With magnesium responsible for over 300 enzyme reactions in the body, it’s an essential mineral for optimum health. But with the consumption of more sugary foods and drinks, fussy diets and a rise in food allergies and intolerances that eliminate magnesium rich foods (such as nuts and seeds) from the diet and prevent essential minerals and nutrients from being absorbed by our bodies, there is a growing rate of children experiencing magnesium deficiency.

While the benefits of magnesium are slowly but surely coming to light, you might still be surprised at how many problems and ailments magnesium can help with, from boosting energy and mood through to supporting immunity and easing the symptoms of asthma. Here are just a few of the ways magnesium can benefit the smallest members of your family and set them up for great health over the long term:

Supporting Healthy Growth & Development

Magnesium is the fourth most abundant mineral in the human body and is crucial for our health from an early age.  It's essential for bone development, regulating mood, energy production and muscle relaxation.

With declining levels of magnesium in our foods, studies indicate that a significant number of South Africans fail to meet the recommended daily intake of this powerful mineral.  Our kids can be the fussiest of eaters, particularly in the earlier years, so there’s a good chance that dietary intake might not be meeting their growing demands.

Growing pains are common in young children and teens and can be quite distressing and painful as their bodies experience rapid growth. But did you know magnesium can help?

As a natural muscle relaxant and anti-inflammatory, magnesium can soothe the aches and pains caused by growing bones and muscles. Simply apply some magnesium pure gel directly onto the affected area for relief and drink the recommended oral dosage daily.

Aches, pains and swelling   -  Let’s face it kids are forever hurting themselves. While bruises, bumps, and broken bones seem to be part of growing up, magnesium is certainly one way we can help our children to cope with it!

From headaches to injuries, magnesium can help to ease the pain, reduce the swelling and dramatically speed up the healing process. Being an effective and natural way to heal pain and inflammation too, it also gives you the added benefit of minimizing the use of other over the counter medications that can treat the symptoms but not heal the problem.

Bone Development in the Early Years

You've heard that calcium is essential for healthy bones, but magnesium might be just as important–it's needed for calcium absorption and metabolism, converting vitamin D into its active form and regulating hormones for bone growth and development.

In fact, results from a 2013 study showed that the amounts of magnesium consumed and absorbed by the body were a key predictor of a child’s bone health. Optimal magnesium levels are particularly important for children because the best time to influence bone mass is in the early years, before adolescence when peak bone mass is achieved.

Magnesium for Calm and Happy Kids

Low levels of magnesium can contribute to childhood agitation, irritability and attention difficulties. Children that are under stress (physically or emotionally) may display more of the symptoms of magnesium deficiency, because the body requires magnesium to deal with the stress response. Boosting magnesium levels could help to prevent and manage these challenges that are common in kids–a 2015 study that adolescents who had a higher intake of magnesium showed reduced “externalizing behavior”, such as attention problems and aggression.   

Babies, children and teens need a lot of sleep to grow and function properly. But growth spurts, illness, stress and other factors can at times cause their sleep to be disrupted affecting your child’s energy levels, immune system and mood.  Magnesium is proven to be an effective way to increase both the amount of sleep and the quality of sleep you experience. Some magnesium pure gel rubbed on the body before bedtime for babies, and young children (drinking 1ml MSM Magnesium Liquid before bedtime) can often give them – and you – a deeper, more refreshing sleep.

Healthy neurological function and the release of mood-supporting neurotransmitters need plenty of magnesium.  Perhaps most importantly, magnesium maintains levels of GABA, a neurotransmitter which has a calming effect, encourages relaxation and promotes sleep.  By supporting GABA levels, magnesium could help to keep kids calm, focussed, and happy.

Magnesium Supports Growth & Energy Production

Magnesium plays an important role in growth, development and energy production in children. It's essential for muscle strength, protein synthesis, enzymatic activity, cell growth, and regeneration.

Are your kids feeling flat? Low energy can be associated with insufficient magnesium. Most of the body’s energy comes from ATP, a molecule that converts energy from food into fuel for other processes in the body. This process requires magnesium. 

Magnesium can also help to ease growing pains during peak periods of growth. It is required for muscle contraction and relaxation, without it muscles can’t properly relax which can lead to cramps, weakness, and increased irritability of the nervous system.

Tips

Combining topical magnesium with oral magnesium improves absorption and may provide faster results
Other signs and symptoms of low magnesium include constipation, irritability, night time muscle cramps, difficulty sleeping, and teeth grinding
Get more magnesium into your child's diet by including lots of green leafy vegetables, figs, dates, whole grains, and nuts.  
Daily recommended intake of magnesium for kids between 1-3 years is 8mg per day; 4-8 years is 130mg per day; and 9-13 years is 240mg per day.

To order go to https://lifeslices.co.za/shop-online/liquid-supplements/msm-mg-liquid-detail.html

 
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