You may have heard of magnesium supplementation, but have you ever heard what magnesium helps your body do?
Magnesium is a MAGNIFICENT mineral! It is technically an electrolyte, which means that your body loses it quickly when you sweat or when you're stressed!
Magnesium helps...
-you stay hydrated
-your metabolism and nutrient absorption
-support your bones and teeth
-your heart and kidneys stay healthy (see last week's post- yay for heart health!!)
Magnesium is used by so many body processes, so it makes a lot of sense that supplementation has become so popular as of late.
Let's look at if it's right for YOU!
Magnesium deficiency is one of the more rare deficiencies when it comes to vitamins and minerals. The daily recommended intake for magnesium is 400-420 mg/day for adults (19-30 years old, 31+ respectively).
Magnesium deficiency is relatively rare BECAUSE if you eat:
-1/4c pumpkin seeds
-1c brown rice
-1c spinach
-1/2c black beans
you've reached 456mg for the day.
We obviously eat much more than just that, and many other foods contain magnesium that adds up throughout the day. Since it is present in such a diverse range of foods from grains to beans to green to nuts and seeds, magnesium is easy to get into your diet.
For most people, magnesium supplementation ON ITS OWN is not necessary.
If you have a normal routine, a diverse diet, and focus on fiber, a daily multivitamin containing magnesium as dimagnesium malate or magnesium chloride should be enough to support your health!
Now, if you don't have such a normal routine...
Maybe you have a high stress job.
Maybe you exercise really hard or are on your feet all day.
Maybe you have an underlying health condition.
Maybe you really don't tolerate some food groups well.
In that case, you may benefit from magnesium supplementation!
As mentioned earlier, stress overwhelms the body. And what that means for you is that your electrolytes (including magnesium) will be depleted faster than usual.
If your magnesium levels are being used up too quickly, your body may not be able to utilize other nutrients well and you may experience fatigue, tight muscles or soreness, stomach upset, and other symptoms. Adding in magnesium may help your body stabilize and really use the nutrients you're eating, and making the most of what you put into your body is important to you, isn't it?!
Magnesium can be added in a traditional pill form, but you can also use flakes (epsom salt bath, anyone?!), sprays (flakes dissolved in water), or powder forms, too!
Powdered forms of magnesium are often the most popular right now as a part of something called mineral mocktails or adrenal cocktails.
Let's start by saying this is NOT necessary for everyone and probably shouldn't be used daily. But if you've had a stressful day or you worked in the garden in the heat, these mineral mocktails may be a really beneficial way to improve your hydration and load up on those electrolytes!
Last week I found this free resource that explains minerals in more depth and shares tons of recipes for this mineral mocktail idea! It's from a Women's Health Dietician (@nutritionbyrobyn) and could be a great resource for you.
As you'll see in the resource as well, this is not medical advice and we both want you to check in with your doctor about ALL supplements you're taking! Eating well and taking your vitamins can be a great tool, but it can also be very dangerous if not monitored by a healthcare professional.
So- now that you know all about magnesium, what do you think?! Do you need to keep taking that supplement, or is it better served for an "as needed" pick me up?
For more tips like this, check out what I've been sharing on my Instagram! Short snippets with just a bit more diversity 😉 This week I shared a yummy magnesium-packed recipe for you!!
Next time you have a question about a supplement or a specific vitamin or mineral, come back to the blog OR shoot me a message! I'd love to help you learn about how you can support what your unique body needs! 💙
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