Magnesium is one of the most supplemented elements. Despite its pretty good availability in the diet, magnesium is an element that a growing number of people suffer from a deficiency of. It arises from limited absorption of magnesium from the diet and increased magnesium requirement. In order to battle magnesium deficiency, diet supplements are used more and more. Should one have any concerns regarding magnesium supplementation? Can one overdose magnesium?
Magnesium is an essential element for proper functioning of the cardiovascular, nervous, muscle or hormonal system.
[ZMB6 RIGHT]Magnesium deficiency causes impaired functioning of these systems, which manifests itself as:
– fatigue
– sleep disorders
– muscle cramps and muscles tremors
– heart disorders
– problems with memory and concentration
– headaches and vertigoes
– weakened bones and teeth
– fertility disorders
– increased symptoms of premenstrual syndrome
Such symptoms occurring are a reason for magnesium supplementation. Magnesium should also be taken by those at risk of stress, white-collar workers, athletes.
Others reasons for magnesium supplementation are:
– preventing premature births
– preventing atherosclerosis and heart attacks
– pregnancy and lactation
– childhood
– old age
Daily magnesium requirement is about 300 mg for women and 400 mg for men. In theory, it is possible to get such amount of magnesium from the diet, but it’s necessary to take losses caused by cooking and processing food into account, as well as the above mentioned states of increased need for magnesium. Supplementation should provide optimal amounts of magnesium – it is the best when the daily dose covers the entire magnesium requirement – considering incomplete absorption inside the stomach, that way we don’t have to worry about overdosing magnesium. On the other hand, we provide ourselves with effective prevention of magnesium deficiencies and the diseases of affluence arising from it.
When taking magnesium supplements, one should choose preparations that provide the organic form of magnesium, such as magnesium citrate. If a supplement’s formula is enriched with compounds that enhance the action of magnesium, such as zinc or vitamins B – the supplementation will be even more effective. Natural forms of magnesium are perfectly tolerated by the body and are characterized by high bioaccessibility. But what if we can’t estimate the exact amount of magnesium we get from the diet and we don’t know if we should also supplement magnesium? Can one have excess of magnesium in their body?
Having too much magnesium in blood is called hypermagnesemia. There are no known cases of overdosing magnesium from the diet, supplementing magnesium in form of pills as recommended doesn’t lead to excessive concentration of magnesium that could have a negative impact on health, either. That’s because the potential excess of this element gets immediately excreted from the body in urine.
The most common cause of hypermagnesemia is impaired functioning of kidneys or hormonal disorders, such as hypothyroid or adrenal insufficiency. In such situations, the symptoms of high magnesium content are nausea and vomiting, heart disorders, less strength in muscles and respiratory problems.
One should not be afraid of supplements containing magnesium – it is very likely that this is the exact type of supplementation we need. Each of us is at risk of stress, physical overload of the body, we drink a lot of coffee and tea, some people enjoy plenty of alcohol. We take more and more of diuretics and laxatives or try to lose weight. Which means the actual danger is not excess but deficiency of magnesium, and supplementing it doesn’t come with a risk of overdosing.
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