Magnesium: essential for the body
Today we are talking about Magnesium, a mineral essential for the health of our body.
Let's find out together!
What is magnesium?
Magnesium is a mineral present in our body. It is one of the most abundant elements in the human body, and for this reason it is referred to as a macronutrient.
It is mainly localized in the bone system, in soft tissues and for a small amount also in the blood, so it is an essential nutrient for the life of all cells.
Why is magnesium important?
Magnesium is an essential mineral for the health of our body, which plays a central role in many processes, with the aim of keeping our systems healthy.
Among its most important functions: it promotes the formation of bones and teeth, participates in muscle contraction and maintains a balanced level of glycaemia and blood pressure.
Particularly important is the activity carried out by magnesium during sports.
Magnesium, in fact, is essential to promote the increase of energy supplies of phosphocreatine and can affect anaerobic endurance.
What are the symptoms of magnesium deficiency?
The magnesium requirement expressed by the LARNs (recommended intake levels) for an adult is around 400 mg per day.
Modern diet and disordered rhythms of life often can lead to an insufficient daily intake.
In these cases, a magnesium deficiency could lead to one or more of these symptoms:
- Cramps and muscle aches
- Tiredness and fatigue
- Sleep disorders
- Anxiety and restlessness
- Painful menstrual cycle
What foods is magnesium found in?
The most important food sources of magnesium are of plant origin.
Green leafy vegetables (such as chard, spinach and artichokes), legumes (such as beans, peas and lentils), nuts (such as dates, almonds, walnuts and pistachios), whole grains (such as brown rice and bran) are especially rich in them, and cocoa. Sweet fruits, such as bananas, also contribute to the magnesium requirement.
Why take magnesium?
Although magnesium is present in almost all the foods we consume, only a small percentage is actually absorbed by our body.
In fact, to provide a data, we are talking about only 30- 40% of the magnesium present in food.
Therefore, in some cases, especially in sports, it may be necessary to resort to a dietary supplement based on magnesium.
Magnesium supplementation is able to reduce oxygen consumption during intense and prolonged exertion, to improve cardiorespiratory functional parameters.
Since athletes suffer marked losses of this mineral with sweat, supplementation of magnesium becomes essential for them.
