Top 6 Reason why you need Magnesium & the best products on the market today
Were you aware that Magnesium is used by TRILLIONS of cells in your body to perform hundreds of different processes on a daily basis? Not only does it play an essential role in how your body metabolises food, produces hormones, deals with stress and anxiety but also is highly crucial for muscle relaxation and recovery, bone health and sleep regulation. This means one thing. Magnesium is your buddy! It is a vital nutrient. It’s important that you get plenty of it as you use it all the time and doesn’t take long for the body to chew through its magnesium supply.
Here are my top six reasons why you need copious amounts of this almost “miracle mineral”
Reason 1 - Almost a third of Kiwi’s are not meeting their minimum daily requirements of Magnesium
The recommended dietary intake (RDI) of Magnesium ranges from 310mg/day for Females to 420mg/day for Males. You can find this in cooked green vegetables, nuts, and a yummy raw cacao smoothie. Sounds easy right? Nope. About a third aren’t eating this on a daily basis, have higher magnesium needs due to lack of sleep or excessive stress and unfortunately magnesium deficient refined and processed foods are creeping into peoples homes and plates. RDI’s don’t even factor in increased individual needs. The double whammy is that even if you keep a pretty balanced diet, modern agriculture have sadly depleted our soil from many key minerals, making almost 1 in 3 Kiwi’s lacking in essentials like Selenium and Magnesium. You need to top this up!
Reason 2 - You are loosing/using too much Magnesium on a daily basis!
Coffee and Tea are rich in a substance called Tannins. These can decrease your gut’s ability to absorb Magnesium. Alcohol, like caffeine, exert a diuretic effect (make you pee more), this increases loss of water and minerals INCLUDING magnesium. Medications (antibiotics, steroids, diuretics) can cause mild to severe loss of Magnesium and heavy exercise also pushes out magnesium via sweat (making the muscle recovery process much much longer - especially if you are on the low end of Magnesium).
Reason 3 - STRESS!
Magnesium has a special relationship with stress. When you are tense, anxious or just generally stressed out not only do you deplete your Magnesium stores as your body uses it as part of the response to managing stress, low levels of Magnesium can be associated with the onset of stress in the first place! What a vicious cycle! Put simply low magnesium causes stress which forces the body to use and excrete more magnesium which leads to lower magnesium levels! Look on the bright side though. We can supplement with Magnesium as a way to assist dealing with stress, both to help treat and to prevent.
Reason 4 - Sleep & Fatigue.
This is probably the top reason people consult their Pharmacist or Doctor for Magnesium. People who suffer from poor sleep quality (trouble getting to sleep, staying asleep and shallow sleep) and suffer from fatigue maybe as a result of could be suffering from low magnesium levels. Of the hundreds of biological reactions magnesium is involved in, in the body, it is used to help make GABA which a sleep-promoting, calming neurotransmitter in the brain as well as being used to make Melatonin - the sleep hormone. People with low magnesium levels will have sub-par levels of both GABA and Melatonin leading to compromised sleep and increased chance of fatigue.
Reason 5 - Reducing Aches, Cramps and Spasms
1 clinical study showed that when pregnant women are given 300mg of Magnesium per day they reported significantly fewer and less intense leg cramps after only 4 weeks of supplementation. Magnesium also acts on NMDA receptors in the body to help reduce pain hypersensitivity. Low magnesium also is associated with higher levels of inflammation.
Reason 6 - Heart Health
Magnesium may help reduce both bad cholesterol levels as well as has a beneficial effect on reducing blood pressure! We will discuss below this best brand of Magnesium to take for this!
The benefits of Magnesium isn’t just limited to these options listed above. You can help optimise your health in so many categories including helping reduce suffering from muscle tension, pain, fatigue, poor sleep, heart health issues, stress and helping with female hormone imbalances. The reason why you seek out magnesium supplementation will influence which magnesium is the best for you. Lots of magnesium supplements will contain co-factors - ingredients to help the magnesium do it’s job better! The best supplement for you will have a comprehensive and synergistic formula to align with your health needs. Below we will discuss our favourite options in terms of which brand to take and we will explain how different magnesiums are absorbed differently.
The benefits of Magnesium isn’t just limited to these options listed above. You can help optimise your health in so many categories including helping reduce suffering from muscle tension, pain, fatigue, poor sleep, heart health issues, stress and helping with female hormone imbalances. The reason why you seek out magnesium supplementation will influence which magnesium is the best for you. Lots of magnesium supplements will contain co-factors - ingredients to help the magnesium do it’s job better! The best supplement for you will have a comprehensive and synergistic formula to align with your health needs. Below we will discuss our favourite options in terms of which brand to take and we will explain how different magnesiums are absorbed differently.
Different Forms of Magnesium and How it Affects Absorption
Not all forms of Magnesium are born equal. Different forms are absorbed to different extents and have different properties and benefits. Generally speaking you have magnesiums that are poorly absorbed, one’s that are moderately absorbed and some that are very well absorbed.
Magnesium Oxide & Magnesium Citrate
This product naturally encourages healthy bowel by attracting water to soften the stool. Also contains herbal extracts of fennel and Aloe vera to provide a soothing effect for the bowel.
- These forms are poorly absorbed
- Therefore cannot be effectively used to replenish Magnesium stores.
- What isn’t absorbed draw water into the bowel and have a diarrhoea like effect.
- These magnesiums are primarily recommended to help with slow bowel effect or constipation
- Therefore cannot be effectively used to replenish Magnesium stores.
- What isn’t absorbed draw water into the bowel and have a diarrhoea like effect.
- These magnesiums are primarily recommended to help with slow bowel effect or constipation
Magnesium Amino Acid Chelate
These products provide highly absorbed magnesium to help with muscle fatigue, cramping, stress, energy and sleep.
- Magnesium forms like this such as Magnesium Bisglycinate have superior absorption and allow adequate absorption of magnesium without drawing water into the bowel preventing diarrhoea.
In general Magnesium functions are better with a better absorbed Magnesium. This effect is enhanced when the magnesium is combined with other ingredients that assist that particular function. The table below lays out Magnesium forms, from the poorest absorbed to the best.
Magnesium L-threonate
Often referred to as Neuro-mag, this special form of Magnesium is able to readily enter the brain and can be beneficial in easing Parkinson’s related motor problems. A study published in the Neuropsychiatric Disease and Treatment Journal shows that low levels of Magnesium have been reported in motor regions of the brain in Parkinson’s patients. In theory boosting magnesium levels in the brain could ease Parkinson’s manifestations.
Magnesium forms like this such as Magnesium Bisglycinate have superior absorption and allow adequate absorption of magnesium without drawing water into the bowel preventing diarrhoea.
The Practitioner Range
At Matakana Pharmacy we have a team of clinical Natural health practitioners that are able to prescribe Practitioner only Magnesium supplements from the Metagenics Range that take supplementation of Magnesium to the next level. Not only it boasts superior absorption to over the counter Magnesium they provide a range of individualise products that combine magnesium with unique natural ingredients to assist specific indications. These are listed below:
Calm X - Designed to assist a healthy stress response and provide nervous system support. Contains Taurine and Glutamine in combination with Magnesium which help reduce the stress induced release of adrenaline allowing stress to be regulated far easier. Also contains B Vitamins, Vitamin C and Zinc to cope with stress and replenish levels depleted during periods of chronic stress.
Energy X - Provides support for fatigue and lethargy as well as support for healthy thyroid hormones. Contains Acetyl-L-Carnitine which is involved in the production of cellular energy combating fatigue and lethargy. Studies show that Acetyl-L-Carnitine helps with mental fatigue as well as general fatigue.
CardioX - Helps support normal blood pressure, heart and cardiovascular health. Contains Taurine which in combination with 600mg of Magnesium has been shown to reduce blood pressure by 4-6% approximately.
FemmeX - Contains nutrients for healthy oestrogen metabolism including bowelia and broccoli extract. This can help provide symptomatic relief of PMS with additional hormonal support.
PainX - Supports to relieve mild nerve and fibromyalgic pain. Can also reduce frequency of migraines just after 3 months worth of treatment. The magnesium in it exerts muscle relaxing actions and blocks glutamate. Glutamate amplifies pain. Corydalis, another ingredient in this product supports healthy neurotransmitter activity which helps block pain. California poppy assists with a restful nights sleep.
SleepX - Helps improve sleep quality and healthy sleeping patterns. Supports muscle relaxation while sleeping and healthy nervous system support. Helps improve healthy melatonin levels. This products provides and improves restorative sleep.
Fibroplex MagActive Powder - Helps prevent symptoms associated with Magnesiums deficiency and supports healthy muscle function. Available in raspberry or natural flavours with superior absorption but also available as a tablet. New MagActive for kids out now!
The full range
To learn more about which magnesium is best for you click on the video below to learn more or go to our PRACTITIONER ONLY PRODUCT PAGE to see if eligible for purchasing our metagenics range.
