People today are generally deficient in magnesium. Dietary surveys conducted in Europe and the United States show that the intake of magnesium is mostly below standard for people on a Western-style diet, and the amount is only equivalent to 30 percent to 50 percent of the recommended dietary allowance (RDA).
In the past century, Americans’ dietary intake of magnesium has decreased from about 500 mg/day to 175 to 225 mg/day. Sixty percent to 80 percent of Americans consume only 185 to 235 mg of magnesium per day. Nowadays, many children eat a lot, but without proper nutrition intake, so they are deficient in magnesium.
Animal and human studies have shown that inadequate dietary intake of magnesium increases the risk of atherosclerosis (i.e. the presence of fatty plaques in the arteries). Autopsies of children who passed away in accidents have shown early signs of atherosclerosis in the walls of the aorta and carotid arteries, even in young children aged 5 to 6 years….