The mineral that beats fatigue, anxiety—and your chocolate cravings??
By Natasha Turner, ND

It’s that time of day again or maybe that time of the month, when your craving for chocolate arises and nothing else will do.

But what can you do about it?

Although cocoa has recently been touted as healthy because of its antioxidant properties, most of us experience guilt or frustration when we give in to our cravings for dark, delicious chocolate.

Well, feel guilty no longer, there may be a solution for you—and it’s as simple as a magnesium supplement that has no calories at all!

Studies have found that chocolate cravings and PMS symptoms improve with daily magnesium supplements. But that’s not all this trusty mineral can help you with—read on to discover the many benefits of magnesium.

Magnesium beats fatigue
Magnesium is a wonderful mineral that is involved in over 300 enzymatic reactions in the body. When we are magnesium deficient, our bodily functions slow down at the cellular level, causing everything to become sluggish until eventually fatigue ensues. It has been suggested that chronic fatigue syndrome is related to persistent magnesium deficiency and may improve with magnesium supplements.

Eases anxiety, improves sleep and stabilizes mood
Individuals with anxiety have been found to have lower levels of magnesium. This may be linked to the fact that a magnesium deficiency causes the release of adrenalin. Also, other studies have found that magnesium supplements reduce the release and effect of stress hormones on the heart, which is an indirect measure of the mineral’s effect on the brain.

In the elderly, magnesium supplements were found to improve sleep by decreasing the release of the stress hormone cortisol, which is known to cause sleep disruption.

Reduces muscle cramping
Ever get those irritating little twitches in your eyelid? Or maybe painful muscle cramping, waking you at night or ruining your workout? It could be a sign that you are magnesium deficient. Magnesium is essential for proper muscle relaxation and contraction. Both of these conditions may be signs of low magnesium levels and they can respond quickly and positively to magnesium supplements.

As a side note, if you are an athlete and prone to loose stools and regularly sweating when training, you may be putting yourself at risk for a magnesium deficiency, as it is lost in bodily fluids. This will in turn cause muscle cramping. Be sure to take a mineral supplement containing magnesium and eat foods high in the mineral like seeds, nuts and green leafy veggies.

Magnesium and blood pressure
Evidence suggests that magnesium may play an important role in regulating blood pressure, due to its natural muscle relaxant ability. When blood vessels are relaxed there is less resistance to the flow of blood and as a result, lower blood pressure.

Diets that provide high sources of potassium and magnesium—such as those that are high in fruits and vegetables—are consistently associated with lower blood pressure. The DASH study (Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension) suggested that high blood pressure could be significantly lowered by consuming a diet high in magnesium, potassium and calcium, and low in sodium and fat. In another study, the effect of various nutritional factors on high blood pressure was examined in over 30,000 U.S. male health professionals. After four years of follow-up, researchers found that a greater magnesium intake was significantly associated with lower risk of hypertension. The evidence is strong enough that the Joint National Committee on Prevention, Detection, Evaluation, and Treatment of High Blood Pressure recommends maintaining an adequate magnesium intake as a positive lifestyle modification for preventing and managing high blood pressure.

Magnesium and heart disease
Magnesium deficiency can cause metabolic changes that may contribute to heart attacks and strokes. There is also evidence that low body stores of magnesium increase the risk of abnormal heart rhythms, which in turn may increase the risk of complications associated with a heart attack. Studies have concluded higher blood levels of magnesium are associated with lower risk of coronary heart disease and stroke.

Magnesium and osteoporosis
A magnesium deficiency may be a risk factor for postmenopausal osteoporosis. This may be due to the altering of calcium metabolism and the hormone that regulates calcium balance in the body by the deficiency of magnesium. Several studies have suggested that magnesium supplementation may improve bone mineral density.

Magnesium and diabetes
Magnesium is important to carbohydrate metabolism. It may influence the release and activity of insulin, the hormone that helps control blood glucose levels. Elevated blood glucose levels increase the loss of magnesium in the urine, which in turn lowers blood levels of magnesium. This explains why low blood levels of magnesium are seen in poorly controlled type 1 and type 2 diabetes. These low levels of the mineral may also contribute to hypertension commonly found with many diabetics.

Okay, magnesium just not cutting it for you and just can’t get past your chocolate craving? Then at least choose the healthiest chocolate. It's a fact that products containing a minimum 70% or more cocoa solids are the healthiest and the best way to satisfy a craving for chocolate, without consuming all the sugar and saturated fat common with milk chocolate.

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