Magnesium is an essential mineral for everybody. It is needed to achieve healthy bodily functioning. Magnesium is responsible for over 400 enzyme reactions in your body and is found in your brain, muscles, all of your tissues, and about 60-70% of magnesium is found in your bones. What once occurred plentifully in our diets is now causing a major health problem, with an estimated 68% of the population having magnesium deficiency due to insufficient daily intake. Is it little wonder that we have such a high rate of magnesium deficiency when we look at how our modern lifestyle has evolved? As a society we have a very highly processed diet, which is based around white bread, white flour, dairy products and protein. All of these foods have little to no magnesium content.
So on the one hand our modern diets are lacking in magnesium and on the other hand our lifestyle choices are also responsible for magnesium levels decreasing. When we consume alcohol or caffeine it drains our already low magnesium levels; then add stress to the mix and it's no wonder that such a large percentage of the population have magnesium deficiency. A study has been done of soldiers in combat situations that showed that under high levels of stress, their body's loose huge amounts of magnesium due to the stress they were experiencing. So with this in mind we have to ask - what is our daily stress doing to our magnesium levels?
Now if we take all of the factors; a) diets low in magnesium b) alcohol and caffeine a stable part of most people's diets and c) modern day stress levels at an all time high; is it not very surprising that such a high percentage of people now suffer from a magnesium deficiency.
Signs that you have a magnesium deficiency:
There are many signs that point to magnesium deficiency - let's go through and list some of the major ones:
Amongst magnesium's many qualities it has a calming effect on the nervous systems and this can help us to relax.
Magnesium works in combination with the calcium in our bodies to help our muscles relax and in doing so allows us to have a better night's sleep. Without a sufficient amount of magnesium in our system, we can suffer from night time muscle cramps and insomnia. Magnesium has also shown positive results in the treatment of Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS). RLS is a disorder that causes a strong urge to move your legs, particularly when you stop moving or lie down to sleep at night. Magnesium eases anxiety and relaxes muscles and nerves resulting in a better night's sleep.
Fixing our magnesium deficiency
There are five areas that we need to look at in order to increase our levels of magnesium to the minimum daily intake of 300mg or more. If we don't get the recommended daily intake our bodies still need to get the magnesium from somewhere, and we start to extract it from our bones. So it is essential that for good health we maintain a healthy level of magnesium on a daily basis. With magnesium deficiency becoming such a large problem what can we do about it?
1 Changing our diets - By taking some simple measures and increasing the intake of foods high in magnesium we will be on our way to improving our sleeping habits and overall heath. Foods rich in magnesium are green leafy vegetables, some beans, nuts and seeds, and whole unrefined grains.
2 Reduce caffeine and alcohol intake - By cutting down on the amount of caffeine and alcohol we consume we can decrease the amount of magnesium drained from our body on a daily basis
3 Reducing our stress levels - by practicing some relaxation techniques like meditation we can effectively reduce the amount of stress our bodies feel.
4 Supplements - There are many magnesium supplements on the market today these are mainly found in tablet, powder or topical form. The most effective seems to be a magnesium chloride topical spray that is absorbed through your skin, doing this reduces the side effect of an upset stomach which puts a lot of people off taking magnesium orally.
By making some simple changes to our lifestyles we can greatly improve our sleeping habits as well as our overall health. Magnesium has been referred to the miracle mineral and not without good reason as having healthy magnesium levels is essential for our overall good health and longevity
So on the one hand our modern diets are lacking in magnesium and on the other hand our lifestyle choices are also responsible for magnesium levels decreasing. When we consume alcohol or caffeine it drains our already low magnesium levels; then add stress to the mix and it's no wonder that such a large percentage of the population have magnesium deficiency. A study has been done of soldiers in combat situations that showed that under high levels of stress, their body's loose huge amounts of magnesium due to the stress they were experiencing. So with this in mind we have to ask - what is our daily stress doing to our magnesium levels?
Now if we take all of the factors; a) diets low in magnesium b) alcohol and caffeine a stable part of most people's diets and c) modern day stress levels at an all time high; is it not very surprising that such a high percentage of people now suffer from a magnesium deficiency.
Signs that you have a magnesium deficiency:
There are many signs that point to magnesium deficiency - let's go through and list some of the major ones:
1 Insomnia
2 Muscle cramps and twitching - including restless leg syndrome
3 Constipation
4 Sensitivity to loud noises
5 Anxious or overly stressed
6Angina
7 Headaches and migraines
8 Shortness of breath
How magnesium can give you a better night's sleep.2 Muscle cramps and twitching - including restless leg syndrome
3 Constipation
4 Sensitivity to loud noises
5 Anxious or overly stressed
6Angina
7 Headaches and migraines
8 Shortness of breath
Amongst magnesium's many qualities it has a calming effect on the nervous systems and this can help us to relax.
Magnesium works in combination with the calcium in our bodies to help our muscles relax and in doing so allows us to have a better night's sleep. Without a sufficient amount of magnesium in our system, we can suffer from night time muscle cramps and insomnia. Magnesium has also shown positive results in the treatment of Restless Legs Syndrome (RLS). RLS is a disorder that causes a strong urge to move your legs, particularly when you stop moving or lie down to sleep at night. Magnesium eases anxiety and relaxes muscles and nerves resulting in a better night's sleep.
Fixing our magnesium deficiency
There are five areas that we need to look at in order to increase our levels of magnesium to the minimum daily intake of 300mg or more. If we don't get the recommended daily intake our bodies still need to get the magnesium from somewhere, and we start to extract it from our bones. So it is essential that for good health we maintain a healthy level of magnesium on a daily basis. With magnesium deficiency becoming such a large problem what can we do about it?
1 Changing our diets - By taking some simple measures and increasing the intake of foods high in magnesium we will be on our way to improving our sleeping habits and overall heath. Foods rich in magnesium are green leafy vegetables, some beans, nuts and seeds, and whole unrefined grains.
2 Reduce caffeine and alcohol intake - By cutting down on the amount of caffeine and alcohol we consume we can decrease the amount of magnesium drained from our body on a daily basis
3 Reducing our stress levels - by practicing some relaxation techniques like meditation we can effectively reduce the amount of stress our bodies feel.
4 Supplements - There are many magnesium supplements on the market today these are mainly found in tablet, powder or topical form. The most effective seems to be a magnesium chloride topical spray that is absorbed through your skin, doing this reduces the side effect of an upset stomach which puts a lot of people off taking magnesium orally.
By making some simple changes to our lifestyles we can greatly improve our sleeping habits as well as our overall health. Magnesium has been referred to the miracle mineral and not without good reason as having healthy magnesium levels is essential for our overall good health and longevity
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