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Contents of this page: | |
Alternative Names
Diet - magnesiumDefinition Return to top
Magnesium is an essential mineral for human nutrition.
Function Return to top
Magnesium in the body serves several important functions:
Food Sources Return to top
Most dietary magnesium comes from vegetables, such as dark green, leafy vegetables. Other foods that are good sources of magnesium:
Side Effects Return to top
Side effects from increased magnesium intake are not common because the body removes excess amounts. Magnesium excess almost always occurs only when magnesium is supplemented as a medication.
Lack of magnesium (deficiency) is rare. The symptoms include:
Deficiency of magnesium can occur in people who abuse alcohol or in those who absorb less magnesium due to:
Symptoms due to a lack of magnesium have three categories.
Early symptoms:
Moderate deficiency symptoms:
Severe deficiency:
Recommendations Return to top
These are the recommended daily requirements of magnesium:
References Return to top
Food and Nutrition Board, Institute of Medicine. DRI Dietary Reference Intakes for Calcium, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Vitamin D, and Fluoride. Washington, DC: National Academy Press; 1997.
Update Date: 2/27/2008 Updated by: Patrika Tsai, MD, MPH, Assistant Clinical Professor, Pediatric GI, Hepatology, and Nutrition, University of California, San Francisco, San Francisco, CA. Review provided by VeriMedHealthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
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Page last updated: 25 September 2008 |