Missing the trace mineral magnesium in your diet can lead to a host of chronic health disorders that are often misdiagnosed. Magnesium is required in over 350 different enzymes, plus hundreds of essential functions in the body. In her informative book, The Miracle of Magnesium, Dr. Carolyn Dean writes that there has been a gradual decline of dietary magnesium in the United States, from a high of 500 mg/day at the turn of the century to barely 175-225 mg/day in 2024. Recommended dose for women over 30 years of age can be 320 mg per day.
Much of the cause for this decline has been linked to industrial farming and food processing. If the soil we grow our food in is lacking essential minerals, than the vegetables, grains, fruits, beans, legumes, seeds, and nuts are lacking those minerals as well. A hefty percentage of magnesium is also lost when removing the bran from grains in the refining process.
According to the National Academy of Sciences, Americans are critically lacking in adequate amounts of magnesium with men receiving only 80 percent of the recommended daily allowance and women receiving only 70 percent. This lack of magnesium can lead to a list of common health disorders. The irony is that many of the pharmaceutical drugs used to treat these conditions only deplete magnesium and other essential minerals further. If you suffer from any of these health conditions or know of someone who does, consult your doctor and have your levels of magnesium checked. Taking supplemental magnesium and eating foods high in the mineral can help to reverse these conditions.
24 Health conditions caused by a lack of Magnesium.
- Mitral valve porlapse
- Migraine headaches
- Anxiety and panic attacks
- Asthma
- Attention Deficit Disorder
- Fibromyalgia
- Allergies
- Blood clots
- Bowel disease
- Cystitis
- Depression
- Diabetes
- Fatigue
- Heart disease
- Hypertension
- Hypoglycemia
- Insomnia
- Kidney disease
- Musculoskeletal conditions
- Nerve problems
- Gynecological problems
- Osteoporosis
- Reynaud’s syndrome
- Tooth decay
Magnesium Rich Foods
3 ounce serving
- Kelp- 760 mg
- Wheat bran- 490 mg
- Molasses- 258 mg
Brewer’s Yeast- 231 mg- Buckwheat- 229 mg
- Brazil nuts- 225 mg
- Dulse (sea vegetable)- 220 mg
- Filberts- 184 mg
- Wheat germ- 336 mg
- Almonds- 270 mg
- Cashews- 267 mg
- Peanuts- 175 mg
- Wheat grain- 160 mg
- Millet- 163 mg
- Pecans- 145 mg
- English walnuts- 131 mg
- Rye- 115 mg
- Tofu- 111 mg
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By Delia Quigley for Care2.com