You must have heard the word inflammation a lot in the past few years, and how it can cause a host of health issues, including weight gain, heart disease, arthiritis etc. But is there a way to curtail it? Let’s find out more:What exactly is inflammation?Inflammation is the body’s natural response to injury or infection. While short-term inflammation helps heal wounds and is not a cause of concern (say like a fever), however if chronic, inflammation can cause a host of health issues, as mentioned earlier. However, do you know that there is one mineral that can reduce inflammation naturally? And that mineral is magnesium. Let’s take a look how…

What is magnesium?Magnesium is a key mineral found in foods like nuts, seeds, leafy greens, and whole grains. Magnesium helps regulate the immune system and inflammation. When magnesium levels are low, the body tends to have more inflammation, which can lead to health issues.How does it reduce inflammation?One way magnesium reduces inflammation is by lowering the levels of proteins called cytokines. In layman language, cytokines are like messengers that tell the immune system to start or stop inflammation. Some cytokines cause inflammation, and when they are too high, it leads to chronic inflammation.Doctors say that magnesium decreases the production of inflammatory cytokines such as TNF-alpha and IL-6. It does this by blocking a key pathway inside cells called NF-κB (Nuclear Factor kappa B). NF-κB controls the activity of many genes involved in inflammation. Magnesium stops NF-κB from becoming too active, which in turn calms the immune response.Natural Calcium BlockerMagnesium also helps reduce inflammation by balancing calcium levels in the body. While Calcium is needed for many body functions, too many of calcium cells can cause cause inflammation and damage. Magnesium acts like a natural calcium blocker, preventing excess calcium from entering cells and triggering inflammation.

Lowers inflammatory markersInflammatory markers like C-reactive protein (CRP) and fibrinogen are substances in the blood that increase during inflammation. Research shows that magnesium supplements can significantly reduce these markers, indicating a lower level of inflammation in the body.Magnesium helps the immune systemMagnesium supports the immune system by regulating how it responds to threats. Low magnesium levels can cause an overactive immune response, leading to high inflammation. By increasing magnesium levels, the immune system becomes better balanced, reducing the risk of chronic inflammation and related illnesses.Now, let’s take a look at foods that are high in magnesium:Leafy green vegetablesNuts and seedsLegumesWhole grainsFruitsFishDark chocolate