The Definitive Handbook on Magnesium: The Ultimate Mineral
If you are reading this, I bet you are magnesium deficient. Give me two minutes, and I will fix your health. Magnesium is an essential mineral which plays a part in over 3000 biochemical reactions within your body.
Magnesium is essential to our bodies. Without sufficient amounts, many functions will suffer.
Why Your Body Needs Magnesium Magnesium is one of the four most abundant minerals found in our bodies, accounting for 4 percent.
It plays several pivotal roles in:
Bone Formation: About 60% of magnesium stored in our bodies is found within bone tissues, helping build and maintain strong, healthy bones.
Magnesium plays an essential role in supporting muscle and nerve function. It regulates both muscle contraction and nerve conduction, helping prevent overexcitement that could otherwise cause symptoms like numbness, tingling sensations, spasms or cramps in nerve endings.
Energy Production: Magnesium plays a critical role in over 300 enzyme systems that regulate biochemical reactions within the body, including energy production, protein synthesis, blood glucose regulation and blood pressure control.
Magnesium supports heart health by relaxing blood vessels and balancing calcium channels to maintain healthy blood pressure and heart rhythm. Furthermore, magnesium helps manage stress hormone cortisol production as well as activates parasympathetic nervous system which promotes relaxation.
Magnesium helps calm your nervous system to promote faster and deeper restorative sleep, and promote immune cell health as it supports its development and functioning. Below are other potential uses for magnesium.
Reduce Insomnia and Improve Sleep Quality
Magnesium has an anti-anxiety and muscle-relaxant effect that is proven to shorten sleep induction times, extend total sleeping hours, improve efficiency of restful slumber and minimize nighttime awakenings. Supplementing magnesium can significantly shorten these processes.
Relieve Muscle Cramps and Spasms
Muscle cramps, involuntary muscle twitches and spasms can be caused by magnesium deficiency. Supplementing magnesium helps relieve these symptoms by supporting nerve conduction and muscle contraction regulation – something many athletes use it for to avoid exercise-associated cramps.
Magnesium May Relieve Anxiety and Depression
Magnesium plays a key role in neurotransmitter production and nerve conduction to regulate mood, and supplements have been found to effectively alleviate symptoms of anxiety and depression by themselves or when combined with medication.
Magnesium Supplementation Can Regulate Blood Pressure
Magnesium supplements may help people with hypertension to lower their blood pressure by relaxing blood vessels and balancing calcium channels within vascular smooth muscle. Magnesium intravenously administered in hospitals often prevent seizures caused by pre-eclampsia by rapidly raising blood pressure to prevent seizures from occurring.
Magnesium May Help Control Blood Sugar
Magnesium plays an integral part in glucose metabolism. Consuming sufficient dietary magnesium has been linked with decreased risks of type 2 diabetes. Furthermore, taking magnesium supplements may improve insulin sensitivity and help control blood sugar levels among those already living with the condition.
Magnesium Can Relieve Constipation
Magnesium acts as an osmotic agent to draw water into the intestines and colon to soften and increase bulk of stool, while also relaxing intestinal muscles for regular bowel movements. Magnesium supplementation has long been used as an effective remedy against chronic constipation.
Migraine Sufferers May Experience Magnesium Supplement Benefits
Research suggests magnesium supplementation could reduce migraine frequency among adults by protecting nerve cells from overstimulation and relaxing blood vessels to relieve migraine pain.
Magnesium Intake May Reduce Heart Disease, Stroke and Heart Failure
Adequate magnesium consumption has been linked with significantly reduced risks of cardiovascular disease. Magnesium deficiency increases inflammation, atherosclerosis, blood clotting and constricted arteries – thus protecting heart health by maintaining optimal magnesium levels.
Strengthen Your Bones
Over 60% of magnesium found in your body resides within your bones. Magnesium plays an essential role in the conversion of vitamin D into its active form for calcium absorption, activating calcium-sensing receptors that regulate bone remodeling processes and strengthening them daily may prevent and treat osteoporosis.
Magnesium Supplementation Can Enhance Exercise Performance Studies have demonstrated the beneficial effects of magnesium supplementation for male endocrine health. Athletes use magnesium to enhance endurance, reduce lactic acid build-up and prevent muscle cramps during training and competitions.
Signs and Symptoms of Magnesium Deficiency
Magnesium deficiency is extremely prevalent, impacting as many as 80% of US residents.
The following symptoms could indicate you require more magnesium:
Muscle twitches, leg cramps and spasms, insomnia and poor sleep quality, headaches and migraines, fatigue, low energy and weakness as a result of poor stress tolerance; low energy; fatigued; low energy levels and weakness, anxiety irritability poor stress tolerance as a result, high blood pressure (increasing), constipation brain fog trouble concentrating as a result, nausea vomiting loss of appetite is some other symptoms as a result of reduced tolerance (higher than desired)
Numbness, Tingling, Muscle Cramping and Seizures from Magnesium Deficiencies For adults over 18 years of age the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of magnesium should range between 400-420 mg daily for men and 310-360 mg per day for adult women.
Many experts suggest taking 500-600 mg of daily vitamin D3 for optimal health.
Magnesium should be taken in small doses throughout the day to maximize absorption and minimize side effects on digestion. Take 100-200 mg three to four times per day with food for maximum absorption and reduced digestive side effects; consult with your healthcare provider first!
Types of Magnesium Supplements
Magnesium glycinate: bound to glycine for enhanced absorption, gentle on the stomach, and well tolerated Magnesium citrate: an ionic form that treats constipation And finally magnesium oxide offers affordable but less absorbable alternatives
Magnesium chloride: Bound to chloride and useful for muscle function, magnesium malate contains malic acid for energy boost and magnesium orotate contains orotic acid – great for cardiovascular health!
Magnesium threonate crosses the blood-brain barrier; magnesium glycinate and magnesium chloride provide optimal absorption and bioavailability with reduced risk of diarrheal symptoms.
Magnesium supplements such as capsules, powders and skin-soluble oil are readily available.
Magnesium Is Vital For Good Health Magnesium is an essential mineral, but many don’t get enough from diet alone. Supplementing or eating magnesium-rich foods will ensure you meet your daily magnesium requirements to promote overall health and wellbeing.