Doctors advise magnesium: what is this mineral and what foods to eat to increase its level

You may often hear from doctors, "This is a very stressful time, take magnesium." Especially now. ⠀⠀

I know for sure that many people buy magnesium supplements at the pharmacy without a doctor's prescription and drink them just in case to avoid the effects of stress. So what is this mineral and where can you find it?

Magnesium is involved in more than 300 metabolic reactions in the body. They provide energy, regulate blood pressure, transmit nerve signals, and relax muscles. In the case of magnesium deficiency, we may feel fatigue that does not correspond to the work we do, possible pressure surges, heart failure, headaches, apathy, numbness, cramps in the limbs, eyelid twitching, insomnia...

In addition, magnesium is involved in the synthesis of proteins, helps maintain healthy bones and teeth, and regulates cell division. It helps maintain psychological functions (memory, speech, thinking, attention, etc.). This, in particular, explains its "anti-stress" effect.

Lack of magnesium in women provokes painful menstruation, hair loss, splitting, and brittle nails. And its functions in the body do not end there.

Magnesium also controls the functioning of myocardial cells. Finally, it affects the normal course of pregnancy: it is responsible for the healthy sleep of the expectant mother, as well as prevents increased uterine tone and spontaneous miscarriages. The daily requirement for magnesium is 400-420 mg for men over 19 and 310-320 for women (and another 40 mg should be added for pregnant women for healthy fetal development). We must meet our magnesium needs with food: plant, animal, and water.

A large amount of magnesium is found in vegetables with dark green leaves as magnesium is an important component of chlorophyll, the green pigment of plants. There is also a lot of it in seaweed and seafood. It is also found in legumes, fish, meat, nuts, dried fruits, vegetables, and fruits. By the way, snail meat contains a lot of magnesium...