Magnesium 101: A Beginner’s Guide to Magnesium Supplements

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By Michael DonaldsonJul 31, 20240 comments

1. What is magnesium?

Magnesium (Mg), also known as magnesia, magnesium oxide or simply "mag," is a chemical element with the symbol Mg in the periodic table. It's one of the most abundant elements on Earth and it occurs naturally in many minerals such as dolomite, talc, limestone, magnesite, olivine, serpentine, and others

2. What are the benefits of taking magnesium?

Almost every system in the body benefits from magnesium. Here is a short list of benefits:

Cardiovascular System -

Magnesium helps keep your blood pressure normal, and maintains a healthy heart rhythm so you can avoid hypertension and arrhythmias.

Musculoskeletal System –

Magnesium supports muscle function, especially relaxation after exercise or hard work. It also plays a role in bone health by aiding calcium absorption and maintaining strong bones.

Nervous System –

Magnesium is essential for nerve conduction, neurotransmitter synthesis, and mood regulation. Magnesium may have potential for helping with anxiety, dealing with stress, overcoming depressive thoughts and even banishing migraines. This may be part of the reason that magnesium helps people fall asleep faster and get deeper sleep.

Digestive System –

Magnesium aids in digestion by promoting enzyme activity and nutrient absorption. It also helps prevent constipation and supports a healthy gut microbiome.

Immune System –

Magnesium helps reduce inflammation and supports white blood cell production.

Respiratory System –

Magnesium can help alleviate respiratory conditions such as asthma by relaxing airway muscles and reducing bronchospasms.

Reproductive System –

Magnesium is involved in hormone regulation, particularly estrogen metabolism. It may also have benefits for fertility.

Endocrine System –

Magnesium has a role in regulating various hormones, including insulin, cortisol, and melatonin. Magnesium can help keep blood sugar levels in the normal range and help prevent insulin resistance. By promoting melatonin and relaxation, magnesium has helped many people fall asleep faster and get deeper sleep.

Energy Production –

Magnesium is directly involved in the enzymes which produce ATP in your cells. This aids you in having great mitochondrial function and abundant energy. It is involved in over 600 enzymatic reactions within our bodies.

Skin Health –

Magnesium helps maintain healthy skin, hair, and nails. It helps prevent dryness, promotes cell regeneration, and protects against oxidative stress.

3. How much magnesium should I take per day?

The recommended daily intake of magnesium varies depending on age, gender, pregnancy status or other health conditions you may have such as kidney disease which requires lower amounts than someone without any underlying medical issues would need to consume in order to stay healthy and avoid deficiency symptoms like muscle cramps.

For example: Adults 19-30 years old should aim for 310 mg per day; women over 30 require 320 mg daily while men of the same age group need 420 mg each day (according to the National Institutes of Health). Pregnant or breastfeeding mothers may want to take up to 350 mg/day depending on their individual needs.

4. What are the signs that I am not getting enough magnesium?

Magnesium deficiency symptoms can include muscle cramps and spasms, insomnia, fatigue/weakness, anxiety attacks, irritability or mood swings, headaches, depression, heart palpitations, high blood pressure (hypertension), diabetes mellitus type 2, osteoporosis, asthma, and chronic constipation.

5. What is the tolerable upper limit (UL) for intakes of magnesium?

There is no upper limit for getting magnesium from foods and water. The UL set by the Food and Nutrition Board (FNB) (who do the science on DRIs and nutrient intake requirements) have ruled that the UL is 350 mg/day. And what was the important endpoint that they measured? Diarrhea. That is it, based on results from several studies, too.

And we call this “science”. Maybe if there is a way to separate the dose by time or to have slow-release applications then people can easily consume more than 350 mg of magnesium per day. In other words, the UL has nothing to do with toxicity of too much magnesium, or extremely high serum levels of magnesium, or risk of serious side effects. It was just simple diarrhea, or maybe even loose bowels.

So, we can pretty much ignore the “science” on this one. It is quite likely that your body requires more magnesium than the 300 or 400 mg that the FNB says you need. Taking 200 to 250 mg at a time 12 hours apart will work for many people.

6. Which foods are rich sources of magnesium?

Magnesium is found in many different types of food:

leafy green vegetables such as spinach, kale and collard greens
nuts like almonds, walnuts, or cashews
seeds such as pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, flax seeds, chia seeds
legumes like lentils, pinto beans, black beans
whole grains such as brown rice, quinoa, and oatmeal
dark chocolate (70-85% cacao)
Blackstrap (old-fashioned) molasses (100 mg, 200 mg Ca, 0.7 mg iron per 1 Tbsp, 21 g)

You may not eat lots of these food items, yet, but you may want to because these are some of the healthiest foods on the planet for many reasons.

7. Are there any side effects associated with taking too much magnesium?

Yes, the first side effect is diarrhea or loose stool. Not taking as much magnesium at one time can fix this. But serious side effects are very rare and usually only occur when someone takes an extremely high dose of supplements containing over 500 mg per day for several weeks at a time. For a larger person it is likely that they need a larger amount of magnesium as well, so the 500 mg amount applies to smaller people, not to people who weigh over 250 pounds. Serious symptoms include diarrhea, nausea or vomiting, abdominal cramps, weakness/fatigue, and muscle twitching or spasms.

8. Can you recommend a good magnesium for me to try out?

There are many different formulas of magnesium available on the market today:

Magnesium oxide (cheapest, least absorbable form)
Magnesium citrate (great for constipation)
Magnesium malate (great for fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue syndrome)
Magnesium glycinate (very well absorbed and great for relaxation and sleep)
Magnesium L-threonate (great for brain health)
Magnesium chloride (in liquid form as a trace minerals electrolyte) and others.

You may want to pick one based on what you are trying to achieve. Do you want less pain? Try magnesium malate. Want to sleep better? Try magnesium glycinate. Do you have lots of issues? Magnesium glycinate is one of the best absorbed forms and a good all-around choice.

9. Is there anything else that can help improve my overall health and well-being?

Yes! In addition to eating more magnesium rich foods or taking supplements containing it, you should also make sure your diet includes plenty of potassium (which helps balance out sodium levels in the body) as well as vitamin C which is necessary for strong bones, a healthy immune system, glowing skin, and overall great health. The best way to do this is to load up on fruits and vegetables every day. We have a plan for that, called the Hallelujah Diet, filled with fruits, vegetables, nuts and seeds, and other vegetarian foods that fill you, satisfy you, and energize you for all that you need to do.