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Like protein, creatine, and vitamin D, magnesium is one of the few nutrients that has gained the momentum to escape health circles and regularly make the rounds in broad conversation—and not unnecessarily. “The importance of magnesium cannot be overstated,” says J. Rand Baggesen, MD, founder and medical director of Executive Health Group.
While magnesium comes up in podcasts in terms of improving sleep or supporting healthy muscle function, the mineral actually plays an important, far-reaching role in all kinds of bodily functions in the nervous, endocrine, cardiovascular and muscular systems, says Daniel Chavez, from regulating blood sugar to repairing DNA. “You can really go so far as to say magnesium supports every function in the body,” says Laura Purdy, MD, MBA, founder and CEO of South Medical.
You get the picture: magnesium is a big deal. However, experts explained GQ That magnesium intake is really far from the list of things you are likely to have on yourself. Here’s why.
You probably already get enough magnesium through your diet.
“Most people are not magnesium deficient,” says Dr. Purdy. For one, nutrients are relatively abundant in most modern diets. “Magnesium is found in all kinds of foods, whether it’s grains, fruits, vegetables, fish—just about anything you can find to eat in nature, it’s going to have some form of magnesium in it,” he says.
Furthermore, magnesium isn’t the kind of nutrient you need to bombard your system with every day to reap the benefits—unlike, for example, protein. “Because it’s such an important substance, your body does a good job of storing it,” says Dr. Purdy. “It’s absorbed in the gut and stored in the bone marrow. So if you have a period where you might not be eating as much, you still have some magnesium to draw from.”
Magnesium supplements can be helpful – in certain cases.
While magnesium is undoubtedly an important factor in supporting sleep, muscle function, and mood—the kinds of things people look for quick fixes—it’s not something you want to throw at a specific problem. As mentioned, you’re probably already getting enough through your diet, but overdoing it could be potentially harmful, Dr. Purdy says, given magnesium’s wide-ranging effects throughout the body.
“With magnesium, definitely not too much,” says Dr. Purdy, who advises those using magnesium supplements to stay close to the recommended daily value, unless directed by a doctor. (The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements recommends that healthy adult men aim for 400-420 mg of magnesium per day.) “The goal of the Recommended Daily Value is that it has been tested and studied to know that you will be safe and healthy eating this amount.” He says.
If it seems like your diet might be lacking in the magnesium department (an assessment best left to your doctor, with the help of a red blood cell analysis), supplements are an easy way to fill in any gaps.
“We lose magnesium through sweat and stress,” says Brittany Michels, MS, RDN, LDN, CPT, a registered dietitian at The Vitamin Shoppe. “Athletes in particular, especially those with high sweat rates, are prone to magnesium deficiency.” If you play sports or lead a particularly active lifestyle (exercise, weekend warrior), muscle pain and insomnia are the most common symptoms you may experience if you fall short of your recommended daily intake. Of course, these are also signs of dehydration, so maybe start by making sure you’re drinking enough water before reaching for a magnesium supplement.
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