This Magic Mineral brings many health benefits!

I recently attended an international conference and learnt some amazing information and what I am about to share with you, totally blew me away. Hearing from Professor Vormann from Germany at the ACNEM 2022 conference over the weekend on the Hidden Cause of Cardiac Disease was truly enlightening.In fact, I later learnt that not only did this ‘hidden cause’ affect cardiac health, it actually affects OUR WHOLE health.

So what am I talking about?

 

Yes it is Magnesium!

Magnesium is the fourth most abundant mineral in your body.
It’s involved in over 600 cellular reactions from making DNA to helping your muscles contract. Despite its importance, up to 68% of adults don’t meet the recommended daily intake .
Low magnesium levels have been linked to many negative health outcomes including weakness, depression, diabetes, high blood pressure and heart disease.
And most recently Magnesium deficiency was found to be linked to getting COVID. Check out this study published in May 2022 in a very reported journal that highlights this point.

 

Key benefits of Magnesium:

1.Maintains Healthy Brain Function
Magnesium plays an important role in relaying signals between your brain and body.
Magnesium acts as the gatekeeper for NMDA receptors, which are involved in healthy brain development, memory and learning. It prevents nerve cells from being overstimulated, which can kill them and may cause brain damage.

2.Maintains a Healthy Heartbeat
Magnesium helps your heart muscle cells relax by countering calcium, which stimulates contractions. These minerals compete with each other to ensure heart cells contract and relax properly.

3. Improvement in  Blood Sugar Control in Type 2 Diabetes
People with type 2 diabetes often have low magnesium levels, which may worsen the condition, as magnesium helps regulate insulin and moves sugar out of the blood and into the cells for storage. For instance your cells have receptors for insulin which need magnesium to function properly. If magnesium levels are low your cells can’t use insulin effectively leaving blood sugar levels high.
Increasing magnesium intake may improve  blood sugar control in people with type 2 diabetes.

So how do you get your Magnesium levels up where they should be?

5 Magnesium-Rich Foods That Are Super Healthy

Magnesium is found in a variety of nutrient-dense foods including whole grains, nuts, seeds, legumes and several fruits and vegetables.
Magnesium is an extremely important mineral.
It’s involved in hundreds of chemical reactions in your body and helps you maintain good health but many people don’t reach the Daily Value (DV) of 420 milligrams (mg)

1.Avocados
The avocado is an incredibly nutritious fruit and a tasty source of magnesium. One medium avocado provides 58mg of magnesium, which is 14% of the DV. Avocados are also high in potassium, B vitamins and vitamin K. Plus unlike most fruits they’re high in fat — especially heart-healthy monounsaturated fat. In addition avocados are an excellent source of fiber. In fact most of the carbs in an avocado come from fiber, making it very low in digestible carbs. Studies have shown that eating avocados can reduce inflammation, improve cholesterol levels and increase feelings of fullness after meals.

2. Nuts
Nuts are nutritious and tasty.
Types of nuts that are particularly high in magnesium include almonds, cashews and Brazil nuts.
For instance a 1oz (28g) serving of cashews contains 83mg of magnesium or 20% of the DV. Most nuts are also a good source of fiber and monounsaturated fat and have been shown to improve blood sugar and cholesterol levels in people with diabetes. Brazil nuts are also extremely high in selenium. In fact just one Brazil nut provides nearly 175% of the DV for this mineral. Additionally nuts are anti-inflammatory, beneficial for heart health and can reduce appetite when eaten as snacks.

3. Legumes
Legumes are a family of nutrient-dense plants that include lentils, beans, chickpeas, peas and soybeans.
They’re very rich in many different nutrients including magnesium.
For instance a 1cup (172g) serving of cooked black beans contains an impressive 120mg of magnesium which is 29% of the DV. Legumes are also high in potassium, iron and are a major source of protein for vegetarians.

4. Tofu
Tofu is a staple food in vegetarian diets due to its high protein content. Made by pressing soybean milk into soft white curds, it’s also known as bean curd.
A 3.5oz (100g) serving contains 35 mg of magnesium which is 8% of the DV. One serving also provides 10g of protein and a good amount of calcium, iron, manganese and selenium.
Additionally some studies suggest that eating tofu and other soy products can protect the cells lining your arteries and may be associated with a decreased risk of stomach cancer.

5. Seeds
Seeds are incredibly healthy.
Many varieties — including flax, pumpkin and chia seeds — also contain high amounts of magnesium.
Pumpkin seeds are a particularly good source, with 168mg in a 1oz (28g) serving. This amounts to a whopping 40% of the DV for magnesium.
In addition seeds are rich in iron, monounsaturated fat and omega-3 fatty acids

 

 

Helping You Discover, Empower & Prosper
Dr Arun Dhir  |  GI Surgeon, Health Reformist & Passionate Educator.

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