First up you should know that while everyone seems to know that vitamins are important and often pop a “one a day” to cover their bases, nobody talks about minerals as a whole. That’s a huge issue because one, vitamins NEED minerals in order to really work. They are referred to as co-factors, and each of them works together to help assimilate and utilize each other. If your multivitamin doesn’t have minerals and antioxidants, throw it away. But back to magnesium, the superhero. Every cell in your body contains it and needs it to function, so it’s kind of a big deal.
One of magnesium’s main roles is acting as a cofactor or helper molecule in the biochemical reactions continuously performed by enzymes.
In fact, it’s involved in more than 600 reactions in your body, including
Energy production: Assists in converting food into energy.
Muscle movements: Critical for the proper contraction and relaxation of muscles.
Nervous system messaging: Aids to balance neurotransmitters, which send messages throughout your brain and nervous system.
Gene renewal: Helps repair and create new DNA and RNA.
Protein formation: Breaks down protein into usable amino acids.
So as you can see, magnesium (Mg) is pretty dang important for the human body! However, since I’m betting you’re not here for a lecture on hard molecular science and lab language, let’s make it simple and talk about the real-life impacts getting enough magnesium can have!
Blood Pressure Regulation: Magnesium has been shown to play a key role in regulating high blood pressure naturally. The potent mineral helps dilate blood vessels, prevent spasms in your heart muscle and blood vessel walls, and dissolve blood clots.
Fetal development: When you're pregnant, magnesium helps build and repair your body's tissues. A severe deficiency during pregnancy may lead to preeclampsia, poor fetal growth, and even infant mortality.
Premenstrual syndrome (PMS): A double-blinded placebo-controlled clinical trial suggests magnesium can significantly improve PMS symptoms, including mood changes. Interestingly, magnesium has also been shown to reduce water retention and other symptoms in women with PMS.
Mood and brain function: Magnesium plays a critical role in brain function and mood, and low levels are linked to an increased risk of depression.
Anxiety: Due to its unique role in brain function, inflammation, and muscle contractions, magnesium has been reported to have wonderful effects on anxiety. The results apply to both acute and chronic anxiety
Inflammation: Low magnesium intake is linked to chronic inflammation, which is one of the drivers of aging, obesity, and chronic disease.
Food cravings: Food cravings are nearly always the BODY’S cry for something it needs, not a mental defect or emotional impulse. When your body has the minerals it needs, cravings practically vanish.
Those are just a few of the things magnesium can help with, and I could write a book about all the others.
Unfortunately, studies suggest that up to 80% of people in the US and Europe get less than the recommended daily amount of magnesium. Given the RDA is already too low, and doesn’t account for the rapid DEPLETION our modern lives have, my professional opinion is we are ALL in need of this and other vital minerals. Since we can’t get it from food, no matter how well we eat, supplements are your friend here.
Not all supplements are created equal, so you really have to do some due diligence to make sure the company is dedicated to providing safe, pure, and potent products that actually work and don’t cause you harm. Cheap supplements have been proven to have high levels of heavy metals and other toxins, and low levels of the actual vitamins/minerals they claim to on the label. The lack of safety and integrity in the supplement world was in part why I expanded into this field.
Lastly, there are many forms of magnesium, but the most bioavailable (meaning the one your body can use easiest) is magnesium glycinate. It’s best to start small and gradually increase as you never want to bombard your body with too much of something new. Epsom salt baths or foot soaks are another great way to get magnesium. However, these can be draining for some people if they aren’t able to absorb the magnesium or are deficient in other minerals needed to detox.
Magnesium is a game-changer. Incorporating it into your routine can change your life. Just give it time, and watch your health, mood, and energy all improve!
