Magnesium Health Watch

This Alternative Health Journal article mentioned a study at the University of Kentucky Medical Center showing that eating magnesium-rich foods as part of your diet can reduce the probability of gallstones in those who have a family history of this condition.

“The Kentucky researchers found that not getting enough magnesium can increase your triglycerides and lower HDL or good cholesterol. It adds up to compromising health on many fronts. They studied more than 42,000 men over a decade. Other studies have confirmed the potency of dietary magnesium.

There is a simple solution: Eat more plant-based foods to up your intake of fiber.”

Magnesium Foods Prevent Gallstones, Hypertension, Memory Loss by Bob Condor – Alternative Health Blog – Alternative Health Journal.

If you’re an athlete, you may already be considering how vitamins and minerals affect your performance.  However, magnesium is often overlooked, despite being an important part of muscle contraction and relaxation, as well as metabolism.

One study found that as a result of magnesium depletion, people’s metabolism became less efficient.  Participant’s oxygen consumption increased, as did heart rate.  This starts to establish a connection between dietary magnesium and athletic performance.

“Even athletes, who might be expected to take greater care with their diets, are not immune from magnesium deficiency; for example, studies carried out in 1986/87 revealed that gymnasts, footballers and basketball players were consuming only around 70% of the RDA(14), while female runners fared even worse, with reported intakes as low as 59% of the RDA(15). Given magnesium’s vital role in energy production, two key questions emerge:

1. Can these all-too-common sub-optimum dietary magnesium intakes impair athletic performance?
2. Could extra magnesium intake, over and above RDA levels, enhance performance?

Bodybuilding.com – Magnesium: Why Magnesium Matters To Athletes! – Andrew Hamilton.