Contrary to popular opinion, bones undergo constant remodeling with the addition of new bone tissue and replacement of old bone tissue. Magnesium helps protect your bone health, according to MayoClinic.com. About half of the magnesium in the body is found in the bones. Diet, physical activity and lifestyle factors can also affect bone mass. The body keeps the concentration of magnesium in the blood constant at about 1 percent of the body's total magnesium, according to the Office of Dietary Supplements.
Function
Magnesium plays a role in hundreds of biochemical reactions in the body. Besides keeping bones strong, magnesium helps regulate the heartbeat, strengthens the immune system, and maintains normal function of the muscles and nerves. Magnesium also helps keep your blood sugar and blood pressure normal.
Dietary Sources
Eat plenty of green vegetables such as spinach to ensure you get enough magnesium in your diet. You can also get magnesium from beans, peas, nuts, seeds and whole grains. Refined grains are low in magnesium because it is lost when wheat flour is processed to make white bread. Hard tap water contains minerals such as magnesium.
Deficiency Risk
People who do not eat enough green vegetables may have low dietary intake of magnesium, but healthy kidneys can limit urinary excretion of magnesium to conserve it. However, gastrointestinal disorders such as Crohn's disease may limit absorption of magnesium from the intestines and that depletes the body's stores of magnesium. Vomiting and diarrhea also may result in a magnesium deficiency. Some medications for poorly controlled diabetes and alcohol abuse can also result in heavy losses of magnesium.
Osteoporosis
As the magnesium level decreases in bone, bone crystals become large, brittle and more likely to fracture. The Linus Pauling Institute notes that inadequate magnesium levels in blood serum result in low serum calcium levels; impaired hormone action; and interference with the effects of vitamin D, which can increase bone loss. Several studies suggest that magnesium supplementation may improve bone mineral density, but more research is needed to determine whether an increased magnesium intake would influence calcium and bone metabolism to treat or prevent osteoporosis, according to the Office of Dietary Supplements.
Toxicity
Dietary magnesium does not pose a health risk, explains the ODS, but excessive doses of magnesium in the form of supplements can produce side effects of diarrhea and abdominal cramping. Some laxatives and antacids containing large doses of magnesium have been associated with magnesium toxicity, according to the ODS. With kidney failure, the kidneys lose their ability to remove excess magnesium.
