Why Supplement Form Matters
There are over 10 types of magnesium that our bodies can utilize, each with a distinct scientific name. However, all magnesium starts in its pure ionic form, which then reacts with other elements or ingredients to become stable. Unfortunately, many supplement companies add various additives that reduce its purity and use specialized terms to market their unique magnesium mixtures, often creating more confusion than innovation.
Absorption Over Quantity
When selecting the best magnesium supplement, it's essential to understand that not all magnesium forms are created equal. As Dr. Carolyn Dean often emphasizes, the key lies in choosing a magnesium that the body can absorb and utilize effectively. Many popular forms, such as magnesium oxide, may boast high elemental magnesium content, but they fall short in bioavailability and often lead to gastrointestinal discomfort. Instead, focus on supplements that provide magnesium ions directly to your cells, such as ReMag®, a picometer-sized stabilized ion of magnesium.
What To Look For In A Magnesium Supplement
What form of magnesium should you take, and how do you make the best decision for yourself? With a staggering number of different magnesium supplements available, choosing the most effective one can be daunting. To make an informed choice, consider these two important factors:
1) Ingredient Source + Purity
Many magnesium products contain compounds that are not easily absorbed or only provide a minimal amount of elemental magnesium. To ensure quality, request the manufacturer's Certificate of Analysis (COA) to verify label claims and check for heavy metal content.
2) Absorption Level
Most magnesium tablets and capsules are available in 400 mg servings, but the body can only absorb about 20% of the mineral due to their formulation. This means that while you believe you're getting 400 mg of magnesium, you're actually only absorbing around 80 mg!
What Are The Symptoms of Magnesium Deficiency?
Magnesium deficiency can be mistaken for, or determined to be a direct contributor to, multiple health disruptions that can keep you from living your best lifestyle. And it’s not extremely difficult to reverse the effects of magnesium deficiency, even in cases of severe magnesium deficiency. But it's still vital to pay attention to the signs of lacking enough magnesium in your diet early, before things move too far forward. Waiting to make a difference could create points of no return after a period of time.
Weight Fluctuations
A 2016 study in the European Journal of Clinical Nutrition supported that lack of proper magnesium levels make it harder to stabilize glucose levels, while affecting appetite and overall weight mangagement. And magnesium is essential for intermediary metabolism, and the storage and creation of energy itself.
Mental + Physical Fatigue
Everyone experiences bouts of tiredness from time to time, but periods of chronic fatigue might indicate a larger problem. And low magnesium levels have been established as a direct contributor to mental exhaustion, and commonly associated with poor sleep habits and anxious thinking patterns.
Muscle Weakness
Studies suggest that feelings of muscle weakness, or "myasthenia", could be caused in part by magnesium deficiency. And as Mg levels continue to be unavailbel, other vitamins and minerals become less effective or unable to be utilized by muscles throughout the body, including potassium and vitamin D.
Numbness or Tingling
Magnesium regulates multiple body structures, including support for nerve structure + function. And artificial or chronic magnesium deficiency could lead to tingling, numbness, and other feelings that are outside what you would normally feel like.
Mood Changes
The brain gets a lot of benefit from a consistent, balanced supply of minerals to maintain mood and optimal brain function. Low magnesium levels have been associated with an increased chance of depression and anxiety, as well as displaying what others may consider a "lack of emotion".
Heart Health Issues
In 2022, the FDA approved language in support of maintaining proper magnesium levels as part of an overall strategy to reduce blood pressure. While minor deficiency may go unnoticed, the body continues to display increasingly more serious symptoms that can escalate to a more life-threatening situation.
3 Common Causes of Magnesium Deficiency
Magnesium deficiency is a common issue influenced by several factors. Constant stress can deplete the body's magnesium reserves, while aging and associated wellness challenges naturally reduce magnesium absorption and retention. Additionally, changes in clinical requirements, such as increased needs due to medical conditions or treatments, can contribute to lower magnesium levels. Addressing these causes is essential for maintaining overall health.
1) Constant Stress
Research has shown that someone experiencing ongoing stressful situations can quickly use up magnesium reserves in the body, leaving them without enough for other important body structures to work correctly. Stress increases the amount of magnesium expelled by the body, speeding up this path to deficiency. And without supplemental magnesium, it's easy to get stuck in a cycle that is hard to recover from.
2) Aging + Wellness
Our needs continue to change as we age, including a possible increase in how our body uses magnesium. And our Bone, Brain, Heart, and other body structures' can start breaking quicker than they should be when we're being deprived of consistent magnesium supplies because of how it's utilized in the body.
3) Clinical Requirements
Our bodies have to work a little harder when illness is introduced into our wellness cycle. Andm because magnesium is important to so many bodily functions, it's easier to run out of this nutrient as things get out of balance. Healthcare professionals will often apply a magnesium protocol to support their patients' plans of care, while giving them the extra support when their bodies can use it the most.
How to Correct Magnesium Deficiency
The National Institute of Health (NIH) recommends a specific amount of magnesium per day based on your age and gender. For the majority of adults, this recommended dosage falls between 350 and 400 mg, but is often adjusted based on special cases like pregnancy or nursing. It is important to not overcompensate, or make decisions without considering how supplementation could affect your overall health goals, when starting a new magnesium supplementation plan.
Talk To Your Doctor
If you are experiencing magnesium deficiency symptoms, it’s a good idea to speak to your healthcare provider first to discuss increasing your nutrient intake using supplements. And the sooner you take action, the less likely you are to experience the more severe consequences of being magnesium deficient.
Adjust Your Diet
Eating magnesium-rich foods is a good idea when focusing on getting more natural sources of magnesium in your diet. Magnesium sources like almonds, cashews, peanuts, avocados, oatmeal, or brown rice help round out meals as sides and special ingredients. Supplementing with a high-quality magnesium formula cam help anyone fill in their nutrient gaps.
Consider Other Imbalances
Calcium, vitamin D, and other nutrients that you rely on for energy could be working differently than they would if you had enough magnesium to spare. Take the time to treat other vitamin + mineral deficiencies alongside your depleted magnesium reserves to ensure that all underlying and connected conditions are resolved.
Side Effects And Risks
Magnesium supplements are safe for most people, but might not be suitable for some people dealing with associated health conditions. Patients on certain antibiotics should avoid excessive magnesium because of how this mineral can interfere with their absorption. People with kidney ailments are the most likely to experience side effects from taking supplements because damaged kidneys having a harder time clearing high doses of magnesium, especially when given intravenously. Fortunately, most people experience mild symptoms or none at all.
This is especially true when taking magnesium citrate, magnesium carbonate, and magnesium oxide. Specially formulated liquid magnesium formulas of magnesium chloride absorb into the cells better, and tend to cause fewer laxative issues. In addition, liquid formulas are also easier to adjust dosing.
Can You Overdose From Magnesium Supplements?
Large doses of magnesium can lead to:
- Diarrhea
- Vomiting
- Nausea
- Lethargy
- High Blood Pressure
- Muscle Weakness
- Urine Retention
- Cardiac Arrest
- Respiratory Distress
While rare, there is a chance of magnesium overdose if you take too much – especially when given iv magnesium in the hospital. The Office of Dietary Supplements says that symptoms of an overdose include:
If an overdose occurs, doctors have been advised to administer intravenous calcium to reverse the effects of the magnesium mineral. IV furosemide may also be applied as part of the patient's treatment plan to help them excrete the magnesium as long as kidney function remains normal. These examples are rare and severe, but important as part of your personal education path.
Most Popular Types of Magnesium
The assigning of attributes to specifically named, or branded, forms of magnesium creates a false narrative that one magnesium type is different than another. But the research has shown that any magnesium supplement will produce the same results and effects within the body, while only being limited to its absorption rate. And pill, tablet, and powder forms of magnesium have been found to have a less efficient absorption rate than liquid magnesium supplements.
Magnesium Oxide
Magnesium oxide is the LEAST well-absorbed magnesium on earth! It’s only 4% absorbed, yet the need for magnesium is so great in the human body, it still produces benefits!Sure, it will help to give a laxative effect to those who are constipated. But it’s not going to do much for magnesium deficiency conditions, and it won’t help overcome the magnesium drain caused by medications, fluoride in the water, sweating, stress and a dozen other causes of magnesium deficiency.
Magnesium Citrate
Magnesium citrate powder is the most commonly used form of magnesium. Mixed with water, either warm or room temperature, it is better absorbed than in pill or capsule form. Many people, including the elderly, find mixing magnesium citrate powder to be quite messy and inconvenient. Additionally, magnesium citrate's absorption is about 20% of the amount you take.
Magnesium Glycinate
Magnesium chelates, like magnesium glycinate, claim to be better absorbed and while creating less laxative than inorganic magnesium compounds. But they are only magnesium compounds with an attached amino acid, while being inaccurately portrayed as mimicking what plants do to minerals. And, the absorption rate for magnesium glycinate is about 20% of the amount you take.
Magnesium threonate
Magnesium threonate, orL-throeonate, is another chelated form of magnesium that is synthetically manufactured by combining magnesium with threonic acid. Animal studies have alluded to the effectiveness of increasing magnesium levels for brain health although all magnesium supplementation have been proven to affect and support brain health.
Magnesium Chloride
Magnesium chloride is a natural occuring form of magnesium, and considered to be the most pure source available. And research has shown that magnesium chloride absorption was found to be the highest of all magnesium forms while providing absorption within the gut, where it is most bioavailable.
How Do I Know If My Magnesium Supplement Is Working?
Magnesium deficiency is common, even for people taking a supplement now. And whether it is the lack of foods you eat now, or your supplement isn't absorbing well, it is too important to your quality of lifestyle to remain nutrient-deficient. Take our online magnesium test to receive immediate results on whether you may be lacking in this core mineral.
Are you Magnesium Deficient?
A Survey To See If Your Body Is Trying To Tell You Something