It’s Friday & I feel ALIVE today. There’s something energizing about a fresh Friday morning, right?
Ahhh, the weekend possibilities ( in other words: all of my friends with real-people jobs are free to entertain me for a couple of days, YAYAY, I’m excited. )
This Friday, I want to talk about a magical little supplement that I take on a nightly basis ( most of the time ) to help me get into a zen, calm, ready-for-bed mental state.
Enter: MAGNESIUM. Magnesium supplements have TONS of benefits from calming your nerves to reducing inflammation to making you… ya know… GO.
I’ve done some research on the benefits of magnesium supplements, & I’ll link to some articles/studies throughout the post, so y’all know I’m not just feeding you shit, hoping that you’ll take my word for it. I’m NO doctor, obviously, so I’ll provide y’all with evidence from people who actually know what they’re talking about.
I’m just the messenger/hype-man for magnesium supplements over here.
Okay, let’s start at the start: What is magnesium?
“Magnesium is a mineral that’s crucial to the body’s function. Magnesium helps keep blood pressure normal, bones strong, and the heart rhythm steady.” ( WebMD ) It is found naturally in foods like dark, leafy greens, nuts, beans, & whole grain cereals. AKA: foods I don’t eat enough of.
WebMD goes on: “Experts say that many people in the U.S. aren’t eating enough foods with magnesium. Adults who consume less than the recommended amount of magnesium are more likely to have elevated inflammation markers. Inflammation, in turn, has been associated with major health conditions such as heart disease, diabetes, and certain cancers.”
“Our ancient ancestors would have had a ready supply [ of magnesium ] from organ meats, seafood, mineral water, and even swimming in the ocean, but modern soils can be depleted of minerals and magnesium is removed from water during routine municipal treatment. The current RDA for adults is between 320 and 420mg daily, and the average US intake is around 250mg daily.” ( source )
Inflammation is something I’ve definitely struggled with all of my life, & it’s not something to fuck around with. I’m researching a LOT about calming inflammation lately, so I’ll report back with any more life-changing findings!
Benefits of Magnesium Supplements:
- Reduces Anxiety: “Magnesium supplementation is effective at treating anxiety and anxiety-related disorders when used in combination with other vitamins, minerals and herbal extracts” ( source ).
- Helps Alleviate Depression: “Magnesium plays a role in many of the pathways involved in depression and is found in several enzymes, hormones, and neurotransmitters. Low magnesium status has been associated with increased depressive symptoms in several different age groups and ethnic populations.” ( source ) Further, a study conducted by the Journal of the American Board of Family Medicine found a significant association between low magnesium levels and depression, especially in young adults.
- Helps to Relieve Chronic Fatigue: “Stress hormones, including both catecholamines and corticoids, can cause a reduction in tissue magnesium levels. A referral center that evaluated several hundred chronic fatigue syndrome patients observed that half of their patients were magnesium-deficient” ( source ).
- Reduces Inflammation &, in turn, Is Said to Be Cancer-Preventative: “Magnesium deficiency, through exacerbating chronic inflammatory stress, may play a role in the onset of cancer. Middle-aged men with higher serum magnesium concentrations had a 50% lower risk of cancer death than those with low serum magnesium.” ( source )
- Other benefits of magnesium: better exercise performance, bone density improvement, migraine relief, lowering chances of developing diabetes, reducing blood pressure, & relieving constipation, evidence for all of which can be found in this article ( make sure to read the studies linked here! ).
If you want to get realllllly nerdy, read this article by Psychology Today about Magnesium’s effects on the brain. As a person who has suffered from clinical anxiety my entire life, I’m super interested in learning more about brain chemistry ( if y’all know more about these types of things, lemme know! ).
Before You Add Magnesium Supplements to Your Routine:
Make sure to do your research, and consult your doctor, as magnesium supplements may not be safe for people taking heart medication, diuretics, or antibiotics. If you have intestinal, heart, or kidney disease, definitely talk to a doctor before adding anything like this to your daily supplement regime ( source ).
WebMD says “Excessive use of magnesium supplements can be toxic. In addition to what you get from food, the highest dose you should take of magnesium supplements is: 350 mg/day for adults and children ages 9 and up.” Overdosing on Magnesium can be very risky, so make sure you don’t supplement more than 350mg daily, in addition to what you’re getting from your diet!
I take 250mg of magnesium at night ( I order this on Amazon or pick it up at my local grocery! ), because I find that it helps me fall asleep faster, even more-so than a Melatonin supplement.
I’ve heard a lot of good things about Natural Vitality’s Natural Calm drink, which contains 350mg of magnesium in a serving, fulfilling the highest dose of magnesium you should supplement in addition to food daily. I haven’t personally tried it, so I can’t weigh in on the results just yet.
Things got scientific REALLLL fast today, y’all. Do any of you suffer from anxiety and/or inability to fall asleep at night OR are any of you currently taking magnesium supplements?
Lemme know! I love hearing from you peoples. Talk soon. xx
Ewa Macherowska says
Love this post! x
http://www.evdaily.blogspot.com
Kate says
I take Magnesium every night too! I’ve been taking it for awhile now to help me fall asleep and to help my muscles relax after tough workouts. Sooooo amazing.
paytonsartain says
LOVE it! Changed my life for suuuure.