You’ve probably heard of magnesium but what’s it really good for?
In this article we’ll dive into what magnesium is good for, what foods contain it and various uses for it.
After you understand what it’s good for then you can start to implement it more into your diet knowing why it’s helping.
I’ve not had the best health throughout my 20’s and it’s now my mission to reverse that and help others do so too. I’ve found magnesium to be helpful in my journey which is why I’m sharing it.
I’ll share what I like and provide you a simple starting point.
What Is Magnesium Good For?
Magnesium is a mineral in the body, is useful in over 300 enzymatic reactions and is a primary driver to help our energy system (ATP) work effectively.
It’s needed for muscular contraction and DNA, RNA, protein and reproductive synthesis which can play in to help your energy systems.
For example, if you’re dancing your body needs energy to do so; magnesium helps make this happen.
Magnesium helps with treatment and prevention of various diseases and intestinal support.
It’s been shown that low levels of magnesium have been associated with diseases such as diabetes, Alzheimer’s, insulin resistance and more.
It’s also commonly noted that 2/3 of the population in the western world is magnesium deficient.
For me, I like magnesium because I have IBS and I’ve found that it helps normalize my digestion.
For example, if I’m feeling stopped up and constipated I’ll take magnesium and I find the next day it flows as easy as a nice kayak ride down the river.
Magnesium is good for a host of other functions such as blood pressure, insulin metabolism, reducing inflammation, energy creation, nervous system regulation and more.
It’s also shown to be helpful in treating, but not limited to, migraines, depression, asthma and artery disease.
Think about it like the Arnold Schwarzenegger of your body because of it’s diverse utility.
For example, Arnold started off as a body builder, then went to be an actor and then on to a politician. Magnesium is similar in that it has multiple diverse functions for your body that are seemingly unrelated.
What Foods Contain Magnesium?
After hearing all the benefits of magnesium where’s the best place to get it?
You can supplement with it, which is what I’ll do for intestinal support at times, but the best way is going to be through food.
According to the National Institutes of Health, the most abundant sources of magnesium are in:
- Spinach
- Almonds
- Cashews
- Edamame
- Avocado
- Potato
- Brown rice
- Oatmeal
- Banana
- Salmon
- Halibut
- Chicken breast
- Beef
- Broccoli
Uses Of Magnesium
Magnesium is in our food, which is our main source of it, but there’s also a few other ways people have found to use magnesium.
1. Supplement
This one’s obvious but wanted to start here because this is the main way I take magnesium and is the most popular.
People have taken magnesium to relax, sooth muscles and help digestion.
One of the best ways to take magnesium is at night as you’re winding down for night because it’ll help you ease into sleep better.
People say the supplement form has a “laxative” effect too so keep that in mind. But for people like me, who get stopped up, it’s a life saver.
2. Cream
Otherwise known as transdermal or topical magnesium.
You can find magnesium creams that will help with relaxing your muscles, stress relief, management of migraines and more.
It’s more diluted than oils or sprays so the intensity is dulled.
I do want to point out that I came across a review that said the creams really aren’t a useful form to get magnesium and that they may not work.
And of course with most things in the health industry there was a different study showing there was some increase in serum magnesium concentration after transdermal cream use.
But wait, there’s more…Another article points out that measuring serum magnesium concentration (SMC), as the study previously mentioned just did, is not an effective way to tell magnesium levels in a person. Because SMC levels might be normal but overall magnesium in the body is low. Reason being is that the body tries to keep normal SMC levels regardless of total body magnesium.
Confused? Me too. And I think the overall scientific community is as well, so don’t worry you’re not alone.
It’s one of those things you just have to try first and see if it works for you.
3. Oils and Sprays
Here’s another form of magnesium skin application that has controversy around it but as we’ve seen before we may just have to try it for ourselves to see if it works for us.
Conclusion
It can be used in multiple ways through oral supplementation to skin creams.
I like the oral supplementation for the intestinal support and constipation reliever while others like the magnesium cream for relaxing and de-stressing.
One oral supplement that I like is a high potency oral supplement by Nature Made.
How has magnesium worked for you? Let me know in the comments.
Thank you!
Disclaimers
I am not a doctor and do not recommend anything on this site, or blog post, for anyone without consulting with their doctor first. Please read the privacy policy for more information.
There are affiliate links in this post where I’ll get a paid fee if you purchase something from that link – it won’t cost any more to you and in some cases may even save you money.
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