Do children need magnesium supplements?

The magnesium content in babies is relatively low, but magnesium does have certain functions, such as maintaining the nervous system and inhibiting nerve excitement. Therefore, magnesium deficiency can lead to abnormal myocardial contraction and reduced enzyme activity. It is recommended that everyone should pay attention to the balance of magnesium in the body. If the baby lacks magnesium, he needs to supplement it. If he does not lack it, no supplement is needed. It is best to supplement calcium to promote bone development.

Although the magnesium content in young children is very small, it has a considerable effect on the body. It plays a very important role in maintaining the structure and function of the central nervous system, inhibiting the excitability of nerves and muscles, ensuring normal myocardial contraction and coronary artery elasticity, regulating enzyme activity, and ensuring the amount of potassium ions in cells. As long as the blood magnesium level drops below 1.5 mg/dL, young children will develop hypomagnesemia, which looks similar to hypocalcemia.

In daily life, many people pay great attention to calcium supplementation, but often ignore the intake of magnesium. In fact, a balance must be achieved between calcium and magnesium to ensure that both minerals are properly utilized. Generally speaking, the ratio of calcium to magnesium should be 2:1. That is, if you consume 800 mg of calcium per day, you should also consume 400 mg of magnesium. Inadequate magnesium intake can cause chronic magnesium deficiency, leading to muscle twitches, cramps, dizziness, etc. Magnesium and calcium complement each other, effectively preventing and improving osteoporosis and strengthening bones and teeth.

In particular, children with asthma may experience low magnesium levels during an asthma attack. In this state, magnesium supplementation can help improve the child's condition and is a simple and effective treatment method.

Magnesium ions are a coenzyme for more than 300 enzymes and play an important role in the stable functions of multiple tissues and organs in the body. Studies have shown that a low magnesium diet is one of the independent risk factors that affect lung function and cause airway hyperresponsiveness and wheezing. A diet rich in magnesium can improve lung function, reduce airway hyperresponsiveness, and relieve asthma attacks.

Why is magnesium so important for asthma attacks? Experts point out that low intracellular magnesium can lead to increased prostaglandin synthesis and histamine release, thereby causing congestion and edema of the airway mucosa and spasm of bronchial smooth muscles, thereby increasing airway hyperresponsiveness and stimulating asthma attacks. Therefore, when children have recurrent asthma attacks, attention should be paid to measuring serum magnesium ions and urine magnesium ions. If the magnesium ion concentration is low, magnesium ion deficiency should be considered and magnesium supplementation should be given.

Therefore, it is very important for young children to supplement magnesium in moderation. They should eat more magnesium-rich foods on a daily basis to ensure healthy growth of the body.