Essential minerals your body requires include zinc and magnesium. Your body needs zinc and magnesium for normal growth and health. Magnesium is present in many of your normal foods, while zinc is more confined to particular foods. Since zinc and magnesium are easily acquired through a balanced diet, supplementation of these minerals is not recommended without the advice of a health care professional.
Zinc
Red meat and poultry provide most of the zinc in American diets. The recommended dietary allowance of zinc for an adult is 8 mg. Since vegetarians do not consume meat protein and usually consume more zinc binding legumes or whole grains, they may require 50 percent more zinc in their diets to reach recommended levels. Zinc plays an important role in at least 100 different enzymes in your body and is critical in the structure and function of your cell membranes.
Magnesium
Green leafy vegetables, nuts, seeds and whole grains have the highest levels of magnesium. About 50 percent of your body's magnesium is stored in your bones, where it can be accessed to keep magnesium levels in your blood constant. Magnesium in needed for normal nerve and muscle functioning, immune system health and bone strength. Also, it's involved in energy metabolism and blood sugar regulation. Overall, it's a mineral involved in more than 300 biochemical reactions in your body.
Deficiencies
Deficiencies in zinc or magnesium are uncommon. A zinc deficiency can cause slow growth, an impaired immune system, hair loss and skin lesions, while a magnesium deficiency may result in a loss of bone calcium, neurological symptoms and muscle tremors. Reliable measurements of these minerals can be difficult to evaluate. Plasma or serum levels of zinc or magnesium may not represent the amount of these minerals present within your cells. No sensitive indicator is yet available to measure cellular zinc, but measuring ionized serum magnesium is reliable for magnesium levels.
Groups Likely to Need Supplementation
If you have digestive diseases, impaired absorption of zinc and magnesium can cause deficiencies. Substituting alcohol for food usually lowers levels of these minerals in your body as well. Unregulated diabetes causes a loss of magnesium in urine, causing a magnesium deficiency. Due to high fetal zinc requirements, pregnant and lactating women may be prone to a zinc deficiency. Also, as a person ages intestinal absorption decreases at the same time that kidney function decreases, which causes decreased mineral uptake and increased urinary loss. Before taking mineral supplements, a health care professional should be consulted.
Zinc Magnesium Aspartate
In recent years, zinc magnesium aspartate, or ZMA, has become a popular supplement for athletes and body builders. ZMA contains vitamin B6, as well as zinc and magnesium. Since zinc and magnesium play fundamental roles in exercise physiology, and athletes have been reported to have lower levels of zinc and magnesium, it is thought that ZMA can enhance training and performance. According to a study by Colin Wilborn at Baylor University, published in the 2004 "Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition," taking ZMA does not increase zinc and magnesium status or strength gains during athletic training.
References
- National Institutes of Health: Zinc
- Linus Pauling Institute: Zinc; Jane Higdon; February 2008
- National Institutes of Health: Magnesium
- "American Journal of Clinical Pathology;" Magnesium Levels in Critically Ill Patients; Henk Huijgen, et al.; 2000 (PDF)
- "Journal of the International Society of Sports Nutrition;" Effects of Zinc Magnesium Asportate (ZMA) Supplementation...; Colin Wilborn, et al.; 2004
- Linus Pauling Institute: Magnesium; Jane Higdon; August 2007
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