Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) is a hormonal condition that affects a significant number of women and individuals with ovaries, with estimates suggesting that around 1 in 10 people with ovaries in the UK are affected. It often leads to hormone imbalances, irregular menstrual cycles, and difficulties with fertility. Managing the various symptoms of PCOS can be challenging. Magnesium, a common and beneficial supplement, plays a crucial role in regulating glucose, insulin, and blood pressure, making it particularly important for individuals with PCOS.
What is Magnesium?
Magnesium is the fourth most abundant mineral in the body and is naturally found in a variety of sources. One of its important functions is that it acts as an electrolyte, regulating heart contractions and water balance. Magnesium also acts as a cofactor involved in hundreds of important reactions, such as regulating glucose and insulin, transmitting nerve impulses, regulating temperature, and liver detoxification. It is even part of the formation of bones and teeth.
Here are some of the important functions of magnesium:
- Acts as a co-factor or enzyme for chemical reactions in the body.
- Produces and transports energy.
- Helps with absorption and conversion of glucose into energy.
- Transmits nerve signals to and from the brain.
- Relaxes muscles to prevent twitching or spasms.
- Calms adrenal glands.
Magnesium Deficiency and PCOS
Women with PCOS are significantly more likely to have a magnesium deficiency. A study in Gynecology Endocrinology found that women with PCOS are 19 times more likely to have a magnesium deficiency. Individuals with metabolic syndrome or type 2 diabetes have also shown to have low levels of magnesium. In fact, having low levels of magnesium increases your risk for having type 2 diabetes.
Several factors contribute to low magnesium levels in people with PCOS:
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- Inadequate Dietary Intake: Research indicates that a significant number of women with PCOS do not consume adequate amounts of magnesium from food.
- Poor Soil Concentrations: The magnesium content in food is affected by soil quality.
- Processed Foods: Abundance of processed and refined foods that are stripped of magnesium.
- Lifestyle Factors: Stress and alcohol consumption can deplete magnesium levels.
- Medications: Certain medications like birth control pills can interfere with magnesium levels.
- Nutrient Imbalances: Taking too high amounts of other nutrients (calcium, sodium, vitamin D and iron).
- Medical Conditions: Medical conditions such as insulin resistance or metabolic syndrome may interfere with the utilization of magnesium.
- Dietary Factors: Eating a high protein diet, or too many foods that contain oxalic acid (found in spinach and chard), or phytic acid (found in seeds and grains) can affect the absorption of magnesium too. Additionally, the cooking and boiling of produce diminishes the magnesium content of food.
6 Key Benefits of Magnesium for PCOS
Here are several important benefits of magnesium for people with PCOS:
Prevents Migraines
Magnesium is a well-known treatment for headache and migraine pain. It works to relax blood vessels, preventing them from narrowing, and also prevents small clots that contribute to migraine tension.
Acts as a Pain Reliever
Magnesium works as a pain reliever by reducing inflammation. Topical magnesium creams can be applied to aches and pains to reduce inflammation.
Provides PMS Relief
Magnesium is a safe and effective treatment for relieving the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS). Magnesium supplementation of 250 mg daily has been shown to be helpful for lessening bloating, cravings, cramping and reducing anxiety and sleep disturbances associated with PMS. Chocolate is one of the most common foods women crave right before they start their periods, and chocolate is one of the highest food sources of magnesium.
Magnesium has also been shown to be effective for preventing or ameliorating headaches or migraines and preventing dysmenorrhea (heavy blood flow).
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Improves Mood
Anxiety is common in women with PCOS. Low levels of magnesium can be an underlying cause of anxiety. A review of 18 studies showed that magnesium does have a beneficial effect for people with anxiety. Many symptoms of anxiety such as apathy, anxious behavior, anger, nervousness, insomnia, rapid pulse, or heart palpitations may be reduced by supplementing with magnesium. Magnesium works to calm the excitability of the nervous system to help reduce anxiety. Higher levels of magnesium can also help with sleep, which women with PCOS often have difficulty with.
Magnesium can also help those suffering from depression. Adults who were given magnesium chloride (four 500 mg tablets of magnesium chloride daily for a total of 248 mg of elemental magnesium per day) for 6 weeks saw significant reductions in depressive symptoms, with noticeable changes in just 2 weeks.
Lowers Inflammation
A big benefit of magnesium for PCOS is its ability to lower inflammation. Women with PCOS were randomly assigned to take either 250 mg of magnesium oxide plus 220 mg of zinc sulfate (containing 50 mg zinc) supplements or placebo twice a day for 12 weeks. The Magnesium-Zinc group saw significantly beneficial effects on inflammation by lower serum hs-CRP and greater total antioxidant status.
Reduces Insulin Resistance
Individuals with insulin resistance and those with metabolic syndrome or type 2 diabetes tend to be lacking magnesium. One theory is that chronic insulin reduces magnesium levels. Magnesium is important to help glucose enter cells where it is used for energy. Part of its job in doing this is regulating the function and transport of insulin, which acts as a key to open the cell doors to glucose. Without enough magnesium, glucose doesn’t enter the cells in sufficient amounts. This can cause fatigue and difficulties regulating blood sugar. Sufficient levels of magnesium can therefore improve insulin resistance and reduce your risk for developing type 2 diabetes. Insulin resistance is a common issue in individuals with PCOS, believed to affect around 60-70% of those with it. Insulin is a hormone that helps move sugar from your blood into your cells to be used for energy. In insulin resistance, your cells stop responding to insulin properly, so sugar builds up in your bloodstream instead of being used. Magnesium may help improve how the body responds to insulin, thus supporting blood sugar control.
Lowers Blood Pressure
High blood pressure, also called hypertension, is a risk factor for heart disease. A diet rich in fruits and vegetables has been shown to be an effective treatment to reduce high blood pressure as well as other metabolic aspects in women with PCOS. Fruits and vegetables are rich sources of magnesium. Higher blood pressure is common in people with PCOS, and a diet high in magnesium-rich food may help to reduce blood pressure.
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The more magnesium in your cells, the more likely you are to have lower blood pressure. A review of 9 studies found that as magnesium levels increase, blood pressure decreased. The researchers found that for each 100 mg/day increment in magnesium intake there was a 5% reduction in the risk of hypertension.
How to Identify a Magnesium Deficiency
Magnesium status is difficult to assess because most magnesium is located inside cells or in bone and not in the blood. Therefore, there is no one good test to detect a magnesium deficiency. However, some symptoms may indicate a deficiency:
- Muscle cramping, pain
- Frequent headaches or migraine headaches
- Mood changes like anxiety, depression, or irritability
- Elevated blood pressure
- Insulin resistance or metabolic syndrome
- Low energy level or chronically fatigued
- Memory issues, difficulty focusing, problems maintaining attention
- Painful menstrual periods or severe PMS symptoms
- Difficulty sleeping
- Brittle bones and development of stones
- Numbness or tingling in hands and feet
- Intense cravings for sweets, especially chocolate
- Muscle weakness and cramps
- Fatigue
- Nausea or vomiting
- Abnormal heart rhythms
- Numbness and tingling in hands and feet
- In severe cases, seizures
Before supplementing, you may want to check with your healthcare provider and undergo a simple blood test, to check if you are deficient in magnesium.
How Much Magnesium Do You Need?
The recommended amount for magnesium in adult women is 320 mg daily, but this may not be sufficient for people with PCOS. Food sources such as chocolate, avocados, leafy greens, nuts, seeds, beans, and whole grains are good sources of magnesium, however, may provide insufficient amounts if you are deficient.
Supplementing with magnesium may help to improve symptoms in those with PCOS, such as insulin resistance, anxiety, and mood swings. Most research shows that a daily dose of 300-400mg of magnesium is the most effective, and according to the NHS, up to 400mg is deemed safe for adults.
There are many types of magnesium in supplements. Magnesium bisglycinate and glycinate are best absorbed forms with less GI side effects. Magnesium aspartate, citrate, lactate, and chloride forms are absorbed more than magnesium oxide and magnesium sulfate. The most bioavailable (easy for the body to absorb) is magnesium glycinate.
Magnesium is water soluble (extra amounts that the body doesn’t need will get eliminated through the urine) and toxicity is rare. Excessive consumption of magnesium (3 to 5 grams daily), can result in side effects such as diarrhea and dehydration and rarely, more serious issues such as hypotension, weakness, and confusion.
It is important not to supplement with too much magnesium, as it can cause adverse side effects such as fatigue, vomiting, and an irregular heartbeat. Do not take magnesium if you have a heart problem called “heart block” or any kidney problems or kidney failure. An upper limit (UL) of 350 mg/d from supplemented magnesium for women aged >14 y was established to reduce the risk of adverse reactions from excess intake.