Magnesium
What is magnesium?
Magnesium is from a family of minerals that also includes iron, calcium and potassium. It’s found in the body in all tissues, but more predominantly in bone tissues.
Magnesium & bones
Magnesium plays an important role in supporting bone health, but it’s not the only nutrient that contributes to bone health. Vitamin D, calcium and vitamin K also support bone health. This is why you’ll find products with a mix of these nutrients. So how do they all work together?
Bones are made of fibres of protein that are filled with calcium and other minerals to give them hardness and strength. Bones don’t stay the same throughout our life. In childhood they grow in size and strength, but from around the age of 30 our bones can start to lose calcium making them more fragile. Some people lose bone density much faster than normal as they age, so it’s important to establish strong healthy bones from childhood to the age of 30. This can help reduce the risk of poor bone development.
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Calcium is a component of bones, and getting the right amount is critical for bone health. However, you might not realise that vitamin D is also needed to absorb calcium. Vitamin D itself also relies on other nutrients to function properly within the body, and magnesium is one of them. Magnesium helps the use of vitamin D within the body and supports healthy bones and teeth.
Other factors also help support strong bones, including exercise such as running and walking. Another factor is making healthy lifestyle choices, including avoiding smoking and limiting your alcohol intake.
Magnesium benefits
As well as being essential for bone health and teeth, magnesium also has many other important benefits. Magnesium helps turn food into energy, whilst supporting muscle function and energy levels. This also contributes to reducing tiredness and fatigue.
Food sources
Magnesium can be found in everyday foods, both plant and animal based. It’s also found in chlorophyll, the green plant pigment. Good sources of magnesium include green leafy vegetables, nuts, bread, fish, meat and dairy products.