Magnesium: you need more of it
Summary and Critique by Brooke Earnest
Summary
Magnesium is one of the most essential nutrients our body needs, but surprisingly most people are not getting enough. The doctor in the video, Dr. Manny Alvarez, states, “Some estimates suggest more than 80% of Americans do not get enough of it.” We need magnesium for a healthy heart with a normal rhythm, and for muscle and nerve function. Another key role of magnesium is the reduction of inflammation and increasing the immune system’s response. Most people do not know that magnesium can also be helpful in preventing osteoporosis when paired with vitamin D and that it is very important in helping regulate blood sugar. It is important that we get magnesium in our diet because our body does not produce it on its own. Experts, like Dr. Dennis Goodman, recommend that a diet rich in magnesium is the best way to avoid a magnesium deficiency. Common foods that are high in magnesium are dark green leafy vegetables, cashews, sunflower seeds, Greek yogurt, whole grains, fortified breakfast cereals, and halibut. People can also take magnesium supplements in order to increase their magnesium intake. A deficiency in Magnesium can lead to irregular heartbeats, insomnia, muscle cramping, and fatigue. Magnesium deficiency has been linked with not only a poor diet, but also chronic problems such as obesity, diabetes mellitus, depression, and atherosclerosis. It is important to keep your magnesium levels up in order to decrease your risk of myocardial infarctions and strokes. Magnesium can also improve the general quality, and length, of your life. To sum up, magnesium is a crucial mineral to each and every human being to maintain quality of life and functionality of our body systems.
Critique
The article Magnesium: the mineral you may be missing was written by Dr. Dennis Goodman, MD, FACP, FACC. The article was published on April 5, 2016 and was found on foxnewshealth.com. I believe both Dr. Dennis Goodman and Dr. Manny Alvarez make this article credible. At the bottom of the article there is a link to Dr. Goodman’s website. It explains how he is board certified in five different fields. He has also been chosen as one of New York’s top doctors multiple times, and has been featured in the New York Times and Magazine. It is also stated on his page that he has been named, among others, as one of America’s top cardiologists and physicians. Clearly, he can be considered a credentialed author. The information stated within the article also goes hand in hand with what we have learned in nutrition and the book Nutrition in Healthcare and Nursing. For example, the article mentions the effects of magnesium deficiency. We also learned about this in lecture, and the information is the same. We also learned about food sources in which magnesium is found and some of the sources, like dark leafy greens, are repeated in this article. The webpage in which the article was found, could also be considered a reliable source. Fox News is a well-known news station within the United States that focuses on news, health, sports, and events. Overall, I believe that this article is reliable and has accurate information due to the credentialed author and the fact that the text can be backed up by things we learned in class.
Dr. Dennis Goodman, MD, FACP, FACC
Sources
1. Dr. Dennis Goodman. (2016). Retrieved April 06, 2016, from http://www.dennisgoodmanmd.com/
2. Goodman, D., MD, FACP, FACC. (2016). Magnesium: The mineral you may be missing | Fox News. Retrieved April 06, 2016, from http://www.foxnews.com/health/2016/04/05/magnesium-mineral-may-be- missing.html