A Guide to Magnesium: The Mineral That Can Do a 180 on Your Health

Magnesium is an essential nutrient required to maintain overall health. However, nearly half of Americans don’t meet daily magnesium intake recommendations.

Magnesium deficiency is associated with several diseases. It is vital to ensure your food intake boosts the magnesium levels in your body.

We’ll shed light on what foods you can eat to aid your cause, but first—

 Understand Why Magnesium Is Important

Magnesium is one of the seven essential minerals the body needs to function. It facilitates muscle and nerve functions, regulates energy production, keeps blood pressure and blood sugar in check, strengthens bones, builds essential proteins, and maintains brain and heart functions.

If you don’t get enough of it, you may experience the following:

• Abnormal heartbeat
• Fatigue
• Headaches
• Hyperexcitability
• Loss of appetite
• Nausea
• Pins and needles
• Shaking
• Spasms
• Vomiting
• Weakness

In the long term, magnesium deficiency may cause potassium and calcium levels to drop. It is also linked to various severe health conditions, including Alzheimer’s, diabetes, heart attack, osteoporosis, sleep problems, and stroke.

 What Are the Main Benefits of Magnesium?

Healthy Bones

Did you know about 60% of the body’s magnesium is stored in the bones?

A 2013 study showed the detrimental effects of magnesium deficiency on bone formation. Low magnesium also reduces active vitamin D levels. Clearly, this mineral is essential for bone health.

A three-year study found that people who consumed less magnesium had a 9.21-fold higher risk of fractures. Another study showed that increased magnesium intake could increase bone mineral density in the hip and femoral neck.

Improve Mood

Low magnesium levels are associated with depression—people with deficiencies have a 22% greater risk of it. Supplementing this mineral could improve symptoms of depression and anxiety.

Alleviate PMS Symptoms

When taken with vitamin B6, magnesium supplements can be an excellent treatment for premenstrual syndrome. According to a 2012 study, taking a 250 mg tablet daily can also reduce related depression, anxiety, and cravings.

Maintain Cardiovascular Health

Higher magnesium levels in the body can lower the risk of cardiovascular diseases. A 2018 paper showed that repleting magnesium levels after a heart attack could reduce the risk of arrhythmias and death. Furthermore, increasing magnesium intake by 100 mg/day could reduce the risk of stroke by 2%.

Magnesium supplements can also improve cardiovascular risk factors, producing favorable effects on fasting plasma glucose, high-density lipoprotein, low-density lipoproteins, triglycerides, and systolic blood pressure.

Manage Blood Sugar Levels

Higher magnesium intake can reduce the incidence of type 2 diabetes, likely because the mineral plays a role in glucose and insulin metabolism.

You can also ingest it artificially, as a 2017 systematic review showed that magnesium supplements improve insulin sensitivity.

Prevent or Relieve Migraine

A study found that 41% of patients who received magnesium therapy reported “meaningful relief” with cluster headaches. This is backed by a systematic review, which showed magnesium may be “possibly effective” for preventing migraines.

To keep migraines at bay, keep your magnesium dosage at 400 to 600 mg daily.

Supports Deep Sleep

Magnesium supplements can play a modulatory role in the GABA (γ-aminobutyric acid) system and lead to a significant increase in serum melatonin concentration. This means they send a signal initiating normal sleep onset. A 2021 analysis showed they could lower the time it takes to fall asleep by an average of 17.36 minutes.

To top it off, magnesium supplements are also associated with better sleep quality.

 Recommended Magnesium Intake

The body does not produce magnesium on its own, so it must be obtained from food sources, supplements, or tap, mineral, or bottled water—in just the right quantities.

Here are the Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) by age:

*Pregnant women should ingest more magnesium, as it helps keep unwanted disorders at bay. It also prevents low preterm weight and preeclampsia.

 What Food Is Highest in Magnesium?

Are you looking to up your magnesium intake?

Here’s a list of magnesium foods you should be eating:

• Swiss chard, cooked: 31% of the daily value (DV) per cup (150 mg)
• Dark chocolate (70% to 85% cacao solids): 31% of the DV per 2 ounces (129 mg)
• Chia seeds: 24% of the DV per ounce (95 mg)
• Almonds: 20% of DV per ounce (80 mg)
• Spinach: 20% of the DV per 1/2 cup (78 mg)
• Cashews: 19% of the DV per ounce (74 mg)
• Pumpkin seeds: 19% of the DV per ounce (74.3 mg)
• Oil-roasted peanuts: 16% of the DV per 1/4 cup (63 mg)
• Black beans, cooked: 16% of the DV per 1/2 cup (60 mg)
• Soy milk: 15% of the DV per cup (61 mg)
• Edamame beans, cooked: 13% of the DV per 1/2 cup (50 mg)
• Peanut butter: 12% of the DV per 2 tablespoons (49 mg)
• Whole wheat bread: 12% of the DV per 2 slices (46 mg)
• Avocado: 11% of the DV per cup (44 mg)
• Brown rice, cooked: 11% of the DV per 1/2 cup (42 mg)
• Low-fat yogurt (8 oz): 11% of the DV per 8 ounces (42 mg)

Don’t worry if you take in more magnesium than required. Toxicity is practically impossible from food sources alone; your kidneys will process and eliminate the excess in urine.

Supplements to Supplement

Your body needs the daily recommended intake of magnesium to thrive. If you can’t get it from food, supplements are safe and convenient alternatives.

Wondering what form of magnesium is best for health?

Magnesium citrate and magnesium acetyl taurate and malate have the highest bioavailability, so they are excellent additions to your diet.

However, care must be taken to meet the recommended dosage. Too much magnesium could cause diarrhea, nausea, and cramping. It may also lead to trouble breathing, irregular heartbeat, or cardiac arrest in worst-case scenarios.

Word to the Wise

Magnesium supplements can interact negatively with some medications, such as:

• Antibiotics: Magnesium supplements may reduce the absorption of quinolone, tetracycline, and nitrofurantoin antibiotics.
• Blood pressure medications: Mg supplements could reduce blood pressure by as much as 6/2.8 mm Hg, which can be problematic for hypotensive people.
• Diabetes medications: Mg supplements may interact with medications like glibenclamide and glimepiride, affecting blood sugar control.
• Diuretics: Loop (such as furosemide) and thiazide can increase magnesium excretion, increasing the risk of deficiency.

Take Home Message

Magnesium is involved in more than 300 enzyme systems, making it an essential macronutrient for maintaining overall health.

So switch up your food intake or explore the vast world of mineral supplements. Consult your doctor before making significant changes to your diet to ensure you get all the nutrients you need.

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