Recommendations Magnesium Intake by life stage, age and gender

The body does not produce magnesium but it loses it depending on physical activity, stress… Result: our body needs to recharge its batteries by drawing this mineral from its diet. But each age has specific needs. Below are recommendations magnesium intake by age:

Infants

Rationale: The AI (Adequate Intake) for 0-6 months was calculated by multiplying the average intake of breast milk (0.78 L/day) by the average concentration of magnesium in breast milk (34 mg/L) from 10 studies reviewed by Atkinson et al (1995), and rounding (Food and Nutrition Board: Institute of Medicine 1997).

Recommendations Magnesium Intake for Children & adolescents

Rationale: In the absence of adequate balance and usual accretion data in children aged 1-8 years, data were interpolated from other groups based on body weight change and linear growth (FNB:IOM 1997) that indicate that a magnesium intake of 5 mg/kg a day meets most but not all the needs of those evaluated. This was the basis for the estimated average requirement for children 1-8 years. At 1-3 years, with a reference weight of 13 kg, the estimated average requirement is 65 mg. For 4-8 years with a reference weight of 22 kg, it is 110 mg/day.

Read also: Foods Rich in Magnesium Important for Our Health

Recommendations Magnesium Intake for Adults

Rationale: The EAR (Estimated average requirement) for adults were based on the assumption that the best indicator of adequacy currently available is the level that allows an individual to maintain total body magnesium over time (Food and Nutrition Board: Institute of Medicine 1997).

Recommendations Magnesium Intake for Pregnancy

Rationale: As there are no direct studies of needs in pregnancy, the estimated average requirement and recommended dietary intake for pregnancy were based on a consideration of the added lean body mass in pregnancy, assumed to be a mean of 7.5 kg (IOM 1991), a magnesium content of the additional lean body mass of 470 mg (Widdowson & Dickerson 1964) and an adjustment factor of 2.5 for a bioavailability of 40% (Abrams et al 1997).

Recommendations Magnesium Intake for Lactation

Rationale: The estimated average requirement and recommended dietary intake for lactation were based on the results of one study of lactating women which showed no effect of lactation on magnesium balance (Dengel et al 1994) and another showing no difference in urinary magnesium between lactating and never-pregnant women consuming diets containing about 270 mg magnesium/day (Klein et al 1995).

Upper Level of Intake (as a supplement)

Rationale: There are few reports to assist in setting UL (Upper level of intake) for magnesium, as it has not been shown to produce toxic effects when ingested as naturally occurring magnesium in food. Diarrhoea was selected as the critical endpoint as it is the first sign of excess intake (Food and Nutrition Board: Institute of Medicine 1997).

Information: Cleverly Smart is not a substitute for a doctor. Always consult a doctor to treat your health condition.

Sources: PinterPandai, Cleveland Clinic, NIH, European Food Safety Authority, National Health and Medical Research Council

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