Have you ever felt a bit anxious or had trouble falling asleep?
Maybe you felt like you needed a glass of wine or two to help relax?
Magnesium may be the mineral and electrolyte you’re missing.
What is Magnesium?
Magnesium is a mineral and electrolyte that your body needs to survive. It is needed for most systems in the body including cardiovascular, respiratory, muscular, nervous and skeletal systems.
According to the National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements, 50% to 60% of the magnesium is in our bones and the rest in soft tissues. Less than 1% of the total magnesium is in the blood serum: normal serum magnesium concentrations are 0.75 to 0.95 mmol/L. A magnesium deficiency is considered to be a serum magnesium concentration of less than 0.75 mmol/L.
Most of us get enough magnesium and achieve the required serum magnesium concentration through the foods we eat, such as avocados, cashews, chickpeas, pumpkin seeds and oats.
However certain illnesses can deprive our body of electrolytes.
This can lead to many symptoms.
Symptoms of magnesium deficiency
When I had covid, I was losing copious amounts of electrolytes every day. I experienced muscle cramping in my legs and tremors in my body so severe that I couldn’t sleep. I started getting weekly magnesium injections and to my intense relief the cramps and tremors ceased.
These aren’t the only symptoms that a magnesium deficiency can cause.
Early signs of magnesium deficiency are:
- nausea
- fatigue
- weakness
- loss of appetite
More severe magnesium deficiency includes symptoms such as:
- muscle contractions
- seizures
- low serum calcium or potassium levels
Addressing magnesium deficiency early is key to preventing these symptoms.
Benefits of magnesium
When taken in the correct amounts, magnesium can have several benefits, including:
- Relaxing the muscles
- Improving sleep
- Reducing inflammation
- Improving breathing
- Stabilizing blood sugar
- Stabilizing blood pressure
- Regulating heartbeat
- Building bone, skin, muscles and tissue
- Curing migraines
- Promoting nerve function
- Assisting in energy production
As you can see magnesium has a wide range of benefits. The key is to have the right amount of magnesium and not take too much of it.
How to take magnesium
The recommended daily intake for magnesium is 310 mg for female adults and 400 mg for male adults, according to the National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements.
These recommended amounts meet the nutrient requirements for most of us. If you aren’t getting this amount through your diet, then taking magnesium supplements will likely help. And you may need more than these amounts in certain situations, for example for pregnancy or for insomnia. Speak to your doctor or naturopath for additional guidance on how much to take.
If your doctor or naturopath has approved taking magnesium supplements for insomnia, the best time to take the supplements would in the evening, an hour or so before you are ready to sleep. Talk to your doctor or naturopath about the correct dosage for you as it varies from person to person depending on your diet and lifestyle.
Magnesium works for sleep by relaxing the body and mind through stimulating the neurotransmitter GABA which blocks messages sent from nerve cells. Thus, magnesium does not knock you out like a sleeping pill would. If you can’t fall asleep after taking magnesium, don’t increase the dose of magnesium – instead speak to your doctor or naturopath as you may need a different supplement.
Magnesium toxicity
There is such thing as too much magnesium however. This is known as magnesium toxicity and can have serious effects such as changes in cardiac function, respiratory paralysis, coma and even death. It's important to take the right amount of magnesium and follow instructions on the supplement bottle.
Other vitamins
Calcium and magnesium need to be taken together in the appropriate ratio otherwise our systems would have an electrolyte imbalance. B vitamins help our bodies use magnesium. That’s where supplements come in. And specifically magnesium glycinate supplements, since it is the form of magnesium easiest to digest and absorb. It is magnesium bonded to the amino acid glycine. It doesn’t have the side effects that other forms of magnesium have.
Conclusion
You don’t want to wait until you have symptoms of magnesium deficiency to take magnesium. Because if you wait too long, extreme magnesium deficiency can lead to osteoporosis and cardiac issues. Getting a serum magnesium blood test may be a good way to start.
Author: Neena Allidina