Magnesium is essential to the body for the following reasons:

• Producing energy

• Reducing inflammation

• Regulating blood vessels (endothelial function)

• Preventing blood clots

• As an antioxidant

• Aids proper immune function

A chronic deficiency in magnesium is associated with high blood pressure (hypertension), strokes, heart attacks, atherosclerosis, ischemic heart disease, cardiac arrhythmias, abnormal lipid metabolism, excessive platelet aggregation (blood clots), increased death from heart disease, asthma, chronic fatigue, depression, suicide risk, seizures, coma, sudden cardiac death, and a number of other neuropsychiatric disorders.

That’s quite an impressive list.

Many medical studies suggest that magnesium deficiency contributes to the aging process itself and increases vulnerability to aged-related diseases.

Animal studies have shown that magnesium-deficient diets increase the risk of oxidative stress and damage by lipid peroxidation, a major process in all human diseases.