Magnesium is an essential mineral that plays a vital role in numerous bodily functions. It's involved in processes that control muscle and nerve function, maintains strong bones, supports heart health, regulates blood sugar levels, and contributes to energy production. While magnesium can be obtained through diet, many individuals may not be getting enough, leading to a potential need for supplementation. This article explores the benefits of magnesium, particularly in spray form, and its potential role in weight loss.
Understanding Magnesium and Its Importance
Magnesium is a mineral your body needs to work right. It helps with hundreds of important body processes, including those that control how your muscles and nerves work. It helps to keep your bones strong, heart healthy, and blood sugar normal and also plays a role in your energy level.
The daily magnesium requirement varies depending on age and gender. An adult woman needs about 310 milligrams of magnesium a day, and 320 milligrams after age 30. Pregnant women need an extra 40 milligrams. Adult men under 31 need 400 milligrams and 420 milligrams if they’re older. Kids need anywhere from 30 to 410 milligrams, depending on their age and gender.
Almost half of Americans don’t get enough magnesium from their diet. Over time, low levels of the mineral may set the stage for a variety of health issues, including type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, and migraines. Older adults, alcoholics, and those with type 2 diabetes or digestive issues are more likely to lack it, either because their bodies get rid of too much magnesium or they don’t take in enough in the first place.
If you’re healthy, your kidneys flush out the extra magnesium you get from foods. Still, too much of it can bring on cramps or nausea. The same is true if you use laxatives or antacids that have magnesium. At really high doses, the mineral can make you very sick. Some conditions, such as myasthenia gravis, can get worse if you take magnesium pills.
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The Potential Benefits of Magnesium
Magnesium offers a wide array of potential health benefits:
- Strengthens Bones: Magnesium plays a role in building new bone cells and may protect against bone loss, broken bones, and osteoporosis. Studies suggest that women with osteoporosis tend to have lower magnesium levels.
- Fights Inflammation: Chronic inflammation can lead to health problems like heart disease, arthritis, and diabetes. Magnesium may help prevent this by keeping inflammation in check.
- Protects the Heart: Magnesium helps the heart pump blood efficiently. Adequate levels may reduce the risk of irregular heartbeat, heart disease, and heart attack. It can also help relax blood vessel walls, potentially lowering blood pressure and boosting "good" cholesterol (HDL) levels.
- Prevents Migraines: Magnesium may help block or lower pain chemicals in the brain and prevent blood vessels from tightening, reducing the likelihood of migraines.
- Lowers Odds of Diabetes: Magnesium aids insulin function, which is crucial for maintaining stable blood sugar levels. Studies suggest that individuals with higher magnesium intake are less likely to develop diabetes.
Sources of Magnesium
Magnesium can be obtained through various dietary sources:
- Nuts and Seeds: Almonds, cashews, pumpkin seeds, pecans, sunflower seeds, peanuts, and flax are excellent sources of magnesium, along with heart-healthy fats, fiber, and antioxidants.
- Whole Grains: Whole grains are superior to processed foods and are rich in both fiber and magnesium. Examples include whole wheat bread, brown rice, and oatmeal.
- Avocado: This fruit is a great source of magnesium, heart-healthy fats, fiber, and folate.
- Dark Leafy Greens: Spinach, Swiss chard, collard greens, and kale are packed with magnesium, calcium, potassium, iron, and vitamins A, C, and K. Okra is also a magnesium-rich vegetable.
- Soy Products: Soy milk, tofu, tempeh, edamame, and soy yogurt are good sources of plant-based protein and magnesium.
- Beans: Black beans, kidney beans, chickpeas, white beans, and lentils are healthy magnesium sources that can be added to various dishes.
Magnesium Spray: An Alternative Approach
Magnesium spray, also known as magnesium oil, is a topical application of magnesium chloride. It's touted for its potential benefits, including:
- May Soothe Aches and Pains: Some athletes use topical magnesium to dull muscle soreness for workout recovery and pain relief after exercise. Magnesium can block or reduce the activity of N-methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) pain receptors, which play a role in sending pain signals throughout your body. Research suggests that topical magnesium chloride applied to the arms and legs may significantly improve fibromyalgia symptoms, though more research is needed.
- May Ease Restless Legs Syndrome: Magnesium may help treat restless legs syndrome by calming anxious sensations and aiding muscle relaxation. Magnesium blocks NMDA receptors, which also leads to the blocking of calcium into muscle cells and causes the muscle to relax and can provide some relief. Studies have shown that oral magnesium can reduce limb movements and improve sleep quality and symptoms in adults with restless legs syndrome.
- May Promote Better Sleep: Research is mixed on whether magnesium boosts sleep quality in general. But no scientific evidence yet exists to link magnesium oil spray to better sleep.
- May Relieve Headaches and Migraine: Magnesium deficiency may contribute to mild and moderate tension-type headaches and migraine. Magnesium supplementation is useful in the prevention of migraines, since low levels of magnesium cause easier activation of NMDA receptors, which are part of the migraine activation pathway. Low levels of magnesium have been linked to blood vessel narrowing in the brain, which is believed to be a cause of migraines.
- May Boost Skin Health: Some people use magnesium oil for skin health, with cosmetic brands claiming it can soothe irritation or prevent premature aging. The skin likely absorbs magnesium to some extent, and applying magnesium over hair follicles might boost absorption.
Magnesium and Weight Loss: Is There a Connection?
Some studies suggest the mineral might be helpful for people who need to lose weight. But that doesn’t mean the scale will budge after you start taking the supplement. Magnesium may be helpful for regulating blood sugar and insulin levels in people who are overweight or obese. A 2013 study found that taking higher amounts of magnesium helps better control insulin and glucose blood levels and also showed magnesium helps with bloating and water retention.
However, it's important to note that taking magnesium alone has not been shown to be effective for weight loss. A comprehensive approach that includes restricting calories, eating a healthy diet, and exercising regularly is crucial for long-term weight loss.
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A study was done to quantify the effect of magnesium supplementation on body weight, Body Mass Index (BMI), Waist Circumference (WC), Body Fat (BF) percentage and Waist to Hip Ratio (WHR). Magnesium supplementation resulted in a great reduction in BMI which was mainly driven by the effect among those with magnesium deficiency, insulin resistance related disorders, and obesity at baseline. No significant change was observed in bodyweight, WC, BF percentage and WHR as compared to controls. However, the change in body weight, and WC was significant in subgroups of participants with insulin resistance related disorders, hypertension, obesity, magnesium deficiency at baseline, and females. We found a significant reduction in BMI following magnesium supplementation.
Addressing Magnesium Deficiency
Magnesium deficiencies are relatively rare, but many Americans don't get enough magnesium in their diets. Some health conditions can lead to magnesium deficiencies, including gastrointestinal diseases like irritable bowel syndrome (IBS), Crohn’s disease, and celiac disease. Conditions like diabetes and kidney disease can also change the way your body absorbs and stores magnesium. Stomach viruses that cause vomiting and diarrhea may also cause a temporary magnesium deficiency. Drinking too much alcohol or caffeine on a regular basis can affect your magnesium levels, too.
According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the daily recommendations for magnesium are:
- Adults 19-30 years: men 400 milligrams (mg), women 310 mg
- Adults 31+: men 420 mg, women 320 mg
Magnesium Supplements: Forms and Considerations
Magnesium supplements are available in various forms, including magnesium oxide, magnesium chloride, magnesium gluconate, magnesium citrate, and magnesium orotate. Some types of magnesium supplements are absorbed better than others in the body. It's essential to talk to your doctor about the best form and dosage for your needs.
Supplements deliver magnesium in a larger and more concentrated way than you’d get through regular foods, so there’s a possibility for negative side effects. These include upset stomach, diarrhea, nausea, and abdominal cramping. More serious symptoms can result from “mega-dosing,” or taking a supplement in much larger amounts than the body normally gets naturally, including muscle weakness, low blood pressure, drowsiness, being overly thirsty, trouble breathing, loss of appetite, and irregular heartbeat.
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The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not regulate supplements in the same way it regulates medications. This means private manufacturers are responsible for making sure their products are safe for human use. These products might have other additives that may be harmful, or might not contain the ingredients or dosage that they claim.
How To Use Magnesium Spray
If you decide to try magnesium oil spray, test it on a small patch of skin before applying it more broadly to check if it's going to cause any reaction or irritation of the skin.
Magnesium is an important mineral that your body needs in order to function. It helps you do a variety of important things including produce energy, regulate blood sugar, and cause necessary chemical reactions in the body. Magnesium helps your body conduct nerve impulses, muscle contraction, and normal heart rhythm by playing a role in the transport of calcium and potassium.