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Magnesium is a necessary mineral that not many people think about. However, magnesium is an extremely important component of our diet. Deficiencies of magnesium can be quite dangerous to your health. It's essential to eat a healthy and balanced diet, but it is also important to know which vitamins and minerals should be included in our diet. All the cells in you body use magnesium. Magnesium keeps bones strong, helps maintain nerve and muscle functioning, and, perhaps most important, keeps the heart beating steadily. It's easy to see why a deficiency of this mineral is dangerous to your health. Magnesium can be found in naturally in green leafy vegetables, nuts, 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. Magnesium deficiency is fairly uncommon but symptoms include disorientation, confusion, depression, abnormal heart beat, loss of appetite, cramps, numbness, and seizures. Magnesium is often depleted though the urine and over-consumption of alcohol has been linked to magnesium deficiencies. To find out what the recommended daily amount of magnesium is you can ask your doctor or nutritionist. There are also many books and websites that can help you determine how much magnesium you should be consuming each day. This number differs for men, women, different age groups, pregnant women, and lactating women. Knowing how much magnesium you should be taking, and how much is in certain foods, is a great way to prevent any deficiencies. 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. Studies indicate that magnesium can be useful in lowering high blood pressure or hypertension. While there is no definitive proof, it certainly cannot hurt to increase the number of vegetables and fruits you eat each day. Magnesium deficiencies are also linked to metabolic changes that can result in heart attacks or strokes. As you can see, magnesium is an essential 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. Make sure you are getting the proper amounts of fruits and vegetables each day, as magnesium is a very important mineral. You probably never need to worry about a magnesium deficiency if you eat a balanced diet.
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Frank Landrens is the chief editor for BHP Magnesium, the #1 source on the internet for information about magnesium. For questions or comments about this article why not visit: www.bhpmagnesium.com/articles Don't reprint the same version as everyone else. Get your own unique content magnesium article here.
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