Vitamin D is important enough that milk and other foods are fortified with it, and the fear of vitamin D deficiency is considered one of the primary reasons to get outside in the sunlight. Because of vitamin D’s benefits for bone health and your immune system, many choose to stock up on vitamin D tablets when shopping for vitamins and supplements in Sandy. However, research has demonstrated that vitamin D supplementation might be useless without enough of another crucial mineral—magnesium.
What Is Magnesium?
Magnesium is a mineral which is essential for some of our body’s most basic functions. Without magnesium, hundreds of chemical reactions in our body would be no more. Our muscles wouldn’t work correctly, DNA as we know it could not be maintained, and our cells would not be able to produce the energy they need for the thousands of jobs they perform to keep our bodies regulated.
Vitamin D’s Best Friend
The Journal of the American Osteopathic Association published a review article suggesting that our bodies cannot metabolize vitamin D without sufficient magnesium levels. In other words, vitamin D supplements mean little if we are not also ingesting a healthy amount of magnesium via supplements or naturally in our diet. In fact, as many as half of Americans may have stored, inactive vitamin D that can’t do its job without some extra magnesium.
Magnesium in Your Diet
According to Healthline, there are several foods high in magnesium that you can work into your regular diet.
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Bananas
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Tofu
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Nuts, seeds, and whole grains
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Avocados
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Leafy greens
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And best of all, dark chocolate!
Most people, however, don’t consume 400 mg of magnesium a day, which is the recommended daily requirement. To help you out, Shirlyn’s Natural Foods has all the fresh, magnesium-rich foods you need, as well as a vast selection of vitamins and supplements in Sandy.
