Medically reviewed by Melanie Fiorella, M.D.
Adios, ashwagandha. Ciao, calcium. The most recent complement darling on social media is magnesium. From the sleepy lady mocktail to migraines, there’s a variety of buzz about the advantages of magnesium. However how a lot of it’s true and do you have to take into account taking a magnesium complement?
We reached out to Melanie Fiorella, M.D., an integrative main care doctor and director of the Heart for Integrative Training at College of California San Diego, to get the information.
What’s magnesium?
Magnesium is a naturally occurring mineral in your body. It helps you regulate blood sugar and blood stress and helps with nerve and muscle operate. Magnesium additionally helps hold your bones robust and your coronary heart beat regular amongst different essential issues.
In the event you’ve ever perused the complement aisle for magnesium, there are a variety of choices on the market. It is because many magnesium dietary supplements are blends of various sorts. Fiorella famous which you can tailor the dietary supplements to your signs. “As an example, in case you have constipation plus a variety of cramping I might use magnesium citrate as a result of it’s bioavailable so it’s simply absorbed,” she stated.
What are the several types of magnesium?
Totally different types of magnesium supplements will help with completely different wants. The widespread sorts and related well being circumstances embody:
Magnesium L-threonate for pain, temper and mind operate
What’s magnesium good for?
Magnesium helps greater than 300 enzymes create chemical reactions in your physique. So it’s good to your well being total. And this can be very true for girls and other people assigned feminine at start.
“On the whole, we now have a magnesium deficiency in our food regimen and there is a variety of affiliation with menstrual and hormonal-type points akin to painful intervals or menstrual migraines due to this deficiency,” Fiorella stated. A complement might assist with cramping and likewise normal fatigue throughout your interval, too.
Analysis is ongoing concerning the advantages of magnesium, however research present magnesium can profit sure well being circumstances. These can embody:
Analysis exhibits higher levels of magnesium can scale back the danger for heart problems and stroke. In a single study of postmenopausal girls, low magnesium consumption was related to a better danger of coronary heart failure.
Magnesium performs a task in managing blood sugar levels. And individuals who eat much less magnesium are likely to have greater blood sugars and a higher risk of Type 2 diabetes.
Research present taking a magnesium complement might help prevent migraine attacks in some folks. “I’ve seen actually good advantages to folks once they begin supplementing every day with the discount in what number of migraines they’ve. It is not nice for stopping a migraine as soon as it begins, but it surely’s good for prevention,” Fiorella stated.
Does the sleepy lady mocktail actually make you sleep higher?
You possibly can’t imagine all the things you learn on the web, however there could also be one thing to the “sleepy lady” mocktail making the rounds on social media. Fiorella stated the combo of tart cherry juice and magnesium powder generally is a good mixture to assist higher sleep. “Tart cherries include tryptophan and enhance melatonin so taking that earlier than mattress — plus the magnesium — is nice,” she stated. Magnesium has an total stress-free impact on the physique as a result of it relaxes muscle mass and helps decrease anxiousness. “It’s one of many first issues I like to recommend for insomnia and simply normal sleep.”
What meals have magnesium?
You get magnesium from the meals you eat. These can embody:
- Leafy greens
- Legumes
- Nuts
- Seeds
- Complete grains
- Fish
- Poultry
- Beef
“Pumpkin seeds and Brazil nuts are actually good,” Fiorella stated. Magnesium can be added to meals like fortified cereal. Bottled, mineral and faucet water also can include magnesium.
What does the FDA say about magnesium?
In 2022, the FDA announced there was sufficient scientific proof to assist the connection between magnesium and diminished danger for hypertension. This implies meals and dietary dietary supplements can promote this well being declare on merchandise so long as that product has at the very least 84 mg of magnesium per serving and, for dietary dietary supplements, not more than 350 mg.
The recommended daily allowance for magnesium is 320 mg for girls ages 31-51 and 420 mg for girls 51 and older.
Who shouldn’t take magnesium?
Sure drugs can work together with magnesium dietary supplements or lower the absorption of the medicine. These drugs can embody:
- Antibiotics
- Diuretics
- Proton pump inhibitors
- Bisphosphonates
Fiorella famous that folks with kidney illness ought to keep away from magnesium dietary supplements.
What else do we have to learn about magnesium?
Magnesium is protected to take total. Nevertheless, an excessive amount of magnesium could cause diarrhea, nausea and belly cramping. Very excessive intakes of magnesium can result in irregular heartbeat and cardiac arrest. Speak to your healthcare supplier earlier than taking magnesium or another complement.