Magnesium is one of the vital raw materials for life. Life consists of oxygen, water, carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins and minerals. Magnesium is a mineral that, like water and oxygen, is essential for survival.
- Oxygen
- Water
- Magnesium
You constantly need these vital raw materials. You cannot stock up on it. You have to constantly supply these substances from the outside. If you don't supply them anymore, you die.
An oxygen deficiency has an immediate effect. With water it takes longer (about a week). Without magnesium it takes a long time before you notice it, especially since our body does its utmost to keep magnesium inside.
Because the complaints caused by a magnesium deficiency occur so insidiously, it is not nearly as easy to diagnose as a shortage of water or oxygen. At least 50-75% of the world's population is expected to be deficient in magnesium (oral statement from Dr. Richard Danel of the Magnesium Health Institute).
In the Netherlands, this is probably closer to 75% due to excessive calcium consumption (consumption of dairy products), because calcium binds the magnesium and therefore captures it for use. This also applies the other way around. An excess of magnesium will pull calcium from the bones. The difference is that calcium can be stored in the bones and is therefore available for use. Magnesium cannot be stored. If you compare bones to a wall, you can think of calcium as bricks and magnesium as cement. If you demolish the wall, you can reuse the bricks. However, the cement is worth nothing anymore. You cannot reuse that.