Magnesium: Why It's Important & 4 Different Ways To Supplement

Okay my friends, today we are going to talk about (drum rollllllll…)

magnesium!

While I don’t typically like to pick faves in the health and wellness categories, I'd say magnesium is one specific mineral that I think deserves a LOT of attention (and is totally worth the hype).

It’s estimated that up to 60% of adults are deficient in magnesium, and this is important to address because magnesium is SO crucial for so many processes in our bodies. In fact, every single cell in your body needs it to function, so when you think about it like thaaaaaatttt — it’s definitely worth looking into.

The way magnesium  works in your body is that it’s a cofactor, or a “helper”. Simply put, magnesium helps a lot of different biochemical reactions happen in your bod— over 300 to be exact. like converting food into energy, creating proteins, maintaining genes, relaxing muscles, regulating your nervous system… truly sooooooooo many critical body functions.

So when it’s deficient, a lot of those normal (and important!) body processes can’t happen as effectively as they could with adequate magnesium levels.

To put it simply: magnesium makes things happen.

magnesium can help with:

So, while I just gave a broad “magnesium helps with nearly everything”^^ overview. Let’s get SPECIFIC.

Read this list below and see if any resonate for you. These are all benefits of magnesium! So here are some more incredible things this nutrient powerhouse helps with:

• Brain function

• Relaxation

• Sleep

• Digestion

• Muscle tension relief

• Migraine relief

• Blood pressure

• Depression

• Blood sugar levels

• Protein regulation

• Inflammation

• PMS

• Bone health

• Anxiety

Like wow okay go off, magnesium!!!!! 

as always, check with YOUR doctor before taking any supplement :)

Even though I mentioned that many of us are deficient in magnesium— before you begin taking it as a supplement make sure to check with your doctor to see if it’s something you should be taking.

Magnesium can also be a bit confusing because there are SO many forms out there that all do different things, but in the remainder of this blog post I’m going to outline four different forms of magnesium that I use and really enjoy. So let’s get into it!

1) sipping a tasty magnesium beverage before bed

if you’ve been following along for a while, you’ll know I LOVE the Magnesi-Om supplement from Moon Juice!

This is a berry-flavored drink that I have each evening before bed to help with relaxation and sleep. It’s delicious and made with clean ingredients — I LOVE this. Not to mention, some studies have shown that magnesium forms that dilute in water are more bioavailable by the gut (sources linked at bottom of source).

I would say I have this 5ish nights per week, and I truly look forward to it. To romanticize the moment, I will usually take a small spoonful of the magnesium mixture, mix it in a cozy mug or in a wine glass, and sip it slowly the hour or so before bed. It’s tasty, and eaaaases my mind. I truly notice a difference in my sleep quality on the nights I have it versus don’t. (also, to those curious. Yes, I have tried the ever-popular “calm” brand magnesium drink, and I definitely prefer this moon juice mixture as my magnesium drink! both from a taste & quality perspective!)

As I just mentioned, different forms of magnesium act differently in the body. In this particular magnesium blend it contains multiple forms (gluconate, acetyl taurinate and citrate) — one form of it helps with relaxation and sleep and muscle tension, one with brain function, and one helps with digestion.

So all three of these are working in your body when you take this. You just take a scoop, mix it in water, and have it before bed. I’ve tried a lot of magnesium powders and this is my favorite in terms of taste and function, and I genuinely sleep better on the nights I have this. Could not recommend more highly!

2) magnesium flakes in the bath

One of my favorite ways to boost my magnesium is to soak in it by putting magnesium flakes in my bath. (This is different from epsom salts btw! Epsom salts are magnesium sulfate and these flakes are magnesium chloride, which is more bioavailable so the body uses it more effectively.)

This is a more gentle way to expose your body to magnesium because it’s pretty diluted, and magnesium in this form helps with skin health, relaxes muscle tension, and promotes relaxation. So I’ll put a scoop in the bath with me, especially after a hard workout or if I’m wanting to recover, have muscle tension, or feel wound up before bedtime.

You know I’m a self-proclaimed bath queen, so I am all about this form of magnesium. Ahhhhhhhhhhhh. 

3) magnesium spray on my feet

So this one is a topical magnesium spray that I’ll use before bed to help with sleep and muscle tension. I probably do this once or twice per week like if I’m sore or if I’m kind of just wired before bed or if I didn’t drink my moon juice / didn’t take a magnesium bath. I also use this when traveling to promote healthy sleep if the jet lag is keeping me awake!.

This one is SUPER easy & takes zero time.

How to use: just spritz a few sprays of this magnesium solution on the soles of my feet and massage it in. We absorb soooooo much through our skin, so this is just kind of a topical application of magnesium chloride. It’s really efficient – just spritz spritz and you’re good to go.

If you’re thinking like, “really…a spray can help me that much, Kate?” The answer is yes. It makes SUCH a difference.

4) real food sources (duh!)

You know me— I’m all about SIMPLIFYING wellness. And while a supplemental magnesium source like the 3 options above^^ is GREAT, I’m always about getting magnesium or really any nutrient from a whole food source.

Incorporating whole, nourishing foods that are rich in magnesium is a great way to target and add a little magnesium through your food choices.

So some good examples of food sources of magnesium are:

• Pumpkin seeds

• Chia seeds

• Spinach

• Almonds

• Cashews

• Black beans

• Edamame

• Peanut butter

• Brown rice

This one is pretty straightforward, but just mix some real whole food sources of magnesium into your diet! Your body will thank ya :)

magnesium can be SUCH a game changer

So there you have it! As always, check with your doctor before taking any magnesium supplements. What I personally do may not be the right option for you!

I also encourage you to start small with these magnesium supplements— some forms of magnesium can stimulate the gastrointestinal system! Whichmeans, some people can get stomach upset/diarrhea when introducing magnesium. So, listen to YOUR body, work with YOUR doctor, and start small!

Because, while i LOVE all of these options above— I don’t do all of these things every day but more so just rotate through them as my little arsenal of magnesium to make sure that I am keeping a good amount of this crucial nutrient in my body so it can do all of the important work it does.

From skin health to digestion, from energy to mood, from cognitive function to muscle tension, magnesium is one thing that plays SO many roles, and supplementing it can have a huge impact on your health.

Hope this was helpful!
Kate

SOURCES:

Rude RK. Magnesium. In: Coates PM, Betz JM, Blackman MR, Cragg GM, Levine M, Moss J, White JD, eds. Encyclopedia of Dietary Supplements. 2nd ed. New York, NY: Informa Healthcare; 2010:527-37.

Ranade VV, Somberg JC. Bioavailability and pharmacokinetics of magnesium after administration of magnesium salts to humans. Am J Ther 2001;8:345-57. [PubMed abstract]