Magnesium is vital for our health and for cell division. Magnesium deficiency, on the other hand, increases the risk of damage to the cellular DNA, which can result in a number of different chronic degenerative diseases, according to a new study from University of South Australia. The researchers also observed that magnesium helps to regulate a particular amino acid. Elevated blood levels of this compound are known to increase the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, Parkinson’s disease, gastrointestinal diseases, diabetes, and several types of cancer. Many people lack magnesium because of unhealthy eating habits, stimulant abuse, medicine use, and stress.

Damage to cellular DNA can lead to impaired cell function, cell death, accelerated aging, and mutations that, in the worst case, may develop into cancer. Fortunately, the body has an advanced repair system that continuously corrects DNA damage. New research even suggests that melatonin plays an important role in repairing DNA damage while we sleep.
This finding comes from a placebo-controlled Canadian study of shift workers who took melatonin supplements to compensate for disrupted circadian rhythms. Previous research has shown that the body's natural melatonin production declines with age and can also be reduced by excessive exposure to light from screens and other artificial light sources in the evening. Many people take melatonin supplements to improve their sleep, and the new findings suggest that an additional benefit may be enhanced protection of the body's cells against DNA damage.