What essential mineral (and electrolyte) helps you to relax, fall sleep, reduces muscle cramps and headaches, is crucial for bone health & smooth digestion, reduces risk of cardiovascular disease and other chronic diseases like type 2 diabetes, Alzheimers, and hypertension, and helps you absorb all other minerals and vitamins?
If you guessed magnesium, you would be right. 
Magnesium is one of the most abundant minerals in our body. “Found in bones, teeth, and red blood cells, magnesium serves as a building block for DNA and is an essential element required for proper functioning of the nervous, muscular, and cardiovascular systems.” Dr. Weil
As crucially important as magnesium is for our heath, it’s estimated that upwards of 50% of Americans are low or deficient. In a PubMed research article, the authors go so far as to call the current subclinical magnesium deficiency rates (and the resulting healthcare costs, increased risk for disease, and suffering) a public health crisis. Yikes. When medical professionals refer to ‘subclinical’ levels of a vitamin/mineral, they’re not talking about deficiencies that cause an acute and obvious illness, like scurvy for instance (from extremely low levels of Vitamin C), but rather a sub-optimal level of the vitamin/mineral that contributes to the risk of a number of negative outcomes and diseases.
So, why are we so deficient in such an important mineral? Well, there’s a number of issues contributing: Depleted soil that our vegetables are grown in, a highly refined and processed diet that strips our food of minerals, issues with absorption, high rates of diseases and some of the medications that go along with them, alcohol, caffeine, and chronic stress (all of which rob our body of mineral stores).
Unfortunately, it can be difficult to assess magnesium deficiency on a normal lab test, because most of the magnesium in our body is tied up in our bones and cells (and therefore doesn’t show up on a blood serum test).
However, here are some symptoms to look for that indicate low or sub-optimal magnesium levels:
- Constipation
- Anxiety
- Muscle cramps, PMS
- Trouble sleeping
- Headaches/migraines
- Brain fog
- Muscle weakness
- Irregular heartbeat
And more serious conditions, like:
- Osteoporosis
- PCOS
- High blood pressure
- Cardiovascular disease
- Type II diabetes
- Neurological disorders
HOW TO INCREASE MAGNESIUM INTAKE
The best and first way to try and increase magnesium is through diet. The great thing about food-based magnesium, is that if you eat more than your body needs, your kidneys will simply eliminate it, so there’s no upper limit for magnesium from food. Eat real, whole food, especially greens, whole grains, and nuts.
Magnesium-rich food sources include:
- Beans
- Green leafy vegetables
- Nuts
- Seaweed
- Seeds, such as pumpkin, chia, sesame, and sunflower
- Whole grains
- Avocados
- Dark Chocolate
Magnesium baths (epsom salt) can also help relieve muscle cramps, and relax the body.
But considering how many Americans aren’t even getting the RDA (Recommended Dietary Allowance) of magnesium, supplementing can be a helpful option. *A word of caution with any supplement: check with your doctor to make sure a supplement is right for you. For instance, those with kidney disease won’t be able to supplement with magnesium.
For most healthy adults with normal kidney function, supplementing is recommended, especially considering the dangers of low magnesium. While the RDA is between 300-420 mg (depending on gender and weight), that bar might be too low for some. The CRN (Council for Responsible Nutrition) raised the safe upper limit last year to 500mg for adults with normal kidney function (resulting from encouraging studies, but the CRN is funded by the supplement industry… so that should always be taken with a grain of salt). But other research articles and some doctors, like Dr. Mark Hyman, suggest a more optimal daily amount to be upwards of 400-500 mg daily. The National Headache Foundation recommends up to 600 mg daily to treat chronic migraines, and higher doses are often recommended for post-menopausal women to prevent osteoporosis, and for some chronic diseases or conditions, like insomnia.
I personally take a chelated complex of 500 mg of magnesium (along with calcium and vitamin d) daily. As someone who is very physically active, I notice I get leg cramps without it. Magnesium is an important electrolyte, and for me, a saving grace to preventing leg cramps and headaches. Again, always consult a physician about the safety of supplementation with your unique circumstances and any medications you might be taking.
Wondering which kind of magnesium supplement to take?
Here are two main ones to know about:
Magnesium Glycinate: All around help! (the one I use)
Great for:
- Anxiety
- Sleep
- Muscle cramps (& PMS)
- Headaches
- Low energy
- High Blood Pressure/ Heart health
Magnesium Citrate (use in moderation and only as-needed- it can have a laxative effect!):
Great for:
- Constipation
- Regularity
There’s also a newer form (less studied), that Dr. Mark Hyman recommends for brain support:
Magnesium L-Threonate:
Great for:
- Brain fog
- Memory issues
- Chronic mental stress
- Sleep issues
More helpful advice: Dr. Weil says to look for magnesium citrate, chelate, or glycinate (all of which make the magnesium more bio-available), and to avoid magnesium oxide, which can be irritating to the digestive tract.
Be aware that too much magnesium can result in a laxative effect and could cause low blood pressure, so don’t overdo it with supplementation!
Whether you aim to get more magnesium through food or supplementation, it can be an easy way to solve numerous health issues, and lower risk for chronic disease. Cheers to your health!
Found this blog post helpful? Please share it with others!
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5786912/
https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Magnesium-HealthProfessional/
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC6163803/
https://www.drweil.com/vitamins-supplements-herbs/supplements-remedies/magnesium-maintains-muscles/
Photo by Maddi Bazzocco on Unsplash
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