Magnesium and its Health benefits

Overview

What is Magnesium?

Magnesium is a vital plentiful mineral in our body. It is crucial for the brain, bone functioning, and overall body fitness. It is found in a variety of natural foods.¹Overview| Researched based study from Sciencedirect.com

Facts of magnesium

• Magnesium stands fourth among the most abundant mineral in our body
• Around half of the body’s magnesium is in our bones.
• Magnesium is required in around 600 enzymatic reactions of our body
• Magnesium is available in fortified products and as health supplements²Overview| Researched based study from Nlm.nih.gov

Sources

Sources of magnesium

Plant sources

• Spinach
• Broccoli
• Potato
• Pumpkin seeds
• Peanuts
• Black beans
• Kidney beans
• Carrot
• Soymilk
• White rice
• Brown rice
• Papaya
• Avocado
• Almond
• Cashew
• Apple
• Banana
• Blackberries
• Dried figs
• Fortified cereals
• Whole wheat bread
• Oatmeal
• Raisins
• Dark chocolate

Animal sources

• Salmon
• Milk
• Chicken breast
• Beef
• Dairy products
• Yogurt

Natural sources

• Normal tap water
• Packaged mineral water¹Sources| Researched based study from Sciencedirect.com

Dosage

Dosage of magnesium

The recommended daily intake of magnesium in different age groups is as follows

Children

• Age 1-3 years-80 mg

• Age 4-8 years-130 mg
• Age 9-13 years-240 mg

Adolescent

Age 14-18 years

• Male- 410mg
• Female-360 mg

Adults

Age 19-30 years

• Male – 400 mg
• Female- 310 mg

Age 31-50 years

• Male- 420 mg
• Female- 320 mg

Age 51 years and above

• Male-420 mg
• Female-320 mg

Pregnant woman

• Age below 19 years-400 mg
• Age 19 -30 years-350 mg
• Age 31 years and above- 360 mg

Nursing mothers

• Age below 19 years- 360 mg
• Age 19-30 years- 310 mg
• Age 31 years and above- 320 mg³Dosage| Researched based study from Nih.gov

Benefits

Benefits of magnesium in our body

In regulating body functions

• Magnesium is involved in DNA (deoxyribonucleic acid) and RNA(ribonucleic acid)synthesis and bone development.
• It participates in the creation of energy.
• It plays a vital role in the transport of potassium and calcium across cell membranes.
• It maintains a regular heartbeat, muscle contraction, and nerve impulses, i.e., sending sensation to the brain following external stimulation.
• It nullifies the stomach acid and helps in passing stool through the intestine.

Regulates blood sugar

• It decreases the risk of type 2 diabetes
• It increases insulin sensitivity (the body can utilize the blood glucose effectively)⁴Benefits| Researched based study from Nlm.nih.gov

Help fight depression

• Magnesium reduces the symptoms of depression⁵Benefits| Researched based study from Nlm.nih.gov
• It enhances the mood

Prevent migraine attacks

• It prevents migraine attacks
• It relieves the severe migraine headache quickly⁶Benefits| Researched based study from Nlm.nih.gov

Enhances exercise performance

• It increases muscle mass and energy
• It improves the body’s movement⁷Benefits| Researched based study from Nlm.nih.gov

Increases the anti-inflammatory effect

• It reduces oxidative stress in the body
• It decreases the markers of inflammation (Markers of inflammation viz; C-reactive protein and interleukin-6 increase during any body injury)⁸Benefits| Researched based study from Nlm.nih.gov

Enhances bone health

• It increases the bone mineral density
• It decreases the risk of bone fractures⁹Benefits| Researched based study from Nlm.nih.gov

Enhances heart health

• Magnesium lowers the blood pressure
• It lowers the risk of stroke (bleeding in the brain’s blood vessels)¹⁰Benefits| Researched based study from Nlm.nih.gov

Improves premenstrual symptoms

• Magnesium reduces abdominal pain
• It decreases migraine attacks
• It decreases anxiety and depression

However, more research is warranted to prove the effect of magnesium on premenstrual symptoms.¹¹Benefits| Researched based study from Nlm.nih.gov

Decreases anxiety

• It decreases the symptoms of anxiety
• It decreases stress and nervousness ¹²Benefits| Researched based study from Nlm.nih.gov

Promotes good sleep

• It improves the sleep quality
• It decreases the time to fall asleep¹³Benefits| Researched based study from Nlm.nih.gov

Side effects

Side effects of magnesium

• Abdominal pain
• Nausea and vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Weight loss
• Electrolyte(body minerals) imbalance¹⁴Side effects | Researched based study from Nlm.nih.gov

Overdose

Overdose toxicity of magnesium

• Extreme tiredness
• Depression
• Diarrhea
• Nausea and vomiting
• Stomach pain
• Low blood pressure
• Kidney problem
• Breathing difficulty
• Loss of central nervous system control
• Confusion
• Cardiac arrest (heart suddenly stops pumping blood around the body)
• Coma( prolonged loss of body consciousness)
• Death¹⁵Overdose | Researched based study from Nlm.nih.gov

Deficiency

Magnesium deficiency

Deficiency symptoms

• Extreme tiredness
• Nausea and vomiting
• Appetite loss
• Sleep difficulty

Severe deficiency causes

• Itchiness
• Muscle pain
• Irregular heartbeat
• Seizures (uncontrolled body shaking)
• Loss of sensation in body parts
• Personality changes¹⁶Deficiency| Researched based study from Sciencedirect.com

People prone to magnesium deficiency

People with the following health condition are prone to magnesium deficiency.

• Aged people
• Kidney disease
• Heart disease
• Parathyroid disorder (abnormal calcium level in blood)
• Crohn’s disease (a disease causing swelling and pain in the digestive tract)
• Migraine (headache)
• Alcoholism(addicted to alcohol)
• Diabetes(high blood sugar)
• Alzheimer’s disease(a brain disease causing memory loss)
• Gastrointestinal disorders(diseases involving the digestive tract)
• Cancer (abnormal cell growth in the body)¹⁷Deficiency | Researched based study from Nih.gov

Interactions

Drug interaction with magnesium

Levodopa

• Levodopa is used for treating Parkinson’s disease
• Taking magnesium oxide with levodopa decreases the efficiency of the drug

Tetracycline antibiotic

• Taking magnesium and tetracycline togetherdecreases the body’s absorption capacity and reduces the effectiveness of the drug

• So, one must take tetracycline antibiotics 2 hours before or 6 hours after magnesium consumption.

Quinolone antibiotic

• Taking magnesium and quinolone together decreases the body’s absorption capacity and reduces the efficiency of the quinolone

• So quinolone must be consumed 2 hours before or 5-6 hours after magnesium consumption.

Aminoglycoside antibiotic

• Taking magnesium and aminoglycoside together causes muscle problem

Bisphosphonates

• Taking magnesium and bisphosphonates together reduces the blood levels of biphosphonates and minimizes the bisphosphonate’s effectiveness
• So, bisphosphonates should be consumed 2hours before magnesium consumption

Muscle relaxant

• Magnesium relaxes the muscles

• So consuming magnesium and muscle relaxant together increases the side effect of the drug

Anticoagulant (blood thinning medicine)

• Magnesium delays the blood clotting
• Taking magnesium and anticoagulant together increases the risk of profuse bleeding

Water pills

• Water pills increase the magnesium in the body
• Taking magnesium and water pills together can lead to excess magnesium in the body

Calcium channel blockers

• Calcium channel blockers are used to treat high blood pressures. they obstruct calcium from entering the cells
• Magnesium also blocks calcium from entering the cells
• Taking magnesium and Calcium channel blockers together might cause an excessive decrease in blood pressure

Lanoxin

• Lanoxin is used to treat irregular heartbeat
• Taking magnesium and linoxin together decreases the lanoxin levels in the blood and reduces the effect of the drug

Diabetes medication

• Taking magnesium and diabetes medication together increases the blood levels of diabetic medicine hence increases the risk of low blood sugar

Antacids

• Taking magnesium and antacid together decreases the laxative effect of magnesium

Gabapentin

• Taking magnesium and gabapentin together decreases the body’s absorption capacity and reduces the drug’s effectiveness
• So, gabapentin must be consumed 2 hours before or 6 hours after magnesium consumption.

Ketamine

• Taking high doses of magnesium and ketamine together increases the side effects of the drug

Sevelamer

• Taking magnesium and sevelamer together increases the risk of very high magnesium levels in the body¹⁸Interactions | Researched based study from Nlm.nih.gov

Interaction with other supplements

Calcium tablet

• Taking magnesium and calcium together reduces the body’s capacity to absorb calcium

Multivitamin supplement containing iron and zinc

• Taking magnesium and multivitamin with iron and zinc decreases the absorption of iron and zinc in the body¹⁹Interactions | Researched based study from Nlm.nih.gov
• It reduces the efficiency of the multivitamin supplement

Takeaway

Key Takeaways

• Magnesium is an essential macronutrient in many bodily processes such as nerve, muscle, and bone.
• Magnesium deficiencies can lead to several health problems
• Magnesium supplements are available in health stores for magnesium-deficient individuals
• One should always consult a physician before including magnesium supplements in their diet to get the correct dose and to avoid the risk of overdose