How magnesium can help your toddler
The odd tantrum or meltdown is all very normal for a growing child, however, if your kids are regularly showing signs of restlessness, anxiety, hyper-excitability, irritability or aggression, don’t despair: the answer may be as simple as magnesium.
The odd tantrum or meltdown is all very normal for a growing child, however, if your kids are regularly showing signs of restlessness, anxiety, hyper-excitability, irritability or aggression, don’t despair: the answer may be as simple as magnesium.
Magnesium is used in over 300 reactions in the human body and is important for healthy nerve function, muscle activity, protein synthesis and immune function. But perhaps most importantly, sufficient levels of magnesium are important to help maintain levels of serotonin, our mood-regulating neurotransmitter.
In kids particularly, magnesium is important to calm moods and encourage relaxation, and signs of deficiency will manifest in naughty behaviour, rule-breaking and a lack of attention and focus. It is estimated that at least 42 per cent of children have a magnesium deficiency and for this reason, behavioural change may be as simple as a targeted supplement.
As far back as 1997, a study of kids with ADHD found that magnesium deficiency was found in 95 per cent of those children tested (1), and recent studies confirm that magnesium deficiency has direct links with hyperactivity, aggression and anxiety. Other deficiency symptoms include restlessness, fidgeting, muscle cramps and twitches. For daily use, to support ADHD medication, or for special occasions (like plane travel) a child-friendly magnesium supplement works to calm the nervous system and relax the body without sedative effects of commonly used drugs like Phenergan.
Even though magnesium is found in a variety of foods like seeds, nuts, green vegetables and wholegrains, these foods are generally not regularly eaten by children (particularly ‘picky eaters’ who are more likely to be magnesium deficient). In contrast, foods regularly eaten by kids, like meat, refined carbohydrates (bread and crackers) and starchy vegetables provide less than 20 per cent of the daily magnesium requirement, as processing can lower the magnesium content of grains by around 300 per cent.
Furthermore, cooking and boiling of vegetables also cause severe magnesium losses, while fertilizers and pesticides have resulted in soils lacking in the nutrient. Active kids who sweat will also require extra magnesium as 10-15 per cent of total magnesium excreted from the body is through sweat, and a supplement is an easy way to ensure magnesium levels remain high.
Most importantly, the safety of magnesium has been well established and well studied in children and remains the first port of call for parents struggling with kids displaying aggression, lack of concentration, irritability and mood swings. It is a kid’s essential and will ensure the home remains a place of peaceful calm for years to come.
1. Kozielec T, Starobrat-Hermelin. ‘Assessment of magnesium levels in children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)’. Magnes Res 1997, 10(2) June; 143-48
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