Identifying The Benefits: What Is A Magnesium Supplement Good for?

Magnesium is an essential mineral that is involved in over 300 enzyme systems and basic processes. Most of the magnesium in your body is in your bones, teeth, and space between cells.

This mineral is important for our overall health, and it exerts many benefits for the human body. Although you can get some magnesium from food, 75% of Americans do not meet the basic minimum or recommended daily intake requirements. As a result, magnesium deficiency can cause suboptimal performance and health concerns.

Therefore, using magnesium supplements may help with reaching the recommended daily intake, as well as reap the benefits, including :

• Promotes better sleep 
• Boosts mood 
• Supports and promotes better cognitive function
• Boosts exercise performance
• Promotes balanced inflammatory response 
• Promotes a healthy stress response
• Supports metabolic health and weight loss in combination with exercise and diet 
• Supports heart health 
• Promotes healthy blood sugar balance and insulin response 
• Promotes healthy blood pressure levels 
• Promotes better cognitive function

Health Benefits of Magnesium

Magnesium deficiency is a common deficiency that contributes to various physical and mental health problems. Therefore, consuming magnesium supplements promotes optimal health and benefits your body in various ways. Let’s look at some of the benefits that magnesium may provide:

Promotes Better Sleep

Magnesium deficiency can contribute to sleep problems and suboptimal sleep. This lack of sleep may cause negative consequences on our body, such as the increased risk of cardiovascular diseases, obesity, cancer, etc.

Magnesium promotes better sleep quality and quantity by participating in the sleep-wake cycle. It also has a calming effect on the nervous system. It supports GABA – a neurotransmitter that calms down nerve activity making us feel relaxed.

Many clinical studies have shown that magnesium supplementation may promote healthy sleep onset in various circumstances.

In a double-randomized clinical study, 46 elderly individuals received 500 mg of magnesium for 8 weeks. There was a significant improvement in their sleep compared to the placebo group. The magnesium group fell asleep faster, stayed asleep longer, and had better sleep quality. They also produced more melatonin, a nighttime hormone involved in the sleep-wake cycle. Interestingly, sleep duration didn’t change between groups.

Looking to know how much magnesium for sleep to get a better slumber? We have the answers!

Supporting Mood and Mental Health

Magnesium plays a critical role in brain function, thus it can promote healthy mood and relaxation. Magnesium deficiency can affect our mental health by affecting brain chemistry, membrane fluidity, and inflammation. 

Some of the contributors to mental health issues include:

• Circadian rhythm (body clock) dysregulation
• Hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal (stress response) axis dysfunction or adrenal fatigue
• Dysbiosis 
• Neuroinflammation
• Nutrient deficiencies 
• Mitochondrial dysfunction and low thyroid function
• Hormonal dysregulation 
• Imbalanced neurotransmitters

While magnesium is not a cure for depression or anxiety, correcting a magnesium deficiency tends to be beneficial for mental health. This is because magnesium participates in so many biochemical reactions in the body. Here is how magnesium may support mental health and mood:

Promoting Healthy Sleep and Circadian Rhythm

Poor sleep and abnormal circadian rhythm are intertwined with mental health issues. People with mental health issues tend to either not be able to sleep, sleep too much, or can’t get restful sleep. Many studies have reported that insomnia increases depression risk. Depressed people also tend to have abnormal sleep cycles, such as changes in rapid eye movement sleep. 

Improving sleep habits and quality can be tricky for people who struggle with mental health, but it can make a big difference. As mentioned in the previous section, magnesium may promote relaxation and improve sleep quality.

Promoting a Balanced Stress Response and Improving Stress Resilience

Studies have shown a correlation between the dysfunctional stress response axis and mental health issues. Abnormal patterns of stress hormones, such as from prolonged chronic stress or major stressful life events, correlates with mental health issues. 

Magnesium is an adaptogenic mineral that promotes a balanced stress response. It reduces the sensitivity of stress hormone receptors and dampens the activity of the stress response axis. 

An Australian clinical study enrolled 77 women and 32 men with stress-induced mental health struggles. 22% of them had magnesium deficiency. Also, for 78% of them, low magnesium intake negatively correlated with poor mental health scores.

Supporting Healthy Neurotransmitter Production and Balance

Most mental health conditions involve many neurotransmitters being out of balance, and magnesium helps produce and convert many neurotransmitters. For example, low serotonin may contribute to low mood, although studies have disproven that low serotonin alone is the cause. Magnesium participates as a coenzyme in the conversion of the amino acid, tryptophan, to serotonin.. So, a magnesium deficiency may lead to low serotonin levels 

A systematic review of the effects of magnesium on mental health and stress showed that 450 mg of elemental magnesium improved mood in elderly individuals.

Also, by balancing glutamate signaling in the brain, magnesium promotes healthy relaxation responses.

Supports and Promotes Better Cognitive Function 

Magnesium is important for brain health, cognitive function, and neuroplasticity. 

1000 individuals participated in a study aiming to find a correlation between serum magnesium and cognition. The study showed there was an association between magnesium and cognitive function. Individuals with lower serum magnesium had a longer mean reaction time. This means that low magnesium levels impair cognition.

In addition, neuroplasticity influences learning and memory. The potential of the nervous system to adapt itself, functionally and structurally, in response to experience and day-to-day damages is referred to as neural plasticity. Thus, loss of neuroplasticity can impair learning and memory. Magnesium in the brain is important in modulating and controlling the opening of glutamate receptors, which is crucial for synaptic plasticity.

In a rat study, the animals consumed 604 mg (50 mg elemental magnesium) in drinking water. Baseline magnesium was determined 12 and 24 days of treatment. During the treatment, rats were given learning tasks in water, mazes, memory, and recognition. There was a gradual increase in brain magnesium. On the 24th day, magnesium increased by 7%. Learning abilities, working memory, and short and long-term memory in rats improved with the increase in brain magnesium. The data implies that increasing brain magnesium improves learning and memory by improving both short-term synaptic facilitation and long-term potentiation. 

Therefore, daily supplementation with magnesium may improve cognition, learning abilities, and memory. 

Boosts Exercise Performance 

Magnesium is important for many aspects of physical performance, including muscle function, oxygen absorption, energy generation, and electrolyte balance.

Exercise causes a redistribution of magnesium in the body to suit metabolic demands by increasing glucose availability. Marginal magnesium shortage has been shown to decrease exercise performance and amplify the negative effects of intense exercise. 

In a randomized controlled trial, healthy elderly women took 300 mg of magnesium daily for 12 weeks. The magnesium group had improved chair stand time and 4 m walking speed in the group where magnesium was administered. Magnesium supplementation, thus, boosts exercise performance. 

Furthermore, volleyball players who were given 350 mg magnesium daily had significantly better jump performance compared to the control group. 

Thus, we find that consuming magnesium supplements with energy supplements may promote better exercise performance. 

Promotes a Balanced Inflammatory Response 

Many people with low-grade and lifestyle-related inflammation are deficient in magnesium, and correcting the magnesium deficiency tends to help with the inflammation. 

Animal studies suggest that limiting magnesium intake leads to leukocyte and macrophage activation. These are cells that elicit inflammatory responses, such as releasing cytokines and inflammatory proteins. 

This inflammatory response usually follows other conditions associated with low levels of magnesium. Therefore, individuals who had poor sleep quality were given 320 mg of magnesium citrate daily for 7 weeks. The magnesium group had less C-reactive protein (CRP), an inflammation marker. This suggests that correcting a magnesium deficiency may promote a balanced inflammatory response.  

Furthermore, supplementation with 30ml of magnesium chloride reduced CRP levels in pre-diabetic people with low magnesium. 

Magnesium has provided strong evidence that it promotes immune balance benefits, and thus consuming food rich in magnesium may support a balanced inflammatory response.

Promotes a Balanced Stress Response

The “fight-or-flight” response can be triggered by stress hormones and neurotransmitters. This response keeps you attentive and awake. However, when you can’t shut it down, your body may struggle to rest, digest, and repair.

Stress hormones are released by the HPA axis. Dysregulation of the HPA axis can lead to overproduction of stress hormones and put the body in a restless state. Magnesium is involved in this pathway. It suppresses the activation of the HPA axis, thus preventing overproduction of stress hormones.

Furthemore, magnesium interacts with these neurohormones and neurotransmitters by suppressing glutamate and other activating neurotransmitters. Simultaneously, it stimulates GABA receptors, which aid in relaxation and sleep. GABA is a neurotransmitter that reduces neuronal activity, helping you feel more relaxed and tranquil.

Magnesium is helpful for people who are stressed both mentally and physically. Students who were stressed and sleep-deprived were given 250 mg of magnesium daily for four weeks, and their magnesium levels increased while their cortisol levels decreased.

Promotes a Healthy Insulin Response and Blood Sugar Control

Insulin resistance is characterized as an impaired response to insulin stimulation. This means that tissues such as muscle and liver cannot properly absorb glucose from the bloodstream.

If not addressed, insulin resistance can lead to metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes. Fortunately, insulin resistance is often reversible with diet and lifestyle. Studies have shown links between higher magnesium consumption and better insulin sensitivity. 

Magnesium plays a role in glucose metabolism. Low blood and intracellular magnesium levels have been linked to insulin resistance, reduced glucose tolerance, and decreased insulin production. Large epidemiologic studies also show that lower dietary magnesium and lower blood magnesium are linked to a higher risk of insulin resistance [R39].

Many clinical studies have shown that magnesium supplementation increased serum magnesium, improved insulin sensitivity, and improved metabolic health. 

Magnesium supplements may, thus, improve insulin response and promotes healthy blood sugar control.  

Supports Metabolic Health and Promotes Weight Loss in Combination with Exercise and Diet 

Obesity can be unhealthy and increases many cardiometabolic risk factors . Many people want to lose weight but struggle to keep it off.

Many overweight and obese people are low in magnesium. Because magnesium participates in numerous biochemical reactions, including cellular energy production, correcting this deficiency may help with weight loss.  

A meta-analysis that analyzed clinical trials of magnesium and metabolic health found that magnesium supplementation reduced:

• body weight
• body mass index (BMI)
• waist circumference
• body fat percentage
• waist-to-hip ratio

Studies in this meta-analysis used dosages of magnesium supplements ranging from 48-450 mg of magnesium, with durations from 6-24 weeks. There was a significant decrease in body weight and waist circumference, and BMI.  

However, in order to promote weight loss, magnesium supplements have to be accompanied by the right diet and exercise.

Promotes Healthy Blood Pressure 

Magnesium and calcium work together to reduce the resistance of the blood vessels, thereby promoting healthy blood pressure levels, especially in people with low magnesium.

This suggests that the best magnesium supplement promotes healthy blood pressure. 

Supports Heart Health 

Magnesium deficiency correlates with cardiovascular diseases, such as stroke, coronary heart disease, heart failure, and cardiac arrhythmia.  So, sufficient magnesium intake may promote a healthier heart and reduce cardiovascular risk. 

Magnesium is essential for energy production (ATP), which is essential for cell membrane function and activation of sodium-potassium pumps, including in the heart. Severe magnesium deficiency can compromise the work of these pumps and as a result, alter the membrane potential. This change causes arrhythmias. 

Magnesium is also a cofactor required for the proper functioning of enzymes in heart mitochondria.

A meta-analysis of clinical trials found that every 100 mg increase in magnesium intake predicted a 22% lower risk of stroke. Another study also found that magnesium intake reduced the risk of heart failure. 

While these studies are correlation, not causation, a massive pool of data and studies provided evidence that sufficient magnesium intake is important for heart health. 

Muscle Cramps, Spasms, and Soreness

Magnesium plays a crucial role in muscle function, and deficiency can cause muscle cramps, spasms, and general discomfort.

A double-blind, between-group study examined the effects of magnesium (Mg) supplementation (350 mg/day for 10 days) on muscle soreness and performance in 22 college-aged males and females.

Participants completed baseline and posttreatment bench press sessions to induce muscle soreness, followed by performance sessions 48 hours later. Muscle soreness was assessed using the Delayed Onset of Muscle Soreness (DOMS) scale at 24, 36, and 48 hours post-trial.

Magnesium significantly reduced muscle soreness (1-2 units lower on a 6-point scale) compared to the placebo group. Observable, but non-significant improvements were observed for total repetitions to failure (RTF) (p = 0.06 to 0.08). There were significant reductions in perceived exertion for the magnesium group, along with improved perceived recovery (from 5.4 ± 2.2 to 7.5 ± 2.3) compared to placebo. Magnesium supplementation significantly reduces muscle soreness, lowers perceived exertion, and improves perceived recovery [R18]  .

How to take Magnesium Supplements 

For adults, the daily recommended intake of magnesium is 300-400 mg of elemental magnesium. Magnesium supplements start to take effect around 30 minutes after ingestion. However, the dosage timing doesn’t really matter. To reap the benefits of promoting sleep we suggest taking it at night, while for other health goals, we suggest taking it during the day. 

Wondering when is it best to take magnesium supplements? Find out more from experts in the field!

Magnesium supplements can come in a variety of forms from pills to granules. All of them list their dosage as mg (milligrams), which also includes non-magnesium components, such as glycine in magnesium glycinate. Usually, elemental magnesium is only 13% to 18%. Therefore, a higher dosage is required to meet the recommended daily intake.

Magnesium Breakthrough is the best magnesium supplement because it contains 7 forms of magnesium, and only 2 capsules contain 500 mg of elemental magnesium. Therefore, taking 2 capsules a day will meet your recommended daily intake. 

If you are taking certain medications or other supplements, consult your physician to see whether you can consume magnesium supplements. However, you can usually take magnesium 2-3 hours before/after your medication.

Natural Ways to Get Magnesium 

You can also increase your magnesium intake by consuming magnesium-rich food including:

• Dark chocolate
• Avocado
• Nuts
• Tofu
• Seeds
• Whole grains
• Greens
• Bananas 
• Almonds 

Since the soil is low in magnesium, it is hard to get enough magnesium from food alone. Therefore, we suggest taking magnesium supplements in addition to eating these high-magnesium foods.

Summary  

Magnesium is a very important essential mineral that our body cannot produce, and we need to ingest it. Unfortunately, most of us can’t get enough through just food, so supplementation is necessary for optimal health. Magnesium supplements come in a variety of forms and can be taken wherever and whenever. They can be taken with or without food, in the morning or at night. With these supplements, you’ll probably experience better sleep and better stress response, and you may even lose some weight. As long as you’re consistent with them, you’ll optimize your health in no time.