Magnesium, the essential mineral
This often forgotten mineral is an important part of our everyday lives. Being one of the most abundant minerals within the body, magnesium deficiency shouldn’t go overlooked. It is used not only by us humans, but all animals and plant life require it as well to maintain peak function.

The majority of today’s farming practices is a huge numbers game with farmers and corporations cutting corners and processes to produce as much product as possible. These farming practices have diminished some of the vitamins and minerals that our vegetation receives from the soil. Processed foods also play a big role in our magnesium consumption as the majority of our nation has become accustomed to solely eating unhealthy processed foods rather than the leafy greens and vitamin-rich organic foods that we were meant to consume. It’s no wonder why 75% of Americans are estimated to be magnesium deficient.

So what’s the big deal?
The big deal is that a whopping 300 of our enzymes depend on magnesium for our bodies to function properly. Magnesium assists in nerve function, healthy immune system and heart beat regulation, normal muscle functions, and promotes bone density.

When these magnesium levels drop it opens you up to a host of negative symptoms; symptoms that leave many people wondering what’s wrong with them–think about it, if you’re feeling fatigued and sluggish, you’re not going to jump up immediately and say “I feel like I was just hit by a bus because I’m low on magnesium”. There are far more presumably apparent reasons why you might feel this way; maybe you partied a little too hard the night before, or maybe yesterday’s leg workout kicked your but and made you puke.

These are valid causes for such symptoms however the body often times sends us signal when it’s lacking something. Have you ever had a head ache and found out all you needed was a few glasses of water, good night’s sleep and/or a heaping plate of food? With that said, your body will respond when your magnesium stores are running low as well.

Common symptoms to be aware of when it comes to this deficiency are:

Weakness and fatigue
Muscle cramps
Stress
Anxiety
Muscle spasms
Hyperexcitability
Decreased bone density
Dizziness

Now, for more severe cases of magnesium deficiency you will start to notice life threatening issues. With only about 1% of this mineral found in the blood stream, it surprisingly plays a vital role in
in promoting healthy blood pressure levels, regulating blood sugar levels, and protein synthesis. All of a sudden symptoms of hypocalcemia, decreased circulation in PTH (parathyroid hormone), sodium retention issues, vomiting, neurological problems, and even heart failure.

The importance of magnesium in our diet is clearly evident and therefore shouldn’t go unnoticed. Proper magnesium supplementation could make a world of difference in how you feel, as well as how you perform athletically during training or competition. So get out there, stay fit and supplement well with the proper nutrients—-your body will love you for it!

How can magnesium improve your athletic performance? See our article on the 5 Benefits of Taking Magnesium After a Workout

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Recommended Adequate Intake (RAI) for Infants

Currently there is an insufficient amount of information on magnesium to establish a proper RDA for infants. In an infant’s case (ages 0 – 12 months), DRI is represented in the form of Adequate Intake (AI). This represents the mean intake of magnesium in breastfed infants that are considered to be perfectly healthy. The chart below lists the RAI in milligrams.