Magnesium Supplements: What you need to know

Don’t get lost in the supplement aisle.

There are over 5 types of magnesium you can supplement with. Do you know which is best for your health needs?

Magnesium is a supplement I pretty much always recommend for all of my clients. But most the of magnesium on the shelves isn’t worth purchasing to improve sleep, energy, and muscle aches.

Within this article, you’ll learn:

• Why is magnesium so important for our bodies

• Top 3 reasons to supplement with magnesium

• Magnesium-rich foods

• Recommended daily allowances for magnesium for adults, adolescents, pregnant, and breastfeeding women

• 6 types of magnesium, what they’re used for, and which ones you should take

Why is magnesium so important?

MAGNESIUM PLAYS A VITAL ROLE IN CELLULAR FUNCTION. 

It is needed for your body to complete around 300 enzyme responses!!

Furthermore, according to the Human Genome Project, more than 3,500 proteins have binding sites for magnesium, which indicates its importance for optimal health.

ENSURING YOU HAVE ADEQUATE MAGNESIUM LEVELS IS PARAMOUNT FOR HEALTHY LIVING AND FUNCTIONING..

1. Magnesium improves sleep quality

Magnesium has a relaxing effect on muscles. This is why some people take this supplement before bed; it helps to reduce tension in your muscles and prepare your body for sleep.

Furthermore, a few studies have found that magnesium helps to decrease cortisol, the “stress hormone” that can keep you up at night and cause a host of other health issues if it's out of control.

If you have trouble falling sleep at night, you can use a topical form of magnesium for best results. It will be better absorbed into your body this way. 

You can buy branded products, but if you want to save money, you can simply make your own.

It's super easy to do.

Check out my Instagram post to make your own magnesium spray and how to use it before sleep:

2. Magnesium supplements enhance performance and muscle-building

Magnesium is essential for the powerhouses of your cells, the mitochondria.

What do the mitochondria do? They produce ATP, which is the energy currency of your cells.

For high performance, you want your ATP (energy) production to be exceeding your ATP (energy) consumption.

This requires:

1. Increasing the number of mitochondria in your muscle cells or

2. Increasing the efficiency of the existing mitochondria.
   

Exercise is a great way to maximize your mitochondria!

However, if you’re not getting enough magnesium, you won’t be able to maximize these energy producers within your cells.

That's because magnesium is REQUIRED (as a co-factor) to activate the enzyme that carries out this mitochondria-increasing process.

A magnesium supplement is crucial if you're intensely active.

3. Magnesium reduces feelings of depression and anxiety

Magnesium plays a role in maintaining mental health as it has been shown to play an important role in combating inflammation within the body.

Since there is a link between magnesium, inflammation, and depression, research continues to be done on the benefits of magnesium supplementation.

One study tested the effects of magnesium supplementation on men with mild to moderate depression. It was concluded that they experienced improvements not only in their depressive symptoms but also in their anxiety symptoms. 

These effects were observed within two weeks and 61% of participants reported they would use a magnesium supplement in the future.

4. Other great things about magnesium supplementation

Magnesium has also been shown to help with:

• Vitamin D resistance (helps your body use vitamin D)

• Reducing the risk of dementia

• Individuals either with too low or too high magnesium have a 30% higher risk of developing dementia than those with normal levels.

• Reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease

• Reducing cancer risk/ supporting DNA repair (see video below)

Magnesium-rich foods

Start with incorporating more magnesium-rich foods into your diet. Magnesium-rich foods always trump supplementation. Try incorporating more of these foods into your daily diet:

• Green leafy vegetables (e.g. spinach, kale, collard greens, swiss chard, watercress, mustard greens, bok choy, romaine lettuce)

• Avocado

• Raspberries and blackberries

• Almonds, cashews, Brazil nuts

• Pumpkin seeds

• Legumes (black beans, chickpeas, and kidney beans)

• Vegetables (peas, broccoli, cabbage, green beans, artichokes, asparagus, brussels sprouts)

• Seafood (salmon, mackerel, tuna)

• Whole grains (buckwheat, oats, quinoa)

• Raw cacao (which you can make dark chocolate with)

• Tofu

Supplementing with Magnesium

Even with a diet that incorporates magnesium-rich foods, you may not be getting an adequate intake due to bioavailability or absorption issues.

You can test your magnesium levels through a blood test. Just ask your doctor. You want to check the RBC (red blood cell) magnesium over Serum Magnesium. It's a better indication of actual levels.

Recommended daily allowances for magnesium

ADULTS OVER 31: 

• 420 mg for men

• 320 mg for women

ADULTS 19-30:

• 400 mg for men

• 310 mg for women

PREGNANT: 

• 350-360 mg

BREASTFEEDING:

• 310-320 mg
  

Which type of magnesium should I take?

There are loads of magnesium supplements out there. Below you'll find what form of magnesium is best for your needs.

1. MAGNESIUM CITRATE

This is the form of magnesium found in cheaper magnesium supplements. It has a high bioavailability of magnesium (which is good), however since it "goes through you" so quickly (the laxative effect), a lot of that magnesium isn't really staying in the body.

It can be useful for bouts of constipation, but for needs such as anxiety reduction or increased energy, there are better forms - given below.

• High bioavailability;

• Creates a laxative effect

2. MAGNESIUM CHLORIDE

Typically contains only 10-15% magnesium. Magnesium chloride is recommended for detoxes.

3. MAGNESIUM SULFATE (EPSOM SALT, TOPICAL MAGNESIUM):

This form gets absorbed into the serum, but not red blood cells. It's likely good for muscle cramps and relaxation, plus it doesn't have the same laxative qualities. However, there's not enough research to determine its efficacy.

4. MAGNESIUM OXIDE

Used more for acid reflux treatment; need to take it throughout the day; has a very low bioavailability.

5. MAGNESIUM GLYCINATE (RECOMMENDED)

Magnesium glycinate is often recommended by doctors. It's a more expensive option, but it's worth the extra cost - especially if you're looking to balance mood, reduce anxiety, reduce PMS, and improve sleep. It also can help relieve pain associated with fibromyalgia.

If you're looking to improve in these areas, it is the best and safest option to aid long-term magnesium deficiency and the least likely to cause diarrhea.

6. MAGNESIUM MALATE (RECOMMENDED)

Magnesium malate is a type of magnesium that is made by combining elemental magnesium with malic acid. When you have malate, magnesium can do its job better.

It offers some distinct benefits over other forms of magnesium. It is usually cheaper than magnesium glycinate and absorbs slowly (sustained release).

There was a done in mice that found that magnesium malate was more rapidly absorbed and kept blood levels of magnesium higher for longer.

This form has a more powerful effect on the energy cycle (increased energy production) and you'll also notice an improvement in overall mood.

Like other forms of magnesium, [magnesium malate] also contributes to bone health, heart health, and nerve, and muscle function.

I use Jigsaw Health - MagSRT. This supplement has been used in a peer-reviewed, clinical trial.

More than 75% of trial participants presented with suboptimal serum and RBC magnesium status at baseline.

RBC magnesium increased 6% and 30% over 30 and 90 days, respectively, suggesting magnesium absorption and uptake into red blood cells over time.

Supplementation with MagSRT™, a timed-release dimagnesium malate supplement containing vitamins B6, B12, and folate, for at least 30 days significantly improved magnesium status symptoms and increased RBC magnesium with minimal gastrointestinal symptoms.

Extra Expert Resources

Check out this great podcast on Magnesium from Ben Greenfield with Thomas DeLauer.

RESEARCH

1. Behnood Abbasi et al. The effect of magnesium supplementation on primary insomnia in elderly: A double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial [PubMed]

2. Golf SW et al. On the significance of magnesium in extreme physical stress [PubMed]

3. Role of magnesium supplementation in the treatment of depression: A randomized clinical trial [journals.plos.org]

4. Xinhua Qu et al. Magnesium and the Risk of Cardiovascular Events: A Meta-Analysis of Prospective Cohort Studies [PubMed]