Magnesium Is Super Duper Important For You
Magnesium is super duper important for you. While I don’t see myself giving a TedTalks with that title, it sums it up nicely and I absolutely could DO a TedTalk on Magnesium. It’s not the sexiest of minerals to talk about, in fact no one comes to me asking about magnesium which I find sad because it’s the first thing I will assess with a client's nutritional status because it’s one hoss of a mineral. With 30% of Americans being magnesium deficient it’s a pretty rampant issue if you ask me. Those are individuals looking for that particular deficiency after all.
Magnesium is a cofactor 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. Magnesium is required for energy production, oxidative phosphorylation, and glycolysis. It contributes to the structural development of bone and is required for the synthesis of DNA, RNA, and the antioxidant glutathione. Magnesium also plays a role in the active transport of calcium and potassium ions across cell membranes, a process that is important to nerve impulse conduction, muscle contraction, and normal heart rhythm. (That last paragraph I could use in my TedTalk!)
Among hundreds of other functions, magnesium is required for the active transport of other electrolytes- like calcium and potassium -across cell membranes, including those of neurons. Helping to maintain the proper electrochemical gradient is important for nerve impulse transmission in the brain.
That means magnesium status can affect the brain and central nervous system. So it may not surprise you that anxiety, agitation, depression, hyperactivity, irritability, and aggression are potential symptoms of magnesium deficiency. More severe deficiency can result in personality changes and sudden behavioral changes believed to come from excessive electrical activity in the brain.
So just supplement magnesium and all my health and mental problems go away right? Unfortunately it’s not that simple. However, it doesn’t hurt to look at magnesium intake to avoid these complications and to aid in recovery if our body is experiencing these symptoms as well.
How do you know if you’re deficient in magnesium? Well, it’s very hard to measure due to where it’s stored in the body which is mostly bones and soft tissue so it’s not going to show up on a lab test. So I find it’s best to focus on getting enough. Our best food sources are dark leafy greens and supplementation. (OMG didn’t you just die on that anti-supplement hill last week!?) Yup, I sure did. I am not here to sell you something though, I am here to educate you.
Why we need to supplement, because you likely don’t eat enough dark leafy greens in order to get the researcher recommended 500-800mg of magnesium a day. But you definitely want to eat foods with magnesium and then fill in the rest. If you google “foods with the most magnesium” you’ll likely see this list:
Pumpkin seeds
Summer squash
Sunflower seeds
Black beans
Almonds
Soymilk
Potatoes
Edamame
Brown rice
Yogurt
I prefer these options:
Spinach (157 mg per cup)
Swiss chard (151 mg per cup)
Pumpkin seeds (190 mg per ¼ cup)
Beet greens (98 mg per cup)
Summer squash (43 mg per cup)
Sunflower seeds (114 mg per cup)
Nuts and seeds, you’ll notice, appear to be good sources of magnesium. But nuts and seeds also contain phytic acid, a phosphorus-based compound which binds to minerals and inhibits their absorption. So greens are better… eat six cups a day and you’ll hit it or you can fill in what you’re missing with a supplement.
There are several effective types of magnesium to supplement but I recommend magnesium malate, magnesium gluconate, magnesium citrate, or magnesium glycinate as top choices. Magnesium oxide is more poorly absorbed, but fun fact: it makes an excellent laxative.
Have questions on supplementing/supplements or assessing your nutritional status with me? Book a nutrition session with me and we can talk more extensively or directly to your needs!
