Magnesium
Involved in hundreds of biochemical reactions in your body
Magnesium is found throughout your body. Every cell in your body contains this mineral and needs it to function. About 60% of the
Magnesium in your body occurs in bone, while the rest is in
Muscles, soft tissues, and fluids, including blood . One of its main roles is to act as a cofactor � a helper molecule � in the biochemical reactions continuously performed by
Enzymes. It�s involved in more than 600 reactions in your body, including :
Energy creation: converting food into energy
protein formation: creating new
proteins from amino
Acids
Gene maintenance: helping create and repair DNA and RNA
Muscle movements: aiding in
Muscle contraction and
Relaxation
Nervous system regulation: regulating neurotransmitters, which send messages throughout your brain and
Nervous system
Nonetheless, studies suggest that approximately 50% of U.S. adults get less than the recommended daily amount of
Magnesium.
May boost exercise performance
Magnesium helps move
Blood Sugar into your
Muscles and dispose of lactate, which can build up during exercise and cause
fatigue. Studies show
Magnesium supplements may be particularly beneficial for improving exercise performance in older adults and those with a deficiency in this nutrient.
May combat
Depression
Magnesium plays a critical role in brain function and mood; low levels are linked to an increased risk of
Depression. A 2020 review suggested that
Stress may deplete
Magnesium, increasing susceptibility to
Stress and
Depression. What�s more, supplementing with this mineral may help reduce symptoms of
Depression.
May support healthy
Blood Sugar levels
Studies suggest that about 48% of people with type 2
Diabetes have low blood levels of
Magnesium, which may impair the body�s ability to regulate
Blood Sugar levels effectively. Additionally, research indicates that people who consume more
Magnesium have a lower risk of type 2
Diabetes. According to one review,
Magnesium supplements help enhance insulin sensitivity, a key factor in
Blood Sugar control.
May promote
Heart health
Magnesium plays an important role in keeping your
Heart healthy and strong. A 2021 review shows that
Magnesium supplements can help lower high
Blood Pressure levels, which may be a risk factor for
Heart disease. Another review linked high
Magnesium intake to a lower risk of
Heart disease,
Stroke, and high
Blood Pressure. What�s more, one review found that
Magnesium supplements improved multiple risk factors for
Heart disease, including triglyceride, LDL (bad)
Cholesterol, HDL (good)
Cholesterol, and systolic
Blood Pressure levels, especially in people with a
Magnesium deficiency.
Boasts
Anti-inflammatory benefits
Low
Magnesium intake is linked to increased levels of
Inflammation, which plays a crucial role in aging and chronic disease. One review of 11 studies concluded that
Magnesium supplements decreased levels of C-reactive
protein (CRP), a marker of
Inflammation, in people with chronic
Inflammation.
May help prevent
Migraine attacks
Migraine Headaches can be
Painful and often cause
Nausea,
Vomiting, and sensitivity to light and noise. Some researchers believe that people with
Migraine are more likely than others to have a
Magnesium deficiency.
May improve
PMS symptoms
Pre
Menstrual syndrome (
PMS) is one of the most common conditions in female-bodied people of childbearing age. It often causes symptoms such as water retention, abdominal
Cramps, tiredness, and irritability. Some research suggests that
Magnesium supplements help relieve
PMS symptoms and other conditions such as
Menstrual Cramps and
Migraine attacks. This may be because
Magnesium levels fluctuate throughout the
Menstrual cycle, worsening
PMS symptoms in those with a deficiency. As such, supplements may help reduce the severity of symptoms, including
Menstrual Migraine attacks.
May promote bone health
Magnesium is crucial for maintaining bone health and protecting against bone loss. In fact, 50�60% of your body�s
Magnesium is found in your
Bones. Some studies associate lower levels of this mineral with a higher risk of
Osteoporosis, which causes
Bones to become brittle and weak. A 3-year study in 358 people undergoing hemodialysis � a treatment to help remove waste and water from the blood � showed that those who consumed the least
Magnesium experienced three times more fractures than those with the highest intake. Moreover, one recent review of 12 studies linked high
Magnesium intake to increased bone mineral density in the hip and femoral neck, both areas susceptible to fracture.
May support better
Sleep
Magnesium supplements are often used as a natural remedy for
Sleep issues such as
Insomnia. This is because
Magnesium regulates several neurotransmitters involved in
Sleep, such as gamma aminobutyric
Acid. One review of older adults with
Insomnia found that
Magnesium supplements lowered the amount of time it took people to fall a
Sleep by an average of 17 minutes. Another study in nearly 4,000 adults linked increased intake of this mineral to improved
Sleep quality and duration.
May help reduce
Anxiety symptoms
Some research suggests that
Magnesium helps treat and prevent
Anxiety. For example, one study of 3,172 Iranian adults associated increased
Magnesium intake with a lower risk of
Depression and
Anxiety. Similarly, a small 6-week study found that taking 248 mg of
Magnesium daily significantly reduced
Anxiety symptoms. Other research suggests that
Magnesium deficiency may increase your body�s susceptibility to
Stress, which may amplify symptoms of
Anxiety.
Safe and widely available.
Magnesium is essential for many aspects of health. The recommended daily intake is 400�420 mg for males and 310�320 mg for females. You can get this mineral from both food and supplements.
Food sources
The following foods are rich in
Magnesium:
� Pumpkin seeds: 37% of the DV per ounce (28 grams)
� Chia seeds: 26% of the DV per ounce (28 grams)
� Spinach, boiled: 19% of the DV per 1/2 cup (90 grams)
� Almonds: 19% of the DV per ounce (28 grams)
� Cashews: 18% of the DV per ounce (28 grams)
� Black beans, cooked: 14% of the DV per 1/2 cup (86 grams)
� Edamame, cooked: 12% of the DV per 1/2 cup (78 grams)
� Peanut butter: 12% of the DV per 2 tablespoons (32 grams)
� Brown rice, cooked: 10% of the DV per 1/2 cup (100 grams)
� Salmon, cooked: 6% of the DV per 3 ounces (85 grams)
� Halibut, cooked: 6% of the DV per 3 ounces (85 grams)
� Avocado: 5% of the DV per 1/2 cup (75 grams)