Unlock the Secret to Shedding Menopause Weight Gain with Magnesium: Your Ultimate Guide

Menopause, a natural biological process marking the end of menstrual cycles, often around the age of 51. This transformative phase in a woman's life is characterized by significant hormonal changes, particularly a decline in estrogen levels. These hormonal shifts can trigger a range of menopause symptoms, including hot flashes, fatigue, night sweats, sleep disturbances, mood changes, weight gain, and reductions in bone and muscle mass.

Magnesium, an essential mineral and electrolyte, plays a crucial role in hundreds of biochemical reactions and processes within the body. It helps muscles and nerves work properly, keeps blood sugar in check, regulates blood pressure levels, and supports the production of proteins, bone, and DNA. Despite its importance, magnesium deficiency is common, affecting around 30% of adults in developed countries or possibly more. As you age, your body may be less efficient at absorbing this mineral, which can contribute to your risk for osteoporosis.

This article explores the multifaceted relationship between magnesium and menopause, focusing on its potential benefits for managing weight gain and alleviating other associated symptoms. We will delve into the different forms of magnesium supplements, dietary sources of magnesium, and the importance of consulting with healthcare professionals for personalized recommendations.

The Link Between Menopause and Weight Gain

Weight gain is a common concern for women during perimenopause (the phase leading up to menopause when periods stop completely) and menopause. Several factors contribute to this phenomenon:

Hormonal Changes: A decline in estrogen during perimenopause doesn't just trigger symptoms like hot flashes or mood swings-estrogen also plays a role in maintaining a steady weight. Estrogen helps regulate metabolism, influencing how much you eat and the calories your body burns. When estrogen declines, the body's calorie utilization changes, potentially leading to increased appetite and fat storage.
Natural Aging: Women naturally lose 3-5% of muscle mass per decade starting at age 30. Since muscle is metabolically active and burns calories even at rest, losing muscle slows metabolism and can lead to weight gain.
Less Physical Activity: As women age, they may become less physically active, contributing to weight gain.
Diet Shifts: Stress eating and changes in eating habits can also contribute to weight gain during perimenopause.
Lack of Sleep: Insomnia and night sweats, common during perimenopause, can disrupt sleep patterns. Stress and lack of sleep can impact hunger and satiety hormones, leading to unhealthy food choices and weight gain.

Why Magnesium Matters During Menopause

As you approach menopause, magnesium becomes particularly important for good health and may even help reduce menopause symptoms.

Bone Health: About 60% of the magnesium in your body is stored in your bones, where it plays a crucial role in preventing osteoporosis, or low bone mineral density. Magnesium deficiency is associated with osteoporosis because magnesium plays an important role in cartilage and bone matrix calcification, or increased bone strength. Magnesium deficiency is also linked to lower activity of parathyroid hormone (PTH) and vitamin D, both of which are crucial for bone development. Since magnesium plays a key role in bone health, maintaining adequate magnesium levels may slow down the rate of bone loss.
Sleep Improvement: Varying degrees of sleep issues, including insomnia, are common during menopause. Magnesium levels may affect your body’s circadian rhythms (your body’s natural clock). Magnesium helps increase muscle relaxation and that increasing magnesium levels - through either supplements or food - may help promote better sleep.
Mood Regulation: Depression is a common symptom among perimenopausal and postmenopausal people. Magnesium plays a key role in brain function, mood regulation, and stress response, which may affect the progression and onset of depression and anxiety. Older adults are at an increased risk of magnesium deficiency. If you’re going through menopause or approaching the expected age of menopause, it may be even more important to get enough magnesium from food or a supplement.
Heart Health: Lower magnesium levels are linked to some heart health conditions. Some research indicates that high magnesium levels are associated with lower inflammatory markers related to heart disease, which indicate better heart health. Magnesium helps control heart muscle contractions and nerve impulses, allowing for a healthy heartbeat.

Types of Magnesium Supplements

Magnesium supplements come in various forms, each with unique properties and benefits:

Magnesium Glycinate: Magnesium glycinate is a highly absorbable form of magnesium, bound to glycine, an amino acid known for its calming properties. It's the best magnesium for menopause when getting better sleep and feeling a sense of relaxation is the goal. This combination enhances magnesium's bioavailability, making it easier for the body to absorb and utilize. Magnesium glycinate is particularly beneficial for menopausal women who may struggle with absorption issues or who have high-stress levels.
Magnesium Citrate: Citrate is a salt form of citric acid, which helps magnesium absorb efficiently in the body.
Magnesium Oxide: Research has shown that magnesium oxide supplementation can be effective at helping to reduce hot flashes with minimal side effects due to its ability to maintain the balance of hormones, including estrogen and progesterone. That said, while magnesium oxide has a high magnesium content, it has lower bioavailability and can cause gastrointestinal discomfort in some people.
Magnesium Sulfate: Also known as Epsom salt, magnesium sulfate is typically used externally in baths to soothe sore muscles and promote relaxation.
Magnesium Chloride: This form of magnesium is well-absorbed and can offer benefits for cellular health and detoxification.
Magnesium Threonate: This newer form of magnesium has shown promise for its ability to cross the blood-brain barrier, potentially supporting cognitive function and brain health.

Magnesium glycinate supplementation can be useful for addressing various menopausal symptoms and can support overall health and quality of life. For example, low magnesium levels are associated with heightened inflammatory markers and oxidative stress, as well as a higher incidence of depression and menopause symptoms like hot flashes.

Magnesium glycinate has been shown to have calming properties that help relax muscles and nerves, promoting better sleep quality. A higher intake of magnesium with vitamin D may help improve bone density. Magnesium deficiency can reduce active vitamin D levels, resulting in compromised bone mass and increased fracture risk. Research suggests there's an inverse relationship between magnesium levels and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein, an inflammatory marker that is linked to chronic diseases, including heart disease and diabetes. Magnesium has been shown to be beneficial for brain health, possibly playing a role in neurodegenerative prevention. As discussed, magnesium help with stress reduction and supports the body's adaptation to stress.

Dietary Sources of Magnesium

Dietary supplements can help you reach your recommended daily value, but whole food sources are preferable. Luckily, magnesium is naturally found in quite a few foods such as beans, legumes, whole grains, nuts and seeds, and leafy green vegetables.

Some magnesium-rich foods you may consider including in your diet include:

Read also: Magnesium Supplements for Keto

Legumes, like black beans and edamame (soybeans)
Nuts, especially almonds, cashews, and peanuts
Seeds, especially flax seeds, chia seeds, and pumpkin seeds
Whole grains, like whole wheat bread, oatmeal, and brown rice
Milk and yogurt
Leafy green vegetables, especially spinach

Potential Side Effects and Precautions

Excess magnesium intake from food does not pose a serious threat to health, as your body can excrete any excess through urine. Your body tightly regulates magnesium when levels get too high or too low.

Possible side effects of taking magnesium supplements or consuming too much magnesium include:

Diarrhea
Nausea and upset stomach
Flatulence
Abdominal pain
Respiratory issues

Though magnesium toxicity is rare in generally healthy people, it can occur in those with reduced kidney function and may cause heart irregularities, muscle weakness, difficulty breathing, and even kidney failure.

Consult a healthcare professional before trying a magnesium supplement or if you experience any symptoms or possible side effects after adding magnesium supplements to your daily routine.

For example, magnesium citrate and oxide are more likely to have laxative effects, while glycinate is less likely to. Try taking less or switching the form of magnesium you take if you experience side effects. Taking too high of a dose of magnesium glycinate, especially all at once, in some cases can cause digestive upset or even kidney issues. The key takeaway: more magnesium glycinate or supplements is not always better.

Magnesium and Blood Sugar

Magnesium is important to blood sugar as it plays a role in the management of hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, and insulin resistance. Consequently, magnesium deficiency is also associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes and a worsening of insulin resistance.

One 2015 study found that magnesium supplementation may help improve insulin resistance, oxidative stress, and systemic inflammation in people with type 2 diabetes. Other studies have shown that magnesium supplements may improve fasting glucose and postprandial glucose.

However, neither study controlled for dietary magnesium content, so it’s still unknown whether or not supplements would be more beneficial than increasing dietary magnesium sources. More research is needed to establish a direct link between magnesium supplements and blood sugar response.

Who is at Risk for Magnesium Deficiency?

People with certain health conditions may be at higher risk for magnesium deficiency. These health conditions include:

Gastrointestinal diseases like prolonged diarrhea, Crohn's disease, malabsorption syndrome, Celiac disease, intestinal inflammation, and surgical removal of a portion of the small intestine can all lead to magnesium deficiency
Endocrine and metabolic disorders like diabetes, parathyroid gland disorders, adrenal dysfunction, and excessive lactation can result in magnesium deficiency
Alcohol dependence or chronic alcoholism
Kidney disorders

Older adults are also at risk for magnesium deficiency.

Magnesium Testing

Unfortunately, there is currently no highly reliable indicator of magnesium status. Around 0.3 percent of your body’s total magnesium is found in serum, so serum magnesium content isn’t a reliable marker of total magnesium levels in the body as it doesn’t reflect the magnesium content in your tissue or organs. A magnesium tolerance test, which measures magnesium retention after intravenous administration of magnesium, is considered a reliable test by some scientists. However, it requires a 24-hour urine collection, which makes it difficult to use routinely. Magnesium status is usually tested through a combination of dietary magnesium intake assessment, serum magnesium concentration, and/or urinary magnesium concentration.

Other Supplements for Fighting Weight Gain During Menopause

While magnesium is an important mineral to consider during menopause, it's also important to ensure you're getting enough of other key nutrients that can support your metabolism and overall health. Some of the best menopause supplements to consider include:

Calcium & Vitamin D: Not just good for strong bones, calcium may affect fat cell production, metabolism, and absorption, and the nutrient may slightly bump up your body’s calorie-burning engines. Your best bet is to combine vitamin D with calcium.
Omega-3 Fatty Acids: Omega-3 fatty acids are a type of heart-healthy fat found in foods like fish and seafood, flax, chia and walnuts, and some fortified foods. There’s evidence that omega-3s may help improve body composition, especially when paired with a reduced-calorie diet.
Fiber: Fiber is filling and it feeds good bacteria in your digestive tract to support gut health, which is also linked to a healthy weight.
Protein: Protein helps your body maintain lean mass (muscle, bone) and is necessary for building muscle, too. Increasing protein even a little bit may prevent weight and belly fat in midlife.
Probiotics: Probiotics provide beneficial bacteria for a healthy gut microbiome, and have been shown to help ease some symptoms of depression and anxiety.
Creatine: Creatine is not just a supplement that muscled-up bros at the gym are taking. There may be benefits for women’s physical and mental health, including during the menopausal transition.
Berberine: Berberine has been shown in several studies to help lower blood sugar levels and improve cholesterol levels-two health markers exacerbated in menopause.

The Importance of a Holistic Approach

Addressing menopausal symptoms and weight gain with a holistic approach can be the best way to find relief and achieve lasting weight loss results. This includes:

Lifestyle Adjustments: Simple lifestyle adjustments can make a big difference.
Medications: Medications, like GLP-1s (semaglutide), can help.
Nutrition and Supplements: Consider supplements you can take during perimenopause. When appropriate, supplements can support your hormones and metabolism, giving your body what it needs to function and feel well during these pivotal years.
Hormone Replacement Therapy (HRT): Addressing menopausal symptoms and weight gain with a holistic approach can be the best way to find relief and achieve lasting weight loss results.

Conclusion

Magnesium plays a vital role in health throughout your life, especially as you get older. It may be beneficial to your health during menopause, helping to keep your bones strong and reduce your risk of osteoporosis. It may also reduce some side effects of menopause, such as difficulty sleeping and depression, while supporting heart health.

Magnesium glycinate is a valuable ally for menopausal women seeking to manage symptoms and support overall health and well-being.

Most menopausal people have inadequate magnesium levels, which put them at greater risk of unfavorable health outcomes. But magnesium can be found in many foods, such as dark chocolate, beans, lentils, nuts, seeds, leafy greens, and whole grains. You can also easily purchase magnesium supplements over the counter or online.

While midlife weight gain is common and frustrating during perimenopause, there are many ways you can tackle it.

Diet and exercise are key to weight loss during the menopause transition, as well as ensuring that you’re supplementing your diet with key nutrients that can boost your metabolism.