Magnesium is a natural mineral that we literally can’t live without—in fact, it’s a part of more than 300 critical chemical reactions in your body.
Let’s take a closer look at a few key roles of magnesium and which form of this electrolyte you should choose.
Why does magnesium matter?
Gets you moving
Magnesium’s partnership with calcium is crucial for the function of your muscles and nerves. Calcium helps your muscles contract, and magnesium helps them relax. (1) Not only that, magnesium transports calcium to your bones, so it’s necessary to develop sufficient density. (2)
Reduces cramping
Scientific studies have confirmed that a magnesium citrate supplement helps with muscle relaxation. Researchers tested whether magnesium could help alleviate nighttime leg cramps. Participants who took a 300 mg magnesium supplement daily for 6 weeks reported having fewer nighttime leg cramps than did those who had the placebo. (3)
Balances blood
Magnesium helps regulate blood sugar, (4) and scientists have found that magnesium deficits are often associated with type 2 diabetes. (5) That’s not the only thing it does for your blood—it can lower blood levels of triglycerides and cholesterol (6) and even help regulate your blood pressure. (7, 8, 9)
Metabolizes energy
Your body uses magnesium to convert fat and carbs into energy, and magnesium helps your heart keep a normal and steady rhythm. (10)
Eases migraine
It can minimize symptoms related to women’s menstrual cycles, such as bloating and migraines. (11) What’s more, research suggests that it can be part of a successful treatment for anyone who suffers from migraines. (12)
What form of magnesium should I choose?
Because only 30% of adults are getting enough magnesium in their diet, (13) It makes sense to consider a magnesium supplement.
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Magnesium citrate is an excellent supplement choice because it is more bioavailable (more of it enters the blood) than other types of magnesium. (14)
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Magnesium oxide is an effective ingredient in over-the-counter treatments for heartburn, indigestion, or constipation.
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Magnesium sulfate, more commonly known as Epsom salt, is dissolved in bath water to relax sore muscles but won’t be absorbed into your body to increase your magnesium level. It can also be consumed as a laxative when one’s plumbing is clogged.
If you haven’t given much thought to magnesium before today, we hope it’s clear that magnesium matters for your health and you’re confident in selecting the magnesium that’s right for you.
Let’s get healthier, together,
Your friends at Santo Remedio
References
[1] Potter, J. D., Robertson, S. P., & Johnson, J. D. (1981). Magnesium and the regulation of muscle contraction. Federation proceedings, 40(12), 2653–2656. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7286246/
[2] Welch, A. A., Skinner, J., & Hickson, M. (2017). Dietary Magnesium May Be Protective for Aging of Bone and Skeletal Muscle in Middle and Younger Older Age Men and Women: Cross-Sectional Findings from the UK Biobank Cohort. Nutrients, 9(11), 1189. https://doi.org/10.3390/nu9111189
[3] Roffe, C., Sills, S., Crome, P., & Jones, P. (2002). Randomised, cross-over, placebo controlled trial of magnesium citrate in the treatment of chronic persistent leg cramps. Medical science monitor : international medical journal of experimental and clinical research, 8(5), CR326–CR330. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12011773/
[4] Mostafavi, E., Nargesi, A. A., Asbagh, F. A., Ghazizadeh, Z., Heidari, B., Mirmiranpoor, H., Esteghamati, A., Vigneron, C., & Nakhjavani, M. (2015). Abdominal obesity and gestational diabetes: the interactive role of magnesium. Magnesium research, 28(4), 116–125. https://doi.org/10.1684/mrh.2015.0392
[5] Barbagallo, M., & Dominguez, L. J. (2015). Magnesium and type 2 diabetes. World journal of diabetes, 6(10), 1152–1157. https://doi.org/10.4239/wjd.v6.i10.1152
[6] Kazim Sahin, Cemal Orhan, Osman Kucuk, Fusun Erten, Mehmet Tuzcu, Nurhan Sahin, Sara Perez Ojalvo, James Richard Komorowski. Effects of magnesium biotinate supplementation on serum insulin, glucose and lipid parameters along with liver protein levels of lipid metabolism in rats. Magnesium Research. 2021;34(1):9-19. https://doi.org/10.1684/mrh.2021.0480
[7] Zhang, X., Li, Y., Del Gobbo, L., Rosanoff, A., Wang, J., Zhang, W., Song, Y. (2016) A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Trials. Hypertension. 68:324-333. https://doi.org/10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.116.07664
[8] National Research Council (US) Committee on Diet and Health. Diet and Health: Implications for Reducing Chronic Disease Risk. Washington (DC): National Academies Press (US); 1989. 13, Minerals. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK218735/
[9] Filiz Basralı, Seher Nasırcılar Ülker, Günnur Koçer, Pınar Ülker Karadamar, Dilek Özyurt, Melike Cengiz, Ümit Kemal Şentürk. Effect of magnesium on vascular reactivity in NOS inhibition-induced hypertension. Magnesium Research. 2015;28(2):64-74. https://doi.org/10.1684/mrh.2015.0383
[10] National Institutes of Health. Magnesium Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Magnesium-HealthProfessional/#en1
[11] Diamond, M. (2015) Gender-Based Issues in Headache. Headache and Migraine Biology and Management. pp 123-133. https://doi.org/10.1016/B978-0-12-800901-7.00010-0
[12] Pringsheim, T., Davenport, W., Mackie, G., Worthington, I., Aubé, M., Christie, S. N., Gladstone, J., Becker, W. J., & Canadian Headache Society Prophylactic Guidelines Development Group (2012). Canadian Headache Society guideline for migraine prophylaxis. The Canadian journal of neurological sciences. Le journal canadien des sciences neurologiques, 39(2 Suppl 2), S1–S59. Available at https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22683887/
[13] Schwalfenberg, G. K., & Genuis, S. J. (2017). The Importance of Magnesium in Clinical Healthcare. Scientifica, 2017, 4179326. https://doi.org/10.1155/2017/4179326
[14] Walker, A. F., Marakis, G., Christie, S., & Byng, M. (2003). Mg citrate found more bioavailable than other Mg preparations in a randomised, double-blind study. Magnesium research, 16(3), 183–191. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/14596323
