Health experts finally agree that the simple, inexpensive mineral magnesium can support health in many ways because it has many effects on the body.

In her book "The Magnesium Miracle" Dr. Carolyn Dean makes a bold claim: "Magnesium is by far the most important nutrient in the body."

Every system in the body requires an adequate supply of magnesium to function properly. As the fourth most abundant mineral in the body, it is required by over 300 enzymes to function properly.

The mineral helps obtain energy from food. It helps regulate blood sugar levels and supports the heart and heart rhythm, blood vessels, mood and brain health. About 50% of our body's magnesium stores are located in the bones, which contributes to bone strength and structure.

Magnesium research baffles scientists

As research continues on this important nutrient, more and more benefits are coming to light.

• Longevity: A 2015 Taiwanese study published in the journal Nutrients found that magnesium levels are linked to aging, free radical formation, and a potentially unbalanced inflammatory response.

• Cardiovascular health: A study published in the American Journal of Clinical Nutrition in 2011 found that dietary magnesium has a positive effect on cardiovascular health. It supports healthy blood vessels and a strong heartbeat.

• Blood sugar: Supplementation with magnesium suppliers has a positive effect on blood sugar levels.

• Headaches: Research shows that people who suffer from certain headaches have lower magnesium levels than people who don't have headaches. Magnesium deficiency is associated with the release of neurotransmitters and the constriction of blood vessels.

• Bone and dental health: Magnesium levels are linked to bone density. Similarly, teeth require the mineral for their structure. Magnesium supplementation has been shown to help improve tooth strength.

• Pain: High levels of magnesium have been shown to reduce certain types of pain.

The national magnesium crisis

Health experts warn that the majority of people in developed countries suffer from magnesium deficiency, mostly unconsciously.

Magnesium intake through food has fallen significantly since 1900. The National Academy of Sciences notes that most women in the United States consume, on average, about 70% of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of magnesium. Men receive about 80%.

That may not sound so bad, but the RDA is just the minimum that prevents serious deficiency symptoms. It is well below the optimal amount that many health experts believe is necessary for good health.

Why are we so deficient in this vital mineral?

There are many factors that explain why we as a population are impoverished in terms of our magnesium levels:

• Diet high in processed foods
• A soil low in magnesium
• Today's water supplies and bottled water are low in magnesium (compared to how people used to obtain the mineral naturally from springs and wells)
• Some medications deprive the body of magnesium ions
• Chronic stress leads to an increase in the hormone adrenaline, which further depletes magnesium substances
• Aging (older adults have a reduced ability to absorb magnesium in the gut and are more likely to take medications that increase the risk of magnesium depletion)

Common symptoms of magnesium deficiency

While magnesium performs hundreds of functions in the body, many scientists believe its most important function is cellular energy production. An enzyme called ATP, produced in the microscopic cellular mitochondria, is our primary source of cellular energy. But ATP must be bound to magnesium ions for it to be biologically active. And unfortunately, many people simply don't have enough magnesium available.

Because the mineral is so important for the body's energy production, common symptoms of magnesium deficiency include:

• Lack of energy
• Muscle cramps, spasms and pain
• Headache
• Difficulty sleeping
• weakness

Improve and increase the body's magnesium supply

Magnesium is found in green leafy vegetables such as spinach, beans, nuts, seeds and whole grains. However, as previously mentioned, modern food processing and farming methods have significantly reduced magnesium levels.

This is another reason why many doctors recommend taking additional supplements containing magnesium, as it has a very positive effect on the body.

However, it comes in many different forms: magnesium oxide, magnesium chloride, magnesium citrate and others.

One form, magnesium malate, is a combination of magnesium and malic acid. Malic acid is found in apples and is responsible for their sour taste. Malic acid plays a role in the body's energy-producing system known as the Krebs cycle.

Many experts believe that magnesium malate is more easily absorbed than other types of magnesium supplements. An animal study compared several magnesium supplements and concluded that magnesium malate was the most bioavailable form of magnesium.