Magnesium may help to prevent period pain Taken daily, magnesium may prevent dysmenorrhea (menstrual cramps) in some people (1). It works by relaxing the smooth muscle of the uterus and by reducing the prostaglandins that cause period pain (1,8).
While several nutrients are known to affect a woman's health and fertility, vitamin D seems to play a unique role in menstruation. Multiple studies have emerged over the last decade demonstrating a relationship between vitamin D status and menstrual disorders, particularly menstrual cycle frequency and pain.
What's also pretty special about magnesium is that it also acts as a gentle muscle relaxant. This means it can help ease those strong contractions in your uterus - the very ones that cause cramps and heavy bleeding.
Therefore, it is possible that magnesium can reduce the severity of menstrual pain and its associated symptoms by decreasing the level of prostaglandins. In addition, it regulates the entry of calcium into the cell, which acts as a physiological antagonist of calcium.
Supplementation of magnesium orally has regularly been shown to be of benefit clinically, and scientific literature supports its value for relieving menstrual cramps. In randomized, double-blind controlled trials, magnesium was found to be more effective than placebo for menstrual pain relief.
High doses of magnesium from supplements or medications can cause nausea, abdominal cramping and diarrhea. In addition, the magnesium in supplements can interact with some types of antibiotics and other medicines.
Magnesium is needed for all bodily functions including hormonal balance. We need magnesium for enzyme activation, energy production, cell membrane function, structural support, muscle contraction, blood pressure control and so much more. See this post on other benefits of magnesium.
Hormone creation – magnesium actually makes your hormones progesterone, estrogen and testosterone, so if you're getting into perimenopause or are just coming off the Pill and your levels are low, it's a great help to your body.
Therefore low magnesium levels may negatively affect pregnancy outcomes as well as sperm health and production. Lastly, magnesium deficiency is linked with chronic inflammatory stress, which can negatively impact hormone and ovulation production.
Plus, certain micronutrients, aka vitamins and minerals, are required to make sex hormones. Those include calcium, magnesium, iron, and zinc. Having nutritional deficiencies and not eating enough calories can stress your body and send your period packing.
Magnesium is Essential to Balancing Hormones
Magnesium is one of the most essential minerals to help balance hormones.
Magnesium acts as a natural calcium channel blocker and has been suggested to modulate vasomotor tone and peripheral blood flow. Preclinical studies demonstrated a protective role of magnesium on vascular calcification,8, 9 which may in turn lead to reduced arterial stiffening.
The benefits of magnesium supplementation in healthy individuals aren't clear, but Dr. Nassar says that taking a magnesium supplement every day likely isn't unsafe for most people. Just be sure you're not taking too much magnesium. The maximum dietary allowance for most adults is around 400 mg or less.
There are a lot of factors that can influence our menstrual cycle. From medication, stress, antibiotics and vitamin consumption, anything can delay your periods or cause them to come early.
During your menstrual period, your uterus contracts to help expel its lining. Hormonelike substances (prostaglandins) involved in pain and inflammation trigger the uterine muscle contractions. Higher levels of prostaglandins are associated with more-severe menstrual cramps.
Vitamin A is an antioxidant that generally helps to protect your cells against damage. It helps cells reproduce normally and is also needed for red blood cell production. Vitamin A deficiency has been found in women with heavy periods.
Magnesium And Fertility
In a number of studies, women with infertility have been found to have low levels of magnesium in their blood, and in a small study infertile women who were supplemented with magnesium and selenium all became pregnant within 8 months.
Magnesium helps balance fertility hormones progesterone and estrogen. Magnesium controls follicle-stimulating hormone, or FSH, because estrogen-dependent on magnesium status, and FSH is the hormone that stimulates the ovaries.
Ovarian egg quality relies on the mitochondria for energy, which is facilitated by magnesium's role in maintaining healthy cell activity [3]. Magnesium is necessary for reproductive system functioning, by relaxing smooth muscle spasms in the fallopian tube, which may be another contributing factor to infertility [4].
When taken in very large amounts (greater than 350 mg daily), magnesium is POSSIBLY UNSAFE. Large doses might cause too much magnesium to build up in the body, causing serious side effects including an irregular heartbeat, low blood pressure, confusion, slowed breathing, coma, and death.
Too much magnesium from food does not pose a health risk in healthy individuals because the kidneys eliminate excess amounts in the urine [29]. However, high doses of magnesium from dietary supplements or medications often result in diarrhea that can be accompanied by nausea and abdominal cramping [1].
There is evidence to suggest that certain supplements can help to correct hormone imbalance and reduce high estrogen counts. These include iodine, magnesium, and vitamin D. It may also help to take broccoli extract, or diindolylmethane (DIM).
Eating more magnesium-rich foods and supplementing with around 200 mg of magnesium per day may reduce the severity of period cramps.
People with diabetes, intestinal disease, heart disease or kidney disease should not take magnesium before speaking with their health care provider. Overdose. Signs of a magnesium overdose can include nausea, diarrhea, low blood pressure, muscle weakness, and fatigue. At very high doses, magnesium can be fatal.
One study. View Source of older adults with insomnia found that magnesium supplementation at a dose of 500 milligrams daily for eight weeks helped them fall asleep fast, stay asleep longer, reduced nighttime awakenings, and increased their levels of naturally circulating melatonin.