Magnesium For Relaxation And Health
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Magnesium For Relaxation And Health
Often referred to as the “miracle mineral”, magnesium may be one of the best supplements you can take to improve your health. Supplementing with magnesium can help improve your energy levels, mood, and even digestion. Magnesium is the second most abundant mineral in the body, but many people are deficient in magnesium. It’s critical for protein synthesis, energy metabolism, and is involved in over 300 enzymatic reactions in the body.
Signs of Magnesium Deficiency
More than half of Americans don’t get enough magnesium in their diets, and when you are magnesium deficient you can have many different symptoms. Fortunately, supplementing with magnesium can help reverse most symptoms pretty quickly. What are some of the signs and symptoms of a magnesium deficiency?
- Anxiety, depression, and other mental health disorders
- Headaches and migraines
- Weakness and fatigue
- Lack of concentration and focus
- Irritability
- Insomnia
- Numbness and tingling
- Muscle cramps
- Restless legs
- Menstrual cramps
- Constipation
There are many health conditions that have also been linked to a magnesium deficiency, including the following:
- ADHD
- Asthma
- Osteoporosis
- Hypertension
- Kidney stones
- Seizures
- Type 2 Diabetes
- Metabolic syndrome
- Atherosclerosis
- Sudden cardiac death
- Fibromyalgia
- Tinnitus
- Preeclampsia
- PMS
- Obesity
What Causes Magnesium Deficiency?
There are multiple reasons why people are deficient in magnesium, and we’re going to go over the most common causes. First of all, most people are not consuming enough foods that contain magnesium. These foods include nuts, pumpkin seeds, and avocado. Most multivitamins don’t have adequate magnesium in them, so even if you’re taking a multivitamin you’re probably still not getting enough. Magnesium is depleted with stress and sweating, so if you’re under a large amount of stress you’re burning through magnesium.
Another reason that people are deficient in magnesium is because of leaky gut, gluten sensitivity, IBS, and Celiac Disease, where people aren’t digesting foods properly. When you’re taking medications like birth control pills, PPI drugs like Prilosec and Nexium, certain antibiotics, and diuretics, these can all cause a magnesium deficiency. Lastly, taking a calcium supplement can lead to a magnesium deficiency.
How Do You Get Enough Magnesium?
People taking calcium for bone health can develop aches and pains in addition to many of the above listed symptoms. Calcium helps with muscle contraction while magnesium is critical for muscle relaxation. It’s important to maintain a good calcium-magnesium balance by not taking too much calcium. The recommended daily amount of magnesium is approximately 400mg, but there are some cases where people require 1000 mg per day or more.
What do I do if I’m Magnesium Deficient?
How can you tell if you’re low in magnesium? In addition to a thorough health history, we often order a lab test called Red Blood Cell Magnesium that can evaluate your magnesium status. The easiest and most effective solution to replenish your magnesium levels is to take a high-quality magnesium supplement. My favorite form of magnesium is Magnesium Malate, which is highly absorbable, and is especially helpful for fatigue and muscle tension. If someone is struggling with constipation, then I usually recommend Magnesium Citrate as it not only has good absorption, it also has a laxative effect. Even though it is cheap, I avoid magnesium oxide because it has an absorption rate of only around 4%.
Evaluate Your Magnesium Levels
Magnesium is an important relaxation mineral that can help improve your life, energy, and health. If you have any questions, or if you or a family member has any of the above symptoms and would like to have your magnesium level checked, email us at info@nmcwellness.com or call us at 561-627-5800. We are happy to help!