MAGNESIUM - What it does and how it helps us.

Magnesium is an essential mineral required by the body to maintain optimal health and wellbeing, and being the fourth most abundant mineral in our bodies it’s no surprise to see that it will plays an important role in many essential and critical bodily functions. Magnesium has been linked to between 300-600 different enzymatic and biochemical functions in the body.

 

Some of the most important and essential body functions Magnesium is critical for are; Energy production, muscle (and the heart) contractions, nerve signal transmission, protein synthesis, insulin and blood pressure regulation and it’s also linked to stress resilience and improved sleep and recovery. It has also been linked to the synthesis of vitamin D and B vitamins.

 

In spite of the crucial and essential role Magnesium has, studies show that many of us are deficient in this amazing mineral, with some studies showing that 50-75 % of adults in the western world have inadequate levels of magnesium in their bodies. It can also be difficult to adequately determine an accurate magnesium level in our body’s as only one third of magnesium is stored in cellular form or the blood, the other two thirds are located in the bones.   

 

Magnesium and Mitochondria, energy, fitness and recovery.

One of the most important functions of Magnesium is the central role it has in producing the fuel and energy to meet our bodily requirements. This fuel is needed to operate our brains, limbs, and everything in our body. Magnesium is a critical component in the metabolism of ATP (adenosine triphosphate).  ATP is the energy carrying currency in our cells, and is crucial for energy storage and release to keep us functioning at our best.

 ATP is produced in our Mitochondria which are cellular energy factories, converting glucose and amino acids into ATP. Without ATP we won’t have energy and without Magnesium we won’t have ATP. They provide the fuel to keep your cells and ultimately your body functioning at its best, and are essential to you overall physical wellbeing and even longevity. Our mitochondria, with magnesium are energy creators, fueling us to be our best and also provide energy and nourishment to speed up recovery from activity and illness.