You might have heard a lot about magnesium lately. People are saying it can help you sleep better or improve digestion. But what exactly is magnesium? What does it do for you? Do you need a supplement, or can you get enough from your diet?
Magnesium is essential for your health, especially for your heart, muscles, and nerves. Sadly, many people in the U.S. don’t get enough of it.
In this guide, we’ll discuss the benefits of magnesium, the best foods to find it in, how much you need daily, and what to look for if you decide to take a supplement.
What Is Magnesium?
Magnesium is a super important mineral that your body needs. You can find it in lots of foods. According to dietitian Erin Palinski-Wade, it’s crucial for many things in your body, like keeping your bones and nerves healthy.
It works with more than 300 helpers in your body to do important jobs, like making energy, helping muscles and nerves work right, and controlling blood pressure and sugar levels.
This can be really helpful if you have conditions like high blood pressure or diabetes. Palinski-Wade also says magnesium helps keep your calcium and vitamin D levels balanced, which are needed for strong bones.
Magnesium is one of the minerals in your body that helps do stuff like send messages between nerves, make muscles move, keep your heart beating, and balance fluids to keep you hydrated.
Magnesium Shortage: What It Means
When your body doesn’t have enough magnesium because you don’t eat foods with magnesium or take supplements, it’s called a magnesium deficiency. Not having enough magnesium isn’t very common, even though many Americans don’t eat enough magnesium-rich foods.
But if you do have a deficiency, you might notice some signs.
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Fatigue
- Weakness
- Numbness
- Tingling
- Muscle contractions
- Cramps
- Seizures
- Personality changes
- Abnormal heart rhythms
- Coronary spasms
If you have a really bad lack of magnesium, it can cause seizures and low levels of calcium and potassium in your blood. This happens because the balance of electrolytes in your body gets messed up.
How Does Magnesium Help Your Health?
Lots of things in your body need this mineral to work well. Let’s explore some of the ways magnesium makes you healthier.
Assisting in Blood Pressure Control
Having enough magnesium in your body is important for keeping your heart healthy. It can help prevent high blood pressure and reduce the chances of having heart problems. According to Toby Amidor, who is an expert in food and health, adding magnesium to your diet might slightly lower your blood pressure.
Studies suggest that taking magnesium supplements can lower the number of your blood pressure readings by about 2 points. Also, some research suggests that older people might benefit from taking magnesium to help control their blood pressure.
Lower Your Chance of Getting Diabetes
“Magnesium is good for how your body handles sugar,” explains Amidor. This helps keep your blood sugar levels normal and lowers your chance of getting diabetes.
Studies have found that having the right amount of magnesium every day can lower blood pressure, high blood sugar levels, and high levels of triglycerides in the blood. This might help with metabolic syndrome and managing diabetes.
May Improve Your Sleep
Making sleep better is something magnesium is known for in the wellness community. Some studies suggest that magnesium might help you sleep better, but we need more research to be sure.
Still, having enough magnesium can be good for controlling your mood, which is important for staying healthy. So, having the right amount of magnesium might help you sleep better by reducing stress and anxiety.
Helps Keep Your Bones Strong
“Because magnesium helps control calcium and vitamin D in your body, it’s really important for keeping your bones strong and preventing bone problems like osteoporosis,” Palinski-Wade explains.
Amidor also says that when you get enough magnesium, your bones become denser and stronger, which means they’re less likely to break.
Improves Your Heart Health
Magnesium is really important for your heart. It helps keep your heartbeat regular. This happens because magnesium helps move calcium and potassium ions in and out of cells, which keeps your heart rhythm steady.
Possibly Lowers Inflammation
Magnesium is like a protector against bad stuff in your body. Having enough might make chronic inflammation, which can cause many problems like weight issues and diseases, go down. Some studies show that taking magnesium might help lower inflammation markers in your body, like IL-1.
May Combat Migraines
Migraine is a very common type of headache and is seen as a problem in the brain. People with migraines also feel sick, may throw up, and are sensitive to light, noise, and smells. Some studies suggest that using magnesium might help with migraines, but we need more evidence to be sure.
Also, not having enough magnesium might make headaches worse and increase the chances of getting migraines.
Sources of Magnesium
Magnesium is naturally present in food, especially in leafy greens, beans, legumes, whole grains, and other foods. Here are some of the best sources of magnesium:
- Pumpkin seeds: 1 ounce (37% Daily Value)
- Chia seeds: 1 ounce, roasted (26% DV)
- Almonds: 1 ounce, dry roasted (19% DV)
- Spinach: ½ cup, boiled (19% DV)
- Cashews: 1 ounce, dry roasted (18% DV)
- Peanuts: 1 ounce, oil roasted (15% DV)
- Soymilk: 1 cup (15% DV)
- Black beans: ½ cup cooked (14% DV)
- Edamame: ½ cup, shelled and cooked (12% DV)
- Potato: 3½ ounces, baked with skin (10% DV)
- Brown rice: ½ cup, cooked (10% DV)
- Plain yogurt: 8 ounces, low-fat (10% DV)
How Much Magnesium is Necessary?
Magnesium needs depend on age, gender, and life stage. Here are the recommended amounts of magnesium to aim for, based on different categories:
| Age | Male | Female | Pregnancy | Lactation |
| Birth to 6 months | 30 mg* | 30 mg* | ||
| 7- 12 months | 75 mg* | 75 mg* | ||
| 1- 3 years | 80 mg | 80 mg | ||
| 4- 8 years | 130 mg | 130 mg | ||
| 9 – 13 years | 240 mg | 240 mg | ||
| 14- 18 years | 410 mg | 360 mg | 400 mg | 360 mg |
| 19- 30 years | 400 mg | 310 mg | 350 mg | 310 mg |
| 31- 50 years | 420 mg | 320 mg | 360 mg | 320 mg |
| 51+ years | 420 mg | 320 mg |
Things to Consider When Choosing a Magnesium Supplement
Making sure you get enough magnesium from your food is the best way. But sometimes, it’s hard to do that, especially if you have certain health issues. That’s when taking a magnesium supplement might help.
However, it’s important to talk to your doctor before you start taking any supplements. There are different types of magnesium, and your body absorbs them differently. Some types, like magnesium citrate or magnesium aspartate, are absorbed better than others, like magnesium oxide or magnesium sulfate.
Different forms of magnesium also have different effects. So, it’s best to talk to your doctor about which type and how much you should take. Also, taking magnesium with food can help your body absorb it better and reduce any stomach problems it might cause.
And make sure the supplement you choose is safe and good quality by looking for third-party verification.
