ROLE OF MAGNESIUM IN OUR DIET

Magnesium is usually referred to as a "macromineral," which means that our food must provide us with hundreds of milligrams 

of magnesium every day.

(The other macrominerals that all humans 

must get from food are calcium, phosphorus, sodium:nutrient, potassium, and chloride). 

In our  bodies, magnesium is found mostly in

our bones (60-65%), but also in our muscles (25%), and in other cell types and body fluids. Like all minerals, magnesium cannot be made

in our body and must therefore be plentiful in our diet in order for us to remain healthy.

Food Sources : Most dietary magnesium comes from vegetables, such as dark green, leafy vegetables. Other foods that are good sources 

of magnesium:  Fruits or vegetables (such as bananas, dried apricots, and avocados),  Nuts (such as almonds and cashews), Peas and beans (legumes), seeds,  Soy products (such as soy flour and tofu),  Whole grains (such as brown rice and millet).Magnesium in the body serves several important functions:  Contraction and relaxation of muscles,  Function of certain enzymes in the body,  Production and transport of energy and  Production of protein.Magnesium rich  foods helps relax your nerves and muscles, build and strengthen bones, also keep your blood circulating smoothly. Magnesium is sometimes regarded as a "smoothie" mineral, since it has the ability to relax our muscles. Our nerves also depend upon magnesium to avoid becoming overexcited.The magnesium in our bones helps give them their physical structure. This magnesium is part of the bone's crystal lattice and is found in this "bone scaffolding" together with the minerals phosphorus and calcium.

Magnesium serves as a chemical gate blocker and  as long as there is enough magnesium around, calcium can't rush into the nerve cell and activate the nerve. This gate blocking by magnesium helps keep the nerve relaxed.

Over 300 different enzymes in the body 

require magnesium in order to function.

Magnesium plays such a wide variety of roles

in the body, the symptoms of magnesium deficiency can also vary widely.

The impact of cooking and processing on magnesium can vary greatly from food to

food, since magnesium is found in different forms in different types of food.

For example, about one third of the magnesium in spinach is lost after blanching.

In other foods that are rich in magnesium,

like almonds or peanuts, there is very little 

loss of magnesium either from roasting or 

from processing into almond or peanut butter.

Magnesium is an essential mineral for human nutrition.

Magnesium in the body serves several important metabolic functions. It plays a role in the production and transport of energy. It is also important for the contraction and relaxation of muscles. Magnesium is involved in the synthesis of protein, and it assists in the functioning of certain enzymes in the body.

Magnesium deficiency alters calcium metabolism and the hormones that regulate calcium.

Magnesium may play an important role in regulating your blood pressure naturally.

Magnesium is plentiful in many foods: like eggplant,  tofu, salmon, bananas, shrimp, rice, spinach, yams, sardines, corn and mozzarella cheese.

A list of foods containing Magnesium are :  Almonds, Brazil nuts, Cashew nuts, Coconut, dried Hazelnuts, filberts, Peanuts, Pine nuts, Sesame seeds, Walnuts, Barley, Whole grain , Oat bran, Rice  brown,Wheat flour, Whole wheat bread, Aritchoke, Beans  black and white, Spinach. Many herbs and spices are rich in magnesium. Fresh vegetables are a good

source of magnesium.