Hormone creation – magnesium actually makes your hormones progesterone, estrogen and testosterone, so if you're getting into peri-menopause or just off the Pill and your levels are low, it's a great help to your body.
Magnesium fuels healthy mitochondria which are important for hormonal health because steroid hormones are made in the mitochondria. Magnesium normalizes the action of progesterone on the central nervous system, which is how it relieves symptoms of PMDD, migraines, and perimenopause.
Magnesium is Essential to Balancing Hormones
Magnesium is one of the most essential minerals to help balance hormones. While you can take a supplement, and even spray your skin with magnesium spray, there's no better way of getting the magnesium you need than from the foods you eat.
However, estrogen-induced shifts of Mg can be deleterious when estrogen levels are high and Mg intake is suboptimal. The resultant lowering of blood Mg can increase the Ca/Mg ratio, thus favoring coagulation. With Ca supplementation in the face of commonly low Mg intake, risk of thrombosis increases.
Hormones like progesterone, estrogen and testosterone are created with the help of magnesium. The recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for magnesium is around 320 milligrams per day. However, stress and conditions like thyroid autoimmune disease can rob people of magnesium.
Magnesium promotes healthy estrogen clearance
By supporting the COMT enzyme (catechol-o-methyltransferase) in the liver, magnesium promotes the healthy excretion of estrogen (9). This may reduce the risk of the estrogen excess conditions (such as fibroids) associated with low COMT function (10).
Both soybeans and edamame have been linked to many health benefits and are rich in protein and many vitamins and minerals ( 11 , 12 ). They are also rich in phytoestrogens known as isoflavones. Soy isoflavones can produce estrogen-like activity in the body by mimicking the effects of natural estrogen.
A Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center study involving postmenopausal, overweight, and obese women who took 2,000 IUs of vitamin D daily for a year found that those whose vitamin D blood levels increased the most had the greatest reductions in blood estrogens, which are a known risk factor for breast cancer.
Magnesium typically decreases along with estrogen in menopause, making symptoms associated with low magnesium levels more noticeable.
Magnesium supplementation resulted in reduced BMI and testosterone levels as well as increased DHEA concentrations in women with PCOS. Also, magnesium supplementation may increase serum LH levels.
Magnesium Glycinate: great for calming, helping with sleep and hormone balance.
Dried apricots contain the highest amount of phytoestrogens, followed by dates, dried prunes and raisins. “These foods contain mainly lignans and isoflavones and have been found to improve menopausal symptoms and prevent cardiovascular disease and various cancers,” Burgess states.
Magnesium plays a very important role in hormone regulation and is therefore one of the nutrients that boost progesterone levels.
Our results show that supplementation with magnesium increases free and total testosterone values in sedentary and in athletes. The increases are higher in those who exercise than in sedentary individuals.
Magnesium Deficiency Has Been Linked To
Once I started taking magnesium, I noticed a dramatic improvement in a few of these things: no more muscle spasms and chest pains, the best sleep of my life (more on this tomorrow), less anxiety and irritability, and clearer thoughts.
Magnesium aspartate, citrate, chloride, and malate are known for being the most bioavailable — or best absorbed — in the body to replenish magnesium levels. Still, your healthcare provider may suggest other types depending on your specific needs ( 35 ).
It's normal for estrogen levels to rise during ovulation so that your body can prepare itself for pregnancy. It's normal for levels to dip during your period when the pregnancy changes aren't needed. Levels that are consistently low or high may signal an underlying condition that requires your provider's attention.
Bioidentical or "natural" hormones
Bioidentical hormones are hormone preparations made from plant sources that are promoted as being similar or identical to human hormones. Practitioners claim these hormones are a "natural" and safer alternative to standard HRT medicines.