The Importance of Magnesium in Maintaining Bone Health
So why is magnesium important?
Magnesium is considered a major mineral, with 30 grams being present in the body and just over half is stored in the bones. In addition to maintaining bone health, it plays multiple crucial roles throughout the body and acts as a catalyst, facilitating numerous reactions. It's essential for energy production and is involved in the breakdown of carbs, fat and proteins to produce this energy.
People with higher intakes of magnesium have a higher bone mineral density, which is important in reducing the risk of bone fractures and osteoporosis. Getting more magnesium from foods or dietary supplements might help older women improve their bone mineral density.
In conjunction with calcium it is also involved in muscle contraction, blood clotting, regulates blood pressure and lung function and supports the normal functioning of the immune system... the list goes on... It really is the master mineral, working as a cofactor in more than 300 enzyme systems that regulate diverse biochemical reactions in the body
Unfortunately, even when we a consuming a varied, well-balanced diet, we are likely to experience magnesium deficiency, but why is this?
Where did all the magnesium go?
First up, there is just not as much magnesium in our food anymore. The magnesium content in vegetables has seen declines from 25-80% since pre-1950 figures, and typical grain refining processes for bread and pasta remove 80-95% of total magnesium.
There are several factors for this magnesium deficiency in our soils which stems from climate changes, such as water scarcity, soil waterlogging, elevated CO2 and elevated temperature. In particular, the CO2-induced increase in growth rates ( due to an increase of population) and soil acidity has promoted significant losses of magnesium in the soil
It has also been largely forgotten in fertilization management strategies to increase crop production, which leads to severe reductions in plant growth and yield.
Risk of Magnesium deficiency
So who is at risk of Mg deficiency?
People who eat a diet low in magnesium-rich foods
People who have gastrointestinal complaints- since most magnesium is absorbed in the small intestines, issues like celiac disease and Crohn’s disease have a tendency to cause magnesium deficiency.
Alcoholism - is an anti-nutrient that depletes magnesium (among other minerals) from the body
People with diabetes type 2 can suffer from a magnesium deficiency due to frequent urination.
The elderly- this is due to a combination of eating less magnesium-rich foods but also as we age we naturally lose the digestive capability to absorb what we use to from our food.
A note about stress and magnesium
If you have any kind of stress in your life, be that mental, physical, financial, spiritual or environmental- you will most likely be magnesium deficient. Magnesium and stress can get caught in a vicious cycle where stress depletes your body of magnesium, and low magnesium levels intensify stress.
Severe and long-term deficiency can also contribute to more serious health problems, such as kidney and liver damage, peroxynitrite damage that can lead to migraine headaches, multiple sclerosis, glaucoma or Alzheimer’s disease, and osteoporosis due to poor absorption of vitamin D and calcium. Magnesium works to help convert vitamin D to its active form, which contributes to calcium absorption in the body.
Magnesium deficiencies: signs and symptoms
As magnesium is mostly stored in the bone, it's hard to test for magnesium deficiency. Thorough case-taking and clinical signs and symptoms can give us an insight into if a deficiency may be present.
Signs + symptoms
nausea and vomiting.
fatigue and weakness.
shaking.
pins and needles.
muscle spasms, including eye twitches
loss of appetite
As these are quite general symptoms and could be the cause of several things, the importance of detailed case-taking is paramount.
Magnesium, perimenopause and beyond
Magnesium and sleep + mood
Adequate magnesium levels can help your sleep function on a couple of levels. First off, magnesium regulates the hormone melatonin, which guides sleep-wake cycles in your body. Magnesium binds to gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptors, activating the parasympathetic nervous system (rest + digest) and blocking excitatory neurotransmitters. GABA is the neurotransmitter responsible for quieting down nerve activity, and reducing anxiety and racing thoughts, thus promoting better sleep.
Magnesium and body weight
Magnesium balances insulin and blood sugar levels in overweight and obese individuals, by regulating the electrical activity and insulin secretion in pancreatic cells.
Insulin resistance happens when our cells stop responding to the hormone's signal to take in blood sugar for energy. People can become insulin resistant because of genetics or factors related to diet and lifestyle.
As a result, the pancreas thinks it needs to produce more insulin and it just can't keep up with the demand. Meanwhile, our blood sugar levels stay jacked up and our liver stores too much glucose and sends it to fat cells, leading to weight gain (and even fatty liver). If this cycle keeps up, we can become prediabetic or develop type 2 diabetes. This isn't to say it's a magic pill. You will not lose weight if you just start taking magnesium. The research shows up that in conjunction with diet and lifestyle changes, magnesium can be of benefit to insulin resistance, and only in individuals that are deficient in magnesium.
Magnesium and cardiovascular health
As we age and transition through menopause we lose the cardio-protective effect of one of our main types of estrogen- estradiol. Estradiol has many beneficial effects on our heart health including:
It helps tissues throughout the body stay supple and flexible, and that includes blood vessels. This helps to increase blood flow.
It helps keep blood pressure low.
It helps keep blood triglycerides low, increases HDL cholesterol (the helpful kind) and lowers LDL cholesterol levels.
It promotes blood clotting.
It absorbs free radicals, particles that cause damage
Magnesium's role in cardiovascular health has shown when there is sufficient magnesium in the body, it works to inactivate the enzyme; HMG CoA Reductase (an enzyme required by the body to make cholesterol). Magnesium is also necessary for another enzyme (LCAT), which lowers LDL and triglyceride levels and raises HDL levels (decreases 'bad' cholesterol and increases 'good' cholesterol). Further, magnesium activates other enzymes involved in cholesterol production, such as converting omega-3 and omega-6 into prostaglandins essential for cardiovascular and general health. What's more, magnesium also modulates vascular tone and response, meaning it helps relax arteries and lower blood pressure.
Magnesium may be able to offer the protection that is lost when menopause is reached and estrogen has declined.
So, to eat or supplement?
This is highly dependent on the individual, as everyone's circumstances and situations are unique. I am very pro-food first and will always implement a food-first approach with my clients, even if we decide supplementation is appropriate.
10 High magnesium-rich foods
Men under 30 need 400 milligrams (mg) of magnesium per day and men over 31 need 420mg a day. Women under 30 need 310mg each day and 320mg a day after 31. Pregnant and breastfeeding women, however, need more than that, approximately 350 to 360mg a day.
Therapeutic dosing by a qualified nutritionist will be higher to achieve the intended clinical outcome.
Broccoli
Flaxseed
Avocado
Pumpkin seeds
Peanuts, roasted
Dark chocolate
Cashews
Sun-dried tomatoes
Tofu
Artichoke
If supplementation is decided to be appropriate, please seek advice from a qualified health practitioner (like me!). There are loads of different forms of magnesium (citrate, oxide, chloride, glycinate, rotate, L-Threonate, just to name a few!) that target different parts of the body with different effects. You want to make sure you are taking a therapeutic dosage in the correct form to see the outcomes you want.
If you this something you would like advice on or help with choosing the right supplement, you are welcome to book an online 1:1 consultation with me via my website or this link
