There has been considerable hype around magnesium lately, with countless influencers extolling its benefits. But as with any wellbeing bandwagon, it’s worth researching before jumping aboard. In this article, we take a detailed look at what magnesium really is, why the body needs it, and when a supplement can actually help.
What Is Magnesium And What Does It Do In The Body?
Magnesium is a mineral that assists with more than 300 different processes within the body. It’s vital for muscular and nerve function, to build muscle and bone, to maintain healthy blood pressure and blood sugar levels, and even to produce energy from food.
Magnesium exists in our bodies naturally – an adult body generally contains about 25 grams at any given time, with 50-60% stored in bones and the remainder in soft tissues. Levels of magnesium are controlled by the kidneys, with excess amounts being excreted in the urine. When we don’t have enough magnesium in our bodies, it can increase the likelihood of various health problems occurring over time, such as cardiovascular disease, osteoporosis and migraines. For this reason, it’s important to make sure we don’t become magnesium deficient.
How Much Magnesium Does A Person Need?
Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) of magnesium vary between males and females, and according to age – but generally for an adult, it’s between 320mg and 420mg.
Who’s At Risk Of Magnesium Deficiency?
There are a few factors that can put someone at higher risk of developing magnesium deficiency. They include:
- Poor diet. A healthy, balanced diet will generally contain plenty of magnesium-rich foods, such as leafy greens, legumes, wholegrains, nuts and seeds. If you don’t eat enough of these types of foods, you could become deficient. This is a risk particularly amongst older people, who are at higher risk of malnutrition in general.
- Digestive issues. If you have a condition like Crohn’s disease or Celiac disease (gluten intolerance), you may experience chronic diarrhea, which in turn can inhibit your ability to absorb magnesium from the food you eat.
- Type 2 diabetes. It’s believed that insulin resistance can lead to people losing excessive magnesium through their urine, lowering the overall levels.
- Alcohol dependency. In many cases, this goes hand-in-hand with poor dietary intake, inadequate nutrition and gastro problems, which can lead to low magnesium. At the more severe end of the scale, pancreatitis and renal dysfunction also lead to loss of magnesium.
- Some medications. If you use diuretics (medication to help you urinate) over long periods, this can also lead to low magnesium.
There are also a few physical symptoms that can indicate you may be magnesium deficient. These include:
- Muscle spasms, cramps, tremors or convulsions
- Muscle weakness
- Numbness
- Abnormal eye movements
- Fatigue
- Loss of appetite
When Can A Magnesium Supplement Help?
A supplement is necessary when you’re magnesium deficient and are having trouble absorbing enough from your diet alone. To find out if you fall into this category, you’ll first need to ask your GP to have your magnesium levels tested (this is usually done via a simple blood test).
If you’re exercising intensively you may also benefit from a magnesium supplement, as studies suggest this may aid muscle recovery and may even help with exercise performance in older adults (although more research is needed to prove this conclusively).
Due to the important role magnesium plays in brain function, magnesium supplements may also help reduce stress and susceptibility to depression and anxiety. Again, the research is preliminary, but the results have been promising so far.
Low magnesium is also linked to inflammation – and research has shown that supplements may help combat this by reducing markers C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6 (IL-6). Research is also exploring several other ways that magnesium supplements may promote wellbeing, from supporting better sleep to preventing migraine attacks and reducing PMS symptoms.
Wondering if a magnesium supplement is worth a try? Before splashing out, remember to consult your doctor to understand exactly what’s going on inside your body – and to ensure that magnesium supplements won’t interact with any other medications you’re taking. And don’t forget that, apart from just delivering your required magnesium fix, a healthy diet is good for you in many different ways… so lean into those leafy veggies and pumpkin seeds!
