August Fackler Honors Chemistry

11/25/12 Elements and Health Project

Healthy Dose of Magnesium

Magnesium is an alkaline earth metal, named for the Greek city Magnesia. It is the 7th most abundant element in the earths crust, and it burns with a bright white light.(6) But magnesium is also the fourth most abundant mineral in the body and is necessary to maintain the stability in many of the major organs. It helps your immune system stay healthy and keeps your bones strong. Most Americans though dont get nearly as much magnesium in their diet as they should, and while true magnesium deficiency is indeed very rare, minor cases of it are not uncommon, and having the proper amount of magnesium can promote good health. Magnesium is needed in over 300 chemical reactions in the body which allow it to perform various functions.(5) It is necessary in maintaining muscle, proper nerve function, and a regular heartbeat. Most of the bodys magnesium is found in the bones, for it helps keep structure to them. In the blood there are small amounts of magnesium, but it is necessary or the body could not maintain proper levels of calcium or potassium in the blood stream.(2) The Magnesium your body needs is absorbed in the small intestine and then distributed throughout the body.(1) Since the body absorbs most of the magnesium it is given, there is no real way to increase how much of it you absorb from your food, so if you feel you need more of it you just have to eat more magnesium enriched foods, or ask your doctor for supplements. Any excess magnesium is filtered out by the bodys kidneys, so if your kidneys are malfunctioning in some way you may need to intake more magnesium.(3) Since magnesium is found in small doses in many common foods, in is uncommon for someone to be dangerously deficient in magnesium under normal circumstances. However, if someone has an intestinal complication, such as irritable bowel syndrome or they have kidney

August Fackler Honors Chemistry

11/25/12 Elements and Health Project

problems, they could become dangerously deficient.(4) This could have many symptoms, due to the fact that the magnesium is necessary to transport and maintain many of the other nutrients in the body. Some of these symtoms include nausea, vomiting, restless leg syndrome, sleep disorders, abnormal heart rhythm, muscle spasm, hyperventilation, and possibly even seizures. Also noticeably with these, the calcium and potassium levels in the blood would drop significantly, adding its own group of complications.(2) Your body should have enough magnesium consistently to work at its best. The amount needed varies between age and gender, and even from person to person, but generally an adult male should be getting about 400 mg of magnesium daily, and an adult female should be getting about 320 mg of magnesium daily. Pubescent teens need a little more than adults (410 for males; 360 for females), but developing children need a good deal less (ages 9 to13 -240 mg; ages 4 to 8 -130 mg; ages 1 to 3 -80 mg).(2) While it is a necessary part of the diet, you will find that most food product will not be labeled with the amount of magnesium that they contain and this can make it difficult to monitor the amount of magnesium that you are actually taking in.(1) If you feel youre not getting enough magnesium, most green vegetables provide a good source of it, because the chlorophyll molecules in the plants contain magnesium.(4) You can also find even more magnesium in things such as bran or whole wheat products, nuts, seeds and surprisingly even dark chocolate (or at least the coco powder in it). Pretty much anything that that contains fiber will also contain some magnesium. Even in your tap water there can be some magnesium. If you have hard water (water that naturally contains minerals) chances are that it contains some magnesium.(5) If you cannot get your magnesium through these means though, you can contact your doctor about getting magnesium supplements, but you should always consult your doctor before taking any of these supplements. While overdose on magnesium is

August Fackler Honors Chemistry

11/25/12 Elements and Health Project

very rare with a normal diet, you could very possibly overdose if taking a supplement. Overdose of magnesium can result in low blood pressure, cardiac arrest, coma, or even possibly death.(3) Magnesium may not be something that we would normally think to be very important to our health, but it is. It is very necessary for our body to function properly and to be healthy. It keeps many of the other nutrients we consume in order, and allows our body to function normally. While it is a very important element in our body, you dont need to go out and buy a ton of magnesium supplements. It would be good though for you to be aware of your magnesium levels, and maybe get just a little bit more of it in your diet. It might just make you a little better off.

August Fackler Honors Chemistry

11/25/12 Elements and Health Project

Bibliography

(1)Magnesium Health Professional Fact Sheet. (2009, July 13). Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS). Retrieved November 26, 2012, from http://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Magnesium-HealthProfessional/ (2)Ehrlich, S. (2011, June 17). Magnesium.University of Maryland Medical Center | Home. Retrieved November 26, 2012, from http://www.umm.edu/altmed/articles/magnesium-000313.htm (3)Gagnon, S. (n.d.). It's Elemental - The Element Magnesium. Science Education at Jefferson Lab. Retrieved November 26, 2012, from http://education.jlab.org/itselemental/ele012.html (4)Higdon, J., Drake, V., & Rude, R. (2007, August 7). Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University. Linus Pauling Institute at Oregon State University. Retrieved November 26, 2012, from http://lpi.oregonstate.edu/infocenter/minerals/magnesium/ (5)House, P. (n.d.). Top 10 Foods Highest in Magnesium. HealthAliciousNess . com. Retrieved November 26, 2012, from http://www.healthaliciousness.com/articles/foodshigh-in-magnesium.php (6)MAGNESIUM: Uses, Side Effects, Interactions and Warnings - WebMD. (2009, February 13). WebMD - Better information. Better health.. Retrieved November 26, 2012, from http://www.webmd.com/vitamins-supplements/ingredientmono-998MAGNESIUM.aspx?activeIngredientId=998&activeIngredientN