Magnesium Benefits

You've heard of vitamin C and D being important for your health, but what about magnesium.

Magnesium is one of those minerals that's important to keep our bodies healthy. It's used for anything from keeping our muscles and nerves working well to supporting a strong immune system. But now it looks like it might also help prevent us from getting diabetes.

A new study found those of us who consumed the most magnesium either in foods or from a vitamin supplement developed diabetes only half as often. The researchers involved in this study think the diabetes risk is lower with magnesium because it helps our body process sugar.

There are a variety of ways to get this important mineral. Your best food sources are green leafy vegetable, nuts and seeds, some beans and unrefined grains--like whole wheat. You can also get it from most multivitamins. But like always, the more you get from natural sources the better.

The current recommendations for women depend on age and pregnancy, but are around 310 to 350 mg per day. For men around 400 to 420. Most of this should come from food. But you also need to be careful and not take in too much from supplements or vitamins. Overdosing on magnesium can cause problems like weakness and an irregular heartbeat.

So your best bet is to load up on the green leafy vegetables. A salad a day can help keep the diabetes away.