5 Key Benefits of Magnesium & Signs You're Deficient
Magnesium is an essential mineral that plays a role in hundreds of functions in the body, including sleep, stress, digestion and energy. It’s also important for protein formation and cellular replication. Due to the consumption of highly processed foods, low magnesium intake, soil depletion, high stress levels and poor gut health, most people are deficient in this key mineral.
Signs & Symptoms of Magnesium Deficiency Include:
Muscle cramps, twitching, tremors or weakness
Restless leg
Constipation or hard, clumpy stools
Fatigue or low energy
Anxiety and/or depression or irritability
Adrenal issues or HPA-axis dysregulation
Feeling easily stressed or overwhelmed
Poor sleep or insomnia
High blood pressure
Irregular heartbeat
Cardiovascular disease
Poor exercise recovery
PMS and other hormonal symptoms
Things That Deplete Magnesium:
There are numerous things that deplete magnesium, including:
Poor, highly processed diet
Sugar
Alcohol
Caffeine
Stress
Soda
Toxins
Gut dysbiosis and poor gut bacteria
Low stomach acid
Key Benefits of Magnesium
Digestion Support & Constipation Relief
Magnesium is a must if you’re struggling with constipation, or have clumpy or hard stools. It supports and tones the muscle in the colon, promoting proper muscle and nerve conduction and helps get things moving smoothly. It helps relax skeletal muscles and the smooth muscles of blood vessels and throughout the GI tract. Not only is this important for healthy elimination, but also for the function of all the muscles throughout the digestive tract.
I frequently recommend magnesium glycinate chelate for my clients struggling with mild constipation, as it also has benefits for sleep, regulating mood, energy and hormones. It is a gentle form of magnesium that is highly absorbed and it’s chelated, so it won’t cause loose stools or intense laxative effects.
You can purchase my practitioner-grade magnesium glycinate chelate at a discount here.
Muscle & Nerve Function
Magnesium supports healthy muscle function throughout the body, as it supports both skeletal muscle (think movement and working out) and smooth muscle (think blood vessels and digestion). If you have muscle cramps or twitching, that’s a pretty obvious sign your body is deficient in magnesium! Supplementing with a high-quality magnesium can make a huge difference.
Supports Sleep
If your sleep is struggling, magnesium can help! Magnesium is a crucial mineral for supporting sleep and relaxation. Especially if you experience restless leg or twitching in the evening, get yourself some good magnesium and watch how it improves your sleep.
Supports the Stress Response
Magnesium is essential for a healthy stress response, lowering stress and supporting adrenal function. It can also help lower blood pressure and help alleviate fatigue.
Hormonal Balance & PMS
Magnesium has been shown to aid common symptoms of menstruation, including cramps, irritability, fatigue, depression and water retention. Magnesium also supports healthy estrogen metabolism.
With clients, I like to use Magnesium Glycinate Chelate alongside Chasteberry Plus and B Complex Plus to help relieve common PMS symptoms and support hormonal balance in menstruating women, which you can find in my Women’s Hormonal Balance Protocol.
How Your Gut Influences Your Magnesium Levels
Starting in the stomach, we need optimal stomach acid levels (HCl) to be able to carry minerals such as magnesium and calcium through the stomach to be absorbed in the small intestine. If we’re deficient in HCl, as most people are, this can lead to mineral deficiencies.
Gut dysbiosis, or imbalances in the microbiome can also contribute to magnesium deficiency due to poor absorption, and increased stress on the body, which depletes magnesium.
What Type of Magnesium Should You Avoid?
Look for a high quality magnesium that has been third party tested for contaminants, toxins and heavy metals, such as the ones I’ve listed above from professional brands. Certain forms are more absorbable, while other forms, such as magnesium oxide, carbonate, sulphate and chloride are not absorbed well and are often used in cheaply made products and low-grade multivitamins. Glycinate, threonate and citrate are better options, depending on desired effect.
If you’re ready to take your digestive health into your own hands and finally get real answers and relief, let’s work together inside my 6-Week 1:1 Gut Restore Program! Book a free call today to get started!
Sources:
Therapeutic Nutrition and Supplements in Practice
Staying Healthy with Nutrition by Elson M. Haas, MD
