Hello beautiful pre-health students! This week I am going to discuss magnesium: what it is, what it does, and how you can incorporate it into your life. Remember, the following is not intended to be medical advice, but merely a guide to understanding this mineral from a mental and physical perspective.
The National Institute of Health classifies Magnesium as an abundant mineral in the body. Some of the functions of magnesium are as follows:
Magnesium is a cofactor, a non-protein chemical compound or metallic ion that is required to catalyze an enzyme, in more than 300 biochemical systems in the body. Some of these enzyme systems include protein synthesis, muscle and nerve function, blood glucose control, and blood pressure regulation.
Magnesium is required for some of the most important pathways in the body: energy production, oxidative phosphorylation, and glycolysis.
Magnesium contributes to the structural development of bone.
Magnesium is a necessary component of DNA, RNA, and antioxidant glutathione synthesis.
Magnesium helps facilitate the active transport of calcium and potassium ions across cell membranes; this process is essential for nerve impulse conduction, muscle contraction, and maintaining a normal heart rhythm.
On average, an adult body contains around 25 mg of magnesium, 50-60% of that mass is housed in bones and the rest is present in soft tissue. Less than 1% of total magnesium is contained in blood serum, and these levels are tightly controlled by the kidneys, which typically excrete approximately 120 mg magnesium into the urine each day. Conversely, when magnesium levels are low, urinary excretion is reduced.
In terms of mental health, magnesium is associated with stress levels. Magnesium deficiency has been linked to photosensitive headache, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue syndrome, audiogenic stress, cold stress, psychological stress, and physical stress. Magnesium is key in the physiological stress response and plays an inhibitory key role in the regulation and neurotransmission of the normal stress response. In fact, stress can increase magnesium loss, causing a deficiency and, in turn, increasing the body’s susceptibility to stress, resulting in a magnesium/“stress vicious cycle”.
Magnesium is critical for body and mind function. If you adhere to the standard American diet, you may consume less than the recommended allowance of magnesium. An analysis from the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES), 2013-2016, found that 48% of all Americans of all ages ingest less magnesium than the estimated average requirement (EAR). Adult men aged 71+ and adolescent males and females are the most likely demographics to have low intakes.
So how do you know if your levels are healthy? Assessing magnesium levels is a difficult task as most magnesium is stored inside cells or bone. Thus, the most commonly used method to measure magnesium levels is through measurement of blood serum magnesium concentration; however, serum levels have minimal correlation with total body magnesium levels or concentrations in specific tissues. Other methods, though less common, include the measurement of magnesium status in erythrocytes, saliva, and urine. None of these methods are considered “perfect” by any means, and obtaining one’s correct magnesium status may require a mix of laboratory tests and clinical assessments.
Although it is very uncommon in healthy people as the kidneys limit urinary excretion of magnesium, a deficiency can result from certain health conditions, chronic alcoholism, or the use of certain medications. Some signs include
Loss of appetite
Nausea
Vomiting
Fatigue
Numbness
Tingling
Muscle contractions and cramps
Seizures
Personality changes
Abnormal heart rhythms
Coronary spasms can occur
Despite the present inability to accurately measure magnesium levels in the body, the following outlines the recommended intake via the Dietary Reference Intakes (DRIs) developed by the Food and Nutrition Board (FNB) at the Institute of Medicine of the National Academies.
What can you eat to make sure you’re meeting the RDAs? Luckily, magnesium is readily available in plant foods, animal foods, and beverages. Green leafy vegetables like spinach, legumes, nuts, seeds, and whole grains, are typically good sources of magnesium. Likewise, magnesium is also added to some fortified foods like breakfast cereals. Also, some types of food processing, such as refining grains, can decrease magnesium content significantly. Here is a list via the USDA.
If you consult a doctor*** and find that magnesium supplementation is necessary, magnesium supplements come in many forms: magnesium oxide, citrate, and chloride. For these different forms, the absorption of magnesium varies. Readily dissolvable forms are more completely absorbed in the gut than less soluble forms. Some studies declare that magnesium aspartate, citrate, lactate, and chloride are more absorbed and bioavailable than magnesium oxide or sulfate. Regarding interactions, one study found that very high doses of zinc supplements can prevent magnesium absorption and disrupt bodily magnesium balance.
Ultimately, eating a well-rounded, healthy diet will ensure adequate levels of magnesium. (I hope this is implied, but please do not OD on magnesium-containing foods, and please consult a licensed doctor before taking supplements).
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