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Magnesium is a mineral that not many of us give any thought to. However, magnesium is very important to include in our diet and deficiencies of magnesium can be dangerous. We should all be eating a healthy and balanced diet, and it is important to know all of the vitamins and minerals we need to be getting. All the cells in your body use Magnesium. It helps maintain nerve and muscle functioning, keep bones strong, and keeps the heart rhythmic and steady. Hence, you can see why deficiency of this mineral can be dangerous. Magnesium is found in nuts, green leafy vegetables, seed, and some whole grains. While your body only needs a small amount of magnesium there is also only a small amount found in most of the foods listed above. This is why it is imperative to eat a balanced diet full of healthy and nutritious foods. The symptoms of Magnesium deficiency include disorientation, confusion, depression, abnormal heartbeat, loss of appetite, cramps, numbness, and seizures. Magnesium deficiency is fairly uncommon. Magnesium deficiencies has been linked to over-consumption of alcohol. Magnesium is often depleted though the urine and magnesium deficiencies. You can ask your doctor or nutritionist as to what the recommended daily amount of magnesium is. Many books and websites can help you determine how much magnesium you should be consuming each day. This number varies for men, women, different age groups, pregnant women, and lactating women. A great way to prevent any deficiencies is by knowing how much magnesium you should be taking, and how much is in certain foods. If you think it's possible that you aren't getting enough magnesium in your diet, consider taking a magnesium supplement or a multi vitamin. If you have a deficiency in magnesium you may not be getting enough of other vitamins and minerals as well. The best way to get all vitamins and minerals is fresh and healthy foods, but the next best thing may be a multi vitamin. Drastic changes in your eating habits should be considered if you find yourself relying on multi vitamins for all your dietary needs. There are a number of reasons that could require you to take a magnesium supplement. For example you may need to take a supplement to ensure you have enough magnesium in your diet if you have chronic mal-absorption. Some studies have shown that high blood pressure or hypertension can be lowered by magnesium. Whether or not this is true it cannot hurt to increase the number of vegetables and fruits you eat each day. Metabolic changes that may cause heart attacks or strokes have been linked to Magnesium deficiencies. As you can see, magnesium is a very important mineral to have in your diet. While magnesium is essential, there is also a danger of consuming too much magnesium. If you are relying on your diet to provide magnesium there is little risk of any overdose. However if you ingest too many supplements there is the danger of magnesium toxicity. There are a number of symptoms that are very similar to magnesium deficiencies, be wary of taking too many supplements, laxatives, and antacids. Magnesium is a very important mineral, and you should be very careful to make sure you are getting the proper amounts of fruits and vegetables each day. If you eat a balanced diet then you probably never need to worry about a magnesium deficiency.
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Frank Landrens is the owner and operator of BHP Magnesium, the #1 source on the internet for information about magnesium, For questions or comments about this article visit: www.bhpmagnesium.com/articles You can get a unique content version of this article.
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