avoiding vitamin/mineral deficiencies - is offal necessary? page

[theholla]

In general, I prefer not to take supplements for nutrients I can get from food. So, I want to make sure that I'm not at risk for any deficiencies (I already sup D3).

Specifically, I was wondering if I needed to add any of the following foods:
offal
more bones
bivalves
seaweed

I already eat a fairly varied diet
vegetables: crucifers, alliums, solanaceae, apiaceae
fruit: citrus, berries, stone fruit, apples/pears, squash, coconut products, tree nuts
cold-water fish (sometimes including the bones)
crustaceans
red meat: mostly grass-fed beef muscle meat, occasional bone-y gelatinous stew meat (like oxtail), occasional pork sausage or bacon
poultry: legs and wings from pastured chicken and turkey, eggs from pastured chicken
dairy: butter/ghee from pastured cows, hard cheese
super dark chocolate
occasional legumes *gasp*

Thoughts? Any nutrients I need to watch out for? I'm not in any hurry to eat offal or make bone broths, but could probably be persuaded to try...

[MalPaz]

yes

[Dragonfly]

I'd supplement magnesium--especially if you have any trouble sleeping, migraines, or any hormone issues.

[LJH]

Is sleep trouble a main indicator of magnesium deficency? I'm wondering about supplements too, but I can fall asleep in about 30 seconds and sleep very soundly. Like the dead, according to my husband. Can I assume I don't need to supplement magnesium or are there more important indicators?

Edit to add: I almost never get headaches either.

[theholla]

I'd supplement magnesium--especially if you have any trouble sleeping, migraines, or any hormone issues.

I sleep like a rock, but I do have hormonal issues. Are there natural sources of magnesium, or do you have to take a pill?

[Dragonfly]

From Wiki:
Magnesium in biology

Because of the important interaction between phosphate and magnesium ions, magnesium ions are essential to the basic nucleic acid chemistry of life, and thus are essential to all cells of all known living organisms. Over 300 enzymes require the presence of magnesium ions for their catalytic action, including all enzymes utilizing or synthesizing ATP, or those that use other nucleotides to synthesize DNA and RNA. ATP exists in cells normally as a chelate of ATP and a magnesium ion.

Plants have an additional use for magnesium in that chlorophylls are magnesium-centered porphyrins. Magnesium deficiency in plants causes late-season yellowing between leaf veins, especially in older leaves, and can be corrected by applying Epsom salts (which is rapidly leached), or else crushed dolomitic limestone to the soil.
Food sources of magnesium

Magnesium is a vital component of a healthy human diet. Human magnesium deficiency (including conditions that show few overt symptoms) is relatively common, with only 32% of the United States meeting the RDA-DRI;[17] low levels of magnesium in the body has been associated with the development of a number of human illnesses such as asthma, diabetes, and osteoporosis.[18]

Adult human bodies contain about 24 grams of magnesium, with 60% in the skeleton, 39% intracellular (20% in skeletal muscle), and 1% extracellular. Serum levels are typically 0.7–1.0 mmol/L or 1.8–2.4 mEq/L. Serum magnesium levels may appear normal even in cases of underlying intracellular deficiency, although no known mechanism maintains a homeostatic level in the blood other than renal excretion of high blood levels.

Intracellular magnesium is correlated with intracellular potassium. Magnesium is absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract, with more absorbed when status is lower. In humans, magnesium appears to facilitate calcium absorption. Low and high protein intake inhibit magnesium absorption, and other factors such as phosphate, phytate, and fat affect absorption. Absorbed dietary magnesium is largely excreted through the urine, although most magnesium "administered orally" is excreted through the feces.[19] Magnesium status may be assessed roughly through serum and erythrocyte Mg concentrations and urinary and fecal excretion, but intravenous magnesium loading tests are likely the most accurate and practical in most people.[20] In these tests, magnesium is injected intravenously; a retention of 20% or more indicates deficiency.[21] Other nutrient deficiencies are identified through biomarkers, but none are established for magnesium.[22]

Spices, nuts, cereals, coffee, cocoa, tea, and vegetables are rich sources of magnesium. Green leafy vegetables such as spinach are also rich in magnesium as they contain chlorophyll. Observations of reduced dietary magnesium intake in modern Western countries compared to earlier generations may be related to food refining and modern fertilizers that contain no magnesium.[19]