10 things you may not know
about magnesium

You may have heard of magnesium when you learned about the periodic table in your science class, but did you know that magnesium plays a role in virtually every cell process in your body?³ Here are 10 other fascinating facts about magnesium.

• Magnesium is involved in over 600 chemical processes in the body.³


• Magnesium is the 8th most abundant element in the earth’s crust.¹¹


• Chlorophyll in plants contains magnesium, so without it,photosynthesis could not take place and life as we know it would not exist.¹¹


• The human body contains about 5 mg of magnesium, most of which is stored in your bones.¹²


• Approximately 1 in 10 patients admitted to hospital and more than 1 in 2 patients admitted to ICU are magnesium deficient.^13,14


• Two-thirds of South Africans consume less than 67% of the daily recommended intake of magnesium.⁴


• Magnesium deficiency has been linked to fatigue, mood disturbances, confusion, muscle weakness, and decreased physical performance.^8,15


• Refining or processing food may decrease magnesium content by about 85%.¹³


• Many conventional medicines interfere with magnesium absorption and retention in the body including: antibiotics, anti-reflux medication, hormone replacement therapy, asthma medication and diuretics (“water pills”).^3,12,13,16


• Magnesium deficiency can interfere with your sleep rhythm and may decrease melatonin, which can lead to sleep problems.¹⁷