Magnesium is an essential cation that is needed in the human diet in gram amounts. The typical Western diet is deficient in magnesium and this creates an imbalance between the calcium intake and the magnesium intake of people choosing this diet. The low level of magnesium in the typical Western diet is thought to create a number of physiologically disadvantageous consequences that can increase the risk of a number of diseases. In addition, magnesium is required for physiological pain moderation, and in particular magnesium ions may interact with the NMDA (N-methyl D-aspartate) receptors that are involved in the regulation of pain. Studies investigating the effects of magnesium of pain consistently show that magnesium administration decreases the pain experienced by individuals under many different conditions and that magnesium supplements are an effective pain relief strategy. Eating a diet high in magnesium may therefore have significant advantages for those with chronic pain.
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