Magnesium my faithful ally

I think that I will not exaggerate if I say that magnesium saved my life. I have been suffering chronic fatigue for many years, my sleep was really bad and I even had bad cramps in my legs, especially at night.

That time I didn´t know how amazing magnesium could be and until I have tried to supplement with it, I didn´t realize that my symptoms were due to the lack of magnesium. Well, as always, we learn the hard way.

I didn´t get the results with my supplementation right the way because I didn´t know that there is a difference between magnesium and magnesium. I found myself standing in the shop getting overwhelmed with the variety of magnesium supplements and I wasn´t sure which one to get. I have made few mistakes until I have decided to dive in a bit more and do some research about magnesium. Through that process, I realize that not all supplements are the same, not all forms of magnesium are good for you and every form of magnesium is doing different magic. You can do more harm than good with bad quality of supplements or if you choose the wrong form of magnesium for your symptom.

Magnesium is responsible for many bodily functions, in exact for around 300 of them.

Let´s just mention a few:

• Sleep

• Protein synthesis

• Cognitive function

• Stress-response

• Build RNA and synthesize DNA

• Build bones, cell membranes and chromosomes

• Convert food into fuel

• etc.

It´s also super important for the balance of your hormones as it:

• Improves thyroid function

• Helps address estrogen dominance

• Lowers blood sugar levels

• Balances adrenaline and cortisol

• Supports testosterone production

• Increases serotonin levels

• Increases the youth hormone, DHEA

The most important thing you can learn, if you want to stay in optimal health, is to listen to your body.

Your body is an amazing and very intelligent machine that is always talking to you to let you know that everything inside is ok.

The deficiency of magnesium your body transmits through the following symptoms:

• Muscle spasm and cramps

• Restless leg syndrome

• Muscle weakness

• Insomnia

• Headache/migraine

• Depression and/or anxiety

• Chronicle fatigue

• Quick exhaustion

• Arrhythmia

• High blood pressure

• Constipation

• Chocolate cravings

• etc.

Through my learning journey, I realize that not all magnesium forms are the same and there is quite a variety of them. This is what I have learned and what I would recommend.

Depression/ anxiety/ sleeping problems/ relax and overall wellbeing:

Magnesium Bisglycinate (magnesium chelate, magnesium glycinate, magnesium diglycinate)

The human body easily absorbs this type of magnesium and its bioavailability is very high. It´s a form of magnesium that everyone can benefit from and it should be taken daily. It´s also gentle on your stomach and doesn´t have the laxative effect which some form of magnesium supplements have. Glycine is a very relaxing amino acid that can help calm anxiety and promote sleep. It can also help you with PMS, cramps, pain, fibrocystic breasts and cravings. For me, this would be the first choice. Most medical specialists recommend around 600 mg daily. If you are under extreme or chronic stress, you should be taking a bit more, around 800 mg per day.

Energy/ muscle pain:

Magnesium Malate

This energy promoting magnesium is highly recommended to those who suffer from chronic fatigue syndrome or fibromyalgia. Be aware that it can disrupt your sleep for its stimulating properties so it's recommended to take it in the morning (maximum till noon). If you are a sporty person and you exercise regularly, you would benefit from this form of magnesium also because it protects your muscles from pain. If you are having suspicious of having your body exposed to heavy metals (from amalgams, bad quality of tap water, Ambiental pollution, etc.) you want to include this form of magnesium into your diet as it helps with the detoxification of heavy metals and also it stimulates the optimal functioning of your liver.

The recommended dose is 300-400 mg per day.

Memory/ cognitive decline:

Magnesium Threonate

Are you one of those ladies who have to go back a couple of time to remember why they came to the room in the first place? Don´t panic, there might be an easy fix to your forgetfulness. This form of magnesium has been scientifically shown to improve memory and prevent cognitive decline. It has been also used to help patients suffering from Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). The suggested dose is 2,000 mg per day.

Cardiovascular health and circulation:

Magnesium Taurate

This form of magnesium is bound to the amino acid, taurine. Taurine has antivasospastic, antihypertensive, platelet-stabilizing, anticonvulsant and hypoxia-protective. Helps to reduce elevated blood pressure, retards cholesterol-induced atherogenesis and prevents arrhythmias. It is considered to be a potential vascular-protective nutritional supplement and is very important in the treatment of diabetes type 2. Taurine reduces the stress hormone, cortisol, and increases the calming neurotransmitter, GABA. Try 500 mg at bedtime.

Constipation:

Magnesium citrate

Magnesium citrate is great if you suffer chronic constipation. It has a laxative effect. Its bioavailability is not very high, around 30%. I would not recommend it for daily use but only when you need to help your body to evacuate or if you are travelling and you might have, for example, a long flight that is normally responsible for having constipation like symptoms. You can start with a 300 mg dose and bring it up until you feel the laxative effect.

Muscle cramps and pain/ topical:

Magnesium Chloride

This form of magnesium is great for topical use and helps with muscle cramps and muscle pain. It has great antimicrobial properties when given topically and it also delivers magnesium directly into the bloodstream. The skin is a great way to increase magnesium levels and bypass using the gut – this is especially beneficial for people with IBS (or leaky gut) who suffer from malabsorption of nutrients.

If you’re not keen on the energizing aspect of magnesium malate for muscle pain (because you need to settle down for a good night’s sleep), use magnesium chloride instead. Magnesium chloride was also shown to be beneficial for pain of fibromyalgia patients.

You can’t overdo this form of magnesium – so apply as much as you need and wherever you need it. One teaspoon will give you 600 mg of magnesium and it needs 20 minutes to get absorbed. If you find it too tingling, you can either combine it with any carrier oil (such as castor or coconut oil) or wash it off after 20 minutes.

Relax/ sleep/ muscle pain/ topical:

Magnesium Sulfate (Sulphate)- Epsom salt

This type of magnesium has been used for bath soaks to relax and help with sleep. For some people, it might be wonderful but it might also not be suitable for you if you can’t tolerate the form of magnesium sulfates. This might happen if you suffer a double genetic mutation that does not allow your liver sulfation detoxification pathway to process sulfur efficiently. You might not know until you try it. So, if you don´t feel well and relaxed after an Epsom bath, it might be an indicator of this particular problem.

Form of magnesium not recommended:

Magnesium oxide

That´s the worst magnesium you can choose. It´s cheap form and very badly absorbed by the human body. It has very low bioavailability (around 4%). It can cause negative reactions for some people such as joint pain and GI problems. If you find this magnesium on the label of your supplement it is an indicator of bad quality and I would not recommend purchasing that brand. Generally, I DON´T RECOMMEND THIS FORM OF MAGNESIUM!

Magnesium Stearate

It´s used to coat supplements and isn’t water-soluble. It’s not going to help you restore your magnesium levels at all and if you are sensitive, you might even develop an allergy to it. IT SHOULD BE AVOIDED!

Don´t forget that supplements should be used as a support and should not replace your balanced diet.

Eat food rich in magnesium such as:

• Seeds- pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, sunflower seeds

• Nuts- almonds, cashews, hazelnuts, pecans and Brazil nuts

• Beans- kidney beans, black beans, Edamame, lime beans

• Greens- spinach, kale, and collard greens

• Cruciferous- broccoli

• Fibre-rich whole grains- Quinoa, Cereal, Oatmeal, Buckwheat and Millet

• Banana

• Salmon

• Halibut

• Avocado

• Chicken breast

• Seaweed

• Okra

Resources:

National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements. Magnesium: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals weight: 400;”>. U.S. Department of Health & Human Services website. Updated online October 11, 2019.

Hsu, Jeng M. et al. The Effect of Magnesium Depletion on Thyroid Function in Rats, The Journal of Nutrition. August, 1984.

Volpe, Stella. Magnesium and the Athlete. Current Sports Medicine Reports. July/August, 2015.

Sartori, S. B. et al. Magnesium deficiency induces anxiety and HPA axis dysregulation: modulation by therapeutic drug treatment. Neuropharmacology. January, 2012.

Cinar, V. et al. Effects of magnesium supplementation on testosterone levels of athletes and sedentary subjects at rest and after exhaustion. Biological Trace Elements Research. April, 2011.

Serefko, A. et al. Magnesium in depression. Pharmacological Reports. 2013.

Sircus, Mark, AC, OMD, DM(P). Magnesium: the Lamp of Life – Chlorophyll, DNA, DHEA, and Cholesterol. Drsircus.com. December 8, 2009.

Patel, Kamel et al. Magnesium. Examine.com. Updated November 15, 2019.

Jia, Fan et al. Taurine Is a Potent Activator of Extrasynaptic GABAA Receptors in the Thalamus. Journal of Neuroscience. January, 2008.

Wu, Y. Y. et al. Magnesium oxide and hip fracture in the elderly: a population-based retrospective cohort analysis. Osteoporosis International. January 21, 2020.