Estimated reading time: 4 minutes
Would you like some insight on an essential dietary element that works to build bone, helps muscles and nerves function, and works to control both blood sugar and blood pressure. Meet magnesium, and find out where to get some of this stuff.
Table of contents
Magnesium – A Little Mineral with a Lot Responsibilities
I’m glad you are here because we are going to talk about a nutrient that you may not know you could be deficient in.
Here are a couple of clues that may familiarize you with this mineral we will talk about. Have you yourself or have you watched gymnasts when they powder their hands before mounting on the parallel bars? Have you ever wished about getting “mag wheels” for your car? Or have you ever had milk of magnesia to settle an upset stomach? If yes to any of these prompts, you will know that we are talking about magnesium today.
Magnesium is a mineral generally found in abundance in our body.
This little mineral has a lot of job responsibilities in keeping our body working well. It is involved with the break- down of protein, assists with muscle and nerve function, blood glucose control, and blood pressure regulation. And it plays an important role in building bone.
Low Maginesium Levels Come With Risk
So why are we concerned if our magnesium is low? Low levels of magnesium are associated with type 2 diabetes. Studies have shown that increasing your intake of magnesium can lower your risk for developing type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome. Low levels are also associated with the formation of calcium plaques in arteries which is a risk for heart attack. Low magnesium is very common in people with diabetes and the issue is that it may affect the action of insulin in people with type 2 diabetes and lead to insulin resistance. People with diabetes tend to excrete a lot of magnesium too.
How much do you need? The recommended dietary allowance for magnesium is 320 mg per day for women, 420 mg per day for men. Most Americans do not get enough magnesium. If you are thinking about taking a supplement, check with your doctor first and know that there is an upper limit that has been set at 350mg/day through supplements.
But, there are lots of good food sources of magnesium: dark greens, broccoli, beans of all varieties, almonds, pumpkin seeds, white fish, artichokes, rice, barley, wheat bran, or whole wheat flour. This is good news because there are many delicious food options that are easy to incorporate into your daily eating plan.
So What Can You Do?
You can:
- Top your morning oatmeal with almonds or use almonds as a low-carb high-fiber snack.
- Build a salad made from dark leafy greens and top the salad with steamed or raw broccoli, pumpkin seeds, or almonds.
- Eat marinated artichokes as a side dish for lunch or dinner.
- Prepare a chili made with beans or a barley soup as another high magnesium option.
Remember, some foods rich in magnesium are carbohydrates, so we manage our portion sizes of those.
If you’re not sure which foods are carbohydrate foods you must have missed watching the series of videos I made for you titled Diabetes and Carbohydrates, posted every few weeks from June through November last year….. 8 videos in total. You may want to check those out….. Carbohydrates are kind of important.
Be Sure to Check Out – Diabetes and Carbohydrates- What You Need To Know!, Diabetes and Carbohydrates – What You Need To Know About Sweets, Diabetes and Carbohydrates – What You Need To Know About Fruit, Diabetes and Carbohydrates- What You Need To Know About Beans, Peas, and Lentils, Diabetes and Carbohydrates- What You Need To Know About Starchy Vegetables, Diabetes and Carbohydrates – What You Need To Know About Dairy, Diabetes and Carbohydrates – What You Need To Know About Nonstarchy Vegetables, and What You Need To Know About Carbohydrates – Grains
Don’t forget to take a look at our most frequently asked questions.
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