Magnesium is probably my favorite mineral… JK but it’s a powerful one.
Magnesium is a mineral found in soil and involved in SO many key processes in the body (300+!).
Years ago we used to get the magnesium we needed from our food, but as soil has become more depleted over time, we now really need to go out of our way to get more of it.
Why magnesium?
Magnesium is a mineral involved in SO many different facets of health and for our bodies- including bone health, brain health, mood and calm, and so much more. It’s not that magnesium is more important than any other mineral, but what’s key is that most of us get less of it than we need.
You’ve heard of some of the basic functions of magnesium, but here’s 12 more that you may not be aware of:
- Magnesium can help to balance hormones
- Magnesium is key for powering your thyroid
- Magnesium may help you poop
- Magnesium can help your brain produce more GABA- a chemical that can make you feel calmer and more relaxed (and promotes sleep)
- Magnesium is involved in your body’s internal regulation of producing more DNA and cell production
- Magnesium is involved in healthy blood sugar control
- Magnesium may help to promote healthy blood pressure and blood cholesterol
- Magnesium plays a key role in regulating messages between your brain and your body
- Magnesium plays a role in helping to promote healthy heart rhythm
- Magnesium can help to fight headaches and migraines (in fact people with chronic headaches and migraines are often magnesium deficient)
- Magnesium may help to improve mood and combat depression
- Magnesium can help combat acid reflux- because it helps to reduce the spasming of the lower esophageal spinchter
How do you know if you’re magnesium deficient?
These common symptoms may indicate you need more magnesium can be some of these (remember, many of these may also be connected with other stuff… but adding more magnesium is usually a good thing).
- Muscle twitches
- Muscle cramps
- Irritability
- Anxiety
- ADD
- Sensitivity to loud noises
- Constipation
- Headaches or migraines
- Chronic fatigue
- Fibromyalgia
- Asthma
- Osteoporosis
- Acid reflux
How to get more magnesium?
- EPSOM SALTS! Probably the easiest and least expensive way is through hopping into an epsom salts bath. Use about 1-2 cups of epsom salts (purchased at your basic drug store), and then hop in the bath for 10-15 minutes until you’re warm but not roasting. Also, magnesium is better absorbed through the skin especially for people who may be sensitive to magnesium taken through the mouth (ahem, diarrhea). Want a product to try? Try these Organic Epsom Salts
- Magnesium oil on your skin. Start slowly with this one! I’d start with 2 spritz’s (it’s a salt so it may leave your skin feeling salty)- and mix with about 1-quarter size of almond oil or another carrier oil- mix together then apply to your skin. Want a product to try? Try this Ancient Minerals Magnesium Oil and if you need a carrier oil I love this NOW Foods Sweet Almond Oil
- Magnesium supplement. I like magnesium oxalate or magnesium citrate. I’d recommend starting with 150-200 mg – start @ night before bed. It can help with promoting sleep. The only thing to note about starting a magnesium supplement is that it can make poop looser- for some, so if this is you, start with one of the top two! Want a product to try? Try this NOW Foods 200 mg Magnesium Citrate
