Every morning when most people wake up they take their multivitamin and think that they are getting all of the necessary nutrients for the day; however, they are gravely mistaken. Roughly 50% of Americans are deficient in their daily recommended intake of Magnesium. 
Magnesium is necessary for more than 300 biochemical reactions in the body. It assists in keeping heart rhythm steady, maintaining nerve function, promoting normal blood pressure, regulating blood sugar levels, supporting immune health and bone strength. Regarding the mineral itself, it happens to be the fourth most abundant mineral in the human body, with approximately 50% of it being found in bone and the other 50% inside of cells of body tissue and organs.
Another key function of magnesium is its role in muscular development. Magnesium is essential in metabolizing carbohydrates and fat, and in the production of ATP. ATP is the energy that your body uses during explosive activity such as weightlifting. As ATP is used up instantly during the beginning of intense exercise, our body needs to produce more during rest periods.
So now the next question is what will you start feeling if you are suffering from a magnesium deficiency? Symptoms may include: fatigue, loss of appetite, muscle cramping, nausea, numbness, tingling, twitching, and vomiting. In severe cases people may even experience abnormal heart rhythms, personality changes and seizures.
Here is a brief list of categories of people who may need extra magnesium in their diet:
Alcoholics, diabetics, elderly individuals, individuals with Crohn's disease, individuals with low-level of potassium and calcium, and gluten sensitive individuals.
So now that we have discussed the importance of magnesium in the daily diet, let's talk about where we can get good sources of it. Below is a list of some of the top sources of magnesium found in natural foods:
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Wheat bran, ¼ cup 89 mg 22% of daily value
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Almonds, dry roasted, 1 ounce 80 mg 20% of daily value
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Spinach frozen or cooked half a cup 78 mg 20% daily value
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Cashews, dry roasted, 1 ounce 74 mg 19% of daily value
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Oatmeal, instant, fortified, prepared w/water, 1 cup 61 mg 15% of daily value
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Peanuts, dry roasted, 1 ounce 50 mg 13% of daily value
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Peanut butter, smooth, 2 tablespoons 49 mg 12% of daily value
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Potato, baked with skin, one medium 48 mg 12% daily value
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Pinto beans, cooked, half cup 43mg 11% of daily value
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Rice, brown, long – grain, cooked, half cup 42 mg 11% of daily value
Just to have a quick guideline of total daily intake, a male 19 to 30 years old is recommended to consume 400 mg a day, and a female 19 to 30 years old is recommended 310 mg a day. Once over 31 years of age the daily recommended values go up 10 to 20 mg per day.
Of course if you think your magnesium levels are lower than desired, you should consult your physician. Common signs of taking too much magnesium can be very similar to the symptoms of having magnesium deficiency.
Lastly, I would like to add that anyone on VIVO 360 program by VPX should be consuming a decent amount of magnesium in their diet, as a bulk of the items I wrote about as sources are included in the menu. Stay tuned next week as I will write a blog about my completion of Phase 1 of VIVO 360, I think readers will be shocked at the results!
Reference:
"Foods High In Magnesium." Chemicool Periodic Table. Chemicool.com. 11 Feb. 2013. Web.
The information presented in this article is in no way intended as medical advice or as a substitute for medical treatment.
