The Importance of Magnesium

White clouds gather in the sky turning dark grey and glowing from within, with luminous flashes, before pouring down the elixir of the earth that casts a green blanket over the land, nurturing the abundant growth of all life. We can observe a perfect harmony in the cycles of nature that parallels the functions of the organ systems in our body. The heat of the sun evaporates the ocean's surface into clouds which move over the land, distributing water to mountain springs and rivers which eventually return to the ocean to begin the cycle again.

The woman's menstrual cycle is a perfect example of the influence of nature in the waxing and waning of the moon on the microcosm of the body's endocrine and reproductive systems. During ovulation, a woman is naturally more magnetic, extroverted, and radiant like the full moon and during menstruation more introverted and contemplative like the new moon.

All of the elements of our body, both physically and metaphysically, have been drawn in from nature in the process of the natural cycle of transformation of matter. The metaphysical elements of earth, water, fire, wind, and space are manifested in our bodies as our flesh and bones(earth), bodily fluids such as tears, sweat, synovial, and cerebrospinal fluid (water), digestive acid, enzymes, and metabolic heat (fire), oxygen (wind), and body cavities such as the sinuses and ventricles of the heart and brain (space). On the physical level, our body is composed of all of the organic elements in nature such as carbon, potassium, calcium, and magnesium.

I have already written about the importance of obtaining calcium and phosphorus from foods for strengthening the bones: Bone Strengthening

As calcium is essential to the bones, magnesium is vital to all of the muscles in the body because it has the greatest ability to relax them. Due to the myriad of stress inducers in our modern lives, we tend to hold on to tension in the muscles of our jaw, neck, shoulders, and back which accumulates the point that our muscles become chronically contracted and spasmodic. This can manifest as lack of flexibility, muscle tics, foot, calve, and leg cramps and generalized muscle tension. While yoga, qigong, pilates, deep tissue massage, deep breathing, and relaxation exercises all help, if there is a magnesium deficiency, the muscles will not be able to relax sufficiently. Magnesium is also beneficial to the immune system and assists the absorption of calcium in the bones and teeth.

The following foods are all excellent sources of Mg that should be included as much as possible in one's diet:

• Apples
• Dried Apricots
• Avocados
• Bananas
• Garbanzo Beans
• Beet Tops
• Brazil Nuts *
• Cabbage
• Raw Cashews
• Coconuts
• Corn
• Dates
• Dulse
• Endive
• Dried Figs
• Filberts

• Fish
• Green Beans
• Grapes
• Green Pepper
• Goat Milk
• Raw Honey
• Lentils
• Mint
• Raw Nuts *
• Oats
• Okra
• Onion Tops
• Parsley
• Peas
• White Peaches
• Peanuts

• Pecans *
• Pistachios *
• Prunes
• Wild or Brown Rice
• Whole Rye
• Soy Beans
• Soy Milk
• Spinach
• Sunflower Seeds
• Swiss Chard
• Tofu
• Turnip Greens
• Walnuts
• Watercress
• Whole Wheat

* Highest Mg foods.

Be well,

Cofe Fiakpui L.Ac. MATCM