What is the role of magnesium and why should we make sure we get enough of it?

Author: Barča Havlová

Supplements Beginners

08.09.2023

18 minut čtení

Magnesium, or also magnesium, plays a central role in almost every bodily process, from DNA synthesis to insulin metabolism. Low levels of this crucial mineral have even been linked to the development of a whole list of chronic diseases, such as Alzheimer's, diabetes and heart disease. Fortunately, there are plenty of simple ways to meet your daily need for this mineral. In fact, magnesium can be found in many commonly available foods.

Even so, the World Health Organization has reported that less than 60 percent of adults in the United States fail to meet their required daily intake of magnesium. Crazy, right? Let's take a look together at why magnesium is actually so important and also the sources from which we can get it.

Article Content:

Theoretical window - what is magnesium anyway?
The health benefits of magnesium
Other benefits of magnesium
What is the optimal dose of magnesium?
What to take away from the article?

Theoretical window - what is magnesium?

Magnesium is an element and mineral found in nature and is one of the most essential electrolytes in the body. Magnesium is one of the key minerals when it comes to maintaining optimal health. In fact , it is involved in over 300 reactions in the body and is required for many important bodily functions, including DNA synthesis, ensuring muscle contraction, regulating blood pressure, protein synthesis, affecting insulin metabolism and nerve transmission, and last but not least, it has an effect on the reproductive system. About 99% of the total magnesium in the body is stored in the bones, muscles and soft tissues, and the remaining one percent or so circulates in the blood.

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Magnesium deficiency has been linked to a number of health negatives such as heart disease, migraines, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, attention deficit disorder and is also associated with hyperactivity.Unfortunately, it is possible to suffer from magnesium deficiency even if you eat a healthy diet as there are many factors that require its increased release, especially in athletes, so it is important to ensure that you consume enough magnesium as this mineral is really important for maintaining optimal health.

The kidneys primarily regulate magnesium levels in the body by excreting magnesium into the urine. One of the reasons why urinary excretion may be "restricted" is precisely because you have low levels of magnesium and other electrolytes in your body. Magnesium is actually the body's least abundant electrolyte, but it is still extremely important for proper metabolic function, enzyme function, energy production and much more.

Even though we need smaller amounts of magnesium compared to other nutrients, we need to regularly replenish our stores, whether through foods or supplements containing magnesium, to prevent symptoms of deficiency. This is important because the body loses magnesium stores every day to ensure normal life functions such as muscle movement, heart rhythm, hormone production and it is also needed at a higher rate in active people. Magnesium is naturally present in some foods, synthetically added to other food products and available in the form of dietary supplements.

What are the best food sources of magnesium? Green leafy vegetables, such as spinach, as well as almonds, avocados, bananas, pumpkin seeds, dark chocolate, figs, yogurt, or black beans. A good rule of thumb is that if a food contains fiber, it probably also contains magnesium. While it's a good idea to get as much of this mineral as possible from the natural sources we just listed, supplements containing magnesium can also be a very useful way to meet your needed magnesium intake. Especially so for people who are prone to deficiency, such as older adults, athletes, and anyone under a lot of stress.

Health benefits of magnesium

Magnesium helps boost performance

Magnesium is thought to affect muscle function and energy production, which can boost performance during training. During training, the body's demands on the supply of this mineral increase by 10-20%. How does magnesium actually figure in energy production?

Magnesium is used to create energy in the body by activating adenosine triphosphate (ATP). This means that without an adequate supply of magnesium, you don't have the energy you need and will tire more easily. Insufficient magnesium intake also means that you feel tired more quickly during your workout and need more oxygen. Athletes are a group that should ensure they have a higher intake of magnesium, as it is also washed out in sweat during training and a lack of magnesium can also lead to muscle cramps.

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Important for anxiety management and in the treatment of depression

Magnesium has a powerful effect on mood and can help fight depression. Even some studies confirm that magnesium deficiency is associated with a higher risk of developing depression. Fascinatingly, some research has even found that it could be as effective as antidepressants in treating depression.Magnesium is vital to the function of GABA, an inhibitory neurotransmitter that ensures the production of "happiness hormones" such as serotonin.

Some of the hormones regulated by magnesium are critical for calming the brain and promoting relaxation, which is one reason whymagnesium deficiency can lead to insomnia or sleep problems.

Magnesium, a key helper in improving sleep quality

If you suffer from insomnia and have trouble falling asleep, increasing your intake of magnesium-rich foods , or even taking a supplement containing magnesium, can be a very effective way to solve the problem. Research suggests that there may indeed be a link between magnesium and sleep, in the sense that magnesium supplementation can help reduce insomnia and trouble falling asleep.

A study from Iran showed that taking a magnesium supplement reduced incidents of insomnia, increased sleep duration, and reduced the time it took to fall asleep for most participants suffering from sleep problems.

In a 2012 study in the Journal of Research in Medical Science, researchers then concluded that magnesium supplementation is low-risk but highly effective for relieving insomnia symptoms; it improves sleep quality, increases sleep time while reducing the time it takes to fall asleep, plus it helps with morning wake-up and reduces cortisol concentrations.

It plays a very important role in vitamin D metabolism

Research also suggests that magnesium plays a very important role in vitamin D metabolism . In the body, vitamin D is very important in the absorption of calcium into the bonesand also affects the action of other important vitamins and minerals that contribute to health, including vitamin K and phosphorus.

People with vitamin D deficiency are also at significantly greater risk for heart disease, high blood pressure, depression, insomnia, chronic pain, and other negative effects, illustrating the need for a diet with adequate and proper levels of vitamin D and magnesium. We covered vitamin D recently and you can read more about its effects and needs in this article.

vitamin D

Magnesium to relieve cramps and ease muscle pain

And there's one purely athletic benefit. Magnesium plays an important role in neuromuscular signals and muscle contractions. If there is a magnesium deficiency in your body, you may suffer from muscle cramps and stiffness. Magnesium helps your muscles relax and contract and also allows you to move. In addition, magnesium balances calcium and potassium levels in the body, which is important because too high a dose of calcium, usually through supplementation, can cause muscle-related problems or even compromise heart function.

Regulating sodium, calcium and potassium levels

Along with other electrolytes, magnesium influences various biochemical reactions in the body. Magnesium plays a role in the active transport of calcium and potassium ions across cell membranes. This makes magnesium vital for nerve impulse conduction, ensuring muscle contraction and also important for normal heart rhythm. In addition, insufficient amounts of potassium or sodium in your diet can have a negative effect on athletic performance. Magnesium, in conjunction with calcium, also contributes to proper structural bone development and is essential for DNA, RNA and antioxidant glutathione synthesis.

Magnesium for a strong and healthy heart

Magnesium is very important for heart health. In fact, the highest concentration of magnesium in the entire body is in the heart, specifically in the left ventricle. Together with calcium, magnesium serves to promote optimal blood pressure levels and prevent hypertension. Without a proper balance of magnesium and other minerals such as calcium, serious heart problems can develop. In fact, a scientific article published in 2018 highlights thatmagnesium deficiency can lead to serious morbidity and mortality and is associated with a higher risk of developing cardiovascular diseases such as hypertension, cardiomyopathy, cardiac arrhythmias, atherosclerosis, dyslipidemia, and also diabetes.

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Magnesium against migraines

Migraines are a type of headache characterized by symptoms such as nausea, sensitivity to light and sound, and severe throbbing pain. Because magnesium affects the functioning of neurotransmitters and is involved in the regulation of blood circulation, it can help control the headache caused by migraines, through the release of pain-reducing hormones and by reducing vasoconstriction, or the narrowing of blood vessels that increase blood pressure, which is a consequence of headaches. Thus, by increasing your magnesium intake, you can very easily combat migraines and reduce their frequency.

Promising prevention against osteoporosis

Magnesium is needed for proper bone formation and affects the activity of osteoblasts and osteoclasts, which create healthy bone density (density). Magnesium also plays a role in balancing blood concentrations of vitamin D, which is a major regulator of bone homeostasis. According to several studies, higher magnesium intake correlates with increased bone mineral density in both men and women. Research also suggests that magnesium supplementation and adequate magnesium intake may be a good prevention against bone decalcification and osteoporosis in the female sex.

Other benefits of magnesium

Magnesium is really a very important mineral and before we listed its benefits in detail, we would be here for a really long time. So let's just highlight a few more briefly:

Magnesium can improve insulin sensitivity and metabolic control in people with type 2 diabetes
It also serves as a supportive treatment for asthma symptoms.
Helps in the treatment of pre-eclampsia and eclampsia.
Reduces inflammation.
Controls blood pressure.
Regulates the amount of nitric oxide in the body
Relieves the symptoms and pain of PMS.
Promotes growth and development in infants and children
Promotes proper function of nerves, muscles and tissues
Neutralizing stomach acids.
Helps better movement of stool as it passes through the digestive tract.

What is the optimal dose of magnesium?

Recommendations for some general optimal dose range between 300 - 400 milligrams per day. However, again this is a general recommendation, so the optimal dose for each of you will be different. If you have lower magnesium levels or suffer from severe magnesium deficiency, you will need to take a slightly higher dose. It is recommended that you start at a dose of about 200 mg and gradually increase the dose if necessary to monitor your body's response. A dose higher than 500 mg may have a negative effect on sleep.

Risk groups that may suffer from magnesium deficiency include adolescents or, conversely, older women and the elderly in general. Athletes are also a risk group, as they have a higher consumption of electrolytes during exercise, increasing their need by about another 10-20%. People with a significant caloric deficit may also be at risk, as their magnesium intake from food may not reach the required levels.

When is magnesium ideally taken to maximise its benefits? The best time of day to take magnesium for most people is just before bedtime. It is also sometimes advisable to split the dose, and take the first in the morning and the second before bedtime, which can help with absorption and prevent laxative effects. You can also supplement your magnesium dose with zinc, as these two minerals promote mutual absorption.

Which form to choose to be most effective?

Magnesium can be purchased in many forms. It can be given orally or even absorbed topically through the skin. The rate of absorption and bioavailability of magnesium supplements varies depending on the type. As far as supplements are concerned, it is best to reach for one that contains magnesium in a chelate bond. Usually, then, it is magnesium bisglycinate, which, moreover, does not so often have negative laxative side effects.

In addition, in bisglycinate we find magnesium bound to the amino acid glycine. Glycine has an interesting function in the central nervous system, where it enhances N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor-mediated neurotransmission and acts as an inhibitory neurotransmitter via the glycine receptor. This is what results in the calming and relaxing effect.

Magnesium chelate is a highly bioavailable oral form of magnesium and is very similar to the form of magnesium found in food. This form is the best for increasing blood magnesium levels, as it has a recovery rate of up to 85%. We can also find magnesium in the form of citrate, which is magnesium combined with citric acid. Magnesium citrate can have a laxative effect in some cases if taken in high doses, but is otherwise good for improving digestion and preventing constipation. Supplements containing magnesium are available in pill or powder form and you can choose from a really wide range.

Potential side effects associated with taking magnesium

Wondering if it's possible to have too much magnesium? It is, but in the case of high intake from food alone , it carries virtually no significant risks. In fact, any excess magnesium that the body cannot use is simply flushed out in the urine. However, overdose or toxicity can occur with high doses of magnesium in supplement form, but these conditions are very rare and are not a significant threat to most people.

Magnesium supplements, which include magnesium carbonate, chloride, gluconate and oxide, can cause digestive upset. Thus, one side effect of too high an intake of magnesium can be diarrhea, and less commonly abdominal pain and cramping or nausea. Usually this happens when someone exceeds a dose of 600 milligrams of magnesium, which causes the magnesium to produce osmotic activity in the intestines and colon, which can irritate the digestion and thus cause difficulties.

To prevent a negative laxative effect after ingesting magnesium, try to stick to some reasonable doses of magnesium, which is a maximum of about 300-400 milligrams. Consuming high doses can lead to side effects such as irregular heart rhythms, low blood pressure, confusion, slowed breathing, coma, and very rarely, death. Consumption of any supplement in doses that are too high can cause imbalances in other nutrient content and toxicity. This is why it is a good idea to take magnesium or other nutrients primarily from food sources, as foods naturally contain other important balancing nutrients.

What to take away from the article?

Magnesium is one of the most important minerals in the body. It is involved in over 300 biochemical functions in the body. The absence or inadequate intake of magnesium is, along with vitamin D deficiency, one of the most common nutrient deficiencies in the world. Yet there are many foods with its natural content, or you can reach for some form of supplement that are very readily available.

Adequate intake of magnesium is very important to ensure health. There are few low-level risks associated with magnesium supplementation, but if you experience symptoms such as diarrhea, nausea or cramps, it may be that the dose of magnesium you are taking is too high.