Hemp: A Superior Source of Magnesium*
If you’ve been following the Kannabu blog, you know we’ve explored the importance of iron, and we’ve talked about fiber (and poop…); today, we’re turning our sights on another essential nutrient, magnesium.
What Is Magnesium, And What Does It Do?
Our mineral superstar, magnesium, is a nutrient the body needs to stay healthy. Magnesium plays an important role in many body functions, including regulating blood pressure and blood sugar, creating energy, and maintaining optimal bone health.
Magnesium is vital for many processes in the body, including regulating muscle and nerve function, blood sugar levels, and blood pressure and making protein, bone, and DNA. In fact, it is involved in more than 600 reactions in your body, including:
Energy creation: converting food into energy
Protein formation: creating new proteins from amino acids
Gene maintenance: helping create and repair DNA and RNA
Muscle movements: aiding in muscle contraction and relaxation
Nervous system regulation: regulating neurotransmitters, which send messages throughout your brain and nervous system
Additionally, Vitamin D cannot be metabolized without sufficient magnesium levels in the body.
Are You Magnesium Deficient?
Magnesium is a true powerhouse when it comes to supporting your overall health. Despite its importance, approximately 50% of U.S. adults get less than the recommended daily amount! (Use the chart below to determine your recommended daily intake.)
Research has shown that low magnesium intake can lead to serious health problems, including:
Asthma
Colon cancer
Diabetes
Heart disease
High blood pressure
Inflammation
Migraine headaches
Osteoporosis
Stroke
And more
The symptoms of magnesium deficiency include:
Loss of appetite
Nausea and vomiting
Sleepiness, fatigue, and weakness
Shaking
Pins and needles
Muscle spasms
Hyperexcitability
Abnormal heart rhythms
Below is a list of the average daily recommended dietary allowances (RDAs) of magnesium in milligrams:
*Adequate Intake (AI)
Disclaimer: This information was provided b the National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) and should not replace medical advice.
Food Sources of Magnesium
By now, you may be wondering what the best sources of magnesium are.
Magnesium is found in various nutrient-dense foods, including green leafy vegetables (like spinach), legumes, nuts, and pumpkin seeds, which are all great sources! In general, foods containing dietary fiber provide magnesium. Keep reading for more sources!
Tap, mineral, and bottled waters can also be sources of magnesium, but the amount of magnesium they contain varies on the brand. Always check Nutrition Facts labels to track your consumption of magnesium in foods.
Magnesium-Rich Hemp
While legumes and leafy greens are typically the go-to sources for magnesium, our favorite superfood, hemp, also has high magnesium content!
Just 3 tablespoons (30g) of hemp hearts provides 210mg of magnesium– 52% of the RDA for magnesium for men and 67% for women! (Use the chart above to determine your recommended daily intake.) Not only are hemp products, like hemp protein or hemp hearts, rich in magnesium, but they also score very high for digestibility compared to other plant proteins. Hemp is a rich source of magnesium that is 100% vegan and vegetarian-friendly.
When looking at the magnesium content of other plant-based proteins, the others simply do not compare. Here’s how hemp compares:
Hemp Seeds have >999% more magnesium than lentils
622% more magnesium than collard greens
337% more magnesium than pumpkin seeds
268% more magnesium than soybean protein powder
268% more magnesium than broccoli
169% more magnesium than peanut butter
129% more magnesium than spinach
See how hemp measures up to other sources of essential nutrients in these articles:
Hemp vs. other fiber-rich foods
Hemp vs. other iron-rich foods
Compare the nutritional content of your favorite foods, including hemp, with this nifty resource: Food Nutrition Comparison.
Here are the top benefits of magnesium from hemp seeds:
Stress Relief
The high levels of magnesium, amino acids, and B vitamins in hemp seeds make them a natural solution to alleviating stress.
2. Help With Insomnia
Magnesium can provide a sense of calm and turn off excessive thoughts, which causes stress and is a big driver of insomnia. Magnesium from hemp can help enable muscles to relax and aid in good quality sleep.
3. Boosted Energy and Exercise Performance
Taking magnesium can help boost energy during your workout and assist with the disposal of lactic acid, reducing post-exercise pain.
4. Healthy Blood Sugar Levels
Research shows magnesium appears to benefit blood sugar levels in people with diabetes and may also reduce insulin resistance, a known risk factor for diabetes.
5. Improved Digestion
Indigestion and constipation are prevalent problems among adults. Fortunately, magnesium from hemp seeds may help counteract these uncomfortable symptoms. To learn more ways hemp can help with the go, read our article, Let’s Talk About Poop (The Benefits of Hemp Protein).
6. Good Bone Health
Research has found that people who consume more magnesium have higher bone mineral density, which is essential in reducing the risk of fractures and osteoporosis (a condition that causes bones to become weak and brittle).
7. Improved Blood Pressure
Magnesium from hemp helps support healthy blood pressure levels by regulating blood flow. It also balances the circulating levels of other minerals, such as potassium and sodium, in the body. High blood pressure is all too common, and magnesium-packed ingredients such as Kannabu Premium Hemp Hearts are great ways to combat it.
Boost Your Magnesium Today!
Want to get in on these benefits? We’ve got the scoop!
Kannabu’s premium hemp products are an excellent source of magnesium and other essential nutrients, like iron and fiber. Explore our website, Kannabu.com, or our Amazon shop to place an order today:
Kannabu Premium Hemp Protein (From Hemp Seeds)
Kannabu Premium Hemp Hearts (Hemp Seeds)
There are many creative ways to add hemp to your diet. Take a look at the recipes on our website for inspiration: Kannabu.com/recipes.
To keep reading about the wonderful nutritional values of hemp, visit our past articles:
Let’s Talk About Poop (The Benefits of Hemp Protein)
Worth The Hype? The Truth & Benefits of CBD and Hemp
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Kannabu, Latinx-Owned, and operated hemp company, is challenging the status quo in wellness by optimizing health through easy-to-use hemp-infused superfood options. Based in the United States and Latin America, Kannabu offers consumers products of the highest quality and nutritional value. Contact us with additional questions online or visit Kannabu.com to make your first order today.
About the author - Tessa Dines is an award-winning, NYC-based copywriter with BKN Creative. She transforms difficult-to-understand scientific, legal, and industry-specific information into digestible content for curious audiences of any age. Tessa has a green thumb, three cats, and nearly a decade of writing under her belt.
*Disclaimer: Our products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. We recommend consulting with a medical professional. As with any addition to your health routine, speak with your healthcare provider before combining CBD products with your current medications to see if this treatment is proper for you.