9 Surprising Magnesium Benefits for Your Health: Are You Deficient?
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Have you ever wondered if you’re getting enough magnesium? What exactly does it do to support health, anyway?
IIn today’s post, we’ll consider nine surprising health benefits of magnesium, different forms of magnesium, and how you can incorporate more magnesium into your day.
Magnesium fundamentals
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Magnesium is a vital mineral that’s involved in over 300 enzymatic reactions or metabolic processes throughout the body. In fact, it’s one of the five most important minerals in the human body. Our bodies can’t function without it, yet we cannot make it.
That makes magnesium one of the seven essential macro-minerals we need in large quantities. The word “essential” means the body can’t produce it on its own, so we have to obtain it from an outside source - through diet or supplements.
It can be seen as a powerhouse nutrient because it supports many things, from heart health and blood pressure to mental well-being. It’s necessary for energy production, blood sugar control, and both muscle and nerve function. Plus, it plays a crucial role in bone formation, metabolic health, and stress management while facilitating deep, restorative sleep.
Let’s take a closer look, but before we jump in if If you’re feeling overwhelmed or unsure about how to incorporate more magnesium into your daily routine, I’m here to help! Whether you need guidance on neuronutrition like magnesium-rich foods, or advice on for your unique needs, or personalized support to improve your overall health, I can provide the assistance you’re looking for. Let’s work together to ensure you’re getting the magnesium your body needs to thrive. Reach out today, and let’s take the first step toward better health!
Magnesium is the ultimate relaxing mineral. It helps to relax muscles, nerves, and even the blood vessels, which can help lower blood pressure. It's involved in over 300 enzymatic reactions in the body, including energy production, protein synthesis, and DNA repair. Magnesium deficiency can lead to a myriad of symptoms, including muscle cramps, anxiety, and even heart disease. Ensuring adequate magnesium intake is crucial for overall health and well-being.
Dr. Carolyn Dean, a medical doctor and naturopath
Nine surprising health benefits of magnesium
Improves sleep and fights insomnia
Magnesium support better sleep quality. It helps us fall asleep faster and stay asleep. It regulates levels of the calming neurotransmitter GABA to quiet the mind, reduce cell hyperactivity, and decrease anxiety and stress as we try to fall asleep. Due to its calming and relaxing nature, magnesium has shown significant benefits for many people who struggle with insomnia.
Improves brain function
Magnesium can improve brain function and mental well-being. By regulating many different neurotransmitters, including GABA, magnesium helps reduce stress hormone levels and regulate neurotransmitters that calm the nervous system. This allows your brain to transition to a restful state and helps with anxiety and depression. Plus, magnesium protects the brain. It’s critical for maintaining the integrity of the blood-brain barrier to keep toxins and pathogens out of the brain while ensuring the brain gets all the good nutrients like proteins, fats, vitamins, and minerals that it needs to function properly.
Strengthens bones
About 60% of the body’s magnesium is stored in bones, where it maintains bone density and helps prevent osteoporosis. Studies show higher magnesium intake increases bone mineral density, particularly in areas prone to fractures. Magnesium also strengthens bones by making them grow healthier, stronger, more resilient, and less prone to fractures.
Enhances exercise performance
By disposing of the lactic acid that builds up in muscles during exercise and moving blood sugar into the muscles to replenish depleted energy, magnesium plays a vital role in exercise performance. Higher magnesium intake is linked to better exercise performance, greater energy, increased muscle power and mass, and faster post-workout recovery.
Improves heart health
Magnesium acts as a vasodilator to help lower blood pressure and reduce the risk of heart disease and stroke. It controls blood pressure, lowers your risk of heart disease, reduces triglycerides and LDL cholesterol, raises HDL cholesterol, supports proper heart rhythm, and helps regulate blood vessel function.
Regulates blood sugar
Yes, magnesium helps regulate blood sugar. It allows the body to send more blood sugar into the muscles, where it can be burned for energy as you exercise. It also regulates blood sugar levels to prevent levels from spiking and crashing, as it improves insulin sensitivity to lower your risk of diabetes.
Reduces migraines
It is believed that migraines may be connected to a magnesium deficiency and that they are directly linked to nervous system dysfunction. Through its role in keeping the nervous system healthy and functioning properly, taking more magnesium can help reduce migraine headaches.
Reduces inflammation
Magnesium also has anti-inflammatory effects. Low magnesium levels have been linked to higher inflammation and increased oxidative stress. Taking magnesium supplements can help decrease the presence of inflammatory C-reactive proteins in the body.
Relieves PMS
Finally, magnesium can help relieve symptoms associated with PMS, including cramps, migraines, anxiety, depression and bloating.
With all these benefits, you may wonder if you’re getting enough.
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How much do I need?
First, it’s important to note that the body cannot make this crucial nutrient!
That means we can only get magnesium from one of two sources - food or supplementation. Ideally, we’d get all the magnesium we need through diet, but supplementation is the next best thing when we can’t.
How much are we talking about?
Men should aim for 400 to 420 milligrams daily, while women need anywhere from 310 to 320 milligrams daily.
Are you getting enough?
You may have a mild to moderate deficiency if you experience fatigue, a loss of appetite, vomiting, or muscle weakness.
And if you experience regular numbness, tingling, abnormal heart rhythms, muscle cramps, or seizures, you may have a more significant magnesium deficiency.
So what can you do? How can you increase your magnesium intake each day?
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Food sources of magnesium
The good news is that many delicious and accessible foods contain good amounts of magnesium!
Here are some of my favourites:
Seeds and Nuts
Pumpkin seeds lead the pack with 156 mg per 30 g serving, followed by chia seeds which contain 111 mg. Plus, a 28-gram serving of cashews contains about 83 mg of magnesium, while almonds contain about 80 mg per serving.
Leafy Greens
Spinach is particularly rich in magnesium, providing over 155 mg per cup when cooked. Kale and collard greens come in a close second with 74 and 151 mg, respectfully.
Legumes
Legumes are a family of nutrient-dense plants that include lentils, beans, chickpeas, peas, and soybeans. They’re very rich in many different nutrients, including magnesium. For example, a 1-cup serving of cooked lima beans contains an impressive 126 mg of magnesium. In comparison, 1 cup of cooked black beans contains 120 mg.
Whole Grains
You can also incorporate some of these magnesium-rich foods into your diet. For each, 1 cup of cooked grains is one serving, and the amount of magnesium each serving contains is as follows:
Oats = 60 mg
Barley = 35 mg
Quinoa = 120 mg
Brown rice = 86 mg
Buckwheat = 86 mg
Other Sources
Dark chocolate (70-85% - 1 oz) = 65 mg
Avocados (one medium) = 58 mg
Tofu (3.5 oz.) = 35 mg
Fatty fish such as salmon, mackerel, and tuna (3 oz) = 30-83 mg
Bananas (one medium) = 35 mg
Remember that magnesium works synergistically with other nutrients. It helps convert vitamin D into its active form and assists the liver and kidneys in metabolizing it, which in turn affects calcium absorption. By incorporating these magnesium-rich foods into your daily diet, you’re not just supporting one aspect of your health but creating a foundation for overall wellness!
Common forms of magnesium
Working to include magnesium-rich foods in your diet is a great place to start. But if you need more support, the world of magnesium supplementation can be a confusing place!
So, let me help you break it down.
Highly Bioavailable Forms
Magnesium citrate stands out as one of the most common and easily absorbed forms, making it effective for general supplementation and addressing digestive issues. Magnesium glycinate, formed by combining magnesium with glycine, also offers excellent absorption and is particularly gentle on the stomach.
Specialized Forms
Magnesium L-threonate (my personal favourite) specifically targets brain health and cognitive function, promoting learning, concentration, and memory support. It’s the only form of magnesium to cross the blood-brain-barrier, so it works to calm the brain as well as body muscles. Magnesium taurate combines magnesium with taurine to support cardiovascular health and blood sugar regulation.
Therapeutic Applications
Digestive Support
Magnesium oxide functions primarily as a laxative, though it has lower overall absorption
Magnesium citrate helps with digestion and constipation relief
Topical Forms
Magnesium sulfate (Epsom salt) aids muscle relaxation and stress relief through bath soaks
Magnesium chloride appears in topical oils and lotions for skin application
Specialized Benefits
Magnesium malate provides energizing properties and supports ATP production
Magnesium bisglycinate offers nervous system support without laxative effects
Magnesium orotate specifically targets heart health
The choice of which form of magnesium you choose depends largely on your individual health goals and specific needs. Some forms offer better absorption than others, while some target specific health conditions more effectively.
If you have more questions or want to ensure you choose the one that’s right for you, talk to your health care provider or chat with a professional at your local health food store.
Bottom line
Magnesium is an essential nutrient that does a lot for each and every one of us, so it’s important we get enough. And by now, we hope you understand just how important magnesium is for your overall health—but specifically for your bones, your sleep quality, and your mental well-being.
It’s the mineral that forms new bone tissue and works with calcium to provide a sturdy, resilient structure that supports your movement and exercise.
It calms your mind, decreases nervous system activity, anxiety, and helps you fall asleep faster. And, in addition to improving neurotransmitter function, it can also combat depression, anxiety and stress.
Getting more magnesium in your life is a simple and effective key to improving your overall health. Try it today! You won’t regret it!
Finally, as with any other supplement or change to your diet, it’s wise to seek medical advice for your unique needs. Though magnesium is relatively safe, it may not be warranted if you’re sensitive to it, are taking certain medications, or have certain medical issues like heart or kidney disease, diabetes, or intestinal disease.
[Medical Disclaimer]
Please consult with your doctor(s) before starting any new mental or physical health improvement program. The advice I offer is not intended to replace that of your medical practitioner. I am not a medical professional, nor am I qualified to diagnose, cure treat, or prevent disease. The advice I provide on this website is intended for a broad and diverse audience, and as such, deals with general lifestyle concepts, not specific healthcare advice. This material disclaims any liability or loss in connection with the advice expressed herein.