You already know how important it is to take your vitamins. But what about your minerals? According to the Nutritional Magnesium Association (NMA), as many as 80 percent of all Americans don’t get enough magnesium. And yet research shows that this mighty mineral can do everything from boosting your mood to lowering your chance of a heart attack.

The National Institutes of Health report that magnesium is needed for more than 300 different biochemical reactions in your body, including producing and transporting energy, synthesizing protein, maintaining normal muscle and nerve function, and supporting a healthy immune system. What’s more, because magnesium makes up 50 percent of your bones, it’s a key mineral for bone health, says Carolyn Dean, MD, ND, medical director of the NMA and author of The Magnesium Miracle (Ballantine Books, 2006).

A new study offers further proof of the marvels of magnesium. Researchers analyzed the diets and lifestyles of 210 people age 65 and older who had type 2 diabetes, and published the results in June 2012 in Nutrition Journal. They found that 88.6 percent of the study participants were below the dietary reference intake for magnesium, which is 310 to 320 mg a day for women and 400 to 420 mg for men.  

The study participants with low magnesium were more likely to have larger waist sizes, body fat percentage and body mass index. The researchers also found that as these people consumed more magnesium, they significantly increased their HDL (good) cholesterol levels and reduced their feelings of depression. 

The researchers concluded that “magnesium intake may be one of the most important factors for diabetes prevention and management.” 

Dean says because magnesium helps usher insulin and glucose into the cells, a deficiency in the mineral can lead to elevated glucose levels, which can cause diabetes. In addition, magnesium is necessary for the activity of an enzyme in the body that raises HDL and lowers LDL (bad) cholesterol.

The NMA notes that magnesium aids in weight loss by helping the body efficiently digest and use fats, proteins and carbohydrates, and it also helps prevent obesity genes from expressing themselves. And because the mineral is necessary for the production and function of the brain’s feel-good chemical serotonin, it can reduce depression, according to the NMA.