The mineral magnesium

Most people know that our body needs magnesium. However, the importance of the mineral in detail often becomes clear only on closer inspection. Magnesium is essential for all energy-dependent processes in the body. An exploration of a fascinating all-rounder.

Magnesium is an essential mineral that the body cannot produce on its own. We therefore need to take in magnesium through food. The human body contains around 26 grams of magnesium. Most of it – around 60 per cent – is stored in the bones. The cells of the skeletal muscles contain 25 to 30% of our body’s magnesium, 5 to 10% more can be found in other tissues, and only about 1% of our magnesium is in the blood.

Magnesium occurs naturally in various compounds and is obtained from natural sources. It is available in both organic and inorganic form. In rocks in the earth’s crust and in seawater, it is mainly bound inorganically, such as in the form of magnesium oxide, while in food  it is mostly found in organic form, such as in the form of magnesium citrate. Magnesium is also a central component of chlorophyll and is therefore contained in all green plants. 

Magnesium fulfils numerous tasks for the body and health: it is involved in more than 600 processes in the body and is a cofactor of over 300 different enzymes. Magnesium regulates the interaction of muscles and nerves and is also an important component of bones and our energy molecule adenosine triphosphate (ATP).

The brain and heart also need sufficient magnesium to function properly. One thing is certain: magnesium is essential for our survival.

To cover daily magnesium requirements, the D-A-CH reference values for adults indicate a recommended intake of 300 to 350 mg magnesium per day, depending on gender. 

However, in certain situations – such as pregnancy, stress, and athletic activity, the amount of magnesium required can also be higher.

Read more about magnesium requirements