Where Is Magnesium Found?

Magnesium is one of the most abundant elements on the face of the earth, and the third most abundant element dissolved into water around the globe. It is present in the human body and is the ninth most abundant element in the universe as a whole. In spite of all of this, magnesium is never found naturally in its elemental form on the earth because of its reactivity. While it can be synthesized in laboratories, it is more commonly found combined with other elements, in minerals such as magnesite and dolomite.

Magnesium is found in numerous places.  Here are some places where you can find the abundant element:

In Minerals

Over a hundred different minerals hold magnesium, although it is only found in substantial amounts in a few of these. Two minerals with the highest amounts of magnesium are dolomite, and its nearly indistinguishable brother, magnesite.

Dolomite is a sedimentary carbonate rock made of calcium magnesium carbonate. It can be colored white, gray, or even pink, and has many different uses. Brucite, the mineral form of magnesium hydroxide, is named after its discoverer Archibald Bruce and is used in various industrial applications.

Magnesium silicate is found in talc, which is used commonly in body powders and as lubricants. There are also a few other minerals in which magnesium is found, including carnallite and olivine.

In the Body

One place where magnesium occurs in abundance is in the human body. It is essential to maintain health and balance, because of the large number of bodily functions it aids. About half of all the magnesium if your body is found in your bones, but magnesium is found elsewhere throughout the body as well. Your organs and body tissues contain most of the remainder of the magnesium inside of you, although a small (but carefully maintained) amount of magnesium is often found throughout the bloodstream. Muscle and nerve function depend upon magnesium, as does your heartbeat, blood sugar levels, and blood pressure. Many disorders can be treated and prevented with healthy doses of magnesium.

In Water

Although your tap water has a certain amount of magnesium in it, much of the world’s magnesium is dissolved into bodies of water around the world. According to an academic study done in the 1950s, a mere cubic mile of seawater can contain 12 billion pounds of magnesium. When magnesium is needed for various uses, it is most often extracted from seawater around the world. In order to obtain magnesium from seawater, calcium hydroxide is added to it, resulting in a precipitate of magnesium hydroxide.

In Food

Most of the magnesium in your body comes from the food that you eat. Magnesium is found in many different grains and vegetables that you probably eat every day. Dark green vegetables, such as spinach, contain high amounts of magnesium. Peas, almonds, seeds, and unrefined whole grains also have lots of magnesium in them. (White grains, such as bread and rice, have the magnesium removed from them, and are less healthy because of it.) You’ll also come across magnesium in potatoes, shredded wheat cereal, avocados, and a cup of chocolate pudding. Depending on what type of foods you eat, your full day’s needs of magnesium can be obtained in a single meal.

Other Places to Find Magnesium

Magnesium is used in a huge variety of applications, so it can be found in many different products. After steel and aluminum, magnesium is the most commonly used metal in building. Electronic products, from cellular phones to computers, often have magnesium components inside of them. Because it burns at high temperatures, magnesium is often used in firestarters for campers and adventurers. Old cameras had flashbulbs with magnesium components inside of them, and flares and sparklers contain magnesium due to the extremely bright white light with which it burns. Hundreds of thousands of other products and applications make magnesium an especially useful metal.