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Benefits of Magnesium Supplements

An adequate supply of vitamins and minerals in our everyday diet is vital for the maintenance of our general health. Magnesium is one of the essential minerals that the body needs, and it needs to be included in a healthy diet. Read on to learn more about the health benefits of magnesium.

  1. Bone Development

    • Magnesium is essential in the healthy development of strong bones and teeth. A 2006 study by "The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism" (see Resources below) found that teenage girls who were provided with a daily intake of 300 mg of magnesium showed a higher, healthier level of bone mineral content than those who were given a placebo (see Resources).

    Osteoporosis

    • The same 2006 study also referred to the essential role that magnesium plays in enhancing bone mass, which is critical in the prevention and treatment of osteoporosis. The intake of magnesium helps to slow down and, in some cases, even reverse bone loss.

    Calcium Absorption

    • An increased intake of calcium, an essential mineral that the body needs, is ineffective without an increase in the intake of magnesium to enable calcium's absorption into the blood stream.

    Heart Disease

    • Magnesium plays a role in preventing and treating a number of conditions that affect the heart, including arrhythmia, high blood pressure, high cholesterol and coronary artery disease. Magnesium also helps muscles relax, and can prevent the extreme heart contraction that causes heart attacks.

    Magnesium Deficiency

    • Magnesium supplements are beneficial in alleviating the symptoms of magnesium deficiency, including leg cramps, low appetite, fatigue, depression, headaches, nausea, vomiting and high blood pressure.

    Asthma

    • According to the Magnesium Online Library, magnesium is beneficial in the treatment of asthma by helping to relax the muscle spasms in the bronchial tubes that characterize asthma attacks. Asthmatics should take magnesium intravenously, which delivers the mineral directly into the blood stream. Alternatively, asthmatics can take magnesium supplements in a drinkable form, drinking it hot (see Resources).

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