12 Evidence-Based Health Benefits of Magnesium
Magnesium can help improve your mood, sleep, exercise performance, blood sugar regulation, and more. You can get it from supplements and in certain foods like nuts and leafy greens.
From regulating blood sugar levels to boosting athletic performance, magnesium is crucial for your brain and body.Yet, although it’s found in various foods ranging from leafy greens to nuts, seeds, and beans, many people don’t get enough in their diet.
Here are 12 evidence-based health benefits of magnesium and some simple ways to increase your intake.
1. Involved in hundreds of biochemical reactions in your body
Magnesium is found throughout your body. Every cell in your body contains this mineral and needs it to function.About 60% of the magnesium in your body occurs in bone, while the rest is in muscles, soft tissues, and fluids, including blood.
One of its main roles is to act as a cofactor — a helper molecule — in the biochemical reactions continuously performed by enzymes. It’s involved in more than 600 reactions in your body, including:
Energy creation: converting food into energy
Protein formation: creating new proteins from amino acids
Gene maintenance: helping create and repair DNA and RNA
Muscle movements: aiding in muscle contraction and relaxation
Nervous system regulation: regulating neurotransmitters, which send messages throughout your brain and nervous system
Nonetheless, studies suggest that approximately 50% of U. S. adults get less than the recommended daily amount of magnesium.Summary
Magnesium supports hundreds of chemical reactions in your body. However, many people get less than they need.
2. May boost exercise performance
You may need more magnesium during exercise than when you’re resting, depending on the activity.Magnesium helps move blood sugar into your muscles and dispose of lactate, which can build up during exercise and cause fatigue.
Studies show magnesium supplements may be particularly beneficial for improving exercise performance in older adults and those with a deficiency in this nutrient.
One older study of 2,570 women associated higher magnesium intake with increased muscle mass and power.
In a 2019 study, professional male cyclists players who took 400 mg of magnesium per day for 3 weeks experienced improvements in muscle recovery and protection from muscle damage following a strenuous race, compared to cyclists taking a placebo.
However, more studies are needed, as some research suggests that supplementing doesn’t help athletes or active people with adequate magnesium levels.
Summary
Magnesium supplements have been shown to enhance exercise performance in several studies, but results are mixed.
3. May combat depression
Magnesium plays a critical role in brain function and mood; low levels are linked to an increased risk of depression.A 2020 review suggested that stress may deplete magnesium, increasing susceptibility to stress and depression.
What’s more, supplementing with this mineral may help reduce symptoms of depression.
In one small 8-week study, taking 500 mg of magnesium daily led to significant improvements in symptoms of depression in people with a deficiency in this mineral.
Plus, a 6-week study in 126 people showed that taking 248 mg of magnesium per day decreased symptoms of depression and anxiety, regardless of magnesium status.
Summary
Magnesium deficiency may be linked to depression. As such, supplementing may help reduce symptoms of depression.
4. May support healthy blood sugar levels
Studies suggest that about 48% of people with type 2 diabetes have low blood levels of magnesium, which may impair the body’s ability to regulate blood sugar levels effectively.Additionally, research indicates that people who consume more magnesium have a lower risk of type 2 diabetes.
According to one review, magnesium supplements help enhance insulin sensitivity, a key factor in blood sugar control.
Another review reported that magnesium supplements improved blood sugar levels and insulin sensitivity in people at risk for type 2 diabetes.
Summary
Magnesium supplements may improve blood sugar levels, insulin sensitivity, and other risk factors for type 2 diabetes.
5. May promote heart health
Magnesium plays an important role in keeping your heart healthy and strong.A 2021 review shows that magnesium supplements can help lower high blood pressure levels, which may be a risk factor for heart disease.
Another review linked high magnesium intake to a lower risk of heart disease, stroke, and high blood pressure.
What’s more, one review found that magnesium supplements improved multiple risk factors for heart disease, including triglyceride, LDL (bad) cholesterol, HDL (good) cholesterol, and systolic blood pressure levels, especially in people with a magnesium deficiency.
However, more research is needed, as other research has found no effect of magnesium on cholesterol or triglyceride levels.
Summary
Magnesium may help lower blood pressure levels and reduce several risk factors for heart disease. Still, more research is needed.
6. Boasts anti-inflammatory benefits
Low magnesium intake is linked to increased levels of inflammation, which plays a crucial role in aging and chronic disease.One review of 11 studies concluded that magnesium supplements decreased levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker of inflammation, in people with chronic inflammation.
Other studies report similar findings, showing that magnesium supplements may reduce CRP and other markers of inflammation, such as interleukin-6.
Furthermore, some research ties magnesium deficiency to increased oxidative stress, which is related to inflammation.
Summary
Magnesium has been shown to help fight inflammation by reducing markers such as CRP and interleukin-6.
Most Helpful Opinions
"Magnesium is a co-factor in more than 300 enzyme systems that regulate diverse biochemical reactions in the body, including protein synthesis, muscle and nerve function, blood glucose control, and blood pressure regulation [1-3]. Magnesium is required for energy production, oxidative phosphorylation, and glycolysis."
My wife sometimes gets muscle cramps in her legs and taking magnesium seems to prevent them.
"Magnesium is one of the minerals required by human body for nerve transmission and muscle contraction, with putative benefits for musculoskeletal health, and its oral supplementation is marketed as over-the-counter prophylaxis for muscle cramp."
It's one of the vitamins and minerals I take every morning.
Magnesium, potassium and sodium are all linked together and randomly increasing your magnesium causes your levels of potassium and sodium to fluctuate. Most likely for the worse, not for the better. I would take magnesium supplements only after getting some blood work done if it's confirmed that I had a deficiency.
Helps with so many things. like pain, i was told by a pharmacy for severe period cramps, to take those pills. On first pill, made me very very shaky with a fast heart beat that lasted for hours. Then pharmacy told me, am allerigic. I can have it in food/drink form though.
What Girls & Guys Said
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I tried them once and they made me really sick after the second pill.
It's not good to be using processed vitamins it's terrible for you. Read the labels and see the ingredients and look them up. Get your vitamins from fresh fruit and vegetables. Beans have tons of magnesium if your low on it eat beans for dinner for a few days.
Your body need magnesium. Most people are very deficit in magnesium in their body which causes a lot of problem, one being a big factor is obviously health and mental health as well. You could take some pills for it or just cook meat and eat vegetable to get it or squeeze some lime and lemon into your water. Salt also have it but don't get table salt since they have a lot of processed shit in it that's bad for you so get some sea salt it's more natural
i don't wanna sound like i'm making fun of you but obviously the benefit is that they give you magnesium... so if you don't already have enough of that in your system, it can remedy a deficiency but if you do, they can actually create health problems.
It maintains muscle, nerve function, makes proteins, and bones, so it helps maintain/retain my chassis.
They can help you get the required amount of magnesium, if you are not getting enough from your regular food.
To relax your muscle and help with sleep too (magnesium glycinate)
I’m microdosing them so I can take less adderrall. It’s strengthens the effects of my adderral prescription.
Beneficial if you are taking the right kind. Didn't forms of magnesium do different things for your body.
not worth the price get from food
Loose stools. Have to be careful with this.
I find it helps me stay asleep
Improves bone strength
Smellier farts
Watching.
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