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The benefits of magnesium have no doubt for heart health. Adequate magnesium intake also helps you avoid "subscription" headaches. Well, it turns out that there are more benefits of the mineral magnesium which is rarely known by many people. Various studies have reported that magnesium is also beneficial for maintaining bone health, especially in adults and the elderly. The following is the review.
Benefits of magnesium for bone health
Fractures are one of the most preventable causes of physical disability in the elderly. One way is to meet the body's daily magnesium needs.
That is the content of a collaborative research between the University of Bristol in England and the University of Eastern Finland after observing nearly more than two thousand middle-aged men. The research is published in the European Journal of Epidemiology. The research team stated that adequate daily intake of magnesium can reduce the risk of fractures in middle-aged adults and elderly people by up to 44 percent. So, how does magnesium work to prevent fractures?
The main function of magnesium is for bone health. Most of the magnesium intake will be stored in bone tissue, the rest in muscles. Magnesium plays a role in regulating the amount of calcium that enters and leaves the membrane of bone and muscle cells. If the magnesium level is too low, the process of transporting calcium to and from cells cannot run properly. As a result, you are at high risk of having brittle bones that are at risk for osteoporosis. In addition, too much calcium is bad for your health as it can cause you to get muscle cramps.
Magnesium also works to help the absorption of calcium and vitamin D in the body. These two vitamins and minerals make your bones strong and dense. That's why magnesium deficiency has the risk of making bones brittle and even triggering osteoporosis.
Get enough magnesium from supplements
The best sources of magnesium are generally from foods, such as:
- Milk and processed products.
- Banana.
- Avocado.
- Soybeans.
- Dark green leafy vegetables, such as spinach and broccoli.
However, the researchers emphasize more for elderly and middle-aged adults to get enough magnesium from medicinal supplements. The reason is, increasing magnesium intake from food alone does not automatically increase its levels in the blood. Especially in the elderly who consume certain drugs or have digestive disorders.
Especially because magnesium deficiency is difficult to see physically, researchers suggest that middle-aged and elderly people regularly check their magnesium levels every time they see a doctor. This is done to reduce the risk of fractures commonly experienced by parents.
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