Magnesium: Everything You Need to Know

Magnesium is my favorite mineral — and electrolyte — whose importance is often overshadowed by its counterparts. I’m here to give it the stage it deserves. The wonder of magnesium is so great that I can only scratch the surface, but hopefully this information improves your understanding of the importance of magnesium. Read on to learn more about what magnesium does, why we’re deficient, implications and signs of deficiency, as well as the best food and supplement sources.

What Does Magnesium (Mg) Do?

Magnesium is an incredibly dynamic mineral. Not only is it the ultimate “anti-stress” nutrient, it’s responsible for:

• Powering over ~800 enzymatic activities (some say over 3,700!)

• Supporting mitochondrial function, which helps us creates energy

• Relaxing the muscle contractions made possible by Calcium (it’s the yin to Ca’s yang)

• Making our cells flexible enough to pass through our circulatory system 

• Helping us absorb other minerals, like Calcium (Ca) and Potassium (K+)

• Bone formation (it helps us form hard tooth enamel resistant to decay)

• Assisting in regulating the pH of our body

• Helping us metabolize carbohydrates more efficiently and effectively

• Calming the nervous system and HPA axis, which regulates our stress and other hormones

• Proper thyroid function

• Supporting anti-inflammation

• Activating Vitamin D

• Aids in anti-aging

Magnesium seems pretty important, right? You may find it shocking that up to 75% of the US population may be deficient.

Why Are We So Deficient?

It should be clear how important magnesium is. You may be wondering then, how is it possible that ¾ of America is deficient in this amazing mineral? Here are a few major reasons:

• STRESS. It’s been said that we experience more in one day than our ancestors did in their lifetime. This is problematic because while our environment has changed exponentially, our physiology — our hardwiring — hasn’t. Our body cannot distinguish the difference between emotional and physical stress. And while we might have slightly less physical stress today, we definitely have more emotional stress. Know what the first thing our body does in times of stress? It dumps magnesium. It’s pretty rational to assume the rate at which we utilize magnesium (our ‘Magnesium Burn Rate’) is much, much higher than it was 1,000 years ago, or even 50 years ago. We need more of it today than ever before.

• WATER. Our ancestors used to get most of their magnesium from drinking water. Today, we process and purify our water so much that barely any magnesium is left for us to consume, let alone other naturally-occurring electrolytes. While ocean water is still rich in magnesium, it’s not something we can drink.

• AGRICULTURE. Our forefathers and mothers used to leverage the symbiotic relationships between the land and their farm animals. Their way of farming yielded high-quality crops with high mineral content. Today’s conventional farming practices rarely include crop rotation to let the soil regenerate, which has led to demineralization over time. There’s also the use of NPK (Nitrogen-Phosphate-Potassium) fertilizer, even in organic farming, which oversaturates the soil with these three minerals. They not only slowly kill and oversaturate the soil, they also suppress crops from uptaking any other minerals that might be left, like magnesium, zinc, and selenium. Apples, for example, contain 82% less magnesium today than they did 100 years ago. 

• PROCESSED FOODS. I’m someone who is 100% pro-carbohydrates, but I cannot emphasize enough how much quality matters. Calories in do not necessarily equal calories out, especially when you’re getting them refined carbohydrates (breads, pastas candies, pastries, sodas, etc). Why? 28 molecules of magnesium are required to metabolise 1 molecule of sucrose (glucose + fructose) and a whopping 56 molecules are required to metabolise 1 molecule of fructose. Whole food carbs like fruits have these built-in. If we’re constantly eating refined carbohydrates, especially those with high-fructose corn syrup (HFCS), we’re literally depleting ourselves of key minerals. I’m not saying there isn’t a time or a place for a nice bowl of pasta, but we have to have pretty bulletproof reserves or a replenishment strategy if we’re going to indulge in these.

• OTHER CULPRITS. 

  • There is a plant-based food trend going on right now, which I could write a whole other blog post about. While I’m not anti-plants, it’s important to note that plant foods, especially improperly-prepared ones, contain compounds called ‘anti-nutrients.’ Two of the biggest offenders are phytates and oxalates, which bind to minerals such as magnesium, and can deplete us even further. 

  • Medications are a BIG reason that we are not just magnesium deficient, but overall malnourished. Most medications require an incredible amount of vitamins and minerals to metabolize. Take birth control, for example, which depletes you of all B Vitamins, Vitamin A, Vitamin E, Vitamin C, Zinc, Selenium, Magnesium, and others. Some medications suppress the absorption or generation of certain vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants. Statins, for example, completely suppress your ability to produce the heart-protective antioxidant CoQ10. Those that deplete magnesium include antacids, antibiotics, birth control, corticosteroids, digoxin, diuretics, hormone replacement therapy, and others.

  • Supplements, while seemingly innocent, can also deplete you of magnesium. Supplements like Vitamin D and calcium can interfere with magnesium absorption.

  • Alkaline Stomach Acid. Our stomach acid, hydrochloric acid (HCL), needs to be very acidic in order to digest our food properly. If it is too basic, it cannot break down food properly and we will not absorb the vitamins and minerals from our food lower down the chain in our small intestine. Digestive issues like this can lead to nutrient deficiencies just like nutrient deficiencies can cause digestive issues. We may need some digestive support for the short-term to break the cycle. It’s also important to get to the root cause of things like stress, too much alcohol, highly refined sugar diets, antacids, overconsumption of plant foods, too much water with meals, etc., which can all interfere with our HCL production.

Now that we know a few of the reasons that could be leading to this mass magnesium deficiency, how do you know if you yourself are deficient?

Signs and Implications of Mg Deficiency

We used to come from a place where the magnesium to calcium ratio was 2:1. You shouldn’t be surprised to hear that in America, the ratio is now 1:5. But how can you tell if you’re deficient in magnesium? And what might be the implications?

Above all else, magnesium is required to make energy (ATP). Most of today’s diseases are diseases of adaptation — your body cannot meet your energy requirements. If you’re struggling with any kind of illness, hormonal imbalance, disease, etc. your body is under stress (dumping magnesium) and needs energy.

That said, magnesium is an intracellular mineral, meaning it’s really only found inside the cells. A simple blood test won’t be an accurate way to test your magnesium levels. A Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA) can be a more accurate test because it measures the magnesium levels inside the tissue.

Sometimes you can figure out if you’re magnesium deficient based on your symptoms. Here are some common signs of deficiency:

• Fatigue

• Muscle cramps

• Eye twitches

• Migraine headache

• Restless leg syndrome

• Muscular weakness

• Sleep disturbances

• Tinnitus

• Vertigo

• PMS

• Irritability, anxiety, or depression

• ADD

• Aggression

• Seizures

• Cataracts

• Tooth decay

• Cravings

• Kidney stones

• Osteoporosis

• Fibromyalgia

• Asthma

• High blood pressure

• Palpitations

• Cardiac arrhythmias

• Insulin resistance

• Diabetes

• Hyperlipidemia

• Obesity

• Metabolic Syndrome

• Constipation

• IBS

• Acid reflux

• Preeclampsia

• Inflammation

This is a huge list, but magnesium plays a huge role in so many of your body’s metabolic pathways and it should show you just how important it is! 

So how exactly can you up your levels of magnesium? Food is one place to start.

Magnesium and the Diet

We’ve already learned that magnesium is incredibly important for the overall function of the human bodies, as well as what depletes us of and the signs of depletion in this mineral. So how do we get more of it in our diet? 

Unfortunately, our soil is not what it used to be. That said, there still are foods that can provide us with a minor source of magnesium in our diet. They include:

• Beef or chicken broth

• Dairy products

• Well-cooked, dark leafy greens and other vegetables

• Avocados

• Dates

• Licorice root (beware, as this can raise blood pressure)

• Fish and other seafood

• Meat

• Sprouted nuts and seeds

• Properly-prepared legumes

• Sprouted whole grains

• Chocolate

• Coffee

I must reiterate again that most of these foods provide minimal magnesium. And most of them are not pro-metabolic. Given that our ancestors used to get most of their magnesium from water, it would be almost biologically unnatural for us to try to get most of it from food. 

Many of us that know the importance of magnesium supplement it. In today’s world, however, there are over 10 different kinds. How do you know which one is right for you?

Magnesium Supplements

Supplementing magnesium is something that a lot of health-conscious folks do today. One thing many don’t realize is that there are 10+ different kinds of magnesium you can take supplementally, including:

• Magnesium citrate

• Magnesium oxide

• Magnesium chloride

• Magnesium lactate

• Magnesium malate

• Magnesium taurate

• Magnesium L-threonate (this is unfortunately patented now, so it will be more expensive)

• Magnesium sulfate

• Magnesium orotate 

• Magnesium glycinate/bisglycinate

• Magnesium bicarbonate

All magnesium supplements are NOT made equal. Magnesium oxide, for example, is the form found in most drug-store brands. It’s poorly absorbed and can have a laxative effect. Magnesium citrate is also found in a lot of budget brands. It’s usually decently absorbed and has a relaxing effect, but it too has a laxative effect and since it’s bound with citric acid, it can cause sensitivity in some. Magnesium malate is well-absorbed and has an energizing effect, but it can be too stimulating for some. Magnesium bisglycinate or glycinate is very well-absorbed and has a calming effect without being a mild laxative.

My favorite, however, is magnesium bicarbonate. It’s an electrolyte salt (yes, magnesium is a main electrolyte) and in the form we used to get in our drinking water for thousands of years. You can actually make your own magnesium bicarbonate, but due to my schedule, I buy it from Pristine Hydro.

Once you’ve found the type of magnesium for you, how much should you be supplementing? Read on to learn about my personal approach to Mg supplementation. 

Figuring the Right Mg Dose For You

When supplementing magnesium, I always consider our ancestors, who used to get about 600 mg of magnesium per day through diet alone. They used to drink and bathe in magnesium-rich water too, so why don’t we?

I personally like to drink my magnesium bicarbonate. I will also spray magnesium chloride on my skin a few times a week, which feels especially amazing on sore muscles. 

To really figure out how much you should supplement, there are a few factors to consider:

• How much stress you’re under (your Mg Burn Rate)

• Your current magnesium status (as mentioned before, a HTMA is an accurate testing tool)

• Diversifying your intake through food, oral supplements, foot baths, body oil, etc.

• Your current electrolyte and vitamin status (Vitamin B6, Boron, and Bicarbonate are all important for Mg absorption)

For those under major stress or severely depleted, which is most of us, it’s generally very safe to aim for 5X your bodyweight in mgs per day. For example, a 200-lb person trying to restore his or her magnesium status can work up to (with the guidance and observation of a practitioner, of course) to 1,000 mg per day.

Of course, magnesium isn’t the only thing you should consider when trying to upgrade your health. There is absolutely no substitute for adequate sleep, a physiologically-supportive, nutrient-dense diet, fresh air and sunlight, exercise that supports you in the right way, strong relationships and community support, as well as self-care and relaxation. Supplements are a cherry on top.

Hopefully this series has been informative and has helped you understand the huge role this little mineral plays in our health. Make sure to follow me on @innatefunctionalnutrition to get the latest updates.

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