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Magnesium
What is it
A
MINERAL essential for good health. Most of it goes into bones and
teeth; the rest into muscles and soft tissues. Magnesium is vital to the
metabolism of
CARBOHYDRATES,
PROTEINS and
FATS and activates more than three hundred different body enzymes,
particularly those that require three B vitamins;
THIAMIN (vitamin B1),
RIBOFLAVIN (vitamin B2) and
PYRIDOXINE (vitamin B6), vitamins
C and
E. It also helps fight tooth decay by binding
CALCIUM to tooth enamel.
men and boys:
14 to 18 years
19 to 30 years
31+ years
410 mg per day
400 mg per day
420 mg per day
women and girls:
14 to 18 years
19 to 30 years
31+ years
360 mg per day
310 mg per day
320 mg per day
pregnant women:
less than 18 years
19 to 30 years
31 to 50 years
400 mg per day
350 mg per day
360 mg per day
nursing mothers:
less than 18 years
19 to 30 years
31 to 50 years
360 mg per day
310 mg per day
320 mg per day
Deficiency Symptoms
Muscular weakness, twitching, convulsions, nausea,
vomiting and runaway heartbeat. With magnesium so widely distributed in
plants and animals, deficiencies are rare except in alcoholics, in cases
of kidney disease, in diuretic abuse, after severe vomiting and/or
diarrhea or in those whose intestines aren't absorbing nutrients properly.
Precautions
Too much magnesium can also cause trouble and,
strangely, displays some of the deficiency symptoms — nausea and vomiting.
But there may also be low blood pressure, sleepiness of almost drugged
intensity and paralysis of the voluntary muscles.
Good Sources
Green vegetables, avocados, bananas, blackstrap
molasses, chocolate, whole unprocessed grains, legumes, peanut butter,
nuts and seeds.
