Are you one of the 61% of women who are deficient in magnesium? Maybe you suffer from period cramps, mood swings, insomnia, leg cramps, headaches, constipation or chronic stress.
In the realm of women's health and wellness, the mineral magnesium emerges as a true hero, offering a broad spectrum of benefits that cater specifically to the needs of women. Magnesium is a multifaceted mineral that serves as a catalyst for various physiological functions crucial to women's health. From supporting muscle relaxation and optimal nerve function to regulating blood sugar levels and promoting hormonal balance, magnesium is a powerhouse nutrient that women can benefit from in numerous aspects of their health.
Prefer to listen to this topic instead of read? THIS podcast episode of "At Home with Kelly and Tiffany" sheds light on the crucial role magnesium plays in enhancing women's overall well-being. Listen HERE.
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Magnesium Promotes Healthy Blood Sugar Regulation
Magnesium plays a vital role in insulin sensitivity, which is crucial for regulating blood sugar levels. Insulin is a hormone that helps the cells in your body absorb glucose from the bloodstream. When there is a lack of magnesium, insulin resistance can occur, leading to elevated blood sugar levels and potentially increasing the risk of diabetes, hormone imbalances and mood swings.
Magnesium Enhances Relaxation + Sleep Quality for Women
One of the standout benefits of magnesium for women is its ability to promote relaxation and improve sleep quality. Magnesium supplementation can help you unwind, de-stress, and achieve restful sleep. By easing muscle tension and calming the nervous system, magnesium emerges as a natural remedy for women seeking better sleep patterns and overall relaxation.
Magnesium Alleviates Headaches + Tension
Women commonly experience headaches due to various factors like stress, hormonal fluctuations, or muscle tension. Magnesium acts as a natural muscle relaxant and assists in neurotransmitter function. Women with magnesium deficiencies may also be more prone to experiencing menstrual migraines. Magnesium's ability to relax blood vessels and reduce inflammation can help mitigate the intensity and frequency of migraines associated with menstruation. Magnesium offers women a holistic approach to managing headache discomfort and supporting overall health.
Magnesium Improves Digestive Health for Women
One of the lesser-known benefits of magnesium is its significant role in promoting digestive health. Magnesium helps to regulate muscle function throughout the body, including the muscles in the digestive system. This mineral helps to relax the muscles of the gastrointestinal tract, aiding in smooth digestion and preventing issues such as constipation.
Magnesium Helps Manage Moods + Mental Health
Magnesium can be a game-changer when it comes to mental wellness. Magnesium helps women manage stress, alleviate anxiety, and even improve their mood and mental clarity. Magnesium acts as a natural relaxant, helping to calm the nervous system and reduce the impact of stress on the body. By regulating neurotransmitters and supporting the production of feel-good hormones like serotonin, magnesium can help individuals navigate challenging moments with greater ease. By supporting brain function and neurotransmitter activity, magnesium can improve cognitive function, focus, and overall mental well-being.
Magnesium Contributes to Cardiovascular Health for Women
Magnesium is an essential mineral that plays a crucial role in maintaining a healthy heart and cardiovascular system. One of the key benefits of magnesium is its ability to relax and dilate blood vessels, which can lead to lower blood pressure and reduced strain on the heart. By promoting vasodilation, magnesium helps improve circulation and nutrient delivery throughout the body, supporting optimal cardiovascular function.
Magnesium Alleviates Female Menstrual Discomforts
During menstruation, many women experience symptoms like bloating, cramps, mood swings, and fatigue. These symptoms can be attributed to hormonal changes and imbalances in the body. Magnesium acts as a natural muscle relaxant and can help alleviate these discomforts by reducing muscle tension and promoting relaxation. Additionally, because magnesium plays a vital role in regulating serotonin levels in the brain, women may experience improved mood stability, reduced PMS symptoms, and overall pain.
Magnesium Optimal Supports Bone Health for Women
Magnesium plays a crucial role in maintaining strong and healthy bones. It works in tandem with other essential nutrients to support bone density and structure. This essential mineral helps in the absorption of calcium, another key nutrient for bone strength. Magnesium also aids in the activation of vitamin D, which is necessary for calcium absorption. Studies have shown that magnesium deficiency is linked to a higher risk of osteoporosis and bone fractures. By ensuring an adequate intake of magnesium, you can improve bone mineral density and reduce the likelihood of bone-related issues.
Incorporating Magnesium Into Daily Health Routines
All these benefits certainly highlight the importance of integrating this essential mineral into daily rhythms. Whether through dietary sources or supplements, ensuring an adequate intake of magnesium is pivotal for women looking to optimize their health. Incorporating magnesium-rich foods like dark leafy greens, nuts, seeds, and whole grains in your diet can contribute to better mineral health. However, if dietary intake is insufficient, supplementation with magnesium supplements can be a beneficial option for women looking to support nearly every single system in their bodies.
Can I Get Enough Magnesium From Food?
Food is always an excellent place to begin with nutritional intake. Dark green leafy vegetables, orange vegetables, bone broth, and sardines are quality whole food sources of this important mineral. For example, 1/4 c pumpkin seeds has 317 mg of magnesium, 6 oz salmon has 291 mg of magnesium, and 2 cups of chard has 300 mg of magnesium. Because of the body's demand for daily magnesium, we recommend a multi-source approach with food, oral supplements and topical application.
How Much Magnesium Should Women Get Each Day?
A total of 300-400 mg a day is needed for most women to avoid deficiency, however your body will not typically be able to absorb all that you take. We recommend supplementing 500-750 mg per day to ensure optimal magnesium level. You can take up to 800 mg of magnesium a day for acute health complaints like, phases of insomnia, constipation, or migraine.
Where Can I Buy a Quality Magnesium Supplement?
Best Broad Spectrum Oral Magnesium: We Heart Nutrition. A commitment to quality, this 100% magnesium boasts one of the purest magnesium glycinate formulas on the market, and has no fillers or ingredient short-cuts that can cause the GI upset that some lesser-quality brands do. Use Code BEAUTIFULONE for 20% off your order.
Best Topical Magnesium: Earthly's Goodnight Lotion. Great for adults, kids and even those with sensitive skin, transdermal absorption is up to 5x faster than oral routes of magnesium. Best applied on the clean skin of your arms, legs, abdomen and soles of the feet, this lotion has 100 mg of magnesium per teaspoon. Use code BEAUTIFULONE for 10% off your order. If you are feeling extra creative, you can make your own magnesium body butter by following our tutorial HERE.
What Causes Magnesium Deficiency?
Mineral deficiency can be caused by many different factors that are individual to each woman. We do know, however, that stress, pregnancy and lactation are especially demanding on magnesium stores. Chemicals like flouride and chlorine bind to magnesium and inhibit proper absorption. Common substances like caffeine and sugar can deplete magnesium levels, as well as high doses of vitamin d and zinc. It's important to note that gut health plays an important part in the optimal magnesium utilization story, too. Leaky gut and gut dysbiosis can prevent proper nutritional absorption in the intestines where your body tries to use it. Vitamin b's are also essential to optimal magnesium uptake.
You can see our entire protocol for Mineral Deficiency inside our Fullscript account. Signing up only takes a couple minutes and gives you instant access to dozens of natural health protocols and an automatic 25% off professional grade supplements. Click HERE.
Are Different Types of Magnesiums Good For Different Things?
Magnesium comes in many different forms and they all shine in specific areas of health. Citrate might be best for digestive health, oxide may be the headache remedy you need, l-threonate crosses the blood-brain barrier and can be a mantal health hero. Magnesium glycinate makes it to the top of our list, though, because of it its broad spectrum applications and excellent absorption ability.
It's no secret: as midwives and as women we LOVE magnesium! We also recognize that the wide world of supplementation can feel overwhelming in and of itself, and when it comes to magnesium recommendations it's easy to feel lost in a sea of options. But have no fear: We are here to help you decipher and decode all things magnesium! Types, uses, dosing and trusted favorites are all laid out for you here in this helpful free guide aimed at building your confidence in supporting your body and mind holistically from home! Click the link below.
By understanding and harnessing the diverse advantages of magnesium—from relaxation and sleep quality improvements to headache relief and beyond—women can empower themselves to prioritize their well-being through this essential nutrient.
Although we are licensed midwives by profession, we are not YOUR midwives. All content and information on this website is for informational and educational purposes only, and does not constitute medical advice. Although we strive to provide accurate general information, the information presented here is not a substitute for any kind of professional advice. For more information, click here.
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