Everything You Need to Know About Magnesium
Updated: May 19
1. Important Factor in Your Body’s Biochemistry
Magnesium is known to play a key role in over 600 reactions in the body, such as those that involve energy metabolism, protein formation, and regulation of the nervous system
In fact, magnesium is highly important for brain cells to communicate with one another and is thought to contribute to learning and memory processes.
2. Magnesium May Improve Athletic Performance
There is evidence that magnesium is required more when exercising in comparison to when you are resting.
This may be because magnesium helps increase energy supply to your muscles and removes buildup of “junk” molecules like lactic acid when exercising.
3. Magnesium Has Mood Benefits
Magnesium may also be good for your mood.
In fact, low levels of this mineral have been linked to an increased risk for mood disorders like depression.
4. Magnesium is Important for Regulating Blood Sugar
The body uses a small peptide molecule called insulin to absorb glucose from the blood.
In disorders like diabetes, insulin does work as well as it should to help the body take in glucose.
Interestingly, magnesium may play a key role in the body’s ability to use insulin properly as one study found that magnesium supplements helped improve insulin function and blood sugar levels in people with and without blood sugar problems.
5. It Can Help Lower Blood Pressure
High blood pressure can greatly impact our long-term health.
Fortunately, studies suggest that magnesium is also effective at lowering blood pressure.
6. It Can Help Regulate Inflammation
There is also evidence that magnesium is important for inflammation in the body.
Specifically, low levels of magnesium were linked to chronic inflammation, which may be related to high blood sugar and insulin levels in people with high inflammation and low magnesium
It is always wise to begin with low doses of the mineral and increase based on what your daily diet includes and what your healthcare practitioner recommends.
Overall, magnesium is safe and can help improve many areas of your life.
Eating foods high in magnesium content is one of the best ways to increase the availability of this mineral in your body, but supplements are by far the easiest to make sure you are getting the right amount each day.