Supplement Savvy: Magnesium

I wanted to start my Supplement Savvy Series with Magnesium Supplements. I feel like Magnesium is a supplement that many people are familiar with, but because there are so many different types and formulations of magnesium with a lot of different names, picking the right one can be confusing, even overwhelming. 

So, what is Magnesium?  Magnesium is a mineral that is involved with hundreds (300+) of bodily functions, including muscle activity, bone health, nerve transmission, energy production and blood sugar regulation. It is the fourth most abundant mineral in your body and many processes in your body just don’t work right when you don’t have enough magnesium.

Why are people deficient in magnesium? There are foods that contain magnesium, but it is sometimes hard to get the right amount through your diet.  Some of the foods that contain magnesium include:

Leafy green vegetables such as spinach, Swiss chard and collard greens contain magnesium.

Nuts and seeds such as Brazil Nuts, almonds, pumpkin seeds and chia seeds are rich in magnesium.

Legumes including beans, peas, lentils, soybeans and chickpeas are sources of dietary magnesium. Black beans can supply up to 14% of your daily requirements for magnesium per ½ cup.

There are several other good dietary sources of magnesium including salmon, bananas, whole grains and peanut butter. Despite this, it is estimated that up to 50% of US adults have a diet that is deficient in magnesium. Other factors besides diet contribute to magnesium deficiency as well.

Some of these factors include:

• Medications like proton pump inhibitors. These are commonly used medications such as Omeprazole, Nexium or Prevacid that people take for heartburn, indigestion or gastric reflux. In addition, people with other gut issues such as Chron’s or Celiac disease may be magnesium deficient.

• Alcohol consumption- people who have consumed alcohol for a long time can be deficient in magnesium.

• Other medications such as those used for hypertension or diabetes can cause patients to be magnesium deficient.

• Excess stress and even caffeine can help delete your body of magnesium.

What are symptoms of magnesium deficiency?  When you don’t get enough magnesium, over time you can end up with a magnesium deficiency. Some of the symptoms of magnesium deficiency are fatigue, weakness, nausea, lack of appetite, low energy, vomiting, tingling, muscle cramps or just feeling bad in general.

What can replacing magnesium do for you?  Replacing magnesium when you are not getting enough with diet can help with several things including:

• Inflammation-people who get less than the recommended amount of magnesium can have high levels of inflammatory markers. 

• Anxiety and depression- there is evidence that magnesium can help you handle stress and anxiety better. If you don’t have enough magnesium, stress can be worse, and then inversely, stress can also drop your levels of magnesium

• Muscle cramps and pain-magnesium is an essential element for proper muscle function, regulating muscle contraction and relaxation, and there are studies showing that people who take a magnesium supplement have a significant reduction in nighttime leg cramps.

• Sleep- magnesium may help people sleep by regulating a chemical in your brain called GABA, which is crucial for sleep.

• Migraines-some researchers have evidence that a magnesium deficiency can play a role in migraine attacks

• Weight loss- there is some indication that magnesium may help lower body mass index, especially in people with magnesium deficiency and obesity. 

How much magnesium do we need?  Most adult females need around 300-360 mg of magnesium daily from all sources, depending on age and whether you are pregnant or breastfeeding, and around 48-50% of Americans of all ages are magnesium deficient (“12 Magnesium Benefits and Potential Side Effects, Explained by Registered Dieticians”, Korin Miller, Online 2024).

Now that we know how important it is to have the right amount of magnesium, there are several other factors to consider before taking a magnesium supplement. First of all, always consult with your own health care provider before taking any over the counter medication or supplement. This is important for many reasons, one of which is that magnesium can interact with other medications such as bisphosphonates (bone density medicines), antibiotics, diuretics and proton pump inhibitors (gastric reflux medicines).

• Magnesium is available in a variety of forms, which can be downright confusing. A few you might see  are magnesium citrate, magnesium glyconate, magnesium L-Threonate.  It comes in liquids, powders, pills etc. So how do you know what to choose?  It turns out it depends on several factors including price, symptoms and preference.  The variation on names refers to specific salts formed when magnesium is combined with other substances. These partner substances may affect the absorption or effect that the magnesium supplement has on your system.  

• Magnesium citrate is commonly used to treat constipation so if you have that issue, you might choose this formulation, but if not, you may want to avoid those gastrointestinal side effects (possible diarrhea, nausea and cramping). 

• Magnesium oxide is cheaper but not absorbed as well.  

• Magnesium glyconate and Magnesium L-Threonate are highly absorbable forms of magnesium.  Magnesium L-Threonate has been shown to be very beneficial for brain health, magnesium glyconate is an excellent overall magnesium supplement. 

 Once you have decided on the type of magnesium supplement you need, always check with your provider. Magnesium is considered generally safe but does have side effects, drug interactions and contraindications in some people.  Choose a supplement from a reputable company that does third party testing and is transparent with its quality control. Cymbiotika is my favorite source for magnesium supplements right now. They have a liposomal delivery system that is easier on your gut, and they have a new magnesium complex that blends three different forms of magnesium: magnesium taurate, magnesium biglycinate and magnesium glycerophosphate.  These are highly absorbable, easy on the gut and work on heart health, brain function, muscle relaxation and occasional stress.  Cymbiotika has a very comprehensive website and has a lot of good information on magnesium and other supplements.  If you would like to check them out here is the link:

    https://cymbiotika.com/PAMELASLOOP