In my post about muscle cramps (read it here), I mentioned Magnesium, and a few people have asked me to tell them more about it.
Magnesium is a mineral that supports hundreds of chemical reactions; about 60% is found in our bones, the rest in our muscles, other soft tissues, and fluids, such as blood.
Magnesium; fast facts.
- It’s a mineral found naturally in many foods and added to other food products.
- Some medicines, such as antacids and laxatives, contain Magnesium.
Magnesium, why do we need it?
- Magnesium is an abundant mineral in the body; it helps with many body functions, including protein synthesis, muscle and nerve function, blood glucose control, and blood pressure regulation.
- It’s also required for energy production and contributes to the structural development of bone.
- Magnesium is essential to proper nerve impulse conduction and plays a role in muscle contraction (and relaxation) and normal heart rhythm because it helps transport calcium and potassium around the body.
Magnesium Deficiency
Symptomatic (severe) magnesium deficiency because of low dietary intake in otherwise-healthy people is uncommon because the kidneys limit urinary excretion of this mineral. However, habitually low intakes or excessive losses of Magnesium because of certain health conditions, chronic alcoholism, and the use of certain medications can lead to magnesium deficiency, which is increasingly common but not routinely checked.
10 signs of a possible magnesium deficiency
Tip: A bedtime bath with a generous handful of magnesium flakes will support a deeper, more refreshing sleep.
Caution
If you are considering taking supplements, please note that some forms, especially when taken in high doses, are reported to cause loose stools, bowel urgency, and diarrhoea, which can be accompanied by nausea and abdominal cramping. This happens because when Magnesium is taken orally stimulates the digestive system and speeds up gastric motility, which results in changes in the osmotic activity by the unabsorbed magnesium salts in the intestine and colon. It’ ‘s one of the reasons most medicines to treat constipation contain these forms of Magnesium.
Summary
Food is the best way to get nutrients, including Magnesium, but supplemental helps boost levels of this essential mineral in certain situations. There are many options; orally in tablet form, liquid or powders, or externally as baths, body sprays, oil or lotions.
This post is for guidance only; it should not be regarded as a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment given in person by an appropriately trained health professional.
- Legumes, nuts, seeds, and whole grains are good sources.
- Green leafy vegetables, such as spinach
- Legumes, nuts, seeds, and whole grains are good sources.
- Some breakfast cereals and other foods are fortified with supplements, including Magnesium.
- Tap, mineral, and bottled waters can also be sources of Magnesium, but the amount of Magnesium in water varies depending on the source and brand.
Supplements
Magnesium is excellent for stress reduction; it helps build a resilient, more relaxed body, so that a supplement may be helpful during extended periods of stress. Did you know that there are there many different kinds of magnesium supplements? Varieties include magnesium oxide, citrate, chloride, aspartate, and lactate. Not all are created equally; some forms are more bioavailable than other forms, so they are considered to be better absorbed by the body. These include magnesium chloride and citrate, with chloride often called the master.
Magnesium is also available as oral drops and topical applications (transdermal Magnesium), including oils, sprays or bath salts; Epsom salt is a good source. Folk who use topical applications have reported:
- Reduced muscle aches, pains, cramping and spasms
- Better relaxation and stress management
- Increased energy levels
- Improved mood plays a critical role in brain function and mood, and low levels are linked to an increased risk of depression.
- Healthy skin and reduced outbreaks of eczema and psoriasis
- Enhanced exercise and athletic performance
Magnesium supplements consumed before bed have a calming effect on the central nervous system, aiding sleep.
Tip: A bedtime bath with a generous handful of magnesium flakes will support a deeper, more refreshing sleep.
Caution
If you are considering taking supplements, please note that some forms, especially when taken in high doses, are reported to cause loose stools, bowel urgency, and diarrhoea, which can be accompanied by nausea and abdominal cramping. This happens because when Magnesium is taken orally stimulates the digestive system and speeds up gastric motility, which results in changes in the osmotic activity by the unabsorbed magnesium salts in the intestine and colon. It’ ‘s one of the reasons most medicines to treat constipation contain these forms of Magnesium.
Summary
Food is the best way to get nutrients, including Magnesium, but supplemental helps boost levels of this essential mineral in certain situations. There are many options; orally in tablet form, liquid or powders, or externally as baths, body sprays, oil or lotions.
This post is for guidance only; it should not be regarded as a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment given in person by an appropriately trained health professional.
Most contain phosphates which bind with Magnesium in the digestive tract, making it unavailable to the body. So even if you are eating a balanced diet, merely communing a fizzy drink, especially the dark-coloured kind, with your meals will flush Magnesium out of your body.
Refined sugar
As found in pastries, cakes, puddings, and sweets cause, the body excretes Magnesium through the kidneys.
Caffeine
The kidneys control magnesium levels, which filter and excrete excess and other minerals. Caffeine causes the kidneys to release extra, regardless of body status. If you drink lots of caffeinated drinks such as coffee, tea, and the aforementioned carbonated drinks regularly will increase your risk of magnesium deficiency.
How to boost your Magnesium levels with food
- Legumes, nuts, seeds, and whole grains are good sources.
- Green leafy vegetables, such as spinach
- Legumes, nuts, seeds, and whole grains are good sources.
- Some breakfast cereals and other foods are fortified with supplements, including Magnesium.
- Tap, mineral, and bottled waters can also be sources of Magnesium, but the amount of Magnesium in water varies depending on the source and brand.
Supplements
Magnesium is excellent for stress reduction; it helps build a resilient, more relaxed body, so that a supplement may be helpful during extended periods of stress. Did you know that there are there many different kinds of magnesium supplements? Varieties include magnesium oxide, citrate, chloride, aspartate, and lactate. Not all are created equally; some forms are more bioavailable than other forms, so they are considered to be better absorbed by the body. These include magnesium chloride and citrate, with chloride often called the master.
Magnesium is also available as oral drops and topical applications (transdermal Magnesium), including oils, sprays or bath salts; Epsom salt is a good source. Folk who use topical applications have reported:
- Reduced muscle aches, pains, cramping and spasms
- Better relaxation and stress management
- Increased energy levels
- Improved mood plays a critical role in brain function and mood, and low levels are linked to an increased risk of depression.
- Healthy skin and reduced outbreaks of eczema and psoriasis
- Enhanced exercise and athletic performance
Magnesium supplements consumed before bed have a calming effect on the central nervous system, aiding sleep.
Tip: A bedtime bath with a generous handful of magnesium flakes will support a deeper, more refreshing sleep.
Caution
If you are considering taking supplements, please note that some forms, especially when taken in high doses, are reported to cause loose stools, bowel urgency, and diarrhoea, which can be accompanied by nausea and abdominal cramping. This happens because when Magnesium is taken orally stimulates the digestive system and speeds up gastric motility, which results in changes in the osmotic activity by the unabsorbed magnesium salts in the intestine and colon. It’ ‘s one of the reasons most medicines to treat constipation contain these forms of Magnesium.
Summary
Food is the best way to get nutrients, including Magnesium, but supplemental helps boost levels of this essential mineral in certain situations. There are many options; orally in tablet form, liquid or powders, or externally as baths, body sprays, oil or lotions.
This post is for guidance only; it should not be regarded as a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment given in person by an appropriately trained health professional.
- Painful muscle cramps or spasms
- Chronic pain
- Headaches
- Anxiety
- Weakness
- Calcium deficiency
- Facial tics or eye twitches
- Times of hyperactivity
- Difficulty getting to sleep or staying asleep
- Doctors associate low magnesium levels with personality changes and sometimes depression.
Clinical signs and symptoms of magnesium deficiency
Includes; loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, and weakness. As the deficiency worsens, numbness, tingling, muscle contractions and cramps, seizures, personality changes, abnormal heart rhythms, and coronary spasms can occur. Note; this is rare in otherwise healthy people because, as mentioned, the kidneys limit urinary excretion of this mineral.
Who is at risk of clinical magnesium deficiency?
People with gastrointestinal illnesses such as Crohn’s disease or those who have had a gastric bypass or resection surgery are at high risk because of malabsorption of all nutrients but are usually regularly checked and well monitored.
The following will deplete your levels.
Illness and stress: Both physical and emotional stress can cause magnesium deficiency, and a lack of Magnesium magnifies the stress reaction, worsening the problem.
Gastrointestinal illnesses: People with conditions such as Crohn’s disease or those who have had gastric bypass or resection surgery are at high risk because of malabsorption. These folks are usually regularly checked and well-monitored.
Medication
Magnesium is a primary ingredient in some over-the-counter digestive and laxatives remedies, and continual use can cause a deficiency. Studies have shown that certain prescribed medicines can reduce magnesium levels in the body by increasing [magnesium] loss through excretion by the kidneys. Diuretics, some heart and asthma medication, birth control pills, and HRT are of particular concern.
*Please do not stop taking any prescribed medication without the advice of your prescribing doctor. If this concerns you, speak with your doctor.
Alcohol
The effect of alcohol on magnesium levels is like diuretics: it lowers Magnesium by increasing the excretion of the kidneys. Increased alcohol intake also contributes to decreased efficiency of the digestive system, and Vitamin D deficiency, both of which can contribute to low magnesium levels.
Carbonated drinks
Most contain phosphates which bind with Magnesium in the digestive tract, making it unavailable to the body. So even if you are eating a balanced diet, merely communing a fizzy drink, especially the dark-coloured kind, with your meals will flush Magnesium out of your body.
Refined sugar
As found in pastries, cakes, puddings, and sweets cause, the body excretes Magnesium through the kidneys.
Caffeine
The kidneys control magnesium levels, which filter and excrete excess and other minerals. Caffeine causes the kidneys to release extra, regardless of body status. If you drink lots of caffeinated drinks such as coffee, tea, and the aforementioned carbonated drinks regularly will increase your risk of magnesium deficiency.
How to boost your Magnesium levels with food
- Legumes, nuts, seeds, and whole grains are good sources.
- Green leafy vegetables, such as spinach
- Legumes, nuts, seeds, and whole grains are good sources.
- Some breakfast cereals and other foods are fortified with supplements, including Magnesium.
- Tap, mineral, and bottled waters can also be sources of Magnesium, but the amount of Magnesium in water varies depending on the source and brand.
Supplements
Magnesium is excellent for stress reduction; it helps build a resilient, more relaxed body, so that a supplement may be helpful during extended periods of stress. Did you know that there are there many different kinds of magnesium supplements? Varieties include magnesium oxide, citrate, chloride, aspartate, and lactate. Not all are created equally; some forms are more bioavailable than other forms, so they are considered to be better absorbed by the body. These include magnesium chloride and citrate, with chloride often called the master.
Magnesium is also available as oral drops and topical applications (transdermal Magnesium), including oils, sprays or bath salts; Epsom salt is a good source. Folk who use topical applications have reported:
- Reduced muscle aches, pains, cramping and spasms
- Better relaxation and stress management
- Increased energy levels
- Improved mood plays a critical role in brain function and mood, and low levels are linked to an increased risk of depression.
- Healthy skin and reduced outbreaks of eczema and psoriasis
- Enhanced exercise and athletic performance
Magnesium supplements consumed before bed have a calming effect on the central nervous system, aiding sleep.
Tip: A bedtime bath with a generous handful of magnesium flakes will support a deeper, more refreshing sleep.
Caution
If you are considering taking supplements, please note that some forms, especially when taken in high doses, are reported to cause loose stools, bowel urgency, and diarrhoea, which can be accompanied by nausea and abdominal cramping. This happens because when Magnesium is taken orally stimulates the digestive system and speeds up gastric motility, which results in changes in the osmotic activity by the unabsorbed magnesium salts in the intestine and colon. It’ ‘s one of the reasons most medicines to treat constipation contain these forms of Magnesium.
Summary
Food is the best way to get nutrients, including Magnesium, but supplemental helps boost levels of this essential mineral in certain situations. There are many options; orally in tablet form, liquid or powders, or externally as baths, body sprays, oil or lotions.
This post is for guidance only; it should not be regarded as a substitute for medical advice, diagnosis or treatment given in person by an appropriately trained health professional.
