A guide to magnesium - understand its crucial role in your health!
By Jan Fredrik Poleszynski – Clinic for Integrative Medicine – Copyright 2024
Magnesium is a superhero among minerals. Essential for over three hundred biochemical and enzymatic reactions in the body. These important nutritional functions include helping with muscle and nerve function, regulating blood pressure and supporting the immune system, producing and playing a central role in maintaining overall health.
Why magnesium deficiency is common and concerning
Despite its importance, a significant number of people fail to get sufficient magnesium through their diet. This widespread deficiency can trigger a range of health problems, including:
Fatigue and general weakness: Without enough magnesium, your body cannot produce energy efficiently, leading to fatigue and weakness.
Muscle cramps and tension: Magnesium is important for muscle relaxation; deficiencies can cause cramps and muscle tension.
Headaches and migraines: Magnesium affects the release of neurotransmitters and vasoconstriction; deficiencies can trigger headaches and migraines.
Sleep difficulties: Magnesium plays a key role in calming the nervous system, which is necessary for good sleep.
Mood swings and anxiety: Adequate magnesium levels can help regulate mood disorders.
High blood pressure and cardiovascular problems: Magnesium helps dilate blood vessels, which affects blood pressure and heart health.
Bone health: Magnesium is crucial for bone formation and affects the physical structure of bones. It is magnesium that makes bone structure strong and flexible, not calcium.
Magnesium from food
Although magnesium is found in foods such as green vegetables, nuts, seeds, and legumes, the modern diet often falls short when it comes to providing enough magnesium. In addition, modern people are often exposed to a high level of stress and toxins from food, water, air, clothing, and the environment we live in, which means the body needs more magnesium than in earlier times.
Exploring common forms of magnesium supplements
Each form of magnesium provides unique benefits and can address different health needs:
Magnesium citrate
Well absorbed: Ideal for restoring depleted magnesium levels and helping with constipation.
Benefits: Supports digestion and may help manage symptoms of anxiety and migraines.
Magnesium glycinate
Gentle on the stomach: Combines magnesium with the amino acid glycine, which increases bioavailability.
Benefits: Promotes relaxation, improves sleep quality, and supports overall mental health.
Versatile use of magnesium chloride
Well absorbed and suitable for topical use.
Benefits: Increases energy, improves muscle function, and supports overall health.
Magnesium oxide
May help relieve digestive discomfort: Lower bioavailability, primarily used for digestive symptoms.
Benefits: Effective against heartburn, digestive discomfort, and constipation.
Magnesium lactate
Well absorbed and suitable for those with significant deficiencies.
Benefits: Used for medical conditions requiring high doses of magnesium.
Magnesium L-threonate
Good for brain health: Known for its ability to improve cognitive function.
Benefits: Supports brain health and may improve memory and cognitive function and counteract migraines.
Magnesium malate
Good for the muscles: Easily digested and remains in the body longer.
Benefits: Helps regulate energy levels and may relieve muscle pain.
Magnesium sulfate (Epsom salts)
Limited topical benefits: Known for bath water use; effectiveness via skin absorption may be debated.
Choosing the right magnesium for your needs
When choosing a magnesium supplement, you should consider your specific health goals - whether it is improving sleep, managing constipation, or enhancing cognitive function. Also consider the bioavailability of different forms, which affects how well your body can absorb and utilize the mineral.
Consult a healthcare provider: Especially if you have underlying health conditions or take other medications. Tests such as Spectrolabo photospectrometry provide quick feedback and status on how much magnesium is present at the cellular level in the body.
Dosage: 360-500 mg of additional magnesium is generally recommended per day, but sensitivity varies, so start low and adjust as needed. If you have magnesium deficiency, you may benefit from using a combination of three forms of magnesium after an initial build-up period. Most adults in the West are deficient in magnesium (as with iodine). A period of higher dosing may help restore the body's natural reserves. Magnesium can be toxic at doses of 5000 mg (or more) per day. So, unless you have a special health condition (kidney failure, low blood pressure, or something else that may be a contraindication), a dosage of 360–1000 mg can be used safely.
Receive all the benefits of the different forms of magnesium: How can I combine different forms and dosages? Here is an example we have used successfully in our clinic (the dosage is considered high, so it requires a good health check and a gradual build-up from lower doses that progressively reaches the high-dose intensive period).
Magnesium foundation for the whole body: ReMag (Dr. Carol Dean’s pico-sized magnesium liquid)
Benefits: Very good absorption due to extremely small particle size (ions only). Increases energy, improves muscle function, and supports general health. Suggested dosage: 1/2 teaspoon in a large glass of purified water, twice per day, with your meals. This will provide 300 mg of easily absorbed magnesium for your body.
Sleep and well-being: Magnesium glycinate
Benefits: Gentle on the stomach, easy to absorb. Promotes relaxation, improves sleep quality, and supports general mental health. Suggested dosage: One 500 mg capsule in the evening.
For the brain and nervous system: Magnesium L-threonate
Benefits: Gentle on the stomach, good absorption, crosses the blood-brain barrier. Supports brain health and may improve memory and cognitive function.
Suggested dosage: Leading brands (Life Extension and Time Health) offer 2000 mg of magnesium L-threonate in a dose of three capsules. Provides 144 mg elemental magnesium. Take one capsule/tablet in the morning, one in the middle of the day, and one in the evening to improve sleep and relaxation.
Total dose for a high-dose recovery period will provide +- 1000 mg elemental magnesium.
Listen to your body: Monitor how your body responds to different forms and adjust your intake accordingly. Always start low, introduce new forms of supplements one by one over a period of fourteen days or more if necessary.
The effect of magnesium on aging and cognitive health
Research by leading scientists highlights magnesium’s significant impact on aging, noting that marginal magnesium deficiency may reduce lifespan and accelerate age-related decline. Magnesium plays a crucial role in maintaining the neuromuscular, cardiovascular, endocrine, and immune systems, and adequate levels are even more critical as absorption declines with age.
The role of magnesium in neurodegenerative diseases
Magnesium’s potential to function as a neuroprotective agent is increasingly being recognized. It helps maintain neuronal ion homeostasis, reduces inflammation, and prevents excitotoxicity, which is crucial for combating cognitive decline and improving neurodegenerative conditions.
Conclusion
Magnesium plays a major and multifaceted role in human health, affecting everything from energy metabolism to brain function. Ensuring adequate magnesium intake, whether through diet or supplements, is important for maintaining health and vitality, especially as you age. Always consult a healthcare professional to tailor magnesium supplementation to your personal health needs, so that you achieve the best possible results for your well-being.
