Magnesium is an oddly, over-looked, important, mineral in the body. We're just now starting to truly pay attention to what the effects can be when these levels are low. Why do we need it? Magnesium is the cofactor that allows about 300 enzymatic processes that regulate many biochemical reactions in the body, including protein synthesis, muscle and nerve function, blood glucose control, and blood pressure regulation and energy production. Without adequate amount of this mineral it can cause issues within these biological pathways.
The best way to know your magnesium levels is to see your doctor and have it tested. However, there are plenty of foods that can be implemented into the diet to help ensure that you're getting the magnesium that's needed! It can be found in a wide variety of foods, from plants to animals, along with beverages. Green leafy vegetables, like kale and spinach, legumes, nuts, seeds, and whole grains, are good sources. To sum it up, foods that contain dietary fiber provide pretty good sources of magnesium. Also, tap, mineral, and bottled waters can also be sources of magnesium, but the amount of magnesium in water will vary from source and brand (ranging from 1 mg/L to more than 120 mg/L).
Another way to get more magnesium into the diet is by supplementation. It's important to understand the different types of magnesium formulations. For example, studies have found that magnesium in the aspartate, citrate, lactate, and chloride forms is absorbed more completely and is more bioavailable than magnesium oxide and magnesium sulfate. Magnesium oxide or magnesium sulfate is less soluble by the gut and can have laxative effects.
Magnesium is SO important to get into the diet and is so easy to slide into meals throughout the day to help keeps those levels up to drive the biochemical processes!
Resource
https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Magnesium-HealthProfessional/