Magnesium – the mineral most people need more of

Magnesium is a mineral that exists in significant amounts in our body. However, not much is found in the blood (only about one percent is stored there), with roughly half residing in the skeleton. This highlights the importance of magnesium for maintaining bone health and dental health, though its functions extend beyond that.  

Bone Health

Research in this area has been limited, but a recent study from the universities of Bristol and Eastern Finland showed that magnesium can prevent fractures by up to 44%. The researchers followed 2,245 middle-aged Finnish men over 20 years, finding that those with lower magnesium levels in their blood had an increased risk of fractures, especially hip fractures. None of the 22 participants with very high magnesium levels experienced any fractures during the 20-year period.

The rest of the body's magnesium reserves are found inside cells, in muscles, and in other tissues and organs. Here, magnesium is used for a range of vital functions, including regulating heart rhythm, blood pressure, and blood sugar levels. It is also necessary for muscles and blood vessels to relax after contracting, for normal nerve function, and for the release of neurotransmitters like serotonin and dopamine.  

Energy Production

Another key role of magnesium is in cellular energy production. The energy in cells is created in the mitochondria, the small powerhouses that convert energy from nutrients into ATP with the help of oxygen. To boost ATP production, one can increase the number of mitochondria and improve their efficiency. Exercise is an excellent way to increase the number of mitochondria in muscle cells. However, to create new mitochondria, the existing ones must replicate their genes, a process dependent on enzymes that require magnesium for activation.

Too little magnesium in the muscles can make it harder for the body to produce new mitochondria. Additionally, excessive oxidative stress can damage mitochondria, reducing their efficiency. Fortunately, mitochondria can repair themselves using the same magnesium-dependent enzymes involved in ATP production.

Vitamin D Needs Magnesium to Work

No fewer than about 600 enzymes in the body require magnesium for activation, and various nutrients depend on magnesium for effective utilization. One of these is vitamin D. Without sufficient magnesium, vitamin D cannot be properly metabolized in the body and remains in its inactive form. If vitamin D supplements are taken in such a state, levels of calcium and phosphate may rise even if there is a vitamin D deficiency, increasing the risk of calcified blood vessels when magnesium levels are low.

High Risk of Deficiency

To avoid magnesium deficiency, we must consume magnesium regularly. However, determining the optimal daily intake can be challenging. Around 300 mg of magnesium per day is typically recommended, but the standard Western diet only provides about half of this amount. In the US, where measurements have been conducted, up to half of the population risks insufficient magnesium intake. The need also increases during pregnancy. A research group suggests that over half of all women of reproductive age likely consume too little magnesium.

About 10% of daily magnesium intake comes from drinking water (especially hard water). The other major source is dark green leafy vegetables. Nuts, seeds, and whole grains also contain significant amounts, while legumes, fruits, meat, and fish provide moderate amounts. Dairy products have the lowest magnesium content in the diet. However, we do not recommend whole grains or legumes (unless legumes are pressure-cooked).

A significant problem is that magnesium and other mineral levels in our food have decreased in recent decades due to the use of pesticides and fertilizers in industrial agriculture. Magnesium is also lost during food processing. As a result, magnesium levels are often low in individuals who consume large amounts of sugar, refined grains, and processed fats.

Measuring magnesium levels is not easy since most of the mineral is found inside cells or in the skeleton. The most common method is a serum test, but magnesium levels in the blood correlate poorly with the body's total magnesium levels or levels in various tissues.

Serum magnesium levels often drop after endurance training or maximal physical activity and during the last three months of pregnancy. Magnesium content in the skeleton also decreases with age. Hospitalized patients, particularly those in intensive care, are more likely to have low magnesium levels.

Blood Vessels and Blood Sugar

A research group examined serum magnesium levels in 1,276 individuals (half women, half men) aged 30–75 years. They tested a range of lab values, including blood pressure and glucose, and conducted CT scans of participants' coronary arteries to determine whether magnesium levels were associated with an increased risk of vascular issues. The results showed that those with the highest magnesium levels had a 48% lower risk of high vascular pressure, a 69% lower risk of blood sugar regulation issues, and a 42% lower risk of vascular problems compared to participants with the lowest magnesium levels.

A Dutch study confirms magnesium's vasodilatory effects and shows that magnesium supplements help reduce arterial stiffness in overweight individuals. They can also help with migraines.

Mood

Magnesium also plays a role in combating inflammation in the body, which, in addition to many other illnesses, has been linked to an increased risk of low mood. Several research groups have confirmed a connection between magnesium and mood. In a clinical study with 126 adult participants suffering from mild to moderate low mood, 248 mg of pure magnesium per day proved to be a safe and effective complement or alternative to medication. Several other positive effects were reported, including fewer issues with headaches and muscle cramps, common signs of magnesium deficiency.

The advantage of magnesium supplements is that they are generally well-tolerated with few side effects. However, some preparations may cause loose stools and/or nausea, although this is not the case with Greatlife's magnesium supplements, as they contain the gentlest forms of magnesium.

Magnesium M4 contains the most easily absorbed forms of magnesium. For those who struggle to swallow capsules, they can be opened and sprinkled onto food consumed immediately. 

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