Ever wondered what the health benefits of magnesium are? The 11th most abundant element in the universe has an importance in the medical/biological world, too. It is the 9th most abundant in the human body, essential to our muscles and cells, and you’ll be happy to know that for anyone who needs to consume more of it, you can buy supplements easily over the counter or online. The supplements are also effective for things like constipation, eclampsia and hypomagnesemia.
Historically speaking, as a metal it wasn’t isolated until 1808 which was by Sir Humphry Davy, though it was encountered much earlier. You may have heard the famous story of an Epsom farmer giving water to his cows in 1618. His cows did not want to drink the water as it had an abnormal taste to it. He discovered that the minerals in the water were helpful in healing scratches and rashes, and so they were named ‘Epsom salts’. In later years the nature of the salts was defined as hydrated magnesium sulfate.
As a metal, one of the first times it was used was in the construction of military aircrafts in WWI and II, and now it is even more widely used; it is the third most popular metal used in building work around the world, after iron and aluminium. And in terms of supplements for our bodies, it provides a variety of uses and benefits, including as laxatives, antacids, and to help with blood vessel spasms in conditions like eclampsia. They can be taken in the variations of chloride, gluconate, oxide and carbonate.
As much as it benefits our bodies, it also carries its fair share of side effects. Not getting enough of the supplement can lead to a deficiency in it, also known as hypomagnesemia. If you experience any of the following symptoms then you may have hypomagnesemia: poor memory, anxiety, fatigue, apathy, confusion, irritability and hyperexcitability. These symptoms can increase in severity the longer your intake is below the daily recommendation, and depending on how much lower it is. Habitual low levels of it can increase your risk of hypertension and cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis and migraine headaches.
Too much of the element is also dangerous. Usually, we can acquire the right amount from diet alone, and if not, then our kidneys can most of the time dispose of additional levels through urination. However, excessive amount through supplements can lead to toxic levels (toxicity), characterised by side effects like nausea, facial flushing, depression, ileus, hypotension and lethargy. These can become worse if high levels of intake are maintained, and develop into the following conditions: extreme hypotension, difficulty breathing, cardiac arrest and irregular heartbeat.
Yes, these side effects are extensive and it is scary to think of the possible outcomes if the correct levels of the element aren’t consumed. However, our diet alone is usually sufficient to achieve this. Only if you have a condition that limits your body’s ability to preserve these levels should you consider taking magnesium supplements.