Magnesium is an essential nutrient that you may be lacking. It is a cofactor in hundreds of enzymatic processes in the body, yet many people are completely unaware of the health challenges that can ensue from an insidious deficiency. Let’s explore the need for magnesium, for a blood test to evaluate your magnesium status, and for the best forms of supplementation.
The Need for Magnesium
Magnesium must be consumed in adequate amounts to prevent health issues associated with its deficiency. Because we can’t root ourselves in the ground like plants, or eat rocks, we must consume magnesium as a mineral salt, or via a plant that has converted the mineral drawn from the soil into an organic form.This is a clue as to why magnesium deficiency is rampant in modern society. Magnesium must first be present in soil to be bioavailable in meaningful amounts to a plant. Soil erosion and intensive farming practices have depleted magnesium from fields and pastures. What little magnesium our food contains, can fall victim to malabsorption caused by proton pump inhibitor drugs and antacids.
