart disease, diabetes, and stroke. 
An easy way to remember foods that are good magnesium sources is to think fiber. Foods that are high in fiber are generally high in magnesium. Dietary sources of magnesium include legumes, whole grains, vegetables (especially broccoli, squash, and green leafy vegetables), seeds, and nuts (especially almonds). Other sources include dairy products, meats, chocolate, and coffee. Water with a high mineral content, or "hard" water, is also a source of magnesium. 
People take magnesium by mouth to prevent magnesium deficiency. It is also used as a laxative for constipation and for preparation of the bowel for surgical or diagnostic procedures. It is also used as an antacid for acid indigestion. 
Some people use magnesium for diseases of the heart and blood vessels including chest pain, irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure, high levels of "bad" cholesterol called low-density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol, low levels of "good" cholesterol called high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol, heart valve disease (mitral valve prolapse), metabolic syndrome, clogged arteries (coronary artery disease), stroke, and heart attack
Magnesium is also used for treating attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), anxiety, chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), Lyme disease, fibromyalgia, cystic fibrosis, alcoholism, mania, recovery after surgery, leg cramps at night and during pregnancy, diabetes, kidney stones, migraine headaches, a long-term pain condition called complex regional pain syndrome, weak bones (osteoporosis), premenstrual syndrome (PMS), altitude sickness, urinary incontinence, a condition that causes burning pain and redness called erythromelalgia, restless leg syndrome, asthma, hayfever, multiple sclerosis, and for preventing hearing loss and cancer. 
Athletes sometimes use magnesium to increase energy and endurance. 
Some people apply magnesium on their skin to treat infected skin ulcers, boils, and carbuncles; and to speed up wound healing. Magnesium is also used as a cold compress in the treatment of a severe skin infection caused by strep bacteria (erysipelas) and as a hot compress for deep-seated skin infections. 
Magnesium is injected into the body for nutritional purposes and to treat magnesium deficiency that occurs in people with pancreas infections, magnesium absorption disorders, and cirrhosis. It is also injected to treat high blood pressure during pregnancy and other pregnancy complications
Magnesium is also used as an injection to control seizures, to treat irregular heartbeat, to control irregular heartbeat after a heart attack, and for cardiac arrest. Magnesium is also injected into the body to treat asthma and other lung disease complications, for migraines and cluster headaches, jellyfish stings, poisonings, pain, swelling in the brain, chemotherapy side effects, head trauma and bleeding, sickle cell disease, to prevent cerebral palsy, and for tetanus.
How does it work? 
Magnesium is required for the proper growth and maintenance of bones. Magnesium is also required for the proper function of nerves, muscles, and many other parts of the body. In the stomach, magnesium helps neutralize stomach acid and moves stools through the intestine.
__________________________________________________________________________
__________________________________________________________________________



Comments

Popular posts from this blog

Fingernail Analysis, part III

8 Health Warnings Your Fingernails May Be Sending   Source Your eyes may be the window to your soul, but, in many ways your, nails are the window to what’s going on inside your body. Here are some common nail problems and what they mean:  Take a good look at your fingernails and you may notice subtle variations in the texture or color; white spots, a rosy tinge, rippling or bumps in the surface to mention a few. These imperfections may not look like much to you, but it’s more important than you might think to maintain healthy fingernails. That’s because to the trained eye, nails can provide valuable indications about your overall health.  Hold a hand level with your nose about a foot out from your face and scrutinize each one. Look at the grooves, curves, ridges and dips. Notice how thick or thin they are and if there are any stark differences. Are your nails are chipped or broken. Make a note of the color of the nail itself, the skin under it as well as t...

Gluten-free Cream Puff Pastries

adapted from Chocolate Profiteroles in Desserts: Mouthwatering Recipes for Delectable Dishes (1997) Cream Puff Pastry 1/2 cup quinoa flour 1/4 cup white rice flour 1/4 teaspoon sea salt pinch of cardamom 6 tablespoons coconut oil 3 eggs 3/4 cup water 1. preheat over to 350F 2. Sift dry ingredients together 3. In medium saucepan, bring coconut oil and water to a boil. Remove from heat and add in dry ingredients. Beat for 1 minutes until mixture starts to pull away from the pan. Put over low heat and cook mixture together for 2 minutes, beating constantly. Remove from heat. 4. Beat one egg in a small bowl and set aside. Add remaining eggs, one at a time, to the mixture. Mix well then add beaten egg gradually. Dough should be smooth and shiny and fall by spoonfuls on a greased cookie sheet. 5. Drop by tablespoons (x12) on a sprayed cookie sheet, well spaced. Bake 25-30 minutes until pastry has risen and browned. 6. Turn off oven and let puff. Cool with door cracked. [Oops! I opened t...

Feasting on Spaghetti Squash

The only squash that are OK for people with candida are zucchini and spaghetti squash. Sometimes a person can eat yellow squash but for some reason, as it is a summer squash unlike zucchini, it has something (probably more starchy) that messes with people with actute candida. The other squashes are extremely starchy, which is too bad, because they're also full of vitamin A, which most people with candida need more of, myself included.   Spaghetti squash is recommended as a diet food, and for some, as a pasta replacement as its calorie per serving is much lower. The spaghetti squash, when baked, forks out of the shell in long strand-like spaghettis, hence its name. As for nutrition, it's not like other winter squash in nutrition but neither is it anywhere near as starchy. According to the US Dept of Agriculture (USDA) nutrient database, 1 cup of cooked spaghetti squash provides 42 calories, 0.4 grams of fat, 1 g of protein, 10 g  of carbohydrate (4 g as sugar - so sto...