“Magnesium is one of the main minerals in your body,” says Michelle Schofro-Cook, Ph.D., a holistic nutritionist and author. Super Power Immunity. “It’s essential for strong bones and teeth, and helps muscles relax—not only when we’re tired, which it does, but also for proper muscle movement. It’s a natural relaxant and natural anti-inflammatory, and it’s important for heart health.”
Since magnesium is a mineral that cannot be made in the body, you must get it from dietary sources, says Shofero Cook. And if your diet is short, you are at higher risk for certain health problems.
“Magnesium deficiency is associated with many disorders, including heart disease, menstrual problems, and mental disorders,” says Shofer-Kok.
Research has confirmed many benefits of this important mineral. Here are a few to note.
Supports heart health
Making sure you have the right amount of magnesium in your diet will help keep your heart healthy, reducing your risk of high blood pressure.
how so? High blood pressure can make your arteries less flexible, which reduces the flow of blood and oxygen to your heart, potentially leading to heart disease. Magnesium helps relax blood vessels.
Many studies confirm that magnesium deficiency increases your risk of heart disease. In 2022, the Food and Drug Administration agreed that “the body of scientific evidence supports a valid health claim regarding the relationship between magnesium and a reduced risk of high blood pressure in traditional foods and diets.”
Strengthens bones
Fun fact: 60% of your body’s magnesium is in your bones and helps build bone.
“Bone mineral density is the amount of mineral within the bones and is usually an indicator of bone strength,” says Schoofro Cook.
Studies have shown that men and women with high magnesium diets have higher bone mineral density. A 2021 review of studies on magnesium and bone health found that participants who took magnesium supplements had reduced bone mineral density and fracture risk.
Helps reduce depression and anxiety
Several studies have found that magnesium may help regulate mood.
A 2017 study showed that participants who received 248 milligrams of magnesium chloride per day for six weeks had significant improvements in measures of depression and anxiety symptoms. In addition, participants experienced these positive effects quickly, in just two weeks.
Researchers suspect that magnesium lowers cortisol (the stress hormone) in the body.
Improves sleep
Wang says she mixes 300 milligrams of magnesium powder in a glass of water before bed to help her relax.
Studies confirm the positive effect of magnesium on sleep quality.
High cortisol levels can cause sleep problems, and magnesium’s cortisol-lowering effect helps combat this. Magnesium also naturally increases melatonin, the hormone your body produces in response to darkness, helping us feel more relaxed and calm, which helps with sleep quality.
Activates vitamin D
Vitamin D has many benefits, including bone strength and immunity and improving heart and brain health.
But did you know that vitamin D needs magnesium to work?
This study shows that magnesium helps to activate vitamin D by helping the enzymes that metabolize vitamin D.
Helps relieve migraine headaches
Magnesium acts as a preventative and pain reliever for migraine headaches.
Studies have shown that magnesium deficiency can cause migraines. One study showed that magnesium sulfate significantly reduced migraine headache pain compared to a combination of the prescription drugs dexamethasone and metoclopramide. Magnesium also helps regulate chemicals that transmit pain.
Magnesium can also reduce the flare-ups that sometimes accompany migraines. It does this by inhibiting a brain signal wave, called cortical diffusion depression, which causes visual and sensory changes in common types of migraine aura.
You may be deficient in magnesium
Many people in modern society are at risk of magnesium deficiency, says Shofer Cook. “Food grown in mineral-deficient soils, which is the majority of our current food supply, has low levels of minerals such as magnesium. Along with our high need for minerals, we have become deficient in magnesium.”
Solution: Take a magnesium supplement and make an effort to eat a magnesium-rich diet.
Foods high in magnesium
Some foods are rich in magnesium, according to Shofero Cook:
- Blackstripe Wheat
- Seeds, including chia, flax, and pumpkin seeds
- Seafood, including fatty fish such as halibut, mackerel, salmon, and tuna, as well as oysters and scallops
- Grass fed meat
- Organic dairy products
- oil
- Brown rice
- Organic corn
Your daily magnesium needs
The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for magnesium is 400-420 mg for men, 310-320 mg for women, 350-360 mg for pregnant women, and 310-320 mg for breastfeeding women.
But this may not be enough. “The RDA for magnesium was established in 1997,” says Wang. “Since then, there have been many studies suggesting that magnesium levels should be higher.”
So how do you know if you need more magnesium?
“Blood tests only measure the amount of magnesium in the blood, which is a small percentage of the total magnesium in the body, so it’s not the best way to determine magnesium levels in the body,” says Schoofro Cook. “Because the amount of magnesium in the diet has decreased by 80 to 90 percent over the last century, there are many people who are deficient in the mineral. If someone has high blood pressure, diabetes, or a neurological disorder, they may be deficient in magnesium.”
Magnesium supplements
Since you may not get all your magnesium from food, you may want to consider taking a supplement.
After multivitamins, vitamin D, vitamin C, and calcium, magnesium is the next most purchased supplement, according to CRN’s 2023 annual survey.
While there are many types of magnesium supplements to choose from, Shofarok generally recommends magnesium glycinate, aspartate, ascorbate, or malt. “These species are highly bioavailable and appear to be well absorbed by the brain and muscles,” he says.
He recommends choosing a research-backed brand that has third-party lab testing to verify you’re actually getting what’s listed on the label and choosing non-GMO (genetically modified organisms) varieties.
side effects
“Since magnesium is part of our body, it’s very safe, but it’s still a good idea to consult with your doctor if you’re pregnant, breastfeeding, have kidney disease, or have any other serious health conditions,” says Shofro-Kook.
High doses can cause toxicity, he says, and since magnesium has a laxative effect, it can sometimes cause bowel movements or diarrhea.
Finally, he says, some medications interact with magnesium, including some statins and antibiotics. “It’s best to check with your doctor or pharmacist to see if any medications you’re taking interact with this essential mineral,” says Cook.
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