Magnesium is a nutrient that is essential for good health. Magnesium is necessary for regulating muscle and nerve function. It is also vital for regulating blood sugar levels, and blood pressure and making protein, bone, and DNA. The typical American diet does not provide the recommended amounts of magnesium. I found it interesting that the National Institute of Health stated that men of 70 and teenage girls and boys are most likely to have low intakes. Short term deficiency usually does not produce any symptoms, however, long term some may suffer loss of appetite, nausea, fatigue, weakness, and eventually, numbness, tingling, muscle cramps, anxiety/depression, difficulty sleeping, and abnormal heart rhythms.
The good news is that there are many magnesium rich foods and they are easy to incorporate into your diet.
Seeds including pumpkin and chia
Nuts like almonds, cashews, and peanuts
Dark chocolate
Spinach
Legumes
Avocado
Soymilk and tofu
Whole grains like wheat, oats, buckwheat, quinoa
Superfood salmon
Bananas
If you are concerned that you may have a deficiency, get your levels checked. www.grassrootshealth.net also has an at-home test if you do not want to go through your health care provider.