Magnesium is an alkali earth metal and sodium chloride is a salt. While these minerals are very different, they are both found throughout the body. Like other minerals that are essential for life, sodium chloride and magnesium are widely distributed in the plant and animal kingdoms. Severe deficiencies of either are uncommon.
Magnesium
More than 99 percent of the magnesium in the body is bound up in the cells. Unlike sodium chloride, very little is found in extracellular fluids. According to the Linus Pauling Institute Micronutrient Information Center, more than 60 percent the magnesium in the body is found in the skeleton. The remainder is found largely in muscle and other cells. It is required to make ATP and DNA. ATP, also known as adenosine triphosphate, provides the energy necessary for enzymatic reactions in the body. ATP is made when sugar is metabolized. Without magnesium, you would not be able to use sugar effectively.
Magnesium Sources
Severe deficiencies are usually associated with disease states such as alcoholism or chronic gastrointestinal disorders, rather than lack of dietary intake. Although severe deficiency is rare, the Linus Pauling Institute says that "marginal magnesium deficiency may be relatively common." Such deficiencies can be prevented by eating high-magnesium foods such as brown rice, almonds, hazelnuts, peanuts, bran cereal and shredded wheat.
Sodium Chloride Biochemistry
Sodium chloride dissociates into sodium and chloride ions. An ion is a charged atom. The different concentrations of sodium and potassium on either side of the membrane of nerve cells create a difference in charge across the membrane. This is called the action potential. Without proper concentrations of sodium, nerves could not fire properly.
Sodium Chloride Requirements
Salt may be essential for life, but it's easy to get too much of a good thing. The Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine suggests that adults consume no more than 2.3 g per day of sodium, or 5.8 g per day of salt to prevent high blood pressure. This is far less than what most people consume. According to the Linus Pauling Institute, the average dietary salt intake, not including salt added at the table, among adults in the U.S. is between 7.8 and 11.8 g per day for men and 5.8 and 7.8 g day for women.
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