Is Magnesium really that important?
The answer is yes. It’s quite possibly one of the nutrients that we really can’t live without. It's needed for more than 300 biochemical processes that take place in our bodies, including metabolising our food, keeping energy levels strong, good transmission of nerve impulses, and maintaining a healthy heart and blood vessels. And it's important for maintaining strong bones, teeth and muscles. So a magnesium deficiency really can affect every part of you.
How do I know I have a Magnesium deficiency?
A magnesium deficiency is more common than you’d think and if you are experiencing some or all the following symptoms then it is possible that you might not be getting enough magnesium in your diet.
- Fatigue and weakness
- Sleeplessness
- Stress, anxiety and irritability
- Depression
- Loss of appetite
- Muscle cramps
Why do we need Magnesium?
1. Super Sleep and Increased Energy: It has been found that taking magnesium can help to improve the quality of your sleep. Essentially, magnesium helps to increase GABA, a neurotransmitter that helps you sleep. So making sure that you have the right levels of magnesium in your body can help to increase GABA levels and make sure that the body can relax. This can help to ensure that you get a deeper and more restorative sleep.
2. Stress, Anxiety and Mood Regulation: As well as helping sleep, well regulated levels of GABA (for which proper levels of magnesium are essential) also aid relaxation and soothe stress or anxiety. It has a great stabilising impact on mood and has been linked to relieving symptoms of mild anxiety and depression.
3. Pain Relief: Magnesium can be great for pain relief. Research indicates that ensuring you have the right levels of magnesium can help with reducing pain intensity and improving mobility for those suffering chronic lower back pain as well as fibromyalgia tender points. It is said to have anti-inflammatory properties, helping fight inflammation and reducing pain.
4. Pre-Menstrual Support: Studies indicate that magnesium can really help with alleviating PMS symptoms such as fatigue, irritability, mood swings, anxiety, bloating and tender breasts. Magnesium is also a great pain reliever and will help with cramping.
5. Migraines: Migraines can be painful and debilitating, causing nausea and vomiting. Research has shown magnesium can help alleviate migraines and headaches.
6. Strong Bone Health: Strong bone health has largely been attributed to the amount of calcium that we ingest. But did you know that magnesium is also necessary for healthy bones? It controls the amount of calcium that enters the cells and helps to activate the Vitamin D that we ingest, both of which are important for continued bone strength and health. It has been found that women with osteoporosis have significantly smaller amounts of magnesium in their bodies compared to women without osteoporosis.
7. Muscles: Magnesium helps control the levels of calcium in our cells and this is especially important in the heart. Calcium is necessary to help the muscle cells in the heart contract, which allows the heart to pump blood. Then, magnesium reverses the effects of the calcium and helps the heart muscles to relax, helping us have a regular and healthy heartbeat.
When you aren’t getting enough magnesium, the calcium build-up may start to overstimulate the heart muscles, which can cause an irregular heartbeat. Not only does proper magnesium levels help to maintain a healthy heartbeat, but studies have shown that higher levels of magnesium in your body might help to lower the risk of heart disease.
But how much magnesium do people need?
The NHS has recommended that women need at least 270mg of magnesium a day. This is a general recommendation, but it will vary in individual cases as people who are more physically active will need a higher intake of magnesium as large amounts of the mineral are lost through sweating.
How do I increase my magnesium intake ?
You can get more magnesium through your diet by eating high-magnesium food such as nuts and seeds, dark green vegetables, whole grains and even dark chocolate. Or you can top up your magnesium intake by taking a high quality, good purity supplement.
When thinking about magnesium supplements it is good to buy the best absorbed forms such as Magnesium Citrate or Magnesium Glycinate. Often less expensive supplement brands will use Magnesium Carbonate, Sulfate, Gluconate or Oxide, but these are generally poorly absorbed with as little as 4% absorption compared to the 65% of Magnesium Citrate. That's why here at The Naturality Lab we source Magnesium Citrate for our Essential Magnesium formula.
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