The GENEWAY™ laboratory is located in Pretoria and provides DNA tests all around South Africa to help people understand their own bodies better. Understanding your genetic makeup with a DNA test will help you identify potential micronutrient deficiencies you may be experiencing and what supplementation you may require to help your body function optimally. Until you have received the results of your DNA test, here are some ways in which you can recognise a deficiency of magnesium for yourself. Our DNA tests will inform you of what nutrients are lacking in order to best supplement your body with our range of supplements that includes GENEWAY™ Magnesium.
What is the Role of Magnesium in the Body?
As the fourth most abundant mineral in your body, magnesium is vital for optimal body function, as it plays a primary role in multiple essential physiological processes in all the cells of the body, for example improving the way DNA and RNA build proteins and new cells as well as getting ATP to cells which allow for protein synthesis and muscle fibre contractions. Magnesium is listed among the top five essential nutrients your body requires:
- Calcium
- Phosphorus
- Potassium
- Magnesium
- Sodium
Magnesium Plays a Role in Multiple Important Bodily Functions
Magnesium plays a pivotal role in over 300 chemical reactions in the body, the most important being regulating a steady beating heart, muscle contractions and a strong immune system. It has even been linked to being able to lift your mood and relieve anxiety thanks to its regulation of neurotransmitters working in tip-top condition.
Magnesium deficiency also has a link to osteoporosis because it is required for the transportation of calcium to various parts of the body, including and most importantly, the bones.
Magnesium is beneficial to osteoporosis patients because it is responsible for activating the transport of calcium where it is needed all over the body, to the bones. Magnesium also plays a role in the proper function of nerves, muscles and to neutralise stomach acid and help the movement of stool through the intestine. Magnesium optimises the way in which muscles along the digestive track contract in order to help keep everything running smoothly within your entire digestive system.
Dietary Sources of Magnesium
Your body is unable to make magnesium so you must factor it into your diet or alternatively take it in through a supplement, or both!
Many foods are rich in magnesium, some may even take you by surprise. Try to include these food sources in your diet, but be sure to supplement with magnesium to be certify that your body has everything it needs to function optimally.
- Nuts and Seeds
- Avocados
- Dark Chocolate
- Legumes
- Whole Grains (unprocessed)
- Bananas
- Leafy Greens
- Yogurt
GENEWAY™ Magnesium is essential for several metabolic processes in your body, research has found that supplementing magnesium and upping the amount in your diet can have a huge impact on your health and can aid in recovery after intense training sessions. The daily recommended dosage of magnesium for adult men is 420 mg and women need 320 mg per day (pregnant women may be recommended a higher dosage by their healthcare practitioner). If you are not getting enough magnesium from your diet you may consider taking a magnesium supplement.
Recognising the Signs of a Magnesium Deficiency
Regularly Experiencing Migraines
Migraines can be caused by any number of things, but if they continue to return despite taking actions like drinking more water and ruling out any other possible causes; you need more magnesium.
Migraines are often brought on by stress which is natural for everyone in daily life. Stress lowers the body’s level of magnesium, making it a vicious cycle of migraines and stress aggravating each other. Taking a magnesium supplement is always advised to be taken with a high zinc dose, calcium and vitamin D. Quitting smoking, if you do, will also help your body to better absorb magnesium.
Always Feeling Tired
Chronic fatigue has been linked to a magnesium deficiency because this nutrient plays a large role in the way your body regulates its energy levels. This isn’t often picked up as there are many things that could cause you to feel tired throughout the course of the day. People tend to fight this fatigue by drinking coffee and energy drinks, which is a diuretic, only worsening the problem.
Trouble Sleeping
You may be suffering from a shortage of magnesium if you have trouble sleeping. It could be rooted in something else, but upping your magnesium content won’t hurt. The supplementation of magnesium has been found to help with sleep disorders like restless leg syndrome.
Who Can Benefit From a Daily Magnesium Supplement?
- Pregnant women
- Post-pubescent women
- Athletes, especially those looking to build strength. Magnesium is lost via perspiration so anyone who has a regular workout routine should consider a magnesium supplement.
Those suffering from:
- Type 2 diabetes
- Insulin resistance
- Heart disease
- Alzheimer’s
- Osteoporosis
- High blood pressure
- Chronic migraines
- Fatigue
- PMS (and its associated systems)
- Hypertension
- Insomnia
- IBS
- High cholesterol
- MS
- Parkinson’s
Please Note – Speake to your doctor before committing to a magnesium supplement of any kind is advisable as it can interfere with other medications and aggravate kidney disorders.
The Adverse Effects of Too Much Magnesium
Supplementing is fantastic, taking too much will, however, have a detrimental effect on your body. An over usage of a supplement can lead to its own issues and symptoms:
- Gastrointestinal Effects – in large quantities magnesium has a laxative effect so symptoms like diarrhea, vomiting and abdominal cramps could be a sign of too much magnesium in your system.
- Cardiac Arrest – In very severe cases where the body is toxified with magnesium it can slow the heart beat and cause arrhythmias and may stop beating entirely. This is usually as a result of weakened kidneys (from pre-existing disease or alcoholism) that are unable to remove magnesium from the bloodstream as they do when functioning properly.
GENEWAY™ Magnesium is packed with exactly what you need to support your genes. Our professionals will assess the DNA at the labs in Pretoria and inform you of your results. Magnesium deficiencies are common and these tests could indicate that GENEWAY™ Magnesium could be beneficial to you and your overall health and wellness. Contact us to get your test done today or find out how it works here.
