Most every individual can benefit from magnesium supplementation. Magnesium is generally recognized as safe, and is a vital macronutrient by many of the body's systems.
How Do I Know if I Need a Magnesium Supplement?
Considering the fact nearly 75% of Americans are not getting the recommended amount of magnesium in a day, you should consider the possibility you’re deficient. Causes of magnesium deficiency vary, but many people don’t get adequate amounts of this vital mineral through their diets.
Not getting enough magnesium over a long period of time can lead to hypomagnesemia, which is linked to several chronic illnesses, including diabetes, hungry bone syndrome and celiac disease.
The only way to know if you suffer from magnesium deficiency is through a blood test. However, most people can determine if they’re not getting enough magnesium by evaluating their symptoms.
If you suffer from the following ailments, you could have a magnesium deficiency:
- Muscle cramps/twitches
- Depression
- Migraines
- Insomnia
- Anxiety
- Osteoporosis
- Muscle weakness
- Fatigue
- Weak immune system
- High blood pressure
- Irregular heartbeat
While the majority of these symptoms may not be more than a day-to-day hindrance, an irregular heartbeat or arrhythmia could lead to more serious complications.
But first, what is magnesium exactly? Because this element helps to make up every cell in your body, we know it’s essential to your well-being. Your body is constantly working to keep the magnesium levels maintained, which can easily lead to depletion. In fact, magnesium is used in more than three hundred biochemical reactions in your body. It’s vital to nerve function, muscle function, regulating the heartbeat and keeping your bones strong.
Dr. Carolyn Dean has discovered numerous ailments and conditions that may be caused by magnesium deficiency, so there’s a good chance that a lack of magnesium could be causing your health issues as well.
Among the magnesium facts we will share, you will learn about using this vital element to restore health to your body. We will discuss how magnesium can help with sleep, muscle cramps, migraines and more. In the end, you should have a better understanding of what magnesium can do and if a supplement is the right choice for you.
Does Magnesium Help You Sleep?
This is one of the most common questions about magnesium, as magnesium deficiency is associated with high levels of stress, difficulty relaxing and more anxiety, which are all key reasons people have trouble sleeping. In a small study, magnesium for sleep was used on 43 older adults. Of those that took the supplement, the majority fell asleep faster and also spent more of their time asleep.
Another study showed that restless leg syndrome could be controlled with magnesium supplements, which is another reason some people have trouble sleeping. It would appear the proper amount of magnesium causes relaxation and helps people take advantage of natural sleep rhythms for better rest.
Does Magnesium Help With Muscle Cramps?
Harvard Health states that cramps can occur when the muscles are not able to relax, which can be caused by a magnesium deficiency. While there haven’t been a lot of studies on using magnesium for muscle cramps, we do know that this element is essential for regulating muscle contractions and allowing them to relax. If there is an imbalance in the body, it would naturally become more difficult for the muscles to perform as intended, thereby leading to cramping.
Some people suffer from leg spasms while sleeping, but those most vulnerable are pregnant women and the elderly. In both situations, it’s possible that taking magnesium might alleviate some of the pain and discomfort of muscle spasms.
Is Magnesium Good For Your Brain?
Magnesium plays a vital role in neuromuscular conduction and nerve transmission. It has also been linked to protecting against excessive excitation that leads to neuronal cell death. Top health professionals believe that magnesium deficiency can lead to multiple neurological disorders.
There has been strong data that suggests the role of magnesium in depression and migraine pain, as well as stroke prevention, alleviating anxiety and reducing chronic pain. But studies are still being performed to determine if taking magnesium for brain functionality is effective at treating other neurological conditions, such as Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s and epilepsy. Since we do know how important magnesium is for the brain, it makes sense that supplements would help alleviate many neurological problems.
Does Magnesium Help Migraines?
Migraines are another condition that has been linked to magnesium deficiency. One study showed that taking magnesium can dramatically decrease the pain of a migraine. Plus, taking regular magnesium supplements might help stop the attacks in the first place, especially if the migraines are menstrual-related.
Taking magnesium for migraines is a safer method for treatment than some of the prescription medications that can cause severe side effects. If you regularly suffer from these headaches, it’s possible that you are battling a magnesium deficiency. Adding magnesium-rich foods to your diet and supplementing with ReMag® might be just what you need.
Can Magnesium Help With Nerve Pain?
Studies show that magnesium is vital to preventing central sensitization and pain hypersensitivity, as it works among the voltage-gated NMDA receptors. Magnesium is regularly studied in patients with chronic and acute pain and has been shown to be effective in many cases. Not only can this element reduce pain, but it shows benefits for neuropathic pain, postherpetic neuralgia, chemotherapy-induced peripheral neuropathy and diabetic neuropathy.
On top of that, magnesium for nerve pain is beneficial for headaches and other forms of pain management. As we perform more studies, we will better understand how this element works as an analgesic adjuvant.
Does Magnesium Help With Stress?
The links between magnesium and stress are astounding. Magnesium deficiency is associated with higher stress levels. Plus, hypomagnesemia is associated with fibromyalgia, audiogenic stress, physical stress, photosensitive headaches and chronic fatigue syndrome.
Considering that magnesium plays a vital role in the adrenergic, serotonergic and glutamatergic neurotransmitter systems, it would make sense that a lack of it could cause additional problems. Magnesium is also needed to balance many neuro-hormones, which can cause stress when there is an imbalance. To improve the well-being of the stress pathways in the body and create less stress, adding magnesium-rich foods or a supplement can be beneficial.
What Are The Benefits of Magnesium Supplements?
Because magnesium is needed for more than 300 bodily reactions, it only makes sense that the magnesium supplement benefits would be countless and difficult to name. Magnesium supplements have been studied for numerous ailments and conditions, often showing benefits for patients. For example, one study shows that magnesium moves blood sugar to the muscles and helps dispose of lactate to prevent muscle cramps and pain during exercise.
Another study reveals that taking magnesium for depression can be beneficial when a deficiency is involved. It can also lower blood pressure, help with chronic inflammation, prevent migraines and improve insulin resistance. As more studies are performed, it’s clear that the benefits of magnesium will continue to shine forth.
What Are The Side Effects of Too Much Magnesium?
Like with any dietary supplement, one of the most important questions about magnesium is what happens when too much is taken. While the element is generally well-tolerated by most healthy adults, there are some possible magnesium supplement side effects which are often related to its laxative effects. Fortunately, ReMag Magnesium Solution was formulated and has been proven to bypass the laxative effect.
According to Dr. Carolyn Dean - there are several contraindications to magnesium supplementation -
- Kidney failure. With kidney failure, there is an inability to clear magnesium from the kidneys.
- Myasthenia gravis. The intravenous administration could accentuate muscle relaxation and collapse the respiratory muscles.
- Excessively slow heart rate. Slow heart rates can be made even slower, as magnesium relaxes the heart. Slow heart rates often require an artificial pacemaker.
- Bowel obstruction. The main route of elimination of oral magnesium is through the bowel.
While most of these conditions are unlikely, it’s always wise to speak with a healthcare practitioner before taking any supplements, especially if you are pregnant, nursing or taking other medications.
How Much Magnesium Should You Take on the Keto Diet?
Although this is one of the more specific questions about magnesium, it’s still an important one. While on a ketogenic diet, it becomes difficult to get enough magnesium, as many rich foods, such as fruits and beans are high in carbs and even vegetables are forbidden. Because of this, many people ask themselves, “how much magnesium should I take on keto?” It’s recommended that most people take between 200 and 400 mg of magnesium per day while on the keto diet.
Low levels of magnesium while on the keto diet can cause:
- Heart palpitations
- Muscle spasms
- Sleep trouble
- Low blood pressure
- Muscle cramps
- Headaches
- Anxiety
- Nausea
If you are on the keto diet to reduce the chance of Type 2 Diabetes, studies prove that magnesium supplementation can aid this process as well. In this study, 4,000 people were watched for twenty years. Those with the highest magnesium intake were 47% less likely to develop diabetes.