Breaking Down Quinoa Part V – The Importance of Magnesium

Created by Daniela Baranovsky (U of G) and Edited by Quinta

To date this blog series has overviewed the health benefits of three minerals found in Quinta Quinoa – zinc, iron, and copper. We have discussed the macronutrient protein, as well as illustrated that our Quinta Quinoa has higher amounts of these nutrients compared to commercially available quinoa imported from South America. To keep with the theme of this series, we are continuing on to discuss magnesium- an essential mineral found in over 300 enzymes in our body. Magnesium functions to support energy production, as well as nerve and muscle function. It also helps regulate calcium and potassium, minerals that are necessary for muscle contraction and nerve impulse. We could not function properly without magnesium, and deficiency can lead to chronic disease.

Magnesium is typically found in nuts, seeds, legumes, fish and cereals. In our high quality Quinta Quinoa, there is 50% of your daily magnesium requirements in one 50g serving, making Quinta Quinoa an excellent source of magnesium! Other sources of magnesium include pumpkin seeds, spinach, and beans. Eat Right Ontario suggests that eating a balanced diet following Canada’s Food Guide should provide you with adequate intakes of magnesium. Unfortunately, according to Health Canada, 47.2% of Ontarians over the age of 19 have a magnesium intake lower than the Estimated Average Requirement (EAR), with 98% of all Canadian’s achieving only 42.9% of their estimated average requirement!

Specific groups of individuals are more susceptible to magnesium deficiency. Individuals with gastrointestinal complications may have impaired absorption in the gut and therefore magnesium uptake from food and vitamins is depleted. Type 2 diabetes, a common disease in Canada, can increase the risk of developing magnesium deficiency, as insulin resistance leads to high blood sugar and increased magnesium in the urine. To add, individuals with chronic alcoholism experience damage to their tissues that can make them susceptible to magnesium, deficiency. The aging Canadian population is likely to have a low magnesium intake, impaired absorption and is more likely to be taking mediations contributing to deficiency. It is recommended that these populations increase their intake of magnesium through food and vitamins.

Not surprisingly, a diet lacking in magnesium can lead to a variety of health conditions. Low intakes impair the function of our enzymes, meaning the body’s biochemical pathways are impaired. Individuals with the highest intake of magnesium are less likely to develop cardiovascular disease and succumb to sudden cardiac death. There is some evidence suggesting that magnesium can help lower blood pressure in hypertensive individuals. Additionally, higher magnesium intake is correlated with a decreased risk in type 2 diabetes. Magnesium may also be important in the diets of diabetics to improve glycemic control, although current evidence for this is inconclusive. As aforementioned, magnesium is a critical part of calcium and potassium regulation and ultimately bone health. This means that being low in magnesium is a risk factor for osteoporosis. Individuals with osteoporosis may benefit from increased magnesium intake to re-mineralize bone or reduce the rate of bone loss. Lastly, magnesium is important in nerve transmission and therefore can help prevent migraine headaches.

Through research at Katan Kitchens, we have determined that local Ontario Quinta Quinoa has higher magnesium content compared to commercially available imported quinoa. Quinta Quinoa, in addition to other quality sources of magnesium, can help many Canadians meet their average estimated requirement by providing an excellent source of magnesium in every 50g serving. We have been able to demonstrate that quinoa is a viable crop to introduce into Ontario agriculture. With Quinta Quinoa’s high nutritional profile, it is clear that there is a great opportunity to expand across Ontario. We believe that our high quality nutrient profile compared to commercially available imported quinoa is due to a combination of our climate, the amazing nutrient-rich Ontario soils, as well as the unique, non-GMO, naturally- bred variety of quinoa seed we have developed.

We’ve now shown that Ontario-grown Quinta Quinoa is higher in zinc, iron, copper, protein and magnesium compared to commercially available imported quinoa. We hope you’ll also find that Quinta Quinoa doesn’t sacrifice flavor attributes for its high nutritional value. If you have any further questions regarding Quinta’s nutritional facts feel free to take a look at our nutritional facts table, contact us, and stay connected to our blog for additional Quinta updates! Thanks for reading!

Sources:

https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Magnesium-HealthProfessional/#h5

http://www.eatrightontario.ca/en/Articles/Nutrients-(vitamins-and-minerals)/What-you-need-to-know-about-magnesium.aspx#.VrFKYSorLIU

http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca/fn-an/surveill/atlas/map-carte/adult_magnesium-eng.php#sthash.HvH6Gqqv.dpuf

http://www.fao.org/quinoa-2013/what-is-quinoa/nutritional-value/en/