Ensuring that you get all of the right minerals in your diet is one of the easiest ways to improve your health in the long run. Today, we’re going to explore what magnesium can do for your body and how you can implement it into your daily routine. We’ll look at the best magnesium supplement, magnesium rich foods, and more.
What is Magnesium?
Magnesium is an element that has the atomic number 12 and the symbol Mg. Magnesium originates in older stars when helium is added to carbon. When these older stars eventually go supernova, the magnesium is shot out of them and eventually becomes part of the primordial material for young star systems.
Magnesium is a relatively common element, being the fourth most common on Earth, after iron, oxygen, and silicon. It is also the third most common element that can be found in the ocean’s waters, after sodium and chlorine. Magnesium is extremely lightweight, and it’s even less dense than aluminium, though still strong.
Is Magnesium a Metal?
Yes, magnesium is an alkaline earth metal, located in group 2 of the periodic table. It features the lowest melting point and boiling point of the group 2 metals. Magnesium is often alloyed with metals like aluminium to make it less brittle, though that’s unnecessary when being used as a supplement.
What is Magnesium Good For?
Does Magnesium Help You Sleep?
Magnesium for sleep has been a hotly researched topic, and some studies have pointed to it being a potential treatment for insomnia. This is due to how magnesium is responsible for the regulation of neurotransmitters that are used to govern how we sleep, including gamma aminobutyric acid.
A scientific review found that adults taking magnesium supplements tended to get to sleep 17 minutes faster than control groups. Another study determined that magnesium, on average, was able to improve the quality and duration of the sleep of over 4000 adults.
Improved Performance When Working Out
Magnesium spray and other supplements have also been shown to help improve your performance when you work out or exercise. This is because magnesium is responsible for moving sugar from your blood into your muscles, getting rid of lactic acid that causes fatigue over the course of a workout.
Some studies have shown that women who take magnesium supplements tend to have increased muscle power and mass. Yet another study showed that volleyball players who were supplemented with 250 mg of magnesium per day ended up jumping higher and had a larger range of motion in their arms.
Improved Blood Sugar Levels
Medical research has shown that nearly half of the people who suffer from type 2 diabetes have low blood magnesium levels. This makes it harder for the body to regulate its levels of blood sugar and it means that people who have an adequate amount of magnesium in their blood have a lower risk of the disease.
One scientific review found that magnesium can help increase insulin sensitivity, which is a large part of controlling blood sugar. Other studies went over how magnesium helps people who are deficient in it primarily, meaning that going over the daily value will not get you any more magnesium benefits in terms of blood sugar.
Magnesium Deficiency Symptoms
One of the most common symptoms of magnesium deficiency is a loss of functionality in the muscular system. The most common symptoms in muscles are tremors, twitches, and cramps, but the condition can sometimes even cause seizures. This is likely due to the increased flow of calcium into nerves, making it harder to control them.
Fatigue is another common symptom of magnesium deficiency, though usually when paired with muscular weakness. Another sign of a lack of magnesium in your diet is high blood pressure, which can potentially lead to heart disease further down the line.
Magnesium Foods
Dark chocolate is known for being relatively healthy, but did you know that it’s one of the best sources of magnesium available? Dark chocolate contains about 16% of the recommended daily intake of magnesium in a 28-gram serving. Even better, dark chocolate also contains plenty of antioxidants that will further compound the healthy effects of magnesium.
Avocados are yet another healthy and delicious food that contain a large amount of magnesium. One medium avocado will contain about 15% of the magnesium that you need over the course of a day. Nuts are a great source of magnesium, as well, with a 28-gram serving of cashews containing about 20% of your RDI.
Restless Legs Magnesium Link
Restless leg syndrome may be caused by magnesium deficiency, and while studies haven’t determined whether it can help with the syndrome itself, it may be able to help with the insomnia that comes with it. RLS sufferers who also dealt with insomnia had fewer issues sleeping when using magnesium, according to this study.