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Magnesium

Magnesium (Mg) is essential to all living cells. The earth metal plays important roles in the structure and the function of the human body. The adult human body contains about 25 grams of magnesium. Over 60% of all the magnesium in the body is found in the skeleton, about 27% is found in muscle (1). Magnesium is involved in more than 300 essential metabolic reactions (2). To mention some of them: protein synthesis, cellular energy production and storage, reproduction, DNA and RNA synthesis, and stabilizing mitochondrial membranes (61).

 

Authored by Dr Peter Engel in 2010 and reviewed and revised by Angelika Friedel on 03.05.2017

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Things to know about Magnesium

  • Other Applications

    Giving a patient an intravenous (IV) magnesium drip soon after a suspected heart attack (‘myocardial infarction’, MI) could decrease mortality, according to the results of a meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials. Read More

  • Deficiency

    Magnesium deficiency in healthy individuals is rare. Symptoms include muscle spasms, appetite loss, nausea, vomiting and personality change. Read More

  • Sources

    Foods high in magnesium (Mg) include green leafy vegetables like spinach and some fruits such as bananas. Read More

  • Safety

    Adverse effects (e.g. diarrhea) from excess magnesium have been observed with intakes of supplemental magnesium. Read More