Magnesium is one mineral that we hear about inrelation to muscle health, but not too much for its other properties. Yet it’sone of the most abundant minerals in our bodies.
In fact, magnesium is used in hundreds ofdifferent chemical reactions in the body every single day. That means it’s inhigh demand so if you aren’t taking in enough there will be some warning signspopping up.
It’s tied to sugar cravings because magnesiumhelps regulate glucose (blood sugar) and insulin (helps the body use and storeglucose). If you don’t have enough magnesium, you’re bound to see a differencein your sweet tooth.
Let’s take a closer look at how magnesium canhelp manage sugar cravings and how it contributes to the health of your bodyoverall.
The Many Roles of Magnesium in the Body
Magnesiumhelps lower our stress levels. In fact, magnesium isoften referred to as the “relaxation mineral.”
Serotonin, which is a natural mood stabilizerfound mostly in our digestive system, requires magnesium for its production.Therefore, it is recommended that we take magnesium to help manage our stress,anxiety, and mood disorders. In turn, a magnesium deficiency can affect ourstress level and emotional state.
Magnesiumis necessary for numerous chemical reactions in our body,including making DNA.
Magnesiumhelps maintain brain function by relaying signalsbetween our body and our brain. It prevents overstimulation of nerve cells,which could result in brain damage.
Magnesiumhelps regulate muscle contractions – itopposite to calcium to help our muscles relax. Magnesium is commonlyrecommended for treating muscle cramps.
Magnesiumhas also been linked to helping reduce the risk of many diseases, including arthritis, heart disease, and diabetes. Several studies haveshown that migraine headaches are associated with low levels of magnesium.
Magnesiumis used in the regulation of blood sugar,insulin and dopamine which makes it an essential mineral for managing sugar cravings.
Despite magnesium being so abundant in our body,a lot of people don’t get enough of it.
How Much Magnesium Should We Consume?
Adult men should consume 420 mg/day.
Adult women should consume 320 mg/day.
There could be consequences from consuming toomuch magnesium or not enough magnesium:
- Too much magnesium can cause various symptoms, including diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, lethargy, and irregular heartbeat.
Therefore, you might not want to take a supplement that contains magnesium if you are already getting enough magnesium through your food and other sources.
- A magnesium deficiency (called hypomagnesemia)could lead to various health conditions, including muscle twitches and cramps,osteoporosis, fatigue, high blood pressure, asthma, heart disease, anddiabetes.
It’s more than likely that you sit somewhere inthe middle of these two. A low level of magnesium can increase sugar cravings,especially for chocolate.
Other mild deficiency symptoms could includeconstipation, tight muscles, high stress levels, difficulty sleeping, clenchingteeth at night and more.
Foods That Contain Magnesium
If you think low magnesium is playing a role inyour sugar cravings, there are plenty of magnesium-rich natural foods you canadd to your diet:
- Pumpkin seeds (check out the recipe below formaking Sweet & Creamy Pumpkin Seed Butter)
- Raw almonds and cashews (raw nuts are betterthan roasted nuts – roasted nuts lose magnesium during the roasting process)
- Dark chocolate
- Black beans, peas, and soybeans
- Green leafy vegetables (spinach)
- Whole grains (oat bran)
- Herbs (coriander, chives, dill, sage)
Magnesium can also be absorbed through the skin.An Epsom salt bath can increase your magnesium level, as can a magnesium oil orlotion.
If you’re looking to supplement with magnesium,start with 150 mg of Magnesium Bisglycinate per day. It can be especiallyhelpful for women to take magnesium around the time of their period to add somemagnesium to help their bodies manage blood sugar more efficiently.
Summary
Eating sweets occasionally isn’t a bad thing. Ifyour sugar cravings are taking over your life it can mean that your body islooking for something, like magnesium. A lot of people are deficient inmagnesium because it’s used widely in the body for so many processes.
There are several ways to get your recommendedamount of magnesium. One of the easiest (and yummiest) ways of getting dailymagnesium is to include plenty of food sources. Here’s a recipe for pumpkinseed butter to get you started.
Recipe
Sweet & Creamy Pumpkin Seed Butter
Ingredients:
2 cups raw pumpkin seeds
1-2 tsp. oil (grapeseed or olive)
1 Tbsp. honey (optional)
¼ tsp sea salt
Preparation:
- Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
- Spread the pumpkin seeds on a baking sheet.
- Bake for 10-12 minutes, until lightly golden.
- Cool for 15-20 minutes.
- Put the pumpkin seeds, honey and salt in a blender or food processor.
- Run the food processor for approximately 4-5 minutes, until the pumpkin seeds begin to have the texture of butter. If necessary, stop the food processor and scrape the sides.
- Continue running the food processor for another 2-5 minutes until the pumpkin seeds have the texture of butter. Add some of the oil, as needed, until the desired consistency is reached.
REFERENCES:
https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/what-does-magnesium-do
A holistic nutritionist, writer, non-granola yogi, and coach dedicated to helping you find sustainability in your health so you can play full-out in life (whatever that looks like for you).
Author: Selina Rose
A holistic nutritionist, writer, non-granola yogi, and coach dedicated to helping you find sustainability in your health so you can play full-out in life (whatever that looks like for you). View all posts by Selina Rose
