Magnesium is an influential element in all senses, being the 9th most abundant in the universe and the 11th most abundant in the body. It is used widely for constructional purposes in the present day, and its compounds can also be used as supplements for people to take if they don’t consume the recommended daily intake. The element is essential to the functioning of our bodies, and can be acquired online or over the counter. The supplements can also be taken for constipation, as antacids, and to help normalise spasms in conditions such as eclampsia.
In 1618 a farmer in Epsom gave his cows some water from a well. The cows refused to drink the water, which had a bitter taste to it, so the farmer wondered why. He realised that the elements in the water were actually good for healing scratches and rashes, which were later identified as hydrated magnesium sulfate: they are commonly named ‘Epsom salts’. The element’s metal form was discovered by Sir Humphry Davy in 1808, and its first uses were in aerospace construction for German military aircrafts in WWI, and increasingly in WWII.
The element is now used worldwide, being the third most commonly used structural metal, beaten by iron and aluminium. Its use in the medical world is also prominent. Common uses include as laxatives, for indigestion, deficiencies (hypomagnesemia) and for high blood pressure during pregnancy (pre-eclampsia and eclampsia). You can take the supplements in the form of carbonate, gluconate, oxide and chloride.
The recommended daily intake of the supplement is 300mg for men aged 19-64 and 270mg for women aged 19-64. Intake lower than this, however, can carry dangerous repercussions. In the short term, people with a deficiency experience hyperexcitability, fatigue, confusion, anxiety, apathy etc., which worsen if it is maintained. Risks and side effects from a long-term deficiency is osteoporosis, hypertension, cardiovascular disease and type 2 diabetes. The risk of habitual low intake is higher for people who have health conditions that dispose too much of it, older adults and chronic alcoholics.
On the other end of the scale, those who consume too much of the element can also risk developing problems. Our kidneys work to monitor urinary excretion of the element, so it doesn’t matter much if we consume too much through our diets. Too much through supplements, however, is dangerous. Due to its main use as a laxative, the most common side effect people experience when they consume too much of the element is diarrhoea. Excessively high intake can lead to toxicity of the element, characterised by hypotension, nausea, facial flushing, ileus, depression and lethargy – these can progress to muscle weakness, difficulty breathing, extreme hypotension, irregular heartbeat and even cardiac arrest.
It appears that the risks of deviating either side of the recommended intake of the element probably deter people from trying to monitor their intake whatsoever. However, it is essential to our bodies’ functioning, and if you suffer from gastrointestinal diseases, type 2 diabetes or alcohol dependence then magnesium supplements are worth considering.