Health
1 in 3 Australians Are Magnesium Deficient. Are You One?
Feeling wired. Feeling anxious.
A little agitated. A little frustrated.
Those troublesome thoughts, do they seem to stream into your mind as your head hits the pillow?
Muscle cramps. Spasms.
And even the odd eye twitch.
Is this all sounding far too familiar? Let's keep going.
Lethargic. Lacking strength.
There is just no spark. No energy.
We hear you. Whilst the current world we are living in could well be contributing to your situation these symptoms could also be related to something very simple to fix...being low in Magnesium.
Over a third of the Australian population is deficient in this mineral and we want to utilise this opportunity to explain why Magnesium is entitled to a spot on our kitchen bench.
The first role of Magnesium is to play a direct and indirect role for every cellular function in the body. What this means is that every reaction that occurs within our system requires Magnesium. Everything we build up and break down requires Magnesium. Everything we switch on and switch off requires Magnesium.
Secondly, Magnesium requirements are increased by the total stress that we accumulate as an individual. This includes not only physical stress but emotional, mental, and environmental. The global pandemic doesn’t help with this!
We are sure you are already doing some calculations in your head. High demand for Magnesium plus a further demand by our ‘fast paced lifestyle’ equals a not so nice magnesium deficit.
Now, you might be wondering, how does a deficiency of just one mineral cause such utterly odd symptoms? And not just odd symptoms, but quite opposing symptoms? Whether you feel like you simply can’t ever switch off or the opposite, you struggle to ignite even a flicker of energy, a deficiency in Magnesium is very likely the cause.
This is because Magnesium acts as our human light switch. It is responsible for both turning the light on and turning the light off. We can explain this through two larger roles of Magnesium. The enzymatic role and the electrolyte role.
The enzymatic role is responsible for our energy production. No Magnesium? No energy. It also plays a similar role with GABA, a neurotransmitter responsible for slowing down the communication between your brain and the central nervous system. No Magnesium? GABA cannot play a role in causing relaxation, rest, and distress.
As for its role as an electrolyte. Magnesium plays a little dance with both Calcium and Potassium to switch functions on and off. An easy way to visualise this is with muscle cramps and spasms. Simply put, low Magnesium levels can result in your muscles constantly contracting and unable to relax.
The beautiful thing is we can make small and easy changes. If we can become mindful of adding Magnesium-rich foods into our diet we can reduce and erase these symptoms.
If we can counteract our nutrient deficiencies we are allowing our internal ecosystem to flourish. We are ultimately left feeling the therapeutic effects of vitality and wellbeing.
We suggest adding sources of Magnesium-rich foods such as cacao, hazelnuts, and dark leafy greens. Of course, we don’t want you to forget one of the strongest sources of Magnesium, hemp. Adding hemp to your diet is one of the best and most delicious ways to increase your Magnesium uptake! One and a half tablespoons of Hemp Seeds will give you 50% of your recommended daily intake of magnesium.
With all this in mind, start sprinkling, and elevate the everyday.
By Georgie Upton
Qualified Nutritionist