Magnesium is an essential nutrient mineral, meaning that your body needs it for healthy functioning.

Very few people are aware of the enormous role magnesium plays in our bodies. Magnesium is by far the most important mineral in the body, activating over 300 different biochemical reactions in the body all necessary for our body to function properly. Among these functions are digestion, energy production, muscle function, bone formation, creation of new cells, activation of B vitamins, relaxation of muscles, the functioning of your heart, kidneys, adrenals, brain as well as the nervous system.

Magnesium helps support your cardiovascular system, blood pressure and energy production. It maintains intracellular potassium levels. It promotes healthy blood sugar levels. It is found in significant quantities throughout the body and used for numerous purposes, including muscle relaxation, blood clotting, and the manufacture of ATP (adenosine triphosphate, the body's main energy molecule). It is "nature's calcium channel-blocker." The idea refers to magnesium's ability to block calcium from entering muscle and heart cells. A group of prescription heart medications work in a similar way. This may be the basis for magnesium's effects on migraine headaches and high blood pressure.

Symptoms include insomnia, nervousness, anxiety, depression, irritability, fatigue, low energy, body-tension, headaches, migraine headache, heart disorders, irregular heartbeat, high blood pressure, PMS, dysmenorrhea, osteoporosis, muscle tension, muscle cramp or spasm, backaches, constipation, kidney stones and accelerated aging.

If you are taking potassium supplements, manganese, loop and thiazide diuretics (water pills), digoxin, oral contraceptives, estrogen-replacement therapy, you may need extra magnesium. Alcohol, surgery, diabetes, oral contraceptives, and zinc have been reported to reduce your body's level of magnesium or increase magnesium requirements. Although calcium needs magnesium in order to assimilate into the body, however, when too much calcium is consumed, it will pull magnesium out of body parts in order to assimilate. This creates a magnesium deficiency. This occurs with people who drink pasteurized milk. Milk is about 8 calcium to 1 magnesium and will create a deficiency in magnesium. Excess calcium in the body results in calcium deposits such as gallstones, kidney stones, calcium deposits on joints. Excess magnesium is not a concern. Unlike calcium, magnesium does not build up in the body, as excess is eliminated from the kidney unless the kidney is diseased and not functioning normally.

Brown rice, avocados, spinach, oatmeal, baked potatoes, navy beans, lima beans, broccoli, yogurt, and bananas. Kelp is very high in magnesium, as are wheat bran, wheat germ, almonds, and cashews. Other good sources include blackstrap molasses, brewer's yeast, buckwheat, nuts and whole grains. You can also get appreciable amounts of magnesium from collard greens, dandelion greens, sweet corn, Cheddar cheese, sunflower seeds, shrimp, dried fruit (figs, apricots, and prunes).

In adult is about 400mg per day and increase as we grow and age.

Use magnesium regularly can help prevent migraine headaches.

Magnesium may decrease the atherosclerosis risk caused by hydrogenated oils. Magnesium is useful for dysmenorrhea (menstrual cramps) and symptoms of PMS (premenstrual syndrome) including menstrual migraines.

Magnesium might decrease symptoms of restless legs syndrome.

Magnesium has also been used for osteoporosis, glaucoma, fibromyalgia, fatigue, stroke, low HDL ("good") cholesterol, Alzheimer's disease, angina, attention deficit disorder, periodontal disease, rheumatoid arthritis, and various forms of heart disease including mitral valve prolapse and congestive heart failure.

Combination of vitamin B6 and magnesium can be helpful in autism.

Magnesium is helpful for pregnancy-induced leg cramps.

Magnesium has been used to help keep the heart beating normally.

Magnesium have been used for reducing complications of pregnancy such as preeclampsia especially in populations with particularly significant magnesium deficiency.

Although there is no direct evidence that magnesium helps people with diabetes, such individuals are known to be deficient in magnesium and magnesium supplementation may be a good idea on general principle. However, individuals with severe kidney disease should take magnesium supplements only on their physician's advice.

• Migraine Headaches

A double-blind study found that regular use of magnesium helps prevent migraine headaches. In this 12-week trial, 81 people with recurrent migraines were given either 600 mg of magnesium daily or placebo.¹ By the last 3 weeks of the study, the treated group's migraines had been reduced by 41.6%, compared to a reduction of 15.8% in the placebo group. The only side effects observed were diarrhea (in about one-fifth of the participants) and less often, digestive irritation.

One small double-blind study (20 participants) found that magnesium supplementation can help prevent menstrual migraines.²

• Noise Related Hearing Loss

One double-blind placebo-controlled study on 300 military recruits suggests that 167 mg of magnesium daily can prevent hearing loss due to exposure to high-volume noise.³

• Hypertension (High Blood Pressure)

Magnesium works with calcium and potassium to regulate blood pressure. Magnesium is nature's "calcium channel-blocker", able to block calcium from entering muscle and heart cells. Several studies suggest that magnesium supplements can reduce blood pressure in people with hypertension,^4-7

• Coronary Artery Disease

A double-blind placebo-controlled trial of 50 individuals with blockage in the arteries to the heart (coronary artery disease) found that supplementation with magnesium at 730 mg daily significantly improved exercise tolerance.⁸

• Dysmenorrhea

A 6-month double-blind placebo-controlled study of 50 women with menstrual pain found that treatment with magnesium significantly improved symptoms.⁹ The researchers reported evidence of reduced levels of prostaglandin F2 alpha, a hormone-like substance involved in pain and inflammation. Similarly positive results were seen in a double-blind placebo-controlled study of 21 women.¹⁰ Start taking magnesium 500 to 1,000 mg daily, beginning on day 15 of the menstrual cycle and continuing until menstruation begins.

• PMS

A double-blind placebo-controlled study found that 32 women taking magnesium 500-1000mg daily from day 15 of the menstrual cycle to the onset of menstrual flow significantly improve premenstrual mood changes.¹¹ Another small double-blind preliminary study found that regular use of magnesium could reduce symptoms of PMS-related fluid retention.¹² In this study, 38 women were given magnesium or placebo for 2 months. The results showed no effect after one cycle, but by the end of two cycles, magnesium significantly reduced weight gain, swelling of extremities, breast tenderness and abdominal bloating. One small double-blind study (20 participants) found that magnesium supplementation can help prevent menstrual migraines.² Preliminary evidence suggests that the combination of magnesium and vitamin B6 might be more effective than either treatment alone.¹³

• Autism

Six double-blind placebo-controlled trials enrolling a total of about 150 children have evaluated the effects of vitamin B6 and magnesium combination therapy for autism.^14-19 All of these studies found a significant improvement in autistic behaviors.

• Pregnancy-Induced Leg Cramps

Pregnant women frequently experience painful leg cramping. One double-blind trial of 73 pregnant women found that 3 weeks of magnesium supplements significantly reduced leg cramps as compared to placebo.²⁰

• Kidney Stones

Magnesium inhibits the growth of calcium oxalate stones in the test tube²¹ and decreases stone formation in rats.²² However, human studies have had mixed results. In one 2-year open study, 56 people taking magnesium had fewer recurrences of kidney stones than 34 people not given magnesium.²³ In contrast, a double-blind study of 124 individuals found that magnesium hydroxide was essentially no more effective than placebo.²⁴

In general, magnesium appears to be quite safe when taken at recommended dosages. The most common complaint is loose stools. However, people with severe kidney or heart disease should not take magnesium except on the advice of a physician. Maximum safe dosages have not been established for young children or women who are pregnant or nursing.

Magnesium can interfere with the absorption of ACE inhibitors, digoxin, antibiotics in the tetracycline or quinolone (e.g., Cipro) families, Dilantin (phenytoin), H2 blockers (e.g., Zantac or Pepcid), Macrodantin, or zinc. You should separate your magnesium dose from doses of these substances by at least 2 hours to avoid absorption problems.

When combined with oral diabetes drugs, magnesium may cause blood sugar levels to fall more than expected. Monitor your blood sugar and work closely with your physician when taking magnesium to avoid hypoglycemia.

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