Magnesium – The Anti-Stress Mineral

Magnesium is a mineral we cannot live without. Without magnesium our body would not be able to produce energy at all. And without energy there is no life.

So magnesium is essential to our energy metabolism. There is a close link between the blood sugar level and the magnesium level in the body. Magnesium keeps the hormone insulin working properly so that sugar — that is, energy — can pass from the blood into the cells and be used to supply energy. A magnesium deficiency therefore also raises the risk of developing type 2 diabetes.

Normal muscle function would not be possible without magnesium either. It helps muscle and nerve cells relax, which prevents muscle cramps. Magnesium eases cramping and dilates the blood vessels, which improves circulation, allowing the muscles to relax. Magnesium regulates muscle contraction, which matters not only for the muscles but for the heart as well, keeping the heart rhythm steady.

Magnesium regulates more than 300 (known) biochemical reactions as a cofactor of enzymes and is therefore essential to a well-functioning metabolism. Without these enzymes our body can neither process nor absorb vitamins or minerals.

Magnesium is also involved in the metabolism of calcium, potassium, phosphorus, zinc, copper, iron, sodium, lead, acetylcholine, several acids, oxide and many enzymes. That makes it essential for establishing a healthy balance of minerals and electrolytes in the body. Many vital nutrients cannot work at all without magnesium.

Magnesium also plays an important part in carbohydrate, protein and fat metabolism. That makes it a very important mineral for clearing up weight problems. In fact magnesium is involved in every process in the body that uses energy.

Magnesium also plays an important part in how muscles and nerves work together. It is essential for the transmission of nerve impulses and helps with the regulation of neurotransmitters. Magnesium also prevents aluminium from entering the brain.

Not least, magnesium is an important part of bone building, and a significant share of the body's magnesium actually sits in our bones. It contributes to bone strength and density and works together with calcium and vitamin D.

More on how magnesium works in our body:

• activates enzymes
• is important for DNA synthesis (producing proteins and reproducing cells)
• is involved in RNA production (the body uses RNA to decode DNA, among other things)
• is essential to the electrical stability of excitable cells
• can have a positive effect on cholesterol levels
• counteracts calcification of the blood vessels, joint stiffness, osteoporosis, poor dental health,
• impotence, cancer and diabetes
• without magnesium our body could not produce proteins of its own
• magnesium is important for the release of hormones and messenger substances
• and magnesium can counteract the body's ageing process
• supports the work of antioxidants

So magnesium:

• reduces stress
• relaxes
• counteracts muscle cramps
• calms the nervous system
• promotes sleep
• steadies the mood
• improves circulation
• strengthens and stabilises the bones
• supports bone growth
• dilates the blood vessels
• lowers blood pressure
• mineralises bones and teeth
• helps sugar move into the cells and so regulates blood sugar
• counteracts cardiac arrhythmia
• supports fat burning
• improves brain function and supports learning and memory
• protects the cells
• protects DNA
• supports cell division
• and according to studies magnesium also lowers the risk of cancer

Magnesium is the anti-stress mineral par excellence. That is because magnesium regulates the stress hormones cortisol and adrenaline by making sure less of them is released. Stress in turn uses up more magnesium, so you need more of it.

Because it lowers the stress hormones and brings relaxation, it also leads to healthy, restful sleep. A magnesium deficiency can be behind sleep problems and restlessness. For the best effect on sleep, take magnesium 1.5 hours before going to bed.

Magnesium is a building block for the happiness hormone serotonin and so brings calm and relaxation. That makes it helpful against low mood as well.

Magnesium can also measurably lower the concentration of known markers of inflammation in the body and therefore has an anti-inflammatory effect.

The list could go on. But I think you now have a sense of how important this mineral is for us.

Because magnesium is so important for many functions in our body, a shortage of it can affect many bodily functions too.

Signs of a magnesium deficiency can include:

• tension
• cramps (in the calves, for example)
• muscle twitching
• restless legs syndrome
• tingling fingers

A magnesium deficiency affects the cardiovascular system too:

• a weak heart muscle
• cardiac arrhythmia
• a racing heart
• a feeling of pressure in the chest
• high blood pressure

In the nervous system and the mind it can lead to:

• tiredness or exhaustion
• low mood
• migraine or headaches
• dizziness
• feelings of anxiety
• susceptibility to stress
• nervousness and restlessness
• and disturbed sleep

A magnesium deficiency can also affect the gastrointestinal tract, with constipation or diarrhoea and also with cramps in the stomach and bowel area. Kidney stones and bladder stones can also be a sign of too little magnesium in the body.

In women, a magnesium deficiency can lead to premature uterine contractions during pregnancy and to more severe period pain. Hair loss is not uncommonly a consequence of demineralisation in the body, particularly in the scalp.

A magnesium deficiency is also often linked to osteoporosis (because when blood magnesium runs low, magnesium is drawn out of the bones), to diabetes, to metabolic syndrome, to diseases of the heart, to a weak immune system, cancer, asthma, epilepsy, depression and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

Clearly, if you want to improve your vitality and health, a good magnesium supply is indispensable.

For one thing, it can of course come from taking in too little magnesium through food. That happens through a poor, one-sided diet and/or through falling magnesium levels in our food.

Certain medicines lower magnesium uptake as well. In a great many people the bowel absorbs too little magnesium because of a disturbed gut flora, bowel disease and so on. Stress uses up a lot of magnesium and therefore encourages a magnesium deficiency.

Drinking things high in phosphate, such as cola, also sharply reduces magnesium uptake. A magnesium deficiency can also be caused by vitamin C deficiency.

Magnesium acts as a regulator and modulator for the absorption of calcium into the cells, which is why calcium should only ever be taken together with magnesium.

An unbalanced calcium-to-magnesium ratio can bring on a magnesium deficiency, because magnesium uptake is disturbed by an excessive intake of protein and milk sugar, and with it too much calcium. The ideal calcium-to-magnesium ratio should be 2:1. In milk, for example, it is 10:1, and in cheese 30:1.

Broadly speaking, the magnesium requirement rises with:

• stress
• drinking alcohol
• smoking
• exercise
• pregnancy
• high oestrogen levels
• low progesterone
• vitamin B1 deficiency
• vitamin B6 deficiency
• vitamin C deficiency
• taking certain medicines
• an overactive thyroid
• an unfavourable calcium-to-magnesium ratio in the diet
• over-acidification of the body
• a disturbed gut flora
• illness

If a blood test shows your magnesium level to be within the normal range, that does not necessarily mean your overall magnesium status is adequate. These tests only measure outside the cells and say nothing about the level inside your cells, your tissues and your bones.

Because magnesium is essential to so many metabolic processes, a lot of it is used up every day, and we need a fresh supply daily — we cannot produce it ourselves.

Our body contains around 25 grams of magnesium. 95% of it sits inside the cells — more precisely, 50-70% is stored in the skeleton, around 28% in the muscles and the rest in soft tissue. 5% is found in the fluid outside the cells. Just under 1% is in the blood serum.

There are various magnesium compounds, and some suit particular purposes better than others. It is of course generally advisable to get magnesium from natural sources such as organic food. These days that is not always enough to cover the requirement.

Particularly rich in magnesium are:

• nuts and seeds: sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, sesame seeds, almonds, cashews
• wholegrain foods: wholegrain rice, millet, oats, quinoa, wholegrain bread
• fruit: bananas, kiwi, avocados
• berries: blackberries, strawberries, raspberries
• pulses: black beans, lentils, chickpeas, peas
• vegetables: broccoli, kale, spinach, Brussels sprouts, potatoes
• others: dark chocolate, tofu, seafood, mineral waters rich in magnesium

To keep as much magnesium in the food as possible, do not overcook it and eat it fresh and unprocessed wherever you can. Soaking pulses and nuts can increase how well the magnesium is taken up.

The magnesium we take in through food is elemental magnesium, occurring in various organic and inorganic compounds. Our body first has to release it from those compounds in the digestive tract. Not all of them are absorbed equally well: the organic compounds are taken up more readily than the inorganic ones. That is worth knowing both for magnesium from food and for magnesium supplements.

Magnesium dosage

The requirement of course differs from person to person and from situation to situation. A healthy adult has a different magnesium requirement than an adult who is ill and under stress, or a child.

Dosage recommendation of the German Nutrition Society for magnesium

The German Nutrition Society gives the following reference values for daily magnesium intake in healthy people:

• infants (0–4 months): 24 mg
• infants (4–12 months): 60 mg
• children (1–4 years): 80 mg
• children (4–7 years): 120 mg
• children (7–10 years): 170 mg
• children (10–13 years): 230 mg (boys), 250 mg (girls)
• children (13–15 years): 310 mg (boys), 310 mg (girls)
• adolescents and adults (15–19 years): 400 mg (boys), 350 mg (girls)
• adults (19–25 years): 400 mg (men), 310 mg (women)
• adults (25–51 years): 350 mg (men), 300 mg (women)
• adults (51 years and older): 350 mg (men), 300 mg (women)
• pregnant women: 310 mg
• breastfeeding women: 350 mg

The German Nutrition Society notes that a higher intake may be indicated when illness or physical strain uses up a lot of magnesium.

Dosage recommendation for magnesium in orthomolecular medicine

The daily reference values for magnesium intake in orthomolecular medicine are as follows.

Prevention and general health:

• adults: 300 to 600 mg per day (men more than women)
• children up to 4 years: 80 mg a day
• children up to 15 years: 120-300 mg a day

Treating specific health conditions:

• muscle cramps and spasms: 300 to 600 mg per day
• migraine: 400 to 600 mg per day
• premenstrual syndrome (PMS): 300 to 500 mg per day
• stress and anxiety: 300 to 600 mg per day
• cardiovascular disease: 300 to 800 mg per day
• diabetes: 300 to 600 mg per day
• pregnancy: 400 to 600 mg per day

If you would like to read up in more detail on dosing magnesium and other vital nutrients, I recommend the two reference works by Dr Helena Orfanos-Boeckel: Nährstoff-Therapie - Orthomolekulare Medizin & Bioidentische Hormone and Nährstoff-Therapie - Der Praxisleitfaden.

Magnesium supplements and forms of magnesium

As described above, magnesium always comes as a salt, bound to other substances. That is why there are various food supplements containing magnesium, depending on the compound. And each form has its own effect.

The following forms of magnesium food supplements are available:

• Magnesium citrate: bound to citric acid, well tolerated, good bioavailability, often used for constipation
• Magnesium glycinate: bound to the amino acid glycine, very well tolerated, high bioavailability, rarely causes diarrhoea, for people with a sensitive stomach
• Magnesium oxide: an inorganic form of magnesium, a high amount of elemental magnesium but lower bioavailability‍
• ‍Magnesium chloride: bound to chloride, good absorption, often in liquid form such as magnesium oil
• Magnesium sulfate: known as Epsom salt, often used in baths or as a laxative
• Magnesium malate: bound to malic acid, good for energy production and muscle health, can be helpful for people with chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS)
• Magnesium taurate: bound to the amino acid taurine, and therefore good for the heart
• Magnesium orotate: bound to orotic acid, supports heart health and DNA synthesis, good bioavailability‍
• ‍Magnesium L-threonate: high bioavailability in the brain, can improve cognitive function and memory
• And then there is liposomal magnesium. It uses liposomes, tiny vesicles made of phospholipids, to wrap the magnesium. This encapsulated magnesium is protected from digestion in the stomach, which increases uptake in the bowel. So it has high bioavailability, is absorbed effectively and is well tolerated.
• Another good source of magnesium is Sango coral powder. It has exactly the right calcium-to-magnesium ratio of 2:1 and contains other trace elements as well.

Tips on taking it: Start with a low dose and increase it from there. That way you can check how well you tolerate it. High doses should be spread over several servings across the day. If you have a sensitive stomach, magnesium is best taken with food. With high doses of magnesium, drink plenty of water.

At a glance:

• For constipation: magnesium citrate or magnesium oxide
• For muscle tension and cramps: magnesium glycinate or magnesium chloride
• For heart health: magnesium taurate or magnesium orotate
• For cognitive support: magnesium L-threonate
• For raising magnesium levels quickly and effectively: liposomal magnesium

Signs of overdosing on magnesium supplements

Too much magnesium in the body is certainly possible. It is very rare, though. Even so, high magnesium levels in the blood can cause health problems and in severe cases can be life-threatening.

How does a large excess of magnesium come about? By taking far too high a dose of magnesium supplements, whether orally or by injection. Significantly impaired kidney function, a severely underactive thyroid and reduced parathyroid function can also lead to a build-up of magnesium. If you belong to one of these groups, make sure you discuss magnesium supplementation with your doctor.

Signs of an acute magnesium overdose can include: diarrhoea, tiredness, nausea, vomiting, abdominal cramps, cardiac arrhythmia, a slowed heartbeat, low blood pressure or heart failure, sensory disturbances such as numbness or tingling, difficulty getting your bearings, drowsiness, breathing problems

With too high a dose of magnesium taken over a long period: kidney problems, disturbance of calcium metabolism

Interactions between magnesium supplements and medicines

If you take medicines and magnesium at the same time, always keep interactions in mind. Some medicines can affect how magnesium is taken up, and magnesium can affect how some medicines work. These include diuretics, proton pump inhibitors, antibiotics (tetracyclines, fluoroquinolones), bisphosphonates, levothyroxine, cardiac glycosides, muscle relaxants, anticoagulants and potassium supplements.

If you take medicines, it is always advisable to discuss high-dose food supplements with your doctor.