Top Supplements: Magnesium
Another one of our top recommended supplements is magnesium. Magnesium has gained popularity over the last few years as more prominent social figures continue to recommend different forms of it for different things. This brings us to the point of what magnesium actually does for us, what forms are the most useful and how much do we need.
Magnesium is a cofactor in more than 300 different enzymes in the body. In other words, it affects a lot of physiological processes. It is involved in sleep, brain health, cardiovascular health, bone health, metabolic health, athletic performance, chronic disease prevention, stress and mood regulation and even vitamin D synthesis. Simply put, we have to have magnesium to function right. While it is not impossible, it can be hard to get enough magnesium in our diet, so we often turn to supplementation.
There are many different forms of magnesium which can have different effects on the body. Many other things outside of the form of the magnesium you take can impact its absorption. Things like proton pump inhibitor medications can impact it, as well as high doses of vitamin D. All of this to say that the recommendation of how much you need can be highly individualized. One of the most popular forms of magnesium is magnesium citrate. This has a very high bioavailability (meaning you absorb it well). But it also has a very high laxative-like effect, which if that is your desired goal, can be helpful, but for others, not so much. Next is magnesium malate, this also has decent bioavailability and there is some preliminary data around it helping with fibromyalgia and muscle pain, and less of a laxative-like effect. Magnesium threonate has got a lot of press since it does cross the blood brain barrier and it is being looked at for individuals with anxiety and sleep issues. A very common supplemental form is magnesium glycinate. This has a lower laxative like effect, a high bioavailability and has been studied for sleep issues, anxiety, and even migraines in children.
The dosing of magnesium can be highly variable. For adult males the current baseline is around 420 mg and for females it is 320 mg. This can change based on the individual's diet, exercise level, amount they sweat, and other things. Some individuals need significantly more than others.
A blood test for magnesium will show if you are deficient (below .7mmol/L) but it is not great at showing if your levels are optimal. This is often where individuals will try a round of supplementation to see if they feel an improvement. Dosing can also depend of what the target is. For migraines, some studies used doses around 600 mg daily, which is higher than the current RDA baseline. A study on cognitive function in aging used a dose of 550 mg per day and also had positive results. A study on muscle strength, endurance and power used 8mg per kg of bodyweight and saw positive results. My point being there is no one size fits all dose for magnesium. It all depends on what you have going and what you are trying to use it for and what type you are taking.
For those who are thinking about taking a supplemental magnesium, I would recommend reading through the following: https://www.foundmyfitness.com/topics/magnesium#supplemental-forms-of-magnesium
This will help you make the best informed decision that you can.
