Be Well: Why You Should Take a Magnesium Supplement

Magnesium supplements via Shutterstock

A naturally occurring chemical element, magnesium is the eighth most abundant mineral in the world. It’s found in the Earth’s crust and mantle—usually mixed with other elements—as well as in saltwater, where it exists in high concentrations. In metal form, it’s silver-white and light-weight.

Magnesium is the second most common mineral found in the human body (calcium being the first). Here, Dr. Jake Panka, a naturopathic doctor at Northwestern Health Sciences University Bloomington Clinic, answers some important questions about magnesium and human health.

How is magnesium used in the body?
Our bodies require only trace amounts of most minerals to function properly, but Panka notes that “magnesium is essential to more than 300 biochemical reactions in humans.” It helps regulate heart function, brain function, and muscle contractions. It is essential to building healthy bones and controlling our stress-response system. And magnesium plays a vital role in constructing proteins, removing toxins, and transporting potassium throughout the body.

Learn more about magnesium in Minneapolis.St.Paul Magazine’s latest Be Well edition here.