Lesson 9b: Magnesium

What is magnesium?

Magnesium is one of the most important essential minerals. Your body uses magnesium for over 300 different processes, and this natural anti-inflammatory substance fights back against osteoporosis, diabetes, and migraines.

Is magnesium water-soluble or fat-soluble?

As an element, magnesium is neither water-soluble nor fat-soluble. When combined with oxygen, however, this essential nutrient becomes water-soluble. However, it has a slow dissolution rate, which means it isn’t as bioavailable as some other water-soluble nutrients.

Where can magnesium be found naturally? 

Luckily for vegetarians and vegans, magnesium is most concentrated in plant-based foods. For instance, this essential nutrient is plentiful in most nuts, and it is also available in spinach, beans, and other vegetables. Even so, natural sources of magnesium don’t generally contain enough of this mineral to meet your daily intake needs.

5 foods/drinks containing magnesium

1. Almonds 20% DV per 28g

2. Spinach 20% DV per ½ cup or 64g

3. Cashews 19% DV per 28g

4. Peanuts 16% DV per ¼ cup or 32g

5. Black beans 15% DV per ½ cup or 64g

What is the recommended daily intake for magnesium?

According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), adult men need to consume 420mg of magnesium per day, and adult women need to consume 320mg. Women need to consume slightly more magnesium during pregnancy and lactation.

What to consume to get a full daily dose of magnesium?

Almonds - approximately 140g

Spinach - approximately 320g

Cashews - approximately 154g

Peanuts - approximately 192g

Black beans - approximately 450g

Can you absorb enough of magnesium from food?

If you have the time to enjoy an ideal diet, it’s certainly possible to get the magnesium your body needs from the food you eat. Doing so, however, requires following a strictly calibrated diet that most modern professionals don’t have the time to observe.

Why is magnesium oxide necessary for your body?

Your body needs magnesium to perform a wide variety of neurological processes; this nutrient prevents psychiatric conditions, and it also improves your cardiovascular health. What’s more, magnesium is a powerful anti-inflammatory substance that may be able to prevent cancer, diabetes, and many other conditions.

Functions of magnesium

Neurological functions: Magnesium is involved in most types of neuronal signalling in your body, and ingesting adequate levels of this substance can prevent various neurological conditions.

Cardiovascular functions: Magnesium reduces triglyceride levels in your blood, and it also reduces the symptoms of hypertension and prevents coronary heart disease.

Anti-carcinogenic functions: Research indicates that magnesium reduces your risk of developing colorectal cancer.

Bone density functions: Magnesium is involved in the process of growing and repairing bone tissue, and consuming plenty of this mineral reduces your risk of developing osteoporosis.

Symptoms of magnesium deficiency

Muscle Twitching and Cramping

Since magnesium is involved in neuronal signalling, deficiency in this mineral can cause your muscles to twitch and cramp as neurological signals sent to your muscles are impaired.

Mental Disturbance

Mild magnesium deficiency can result in relatively mild psychiatric conditions like depression and anxiety, but severe deficiency in this mineral can cause psychosis, catatonia, or even coma.

Osteoporosis

Proper levels of magnesium consumption improve your bone density, but conversely, becoming deficient in this essential mineral can cause you to be more at risk of developing osteoporosis and suffering bone fractures.

How long do you need to take magnesium for before experiencing its benefits if you’re deficient?

Since magnesium is water-soluble, it’s generally possible to start experiencing reduction in deficiency symptoms almost immediately upon supplementation. In cases of severe deficiency, magnesium may be administered intravenously to facilitate rapid recovery. Most deficient patients experience full recovery within 30-60 days of magnesium supplementation.

How long does it take for your body to digest/absorb magnesium?

While bonding magnesium with oxygen makes it possible to digest this mineral, research indicates that absorption rates of this supplement are relatively low. One study, for instance, found that absorption rates for magnesium oxide were as low as 43%, which means it’s necessary to consume your RDA of this substance every day to avoid deficiency.

How long does magnesium stay in your body after you take it?

The kidneys generally clear magnesium from your body relatively quickly. While rates vary, around 70% of the magnesium you consume is excreted from your body within 24 hours.

Is magnesium an antioxidant?

Magnesium is not a direct antioxidant, but it does support the action of antioxidants in your body. What’s more, magnesium has potent anti-inflammatory properties, and reducing inflammation also reduces oxidative stress.

Can you overdose on magnesium? What are the effects?

Magnesium overdose is called hypermagnesemia, and blood levels of this mineral above 2.6mg per deciliter are considered toxic. Your body generally flushes excess magnesium out of your system relatively quickly, but temporary symptoms of magnesium overdose might include extreme fatigue, nausea, vomiting, diarrhoea, or facial flushing. You can avoid the dangers of magnesium overdose by only taking the recommended dose of this essential nutrient every day.

Does magnesium dissolve, flush out, or build up in the body?

While magnesium is water-soluble, it does tend to build up in your kidneys if your body can’t excrete it fast enough. Kidney issues can cause this substance to build up to dangerous levels.

Can you take magnesium during a diet?

Consuming magnesium does not interfere with any dietary restrictions.

Are there synthetic forms of magnesium?

As an elemental metal, magnesium itself is incredibly difficult to synthesise. Since it is created in a lab, magnesium oxide, which consists of elemental magnesium and oxygen, is technically synthetic, but this supplement does not contain synthetic magnesium.

Why might synthetic forms of magnesium be better?

The only situation in which synthetic magnesium might be beneficial is if natural sources of this element were unavailable.

Absorption rate of synthetic magnesium

Since magnesium on its own is non-absorbable, any type of this element, whether natural or artificial, paired with oxygen would have the same rate of absorption.

Why might natural forms of magnesium be better?

Natural elemental magnesium is the only type of magnesium currently available. Some sources suggest that the magnesium you find in food may be better-absorbed than magnesium synthesised in a lab.

How to take magnesium

You can consume magnesium in food or in supplement form. Since magnesium is only available in food in small quantities, ingesting this essential nutrient in supplement form may be more effective.

Magnesium trends in medicine

A 2019 study found that consuming enough dietary magnesium improves the activity of vitamin D in your body. This research indicates that these two essential nutrients have a synergistic effect, and it underscores the benefits of consuming multiple nutrients together in the form of a multivitamin.

Why everyone should be taking WeAreFeel supplements

Here at WeAreFeel, we provide the exact amount of magnesium you need every day in our revolutionary multivitamin. While magnesium is one of the most important nutrients for your overall well-being, consuming too much of this supplement can be dangerous, which is why we’ve meticulously tailored Feel to only contain the amount of this substance your body needs to stay healthy. Instead of fretting about eating enough spinach, cashews, or almonds per day to keep up with your recommended magnesium intake, make things easy for yourself with Feel!