Special Section
Magnesium
A Critical Mineral Essential For Human Health
In days of old, before the advent of industrial agriculture, our foods were
grown in soil that was rich in minerals. The vegetables produced in this
nutrient-dense soil reflected the high content of important nutrients such
as zinc, copper and magnesium. Unfortunately, living in the age of mass
production of our foods, vegetables are grown in soil that is profoundly
depleted in so many important trace elements. Of all the important minerals
necessary to maintain our health, there is no question that magnesium
is among the most critical. Magnesium is essential for human health.
by David Perlmutter, M.D. Board Certified
Neurologist, #1 New York Times Best-Selling Author
& Fellow of the American College of Nutrition
One of the most important roles that magnesium plays is that
it serves as a cofactor (meaning it is necessary for function) for
over 325 enzymes in the human body, including all the enzymes
that are involved in producing energy as well as manufacturing
our DNA. In addition, it plays a key role in regulating the activity
of muscles and nerves, immune function, how our hormones
work and even how we metabolize our food. As was recently
reported in the journal Nutrition Reviews, an astounding 48
percent of Americans consume less than the required amount
of magnesium from food. The report goes on to point out that
low magnesium intakes and blood levels have been assocated
with an impressive list of medical issues, including type 2
diabetes, metabolic syndrome, elevated C-reactive protein,
high blood pressure, atherosclerotic vascular disease, sudden
cardiac death, osteoporosis, migraine headache and even
colon cancer.
32 Extraordinary Health ™ • Vol 28
Other issues that may point to low magnesium status include
fatigue, dizziness, confusion, anxiety, nausea, muscle cramps,
poor memory and generalized weakness.
So, clearly, magnesium throws a wide net in terms of the vast array
of problems that can manifest when levels are low. And this is why
it is so important to ensure that your magnesium status is where
it needs to be.
The typical blood measurement for magnesium that you might
have when visiting a doctor’s office will evaluate the level of
magnesium in the blood. And as it turns out, this type of test
is actually a fairly poor indicator of magnesium status because
most of your body’s magnesium is actually contained within cells,
not floating around in the bloodstream. A far better examination
that much more accurately demonstrates your magnesium level