The Miracle Mineral

If you’ve been hearing a lot about magnesium lately, it’s for good reason. Research suggests that up to two-thirds of Americans are deficient in magnesium. As a result, the majority of people can benefit from supplementing with the right type of magnesium.

Magnesium is the fourth most abundant mineral in your body and the catalyst for over 600 chemical reactions. It plays a role in detoxification, digestion, energy production, stress management, and even our heart rhythm!

I call this the miracle mineral because of the wide range of health benefits that it provides. Here are 7 of my favorites:

• Get Strong Bones

  • One of the benefits of magnesium is it is involved in bone formation. It guards against bone loss, bone breaks, and the bone-thinning disease, osteoporosis. The mineral affects levels of parathyroid hormone and vitamin D, two other critical players for maintaining bone health. Adequate magnesium intake is associated with higher bone density in both men and women.

• Inflammation Fighter

  • Inflammation is a normal response in the body that facilitates healing, but it can be harmful when it occurs in excess or at inappropriate times. Chronic inflammation has been linked to conditions like arthritis, heart disease, and diabetes. Results of studies suggest that low magnesium levels are associated with higher levels of inflammation. Getting adequate magnesium is one way to decrease inflammation and help reduce the risk of chronic conditions.

• Protect Heart Health

  • Magnesium is necessary for the proper function of the heart. Adequate magnesium levels decrease the risk of heart disease, heart attack, and dangerous heart rhythms (arrhythmia). Magnesium benefits blood vessel walls by relaxing them, which then leads to lower blood pressure. It may even help boost "good" HDL cholesterol levels.

• Relieving Migraines

  • Low levels of magnesium are linked to the release of brain chemicals (neurotransmitters) and constriction of blood vessels in the brain that trigger migraines. Getting adequate magnesium may help reduce the frequency of debilitating migraines by an average of just a little more than 40 percent.

• Ward Off Diabetes

  • Magnesium serves an important role in processing energy in the body. People who have low levels of the mineral are more likely to suffer from type 2 diabetes than those who have normal levels. People who have type 2 diabetes also lose more magnesium in their urine, leading to further potential problems with blood sugar control. Magnesium assists the function of insulin, the hormone that regulates blood sugar levels. Load up on nuts, leafy greens, and other magnesium-rich foods to keep your blood levels of this mineral high.

• Better Sleep and Mood

  • If you aren’t able to fall asleep or stay asleep, or both, your mood and energy are affected. Magnesium has been shown to improve falling asleep faster and staying asleep longer. You can take a supplement or even soaking your feet in a tub of hot water with Epsom salt will allow your skin to soak up the magnesium, relax your muscles and help you into dream land.

• Reducing Stress Hormones

  • Excess levels of the primary stress hormone cortisol contribute to anxiety, brain fog, depression, mood swings, memory loss, dementia, concentration problems, insomnia, and mental disorders of all kinds.

    Magnesium restricts the release of cortisol and acts as a filter to prevent them from entering the brain. 

    Carolyn Dean, MD, ND, author of the perennial bestseller The Magnesium Miracle, has found magnesium deficiency to be a major contributor to anxiety and panic attacks.

Why Use Magnesium Supplements?

Soil degradation has dramatically decreased the nutrient-density of our food. Magnesium is predominantly found in leafy greens, nuts, avocados, and chocolate. Even if you’re eating plenty of spinach and pumpkin seeds, you’d still likely be low in magnesium. This was the case for me. On routine blood tests, my magnesium was always low despite eating leafy greens daily.

Another thing that impacts your magnesium levels is your body’s demand for it. Stress, drinking coffee, and pregnancy deplete magnesium. As you might have guessed, this means women are much more prone to magnesium deficiency.

As a final hit, research shows that only 30% to 40% of the dietary magnesium we consume is actually absorbed in the body. So, even if you track your magnesium intake, you are only absorbing about half of that.

Magnesium supplementation is incredibly important because your body can’t make it or store it. But, this is where things get confusing. Most people start looking for a quality magnesium supplement only to find there are many different types of magnesium. If you’re wondering about the benefits of each type of magnesium and which one is right for you—you’re in the right place!

Quality matters when it comes to the different types of magnesium supplements. It’s important to choose a magnesium supplement that supplies your body with sufficient magnesium in an easily absorbable form.

Studies show certain types of magnesium, including magnesium oxide and magnesium sulfate, are less bioavailable, which means they are poorly absorbed by the body. The best way to make sure you are supplementing with magnesium that is bioavailable is to take a chelated magnesium supplement.

Magnesium is a highly reactive mineral. When elemental magnesium is chelated, it is bound to a carrier by two or more points of attachment. This makes it more stable and better absorbed by the body. Different types of magnesium can be chelated or not.

8 Types of Magnesium & Their Benefits

Magnesium Citrate: For Digestion - Magnesium citrate is one of the most researched types of magnesium. It’s typically recommended for stress relief and digestion support. It is bound to citric acid, which makes it highly absorbable. As a word of caution, this one does have a laxative effect when taken in high doses. Start with a smaller dose, and then adjust as needed. If it’s too much for you, taper it back down.

Magnesium Glycinate: For Mood and Sleep - Magnesium glycinate is bound to the amino acid glycine. It’s often used to help with insomnia and stress relief. Daily magnesium glycinate intake has been shown to provide "rapid recovery for mood disorders” like depression. Also, it rarely has any sort of laxative effect.

Magnesium L-threonate: For Cognitive Function - Magnesium L-threonate is highly bioavailable and one of the only types of magnesium that can pass the blood brain barrier. Preliminary research suggests regular supplementation with magnesium L-threonate can improve overall cognitive function, memory and prevent dementia.

Magnesium Malate: For Fibromyalgia and Muscle Pain - Magnesium malate is formed by combining magnesium with malic acid. Supplementation with magnesium malate can improve muscle tenderness and pain associated with fibromyalgia. Research also suggests magnesium malate is more bioavailable than other magnesium compounds.

Magnesium Taurate: For Heart Health - Magnesium taurate is bound to the amino acid taurine, which is known for its ability to lower blood pressure and protect heart muscle cells. Because magnesium is also known for its heart-protective properties, research suggests magnesium taurate may have considerable potential as a vascular-protective nutritional supplement. Also, it may be used to treat acute heart attacks and pre-eclampsia.

Unfortunately, there has been little to no research on the bioavailability of magnesium taurate or its effectiveness in improving heart health. Because of this, I recommend sticking with a magnesium combo supplement that contains magnesium taurate or choosing other bioavailable types of magnesium.

Magnesium chloride: For Stress & To Relax Muscles - Because magnesium can be absorbed transdermally (through your skin), topical application is a great option. Try using magnesium chloride bath flakes for stress relief, muscle recovery, and joint pain. You can also try magnesium oil products.

Magnesium sulfate: For Muscle Soreness - Have you ever taken an epsom salt bath? That’s actually magnesium sulfate. This is another type of magnesium that is great for joint pain, relaxation, and muscle soreness. For athletes, this is an especially excellent source of magnesium.

Magnesium Oxide: For Constipation - Magnesium oxide has much lower levels of bioavailability when compared to other types of magnesium. In general, it’s a terrible option if you’re looking to raise magnesium levels in the body. So, what’s it good for? Treating constipation. Magnesium oxide is the active ingredient in milk of magnesia, which has a laxative effective.

While eight may seem like a lot, there are actually other forms of magnesium on the market, including magnesium orotate and magnesium aspartate. If you don’t see it in the list above, it’s because there is little to no scientific research on bioavailability or safety. Stick with the list above, and you’ll find a magnesium supplement that works for you.