Magnesium is a nutrient that the body needs to stay healthy. Magnesium is important for many processes in the body, including regulating muscle and nerve function, blood sugar levels, and blood pressure and making protein, bone, and DNA.
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.
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.
From regulating mood, maintaining healthy heartbeat to supporting sleep, muscle and nerve function along with energy production to name just a few. It's clear the mineral is vital for both men and women.
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.
Generally speaking, you will find that magnesium supplements start to work after one week of using them. After one week of regular magnesium supplementation, individuals may experience benefits such as improved energy levels, reduced muscle cramps, better sleep quality, and reduced anxiety.
Magnesium is a cofactor in more than 300 enzyme systems that regulate diverse biochemical reactions in the body, including protein synthesis, muscle and nerve function, blood glucose control, and blood pressure regulation [1-3].
Magnesium supplements can cause nausea, cramps, and diarrhea. Magnesium supplements often cause softening of stool. Interactions. Magnesium supplements may interact with certain medicines, including diuretics, heart medicines, or antibiotics.
Antibiotics: Taking magnesium supplements may reduce the absorption of quinolone antibiotics, tetracycline antibiotics, and nitrofurantoin (Macrodandin). Magnesium should be taken 1 hour before or 2 hours after taking these medications. Quinolone and tetracycline antibiotics include: Ciprofloxacin (Cipro)
Contrary to popular belief, these supplements do not cause weight gain. In fact, having higher levels of magnesium in the body can facilitate weight loss and aid in maintaining a healthy physique. Conversely, low levels of magnesium may impede fat-burning processes.
Magnesium for sleep
Some studies have found that magnesium supplements can: Make it easier to fall asleep. Improve sleep quality. Reduce symptoms of restless legs syndrome, which can interfere with a good night's sleep.
Some research also suggests that a higher magnesium intake can reduce the risk of colon cancer, and many studies have shown that magnesium may help treat such conditions as osteoporosis, PMS, migraines, depression, and more. In addition to those health benefits, magnesium can also aid in weight loss and body shaping.
One study of older adults with insomnia found that magnesium supplementation at a dose of 500 milligrams daily for eight weeks helped them fall asleep faster, stay asleep longer, reduced nighttime awakenings, and increased their levels of naturally circulating melatonin.
"Research has shown that magnesium supplementation may affect the brain functions that help lower stress and anxiety," Gorin says. It works by helping your body kick into the "rest and digest" state, or by activating your parasympathetic nervous system.
People report feeling the anti-anxiety effect within one day to a few weeks. Healthy levels of magnesium promote sound sleep. Men and women with a magnesium deficiency report tossing and turning and regularly waking throughout the night.
Medical research has linked magnesium to reduced anxiety. Magnesium helps you to relax by stimulating the production of melatonin and serotonin which boost your mood and help you sleep. Magnesium also reduces the production of cytokines and cortisol, which lead to increased inflammation and stress.
Long-term magnesium supplementation improves arterial stiffness, a cardiovascular disease risk marker. Effects on endothelial function may be another mechanism whereby increased magnesium intakes affect cardiovascular risk.
Yes! You can and should take magnesium and vitamin D together. In fact, the bioavailability of vitamin D largely relies on magnesium. Also, many nutrients wouldn't work efficiently without magnesium, further highlighting the importance of this mineral!
Magnesium assists in the activation of vitamin D, which helps regulate calcium and phosphate homeostasis to influence the growth and maintenance of bones. All of the enzymes that metabolize vitamin D seem to require magnesium, which acts as a cofactor in the enzymatic reactions in the liver and kidneys.
You may also be able to relieve breast pain by: Taking magnesium. Magnesium supplements taken in the second half of the menstrual cycle (usually the 2 weeks before the next period) relieve cyclic breast pain as well as other premenstrual symptoms.
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 can be your best friend.
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.