Chocoholics, read this
There's a reason why you're constantly reaching for the Dairy Milk - and it's not just because it's yummy.
Apparently, our daily desperation for a Twix could come down to a lack of magnesium in our diets, which can be to blame for repeated chocolate and sugar cravings.
Britons scoff nearly 700,000 tonnes of chocolate a year, with the much-adored sugary snack clocking up almost £4 billion in UK sales every year - but as we well know, too much is not really very good for us.
The experts at BetterYou say that 80% of the population lacks magnesium in their daily diet. With the average intake of around 170mg a day, we're well below the recommended daily allowance of around 350mg - and with magnesium being such a pivotal nutrient fundamental for bone and teeth health, as well as the repairing of cells, our bodies could be in real danger if we ignore its importance.
In fact, if we don't have enough of it, we could be at risk of migraines, irritability, anxiety, fatigue, insomnia and lack of concentration - like this dog, below, who just really wants that sugary bun and looks at risk of being very irritable and hungry indeed.
Andrew Thomas, founder and managing director at BetterYou, says: 'Not surprisingly, the result of our love affair with confectionery is starting to have an impact on our health. An average Brit eats around three bars of chocolate per week. But rather than reaching for the chocolate, people should start to consider why they are craving it.
'Our need for magnesium has never been so great, yet it’s also one of the most difficult vitamins to receive through diet or oral supplementation alone,' he adds. 'Magnesium is a mineral that is difficult to supplement through traditional oral means. As it is a natural relaxant, too much in one go can have a laxative effect.'
TMI, Andrew, TMI - but we get what you're trying to say. More snacking on foods rich in magnesium, like green vegetables, nuts, fish and avocados - and less reaching for just one more pack of Maltesers.
We promise to try our best...
