Will you add magnesium to your routine if you know its benefits?
Known for its amazing properties, this supplement is more than just a supplement. It can have plenty of benefits for our bodies, and it’s highly recommended by doctors for anybody who aims to live a healthy life.
For those who prefer a more scientific explanation, magnesium is a mineral that is involved in several bodily functions, such as energy production, muscle and nerve function, DNA synthesis, and mineral absorption. The bones contain more than half of the body’s magnesium, with soft tissue containing the remaining portion.
Since the human body doesn’t produce magnesium naturally, you will need to consume it through your diet or with supplements.
The worrying part is that half of people in the U.S. don’t manage to get their daily dose of magnesium from food. That’s why supplementing is needed! In today’s article, we will approach this topic and see why it’s necessary to add magnesium to your routine.
Strengthen the bones
If you want to have strong bones you must add magnesium to your routine. Why? Well, magnesium plays a role in both bone growth and bone strength regulation. Low magnesium levels have been linked to an increased risk of osteoporosis and osteopenia in many studies.
Particularly in older and postmenopausal women, magnesium helps lower the risk of osteoporosis and bone fractures. According to one study, postmenopausal women who took 290 mg of magnesium supplements every day experienced less bone loss and turnover. Ideally, ask your doctor before taking supplements, because they know better what suits your condition.
Constipation
Many people overlook the ingredients in laxatives, but the main ingredient is magnesium. Constipation is frequently treated with a variety of magnesium salts, such as citrate, hydroxide, oxide, and sulfate. Magnesium should only be taken as needed to treat constipation and with a full 8-ounce glass of water to prevent negative side effects.
Depending on symptom response and adverse effects, a starting magnesium dosage of 400–500 mg daily is advised for constipation.
Migraines
Did you know that over 37 million Americans live with this difficult neurological condition, making daily life challenging for most of them? But magnesium is here to help in this matter. According to certain medical associations, magnesium therapy appears to be a good way to avoid migraines. It should only be taken under a doctor’s supervision because the therapeutic dose is typically higher than the recommended limit for magnesium.
Reduces muscle cramps
Muscle cramps are awful to bear with, especially if they come at an inappropriate time. However, if you add magnesium to your routine, you might notice an improvement in this matter, especially if you’re dealing with muscle cramps regularly.
Because it controls muscle contractions and helps avoid cramps and spasms, magnesium is essential for healthy muscle function. It ensures appropriate relaxation following contraction by balancing the calcium levels in muscle tissues.
Better sleep
Are you dealing with insomnia and you have a hard time falling asleep? Then it’s time to add magnesium to your routine. Recently, magnesium has gained popularity as a supplement to help people of all ages sleep better. Despite conflicting research findings, the mineral can support the maintenance of circadian rhythm and sleep quality.
According to some research, magnesium may help with many sleep-related issues, including snoring, daytime drowsiness, falling asleep time, length of sleep, and nighttime awakenings. It may not work as well as melatonin, but taking them both before your bedtime can be very helpful.
Promotes heart health
Magnesium may help control and treat a range of heart disease symptoms. It can help lower blood pressure because it widens blood vessels, which is known as vasodilation. Lowering your blood pressure can help lower your risk of stroke and heart disease.
Magnesium only slightly lowers blood pressure, according to research. Participants experienced a diastolic blood pressure reduction of roughly 2.2 mmHg (millimeters of mercury) for magnesium dosages ranging from 243 to 973 mg daily.
While taking magnesium alone is unlikely to produce a significant change, people with high blood pressure (hypertension) may benefit from taking it in combination with other blood pressure-lowering medications.
While it won’t miraculously cure serious health issues associated with heart disease, if you add magnesium to your routine, it will help lower blood pressure and keep your heart safe from any unwanted incidents like strokes.
Gives you more energy
Another reason to add magnesium to your routine is because it can give you more energy. The synthesis of ATP (adenosine triphosphate), the cell’s energy currency, requires magnesium. For the enzymes that transform food into usable energy, this mineral serves as a cofactor.
Fatigue and decreased physical performance result from the body’s inability to properly metabolize fats and carbohydrates when magnesium levels are low. Magnesium supports everyday activities and increases stamina by maximizing energy production at the cellular level. If your job or your life requires you to live at a faster pace and be in motion most of the time, it’s recommended to add magnesium to your routine.
Reduces stress and anxiety
Nowadays everyone is stressed, and very few people manage to find the key to a balanced life. What do you do when life becomes unbearable and too stressful? While going to therapy is recommended, not everybody can afford therapy sessions.
Magnesium has the potential to alleviate symptoms of depression by positively influencing the brain’s chemical messengers. Low magnesium levels have been linked in numerous studies to conditions like autism spectrum disorder, schizophrenia, and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
This supplement also promotes improved cognitive function by reducing exhaustion and brain fog. It may offer extra protection against diseases like dementia and Alzheimer’s due to its function in lowering inflammation in the brain.
Besides having a ton of benefits, it may bring the exact opposite if you take too much magnesium per day…
As with any other supplements, magnesium has a daily dose that should be respected strictly! Except for magnesium which is naturally present in food, the daily maximum for all adults in dietary supplements and medications is 350 mg. You should not take more magnesium than this amount unless your doctor advises you to prevent negative side effects.
An excessive intake of magnesium can cause cardiac arrest, irregular heartbeat, nausea, diarrhea, and abdominal pain. Individuals with kidney disease are more likely to experience adverse effects.
If you take one of these medications, don’t take magnesium without consulting with your doctor:
Antibiotics, for example, shouldn’t be taken together with other supplements, especially magnesium. This is because magnesium can reduce the body’s absorption of some antibiotics, including ciprofloxacin and doxycycline. Antibiotics should be taken two hours before or four to six hours after taking a magnesium supplement.
Excessive zinc intake can affect how well your body absorbs magnesium; So if you are planning to take both, we recommend talking to your doctor before. Last but not least, diuretics like Aldactone (spironolactone) can help keep magnesium from being lost in your urine. But if you mix this diuretic with a magnesium supplement, it could cause your magnesium levels to get too high.
With so many health benefits would be a pity not to add magnesium to your routine!
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