Did you know that deficiency in just one mineral can cause anxiety\u2026 diabetes\u2026 even heart disease?<\/p>\n
In fact, deficiency in this mineral makes you twice as likely to die, according to findings published in\u00a0The Journal of Intensive Care Medicine<\/em>. And the bad news is that 80 percent of Americans are deficient in it.<\/p>\n The mineral we\u2019re talking about is magnesium.<\/p>\n Medical experts agree that magnesium is essential to a long and healthy life. \u201cIn my practice, this nutrient is one of my secret weapons against illness,\u201d says Dr. Mark Hyman, who serves on the Board of Advisors of Georgetown University and operates a practice in Lenox, MA. \u201cYet half of Americans are deficient in this nutrient and don\u2019t know it.\u201d<\/p>\n \u201cI remember using magnesium when I worked in the emergency room,\u201d says Dr. Hyman. \u201cIt was a critical \u2018medication\u2019 on the crash cart. If someone was dying of irregular heartbeat, we used intravenous magnesium. If pregnant women came in with seizures, we gave them high doses of magnesium.\u201d<\/p>\n And he\u2019s not alone in praising magnesium.<\/p>\n \u201cMagnesium deficiency triggers 22 conditions,\u201d says Dr. Carolyn Dean, M.D.<\/p>\n Dr. Dean is a magnesium expert: she\u2019s led medical research on it for over 30 years. She currently serves as the Medical Director of the Nutritional Magnesium Association and wrote\u00a0The Magnesium Miracle.<\/em><\/p>\n Miracles of Magnesium<\/strong><\/p>\n Magnesium triggers over 300 enzyme reactions and is present in all bodily tissues. It\u2019s critical to bones and muscle. Your cells use it to make energy and stabilize membranes.<\/p>\n It fights depression, fatigue, and even kidney disease. And it\u2019s essential to many essential bodily functions.<\/p>\n It\u2019s a scientific fact that modern man is deficient in magnesium. One recent study concluded\u2026<\/p>\n It is regrettable that deficiency of such an inexpensive, low-toxicity nutrient results in diseases that cause incalculable suffering throughout the world.<\/p>\n So why are we so deficient? What\u2019s changed?<\/p>\n As is often the case, our own diets work against us. Highly processed foods contain little magnesium. Carb-rich foods like white flour and pasta have no magnesium at all. Neither does dairy.<\/p>\n Worse, many of the foods we do eat reduce our levels. Dr. Hyman says alcohol, salt, cola, and coffee all reduce magnesium. And our modern lifestyle does the same: stress, antibiotics, and diuretics decrease our levels too.<\/p>\n Another reason we have low levels is because it\u2019s hard to absorb. Worse\u2026 our bodies lose it easily. That\u2019s why it\u2019s important to supplement our magnesium intake.<\/p>\n Supplement Your Diet<\/strong><\/p>\n Many foods are rich in magnesium. Good sources include:<\/p>\n