Hi everyone,
Welcome to this weirdly warm and windy Tuesday!
I was reading a couple of articles about magnesium and it's benefits for reducing the risk of Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM), reducing the risk of diabetic retinopathy for people with T2DM and reducing the risk of insulin resistance (precursor to T2DM). It was all very interesting BUT what interested me the most was this statement:
"Approximately one third of Australians aged 18 years and over do not receive their recommended dietary intake (RDI) of magnesium."
Now that doesn't sound good full stop and when you factor in two things: 1. The likelihood that the RDI is set too low for the optimal health of individuals because it is a population based number set at a threshold to prevent disease not promote health. 2. Soil depletion of magnesium ...the problem may be even larger than we think.
Magnesium is an essential macro mineral. Farmers are well aware of the necessity of it for both animal and plant health. As well as improving insulin sensitivity as referred to above it is crucial for:
bone and teeth strength
enzyme activity in thousands of chemical reactions that go on in the body daily
hormone production and regulation
digestion - motility of the digestive tract
metabolism of carbohydrates, protein and fat
muscular contraction and relaxation
energy production in the cells
DNA and RNA repair
calcium balance
flexibility of arteries
opening (dilation) of blood vessels
heart muscle maintenance
regulation of body temperature
And another quote, this time from The Nutrient Bible by Henry Osiecki:
"When magnesium deficiency exists, excessive amounts of calcium can build up in soft tissues, tendons, and ligaments; resulting in stiffness, arthritic and joint pain, vascular spasm or calcium deposits in vascular walls, kidney and gall stones."
Bearing in mind what we've said above with the RDI, the Australian recommendation for adults is 300 - 420mg per day depending on age and gender.
Here's a basic list of foods high in magnesium:
pumpkin seeds, 30g (156mg)
chia seeds, 30 g (111mg)
almonds, 30g (80mg)
spinach or swiss chard, boiled, ½ cup (78mg)
cashews, 30g (74mg)
peanuts, ¼ cup (63mg)
soymilk, 1 cup (61mg)
Tofu or beans of any sort, 3/4 cup (55 - 89mg)
oatmeal, 1 cup cooked (6 mg)
bread, whole wheat, 2 slices (46mg)
avocado, cubed, 1 cup (44mg)
rice, brown, cooked, ½ cup (42mg)
milk, 1 cup (24mg)
Sources: https://www.healthdirect.gov.au/foods-high-in-magnesium, https://www.unlockfood.ca/en/articles/vitamins-and-minerals/what-you-need-to-know-about-magnesium.aspx
As a general rule, green leafy vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds and whole grains are high in magnesium...all the good stuff! Hubby thinks I'm just annoying when I keep adding leafy greens to everything - if only he knew I'm looking after his heart (he's very handy to have around!)
Scarily fun fact: Milled grains i.e. those made into flour lose up to 90% of their magnesium!
Ok, so hopefully you are now convinced that magnesium is a crucial mineral to have in your life. Go forth and eat plenty of magnesium rich foods this week and next week we can talk magnesium supplements because I know that's what you're all wondering about now!
Happy magnesiuming!
Carla :)
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