Your brain loves magnesium, but do you know it?
Magnesium deficiency can cause depression, heart problems and even hearing loss
Despite its importance, not everyone knows exactly what magnesium is for and what it does in the body. The fourth most prevalent mineral in the human body, magnesium is of great importance to the human body, taking part in vital processes such as muscle contraction, energy production and transport, and many other body functions.
Brain function is highly dependent on environmental and dietary factors. Food will provide what is necessary to compose the brain: proteins, carbohydrates, fats that make up cell membranes, salts that participate in the electrical balance of cells and nervous signals, etc. A nutrient-deficient diet can disrupt the structural and biochemical organizations of neurological processes. Magnesium is a nutrient found in foods such as Brazil nuts and spinach and participates in more than 300 chemical reactions in our bodies, including the production of ATP (adenosine triphosphate, energy reserve molecule) and muscle contraction.
Learning and memory are fundamental brain functions that, according to a recent study by neuroscientists at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) in the US and Tsinghua University in Beijing, China, increase when there is a higher concentration of magnesium in the brain. . According to research done in young and old rats, magnesium increases synaptic plasticity and the density of synapses in the hippocampus - the area of the brain that houses memory - leading to an improvement in learning abilities and short and long memories. deadline.
The results prompted Guosong Liu and his colleagues at MIT to continue to research magnesium, thus developing a new compound (magnesium-L-threonate or MgT) that is more effective than other oral supplements on the market. The supplement was designed for greater absorption, as traditional ones were not absorbed enough to have the desired effect on the nervous system and were more useful as laxatives. Tests have shown that MgT increases magnesium levels in the brain of rats by 15% after 24 days.
Deep synapse loss is one of the main pathological features associated with Alzheimer's disease. Other research involving magnesium-L-threonate revealed that it has a protective effect on synapses and may have therapeutic potential for the treatment of Alzheimer's disease in humans. In addition, scientists have found that treatment with magnesium-L-threonate MgT is effective in limiting the extent of neurological damage and dysfunction.
Recent studies indicate that magnesium supplementation can also be used in treatments for generalized anxiety disorders and depression.
To learn more, check out a video lecture on the power of magnesium in brain health.
Magnesium deficiency causes complications such as cramps, fatigue, memory loss, depression, irritability, insomnia, migraines, heart problems and, in some cases, even ringing in the ears and hearing loss.
Diets based on processed and frozen foods can lead to magnesium deficiency. Stress causes us to lose magnesium through constant urination. Deficiency can also be caused by too much alcohol, caffeine, and sugars. Elderly people are also predisposed, as magnesium deficiency increases with lifespan.
Adults should take 320 to 420 mg of magnesium per day, however the average intake is around 250 mg. The many studies that prove the power of magnesium's benefits in our body highlight the importance of ingesting it in an adequate amount to avoid illnesses and stay healthy. To make your diet richer in magnesium, bet on whole foods, pumpkin or sunflower seeds, dried fruits, almonds, chard and spinach.