Benefits of Magnesium and How to Get Enough

Magnesium is a crucial mineral for brain and body function. Magnesium supports muscle and nerve function and energy production. It regulates our blood sugar levels and has important anti-inflammatory properties.

Are you looking for improved and more restful sleep? Are you prone to headaches? Are you looking for better support for exercise and muscle repair? Do you experience infrequent bowel movements or constipation? Do you feel anxious or need a brain boost?

Magnesium can help with all of these. 

Sources of Magnesium

It is always best to try and get vitamins and minerals in our bodies with food. Magnesium is found in a variety of foods ranging from leafy greens (arugula, bok choy, collard greens, kale, spinach) legumes, nuts (cashews), and seeds (sunflower, sesame, pumpkin). Still many people do not get nearly enough in their diet. 

Here are a few delicious and easy ways to add dark leafy greens to your daily diet: 

1. Chop kale, spinach, or Swiss chard finely and add to tomato or meat sauce. 
2. Use spinach or arugula to make a pesto and use on pasta or pizzas.
3. Add chopped greens to a stir fry near the end of cooking time.
4. Add fresh or frozen chopped greens to soups, stews, or chili.
5. Skip the iceberg lettuce in your salads and sandwiches and try arugula or baby spinach instead.

The recommended magnesium allowance is 420 mg per day for males and 320 mg per day for females. However, the standard American diet contains only approximately 50 percent of that — meaning much of the population is consuming a magnesium-deficient diet. (source) Additionally, our soils are depleted, which means plants have lower concentrations of magnesium, resulting in reduced human intake. (source) So if you’re not consciously trying to get your magnesium in daily, a supplement might be a good option. 

Supplementing With Magnesium

Magnesium supplements are an easy way to add even more magnesium on a daily basis. The key to effective supplementation is buying a good pharmaceutical-grade supplement, so you can feel confident that what you are purchasing and putting in your body is genuine and high quality. There are many different types of magnesium you can take for specific symptoms or health issues:

Please ask your practitioner which magnesium and how much you may need.