We’ve all heard that calcium is vital for strong bones and healthy teeth. Calcium is the most abundant mineral found in our bodies and serves a variety of important functions, particularly in the skeletal-muscular system but is vital in other bodily areas as well. Our everyday diet generally provides us with our calcium needs but in some instances it may not, depending partially on which foodstuffs are readily available to us.
Magnesium is a very important mineral for correct body function. It is essential for nerve impulse, cell and muscular function. Many enzymes depend on magnesium as a co-factor, this is specifically true for enzymes involved in the production of adenosin triphospate (ATP – cell energy) and reactions involved in the breakdown of food carbohydrate, fat and protein. Magnesium, in a way, has a strangle hold over the energy supplies and energy-using processes of the cell, which makes even a marginal magnesium deficiency a significant risk for cell vitality.
Magnesium is also an important element in the overall balance of acid/alkalis within the body. For body health an alkalis environment is important for the body to be able to function properly. However, todays life style leads towards an acid environment, creating a magnesium deficient environment.
Stress is also placed on body magnesium levels with the use of antibiotics, some chemotherapy agents used in cancer treatment, diuretics and alcohol. Sugar inhibits magnesium absorption and sodium excess expels magnesium from the cell.
An acute state is usually the result of a sudden massive magnesium loss due to repeated vomiting, diarrhoea, ulcerative colitis, kidney problems or extreme alcoholism. Acute deficiency upsets the nerve and muscle functions creating a range of problems.
