What Is Magnesium?

We Give You The Lowdown On Magnesium, A Mineral That’s Essential For Good Health

If you have heard of magnesium, you might be wondering exactly what it does. We are here to shed some light, as this essential mineral is crucial for a number of processes in the body.

From helping with the reduction of tiredness and fatigue, to contributing to the maintenance of normal bones and teeth, magnesium is pivotal.

Here are the details on what it does, where we get it from and how much we need...

What Is Magnesium?

Magnesium is an essential mineral, and it is also the second most abundant nutrient stored in our body’s tissue after calcium.

In the UK, The Department of Health and Social Care advises women aged 19-64 to consume 270 milligrams (mg) of magnesium a day whilst men aged 19-64 are advised to consume 300mg.

Why Is Magnesium Important?

It’s used in over 300 biochemical reactions within the body, and one of the key ones is converting the foods we eat into energy. Magnesium then helps deliver this energy to cells, so naturally, a lack of magnesium could leave you feeling fatigued and/or tired.

Magnesium contributes to the normal functioning of the nervous system too. Our nervous system is made up of the brain and spinal cord, with the peripheral nervous system describing the network of nerves that lie outside the central nervous system.

Magnesium also contributes to normal muscle and psychological function.

Finally, another important role of magnesium is that it contributes to the maintenance of normal bones. Working closely with calcium, it ensures calcium is taken from the bloodstream, into the bones.

What Foods Provide Us With Magnesium?

There are a number of delicious foods that can provide us with varying amounts of magnesium, and many of these foods are vegetarian and vegan friendly too.

Magnesium is found in all green plants as well as foods such as dark chocolate through to chickpeas and almonds. Here is a list of foods you can add to your daily diet to help meet your recommended intake of daily magnesium.

• Spinach per 1 cup, cooked - 157mg
• Pumpkin Seeds per 28g -150mg
• Tofu, 1 cup - 146mg
• Chickpeas per 100g -115mg
• Tuna per 170g fillet - 109mg
• Nuts, particularly almonds, Brazil nuts and cashews per 28g - 82mg
• Almonds per 28g - 77mg
• Dark Chocolate per 28g (at least 85% cocoa content) - 65mg
• Avocado, one medium -58mg
• Salmon per 178g - 58mg
• Peanut Butter, 2 tbsp - 57mg
• Tofu per 100g- 53mg
• Brown Rice per ½ cup - 42mg
• Bananas, per 1 cup- 41mg
• Wholewheat Bread, 1 slice - 24mg
• Whole Milk, 1 cup - 24mg

Our Best Magnesium Supplements

The UK Department of Health and Social Care comfirms that having 400mg or less a day of magnesium from supplements is unlikely to cause any harm. All of Vitabiotics’ supplements contain less than 400mg per dose, making them useful dietary additions to help safeguard your intake of magnesium.

Our Ultra Magnesium contains 375mg of magnesium per two tablets. That’s 100% of the Nutrient Reference Value (NRV) of magnesium. This supplement is ideal for anyone seeking extra bone support and is also suitable for anyone with hectic lives and the over 50s.

Containing an advanced effervescent formula, Wellwoman Energy is specifically made to provide nutritional support on the go and an extra boost of energy-releasing vitamins when needed. Each tablet contains 60mg of magnesium, as well as vitamins, such as vitamin B6 and B1 and iron. Wellwoman Energy is available in orange and lime flavours and each tablet contains just 9 calories.

Wellman Energy also provides 60mg of magnesium per effervescent tablet, plus vitamins B6 and B1, as well as iron, which contribute to normal energy release.