Magnesium

The Biggest Nutrient Deficiency

Seventy percent of what happens in this amazing vehicle called “the body” happens because of magnesium. Health practitioners have been prescribing and studying magnesium since the 1600s, and it has been widely used as a treatment in ancient civilisations all around the world. 

Which Foods are Rich in Magnesium?

50 to 100 years ago, we did not have an issue with magnesium deficiency, but when the food industry changed, this became a big problem.

The reason being that we are eating more processed food, and this diet has no, or very low, magnesium. We are told to eat more fruit and vegetables, but most of us don’t reach even the basic requirement, and the ones that do will not get their required magnesium because of the way our food is farmed and the soil is cultivated. Our soils are overworked and we are not using organic techniques and replenishing the land with minerals like magnesium, nitrogen, and phosphorus. We are using more chemical fertilizers and pesticides. Plants are not only carriers of Magnesium; they also require magnesium to be healthy and to support all other minerals in that plant, so that in return, we eat healthy plants.

Whole Foods are always the best source of magnesium because they are a mix or soup of multiple forms of magnesium and other substances that support the plant structure and can deliver the magnesium in the right proportions to our system. Through Whole Foods, you are receiving the support of a biological pathway instead of just one form in a synthetic pill. 

Foods rich in magnesium are avocados, pure chocolate (made from cocoa and coco butter with no sugar or milk added), chia seeds, green leafy vegetables, fermented foods, bananas, and nuts.
Magnesium and calcium work hand in hand together; calcium triggers contractions, and magnesium helps the muscles relax. So, if you are eating a diet that is high in calcium, you are depleting your magnesium levels. How often are we told to increase our calcium intake to improve bone health in menopause, but there is no mention of magnesium, which is a vital player here. 

Why is  Magnesium Important for the Body ?

Magnesium is required for more than 350 different enzyme reactions in the body. Every organ in the body, especially the heart muscles and kidneys, needs magnesium. This also includes the physical and chemical processes in the body that convert or use energy (metabolism).

Here are some more benefits of taking magnesium:

Hormone creation: Magnesium makes the hormones progesterone, estrogen, and testosterone. Whether you are planning to come off the pill or if you are entering perimenopause and your levels are low, magnesium has a clear and positive impact on supporting hormonal health.

Sleep aid: Magnesium helps you sleep and also prevents chronic urination, which can interrupt sleep at night. When you have trouble sleeping, spray the magnesium and lavender essential oils on the soles of the feet, the inner wrist, and around the shoulders to enable the volatile oils to be breathed in.

Thyroid support: Magnesium helps produce thyroid hormones that help reduce inflammation.

Balancing blood sugar: Magnesium helps control insulin production.

Cortisol regulation: Magnesium calms your nervous system and helps with the excretion of the stress hormone cortisol.

Mineral absorption: Magnesium is needed for the absorption of calcium and vitamin D, so no matter how much vitamin D you take, your body cannot utilize it properly if you are deficient in magnesium.

Magnesium (together with vitamin K2) keeps calcium dissolved in the blood. Without the proper magnesium-to-calcium 1-2 ratio, calcium collects in the soft tissue instead of in the bones and teeth, causing calcium deposits in the kidneys and creating kidney stones, or in coronary arteries and joint cartilage.

Magnesium Depleting Lifestyle

For every molecule of sugar you consume, it takes 54 molecules of magnesium to process it.

Malabsorption of magnesium can be due to IBS, leaking gut, candida, or other gut issues. Regularly consuming a poor diet high in processed foods, added sugar, alcohol use, and uncontrollable diabetes are behaviours that also deplete magnesium resources or block absorption. There is a long list of symptoms that come with magnesium deficiency; here are just a few: headaches, brain fog, muscle twitches, tremors, cramps, low bone density, tooth and enamel decay, mood changes, sleep problems, fatigue, muscle weakness, energy, numbness, and an abnormal heart rhythm.

Magnesium and Detoxification

One of the great functions of magnesium is that it is involved in detoxifying the body and is one of the most essential minerals to balance and create the hormones progesterone, estrogen, and testosterone. This will also affect the detoxification of other toxins in the body, which will lead to inflammation.

Glutathione is a master antioxidant naturally produced by the body that can enter the cell, which is where most of the cell stress occurs. Most antioxidants, like vitamin C, are water-soluble and can only work outside the cell. Vitamin E is a fat-soluble antioxidant that can easily pass through the cell (plasma) membrane, but Glutathione (the master intercell antioxidant) is more like an enzyme that keeps producing and keeps regenerating. One molecule of vitamin E can neutralise one unit of free radicals, but Glutathione can neutralise 100s and 100s of free radicals and keep going. For this enzyme to be produced, you need magnesium.

What Form Should I Take? 

Once again, magnesium from a whole food diet will always be the best form of magnesium for the body to absorb, but if you are having digestive issues like poor gut health or your levels are low, then you may need to supplement it with synthetic magnesium until you reach your adequate magnesium level.

Here are a few examples of different forms of magnesium available:

Pill Form

Pills can contain one, two, or even up to three forms of magnesium. 

All forms of magnesium are useful; it only depends on an individual’s absorption, which could change regularly, so what works one week may not work next week. For example, a magnesium supplement that is good for constipation may not be good for someone with diarrhoea. 

Magnesium Oxide is a salt that combines magnesium and oxygen. It is not absorbed easily in the digestive tract, so it is not typically used to treat magnesium deficiency. Instead, people use it as an antacid to relieve heartburn or acid indigestion or as a short-term laxative to rapidly empty the bowels before surgery. Magnesium Oxide should never be taken repeatedly or on a long-term basis.

Magnesium Glycinate is a good option for people with GI problems in their upper and lower intestines (like Crohn’s disease) due to its high absorption rate, bioavailability, fast acting, generally well tolerated, and unlikely ability to cause loose stools. Magnesium glycinate is often used for its calming effect to treat anxiety, depression, and insomnia.

Magnesium Taurate is the best form for handling high blood pressure and high blood sugar.

Magnesium Citrate because of its easy absorption, it is a very popular type of magnesium, mainly used to raise magnesium levels and treat constipation.  

Magnesium Chloride is easily absorbed in the digestive tract when taken orally and used to treat heartburn, constipation, and low magnesium levels.

Topically

Magnesium Sulphate Epson salts 

Magnesium taken orally may cause reactions in certain individuals, such as stomach cramps and diarrhoea. Topical magnesium in creams or sprays is a less invasive approach with fewer side effects.

Magnesium oil can be infused with rosemary or lavender essential oils to help relieve tired and sore muscles. The soles of the feet are where some of the largest pores are found in the body, and the feet hold a focal point of nerve endings that are a direct access to organs. Soaking the feet or taking a bath in Epsom salts is known to relieve inflammation and ease pain. Both Magnesium and sulphate are easily absorbed through the skin.

Magnesium Chloride-: topically it is used in creams, lotions, and sprays to relieve soreness and is a quick and effective way to replenish your magnesium level.

Why does Magnesium Oil give a Burning Sensation?

There is a strong link between low levels of magnesium in the body and stinging when the oil is applied to the skin. The reasons why it causes the skin to tingle can be any of the following:

• Severe deficiency: When magnesium deficient skin is first introduced to magnesium oil, it causes the blood vessels to open quickly, creating friction under the skin. The more severe the deficiency, the more severe the sensation, but this should all subside when the oil is used consistently.

• Too much magnesium at once: if you are a first-time user it is advised not to apply large amounts but to gradually allow your body to get used to topical magnesium oil. Also, using it on a less sensitive area will help.

• Magnesium oil acts as a vasodilator that relaxes muscle cells and increases blood flow in capillaries.
  
  

When do you know you have Reached the right Magnesium Level?

Once your body has received an adequate amount of magnesium, the itching will disappear. One slight side effect of taking too much magnesium is loose stools or diarrhea, but this could be seen as nature’s way of ensuring or protecting the body so that we do not overconsume this mineral. Magnesium toxicity is rare in most people (unless taken in extremely high doses), and levels are more likely to be too low than too high.

When to Avoid Magnesium Supplements?

Magnesium supplements are not recommended for anyone suffering from kidney disorders or any heart conditions.