Faced with a patient complaining of stress, mental fatigue, sleep disorders, the first reflex of many doctors is to prescribe a small cure of magnesium. Its calming effect has long been known. This mineral salt, which participates in more than 300 chemical reactions in the body, has the particular role of facilitating the passage of nerve impulses between cells. Because it decreases the secretions of hormones and stress messengers, magnesium is a real modulator of reactivity to stress. “When you are stressed, the body secretes cortisol. When the level of cortisol is constantly high, it affects neurons and interferes with the production of neurotransmitters, including the famous serotonin, explains Laëtitia Agullo. However, magnesium can lower cortisol levels. “
Food sources of magnesium
• Mineralized water
• Semi-complete or whole grains (refining reduces the mineral content, including magnesium)
• Legumes
• Green vegetables with green leaves
• Oilseeds (nuts, almonds, Brazil nuts, cashews, pine nuts)
• Sea food
• Yeast
• Wheat germ
Can food suffice as a source?
“The dietary sources of magnesium are not so obvious, so it is difficult to achieve the recommended nutritional intake (ANC) through the diet,” says Laëtitia Agullo. According to the Suvimax study (Supplementation in vitamins and antioxidant minerals), 7 out of 10 people have magnesium intakes lower than the ANC. Thus, 23% of men and 18% of women receive less than two-thirds of these ANCs. “And even if the food intake of magnesium is satisfactory, it may not be sufficient,” adds the dietician. Many factors can indeed interfere with the proper assimilation of magnesium or lead to its increased consumption. These include the consumption of alcohol, the taking of certain drugs (contraceptive pill, diuretics, neuroleptics), an unbalanced diet, intensive practice of sport, stress. Add to this a genetic parameter: the presence of the HLA-B35 marker (found in 18% of the population) implies poorer cellular retention of magnesium.
Read also:
Magnesium: more than 3 in 4 French people are deficient
Nutrition: nourish your brain well
