One of the key minerals essential for body functioning, magnesium plays a role in over 300 enzymatic reactions in the body. If you suffer from a deficiency in magnesium, it can really be problematic as it can lead to an irregular heart beat, asthma, emphysema, cardiovascular disease, high blood pressure, stroke, heart attack, diabetes, kidney stones as well as osteoporosis. So as you can see, ensuring you get enough of this important mineral is very important.

The recommended daily allowance for magnesium is 420 mg/day for men and 320 mg per day for women. Most individuals however are routinely only getting 200 mg/day so a small deficiency is really quite common.

The best food sources to get this nutrient include almonds, nuts, blackstrap molasses, wheat bran and wheat germ. Vegetables will provide a small amount as well.

If you are going to take it in supplemental form, it's a good idea to take it along with Vitamin D as well as this will help with absorption. Be aware though that taking too much of this mineral can get dangerous and will cause diarrhea. Usually the safe upper limit to take is about 800 mg/day before negative consequences are seen. Those who are suffering from kidney disease or severe heart disease should not supplement however before speaking to their doctor first because this can be very dangerous for them.

Finally as an interesting side note, endurance athletes may want to supplement with this mineral as well as it will tend to shift the cellular energy production in the body from anaerobic to aerobic thus helping to decrease the production of lactic acid, which causes fatigue. A low level of this mineral in the body can also cause muscle cramping so ensuring you have enough is vital to prevent this.