Dietary Supplements – Calcium and Magnesium
Many health care professionals don't see the need for supplements of
vitamins and minerals, but it is possible to become deficient in these
building blocks for the human body when we are under the stress of
illness, pregnancy or aging. Children can often eat junk foods to
excess and miss out on their daily nutritional requirements. The unborn
child makes heavy nutritional demands on the mother, while those in the
older age bracket often find their stomach doesnt absorb nutrients like
it should.
Adolescents and young adults often have stress of an emotional kind
with school exams and late hours for whatever reason. Mothers of young
children rarely have a moment to call their own so their bodies are
under constant stress and often they have to cope with sleep
deprivation too. Sometimes we can go for years feeling overtired or
with other minor problems without realizing that they could be
alleviated by the addition of certain dietary supplements.
Cramps in the lower limbs, restless leg syndrome and sleeplessness are
all eased by the addition of calcium and magnesium to the diet.
Magnesium is more easily absorbed by the body in the form of dolomite,
or with the addition of calcium. People who are too busy to eat
properly, nursing or pregnant mothers and children who refuse milk and
are picky eaters should all take calcium supplements. Children need
lots of calcium to build strong bones and teeth that will serve them
faithfully for the rest of their lives.
Calcium taken by the older age group will help to prevent osteoporosis,
a disease that causes bones to become brittle and honeycombed.
Fractures and broken bones in old age take so long to heal that the
unfortunate victim sometimes never recovers fully from the results of a
fall. It makes sense to prevent the problem rather than wait until it
happens, to do something about it. Why not have a bone density scan to
see if you are at risk of osteoporosis?
Magnesium helps to support a strong immune system and maintains normal
muscle and nerve function. It is also known to be involved in every
metabolism and protein synthesis and is needed for over three hundred
biochemical reactions in the body, so it is very important.
One of the benefits of magnesium is its muscle relaxing properties. The
heart is a muscle and high blood pressure is often caused by the heart
not relaxing sufficiently on its outward (diastolic) beat. There is
increasing interest in the role magnesium can play in managing
hypertension and cardiovascular disease.
If irritable bowel syndrome is the problem, a magnesium supplement will
help to reduce the cramping of the intestine by relaxing it. Add a
little peppermint oil in a chelated capsule to aid in the removal of
painful flatulence and gas build-up and the two main symptoms of this
disease are disposed of or reduced significantly.
If you are taking prescription medication, always consult your health
care professional before taking supplements.
