Magnesium Deficiency Affects 80% of Americans and Food and Herbs High in Magnesium

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Arguably one of the best most important breakthrough in nutrition and food science in recent years has been the greater understanding of the important role that magnesium plays in the health of the human body. Upon until fairly recently, people simply did not understand magnesium’s role in the body in the way they understood why iron or calcium were important, for instance. But with the growing body of research on the number of biological interactions in the body that need adequate magnesium, more and more people in the general public are beginning to sit up and take note. Read on to find out more about magnesium deficiency and about what herbs and foods are the best magnesium sources.

Magnesium Deficiency

Statistics show that magnesium deficiency is far more widespread than many people realize. As a matter of fact, it is believed that a whopping 80% of Americans do not have adequate levels of magnesium in their diet – hardly surprising, considering that the modern American diet, dependent upon highly processed foods, is so lacking in many vital nutrients.

This is unfortunate, though. Magnesium deficiency has been linked to a whole array of health problems. These include abnormal blood clotting, depression and other emotional problems, diabetes, kidney and liver disease, osteoporosis and hypertension. And there are many disease processes which can themselves be the cause of low magnesium levels. The most frequent culprits are digestive disorders like Crohn’s disease, poorly functioning kidneys and alcoholism.

Apart from supplementation, however, there are other ways to increase magnesium levels, such as adding herbs and foods that are magnesium-rich to the diet on a regular basis. The next section will discussed what herbs and foods are best for restoring healthy magnesium levels.

A Magnesium-Rich Diet

The good news is that there are some great food choices out there for those who are wanting to increase their magnesium levels. Some of the best food choices include dark chocolate, dark leafy green vegetables such as spinach, kale or spirulina, and nuts and seeds such as cashews, sesame seeds or pumpkin seeds. Other good choices include seaweed and wild-caught salmon.

And there are even great ways to increase magnesium levels just by adding certain herbs into the daily diet. The best herbs for this include basil, cilantro, caraway or celery seeds, oregano, thyme, rosemary and saffron. If unsure about how to use some of these herbs, there are many Internet sites devoted simply to increasing herbs in everyday cooking – it is amazing what some of these herbs can do to spice up even very familiar dishes!

In conclusion, magnesium deficiency is definitely a problem in the United States – much more of a problem than many people think. This deficiency is linked to a number of chronic health problems and serious complications can result if this deficiency is left unchecked. However, there are ways to help improve magnesium levels by adding some of the delicious foods and herbs mentioned above to the daily bill of fare.

Sources: umm.edu, healthaliciousness.com, examiner.com

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Christine . S
Christine has written articles on most health-related topics, including traditional medicine, alternative and naturopathic and natural treatments, wellness, medical marijuana, diets and fitness.