Do you feel tired? There is a supplement that doctors say can give you the energy boost you need.
Magnesium is said to be vital for having healthy bones, fighting depression and sleeping well, and it is the star supplement of the moment.
And thanks to endorsements from celebrities like Kourtney Kardashian and Taylor Swift, the mineral is increasingly popular.
Dr Ahmed Abd Elbary, a UK GP, told his 291,000 TikTok followers that it is the only mineral most people will benefit from taking.
He explained that you may still have low magnesium levels even if your blood test results are normal.
This is because only one percent of magnesium is in the blood, he explained.
“The vast majority is intracellular (within cells), so even if your blood magnesium level is within the normal range, you can still have a deficiency,” he said.
“The only way to accurately measure magnesium levels is by collecting 24-hour urine and, due to the cumbersome nature of doing so, this is rarely done.”
Magnesium is a vital electrolyte necessary to convert food into energy.
It also helps bones and muscles stay healthy by allowing the body to use calcium and vitamin D, which are vital for strong bones, and helps the immune system fight infections.
Insufficient magnesium causes fatigue because it plays an important role in more than 300 enzyme chemical systems in the body, Dr. Ahmed said.
“It has a role in protein synthesis, muscle and nerve function, blood pressure regulation and glucose control, so if you are deficient you will feel tired,” Dr Ahmed said.
It is estimated that between 2.5 and 15 per cent of the population are magnesium deficient, according to Metabolic Support UK.
People with diabetes, heart failure and alcoholism are more likely to develop severe magnesium deficiency requiring medical intervention, the charity added.
Muscle cramps, depression, extreme dizziness and seizures are symptoms of a magnesium deficiency. But in severe cases it can cause death.
Dr. Ahmed explains that there are a large number of people with low magnesium levels around the world as a result of illness, over-farming, and medications.
TO study 2018 published in the journal Open Heart, suggested that many people are at risk of magnesium deficiency as a result of chronic diseases, medications, declines in magnesium in food crops, and the popularity of refined and processed foods that lack some nutrients. .
“I think for people who are tired all the time and have tried everything and their blood is back to normal… trying a magnesium supplement will be a good option,” Dr. Ahmed told his followers.
The NHS recommends that women aged 19 to 64 consume around 270mg of magnesium per day. It also suggests that men of the same age consume around 300 mg.
According to the NHS, you should be able to get all the magnesium your body needs from a balanced diet.
Foods rich in magnesium include nuts, seeds, fish such as mackerel, leafy green vegetables, fruits, and even dark chocolate.
The National Health Service warns that all types of magnesium, in very high doses, can have a laxative effect.
According to health service guidelines, ingesting more than 400 mg of magnesium (the equivalent of about four mackerel fillets or eight avocados) can cause diarrhea.