Magnesium Health Watch

In this excellent list at Wake Up and Breathe, Lorraine mentions another way that magnesium can help the body. Magnesium can be used to help treat PMS.  While vitamins are helpful in addressing skin, stress and mood issues associated with pms, calcium combined with magnesium can help cramps.  Magnesium helps the body absorb the needed calcium that helps minimize pain.

“Fight PMS with calcium and magnesium: Calcium prevents menstrual cramps and pain. Magnesium helps the body in absorbing calcium. Magnesium helps in controlling premenstrual food cravings and stabilizing moods. If you do not suffer from lactose intolerance, you can opt for skim milk as a source of calcium. Include green leafy vegetables, beans, peas, tofu and canned salmon for calcium and spinach, tofu, rice bran and some fish like halibut and mackerel for magnesium.”

12 Ways to Fight PMS | Wake Up And Breathe.

We recently were discussing pumpkin seeds as a rich source for magnesium.  Today, we came across this very interesting article at Cold Truth that provides more information on the nutritional properties of the pumpkin and how it was used as a medicine throughout history. Apparently the pumpkin has far more to offer than just vitamins and minerals like magnesium!

Here’s an excerpt:

“The pumpkin has long been recognized as a natural medicine cabinet. Food scientists have cited historical references to pumpkin being used by Native Americans for the treatment of intestinal infections.

As long ago as the 1870s, American’s ultimate authority for prescription, over-the-counter and natural medications – the United States Pharmacopoeia – listed pumpkin skin and seeds for treatment of parasites and kidney maladies.

Pumpkin is very low in calories, rich in potassium,  magnesium and iron and its bright orange flesh of pumpkin is loaded with the antioxidant beta -carotene that fight free radicals.”

via Cold Truth » Blog Archive » The skin of a pumpkin skin may scare away germs.

Magnesium, calcium, vitamin D and vitamin K are particularly important for bone health.  Eating smart can often get you the vitamins and minerals you need.

For example, enjoying some lowfat yogurt can get up to half of a day’s calcium.

Vitamin D can be a tricky one, as it’s not present in many foods, though many are vitamin d fortified.

A handful of almonds can take care of 1/4 of your daily magnesium needs.

Enhance your diet with soybeans and leafy greens, and you’ll be well on your way to the right magnesium levels.

Here Cooking light presents the foods that best supply these vitamins.  On calcium and tofu:

“A great non-dairy source of calcium is tofu. Just one-half cup of firm tofu fortified with calcium has about 20 percent of the daily recommendation for calcium. (Not every tofu is made this way, so look for labels that declare it’s a good source of calcium.) Tofu is also a good source of protein and a wonderful addition to any stir-fry.”

All Photos – Calcium, magnesium, vitamin D, and vitamin K are key nutrients for healthy bones. Our RD shows you good food sources. – Photos – CookingLight.com.

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.

Millions of Americans suffer from sleep problems.  It’s particularly common to experience changes in your sleep patterns as seasonal changes in sunlight can trigger sleep disorders.  We’ve been talking a lot about how to address sleep problems through your diet.  This includes B vitamins that promote wakefulness during the day found in foods like whole grain sand leafy greens.   Also, stay away from caffeine even several hours before bedtime.

Magnesium is one mineral that can help relax the body and help alleviate insomnia.

“Known as the “anti-stress” mineral, magnesium relaxes the body and calms the nervous system. Eat foods rich in magnesium–pumpkin seeds, almonds, and green vegetables–at or after dinner and take a magnesium supplement just before bed (combine with bone-builders calcium and vitamin D for best results). Begin with 150 mg of magnesium and increase if necessary.”

Eat Your Way to a Restful Sleep — baltimoresun.com.