According to an online webinar from Natural Products Insider featuring Dr. Robert Rountree, magnesium is extremely important to many of the body’s functions, as it is a cofactor in over 300 enzyme systems while regulating over 80 per cent of biochemical reactions in the body.
Dr. Rountree states that magnesium is necessary for DNA and RNA synthesis. A typical adult has about 25 grams of magnesium in the body, where about half can be found in bones, about half can be found in tissues and organs and about one per cent is in the bloodstream. Adults should have a dietary intake of the mineral at 310 to 420 mg/day, yet Dr. Rountree hypothesizes that 60 to 70 per cent of people in the U.S. may have an inadequate intake.
Magnesium deficiency can be caused by various reasons, but mostly diet, diseases and disorders, lifestyle, chronic stress, aging and medications. Signs and symptoms of subclinical (requires a more invasive test) magnesium deficiency include numbness and tingling, fatigue and low energy, insomnia, muscle cramps, weakness, headaches, irregular heart rhythm and stress and anxiety.
While Dr. Rountree states that magnesium is primarily used in a clinical setting to provide relief for constipation, overusing it could cause diarrhea and other such digestion problems, leading to a net loss of magnesium. Subclinical magnesium deficiency has been linked with chronic inflammatory stress conditions. These conditions may contribute to obesity, atherosclerosis, hypertension, osteoporosis, type 2 diabetes and certain types of cancer.
Magnesium can be found in three main mineral forms: ionic minerals, which allow the element to bond with water; mineral complex, which coordinate covalent bonds; and mineral chelates, which Dr. Rountree regards as the most potent form of magnesium. Mineral chelates are complex structures that better survive passage through the stomach and into the small intestine, where absorption in the bloodstream can take place without affecting the absorption of other minerals.
