Why Magnesium
Magnesium is a vital nutrient that is often deficient in modern diets. Magnesium is needed for over 300 reactions in the body so it deeply affects our overall health when we are deficient.
Magnesium helps control hundreds of processes in our body ranging from digestion, regulating muscle and nerve function, blood sugar levels, blood pressure and the making of protein, bone, and DNA to brain health as well as playing a big role in our bodies energy production. Like mentioned, magnesium is one of the top mineral deficiencies in the world. This is part due to poor diets lacking whole foods like fermented foods, veggies, dark leafy greens and organ meats, but largely due to depleted soils and stress. Both physical and mental stress depletes nutrients as well as reducing absorption, meaning that you will need a higher intake of nutrients, especially magnesium, when exposed to stress, which we all are at some point, living in this society. Lack of sleep, the birth control pill, exposure to heavy metals and most medications also depletes magnesium levels further.
Signs of magnesium deficiencies
Tics, muscle spasms and cramps, PMS, hormonal imbalances, slow thyroid, irregular heart rhythms, fatigue and low energy, muscle weakness, difficulties sleeping, headaches and migraines, high blood pressure, asthma, changes in state of mental health such as depression, anxiety and irritability, brain fog, constipation, unstable blood sugar levels and osteoporosis (weak bones) etc.
Why is magnesium important?
Magnesium is an essential mineral and is present in every cell, in every organism. For example, ATP, the main source of energy in cells, must bind to a magnesium ion in order to be biologically active. Meaning that every cell is indirectly dependent on magnesium, to get energy to our bodies.
Over 300 enzymes require the presence of magnesium to function properly.
Magnesium is essential for building strong bones. Those enzymes that makes sure calcium gets to where it's supposed to be, and that makes the calcium biologically active? Those enzymes are dependent on magnesium to be able to do their jobs. This means that if you go around with a magnesium deficiency, your body will prioritize what's needed to survive. Building strong bones are not one of the most important things when it comes to survival, so this isn't going to be the first thing on the list when it comes to keeping you alive. Internal organs and getting energy to our cells are more important, at the expense of our bones. This makes not only calcium, but also magnesium important for building strong bones.
Essential for the production and exploitation of insulin, making it easier for you body to regulate your blood sugar if you have enough magnesium available. Magnesium also helps to break down sugars and may reduce the risk of insulin resistance, which again may reduce the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.
Important for mental health as studies indicate that magnesium deficiencies increase the chance of depression, anxiety, apathy, mental numbness and lack of emotion.
Magnesium works as a natural muscle relaxant, which is why it helps with better and deeper sleep, insomnia and restlessness. On a chemical level, magnesium helps you sleep and aids in the relaxation process by activating the parasympathetic nervous system, the system responsible for getting you calm and relaxed, which helps promote a “slow down” you need in order to sleep. Magnesium is also essential to maintain a healthy “biological clock” and sleep cycle, so getting enough of this mineral helps reduce and prevent sleep disorders. Research from 2012 found out that magnesium supplements were very effective to improve sleep efficiency, sleep time, and reduce early morning awakening, especially in older adults.
As a supplement, I recommend using magnesium glycinate or magnesium malate. Magnesium glycinate is often used because it's on of the best-absorbed form of magnesium and one of the gentlest on the stomach. It's especially used to promote relaxation or with leaky gut and other digestive issues. Magnesium glycinate is made up of magnesium and glycine, an amino acid. It's easily absorbed by your body, likely because it gets carried to your cells bound to the amino acid.
Magnesium malate offers the benefits of malic acid, which is a substance in the energy production (Krebs Cycle) making magnesium malate good with conditions such as low energy, fatigue, fibromyalgia and muscle pain. Magnesium malate is a combination of the mineral magnesium and malic acid. Together, magnesium and malic acid provide many health-related benefits. Remember that vitamin B6 is a requirement for proper magnesium absorption.
As a general statement, I think everyone should be supplementing with some sort of magnesium whether it is capsules, through magnesium baths or sprays.