- Tue, 07/13/2021 - 10:18
- Why do you need magnesium?
- by IMI health
From salt, to the earth’s crust and your bones, magnesium is everywhere. Despite this, the first Hong Kong Total Diet Study has shown that two thirds of our population have suboptimal levels of this mineral. [1]
Though it’s one of the most abundant elements on our earth, we humans (in our infinite wisdom) have sought to remove it from all processed foods, like white rice, flour, bread and noodles.
You might think that perhaps this means we can go without magnesium, but you’d be wrong. Low levels of this essential mineral can cause symptoms like mood swings, stress, irritability, low mood and sleeplessness. [2, 3]
Though it’s responsible for many essential processes in your body, including 600 reactions, magnesium’s main roles are converting food into energy, the production of proteins, the production and repair of DNA and RNA, and regulation of muscle movements and your nervous system. [4, 5, 6]
One of the main reasons people notice a magnesium imbalance is due to its powerful effect on our nervous system, where obvious symptoms arise once depleted.
Magnesium: the mother of your nervous system
In our modern world, where our nervous systems are frazzled, over-stimulated by screen time, magnesium is our saviour.
Think of your nervous system as your body’s headquarters. Located in your brain, your nervous system sends and receives messages from your body, and from there, works out how to respond, guiding your thoughts, actions, words, memories and movements. Functioning under this umbrella, our nervous system affects many aspects of our health, including our feelings, sleep, stress response and digestion.
When our nervous system is starved of magnesium, we experience an array of symptoms, from restlessness, to depression. In fact, the relationship between low magnesium levels and depression, anxiety, and sleeplessness, has been well-documented.[7, 8, 9]
That’s why you can consider magnesium the mother of your nervous system. Magnesium is here to nourish your emotional wellbeing, calm physical symptoms of imbalance, and nurture you back into better health.
Nourishes mental health
As well as nourishing your nervous system, magnesium helps activate your parasympathetic nervous system (PNS), the system that helps us stay relaxed and calm- this is also the system which is activated during meditation.
When our PNS takes over, our body enters into a regenerative state in which we can heal. Studies have shown that magnesium supplementation can increase PNS and vagus nerve activity, and vagus stimulation has been used as a therapy for those with treatment-resistant depression. [10,11]
One study showed that adults supplementing with 248mg of magnesium daily for 6 weeks experienced a significant reduction in their symptoms of depression. [12]
Magnesium has also been proven to be a useful tool for treating anxiety. It helps treat anxiety by improving brain function and regulating neurotransmitters that are responsible for stress relief and mood, like GABA. [13]
Magnesium can also be beneficial for PMS, helping lift your mood. [14, 15]
It’s important to note that though magnesium can support you in combatting anxiety and depression by targeting nutritional factors, you may find it useful talking to a therapist to work through any problems you are facing. If you’d like to talk, IMI offers counselling and other mental health support.
Improves sleep
Magnesium’s ability to activate our PNS would be better described as a superpower, rather than an ability. Not only does it help nourish our mental health, it also helps you slip into a restful sleep.
Magnesium also helps produce and regulate chemicals like GABA that signal to your body that it’s time to drift off. Studies have shown that magnesium can promote a deeper, more restful sleep. [16]
Magnesium’s impact on sleep and mental health works twofold: better sleep tends to relieve anxiety and depression, and likewise, less anxiety and depression means you can sleep more peacefully.
Boosts exercise
Magnesium is crucial when it comes to exercising. Its role in energy production boosts performance while exercising, and studies show that supplementation improves your competitive potential for better training times. It also helps athletes attain a calm focus.[17]
Studies have shown that strenuous exercise can increase your magnesium requirements by 10-20%, so it’s particularly important that athletes boost their magnesium levels. Athletes who have to control their weight are also particularly vulnerable to imbalances, such as martial artists, dancers and gymnasts. [18]
Though magnesium is essential for better athletic performance, it’s also crucial after you get off the field. All muscles in your body rely on magnesium and calcium in order to contract and relax. Supplementing with magnesium helps aid recovery post-workout, as it encourages healthy muscle relaxation.
Better cardiovascular health
All muscles in your body rely on calcium and magnesium for healthy contraction and relaxation. And, like any other muscle in your body, your heart relies on them.
Magnesium may also stabilise blood pressure and sugar levels. [20, 21]
High magnesium intake can boost cardiovascular health in general, reducing your risk of chronic conditions. [22]
Additional benefits
Specific forms, namely magnesium chloride and magnesium citrate, have a natural laxative effect and can induce a bowel movement. If you’re not looking for this result, then stick to forms like magnesium malate or glycinate.
Around 60% of the magnesium found in our bodies resides in our bones. This is because magnesium is also a key mineral for healthy, strong bones. This makes magnesium imbalance particularly dangerous, as it can lead your body to dip into the reserve of magnesium found in your bones, resulting in weaker bones as you age. [27]
Magnesium is a key nutrient for bone mineralisation, aiding the absorption of nutrients like calcium for healthy bone development.
Dietary sources of magnesium
Peanut butter lovers, rejoice! In the Total Hong Kong Diet Study, the richest source of magnesium was found in peanuts, followed by peanut butter.
Other magnesium-rich foods include:
- Leafy vegetables, with spinach being the top-ranking.
- Nuts, specifically cashews, almonds and brazil nuts.
- Dark chocolate (as if we needed another reason).
- Avocados.
- Legumes, like black beans, lentils and chickpeas.
- Wholewheat carbohydrates, like brown rice, bread and pasta.
- Milk alternatives, like cashew, brown rice and almond are another simple way to boost your magnesium intake. We like adding it to a smoothie in the morning.
You can find many of these foods in our dispensary in Central.
Though you could boost your magnesium intake by making some simple changes- boosting your leafy green intake, sprinkling some grains and nuts on your salad, or making the switch to brown rice, magnesium imbalances can be difficult to alleviate through diet alone.
Dietary sources of magnesium can take a long time to raise your magnesium levels sufficiently, and who wants to deal with those symptoms for longer than necessary? Mood swings? No thank you.
But what type of magnesium is best suited for your needs?
Finding the right magnesium supplement for you.
Magnesium supplements come in a variety of shapes and sizes, and picking the right one is important- especially if you’re not looking for the laxative effect some forms of magnesium can produce!
Here’s our take on which supplements should be an at-home staple, and which ones are best left on the shelf.
Magnesium supplements for your shelves
Magnesium chloride
A well-absorbed form of magnesium, useful for resolving imbalances quickly and supporting bowel movements.
Magnesium lactate
A gentler form of magnesium that’s easy on your digestive system. This form is well-absorbed and helpful for relieving stress.
Magnesium malate
This gentle form of magnesium is also easy on your digestive system. It’s readily absorbed by your body, and doesn’t cause as much of a laxative effect as other forms. Ideal for replenishing and maintaining your magnesium levels.
Magnesium taurate
If you’re looking to boost cardiovascular health, magnesium taurate will steal your heart.
Magnesium threonate
Renowned for its ability to nourish your brain, magnesium threonate helps improve memory as you age, while reducing low mood. Gentle on your digestive system for easy absorption and less of a laxative effect.
Magnesium glycinate
A well-absorbed form of magnesium that’s also unlikely to cause a laxative effect. Magnesium glycinate (sometimes known as magnesium bisglycinate) is made by binding magnesium to glycine, an amino acid which acts as a calming neurotransmitter. This combination crowns magnesium glycinate the most therapeutic for your nervous system. If you’re looking to boost your mental health, or drift off to sleep easier, Magnesium glycinate should be your choice.
Magnesium supplements to avoid
Magnesium oxide
Though commonly used to relieve digestive issues, magnesium oxide is poorly absorbed by your gut. Magnesium chloride offers similar benefits, with a much better absorption rate.
Magnesium sulphate
Also known as Epsom salt, magnesium sulphate is a great addition to your bath post-workout, helping relieve sore, achy muscles and stress. However we would recommend you avoid supplementing with this form as it can be easy to overdose when ingested.
Magnesium citrate
A common form of magnesium, with good absorption rates, but it’s important to be aware that this form also has a natural laxative effect.
In summary…
Magnesium is a crucial mineral, one which due to food processing can be much harder to obtain than we may at first think. Our bodies and brains need sufficient levels of magnesium to function at their best.
This mineral is the mother of our nervous system, working in the background to keep our mental health stable. It can boost our competitive performance naturally, giving us a calm focus, and afterwards, it helps us relax and heal, sending us off for a sweet sleep.
Best for tests
Magnesium is a well-tolerated mineral, and supplementation does not generally cause any adverse effects. However, if you are already taking certain medications, or have specific health conditions, it’s best to consult with a practitioner before starting use.
Additionally, it’s good to confirm low levels before supplementing them. We at IMI are committed to your health journey, that’s why we offer services so that you can test your nutrient levels and clearly define any imbalances.
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