Dr Michelle O'Driscoll: The importance of Magnesium

THE new buzz word in health supplements seems to be magnesium. It’s popping up everywhere as the best thing to be taking for whole range of ailments.

This is because magnesium is a mineral that’s used for hundreds of chemical reactions in the body. This includes keeping muscles and nerves functioning properly, keeping the immune system and bones strong, maintaining a steady heartbeat, and managing energy, protein and blood glucose levels.

If there’s a lot of calcium, protein or vitamin D in the diet, then more magnesium will also be needed to balance this out.

Women need approximately 270mg of magnesium daily if aged between 19 and 64. While it can be obtained from a balanced diet, particularly from foods such as pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, spinach, oats, sunflower seeds, beans, rice and nuts, supplements can be considered.

Magnesium comes in a variety of useable forms, including oils, bath salts, sprays and supplements, and can pass across the skin as well as being taken orally.

Magnesium cannot be got as a mineral on its own, it has to attach to something else, and there are several forms that it can take:

• Magnesium citrate – occurs in citrus fruits, most commonly used in supplements and most easily absorbed. Has a laxative effect, so is sometimes used to treat constipation.
• Magnesium bisgycinate – Glycine is a neurotransmitter in the central nervous system, so when magnesium binds to it, it can be used to support sleep and help with relaxation, as well as easing symptoms of PMS, memory loss, muscle cramps and headache.
• Magnesium oxide – used in tablets or capsules to treat indigestion, constipation or heartburn.
• Magnesium sulphate – Epsom salts, most commonly used in the bath and absorbed through the skin. Helps with easing stress, relaxing the muscles, reducing cramps and pain, and increasing the effect of insulin.
• Magnesium chloride – controls blood sugar, sleep and mood. Can be used in tablet form or as flakes like Epsom Salts.

Supplements can contain magnesium bound to something as its only active ingredient, or magnesium may be one of many vitamins and minerals in a product. It can be helpful to look through the small print of the ingredients and decide which product is best for you based on your needs. Your pharmacist or doctor can advise you further on this if you’re unsure.

If you take a number of different supplements, it’s important to ensure that you’re not duplicating efforts and taking too much of any one ingredient in total.

Considering lifestyle adjustments too as well as magnesium can be helpful, to assist its action. For constipation for example, making sure to drink plenty of fluids and get exercise in to keep the bowel moving. 

Exercise is beneficial also for sleep issues, and to help with loosening out any tight or tense muscles.

Progressive muscle relaxation techniques can be very effective in this regard too. Doing what you can to allow the brain to wind down and switch off in the evenings will help with anxiety and overthinking, and magnesium can be a welcome addition to the bedtime routine.

As vitamins and minerals go, magnesium is quite the all-rounder!

Different forms have different benefits, and if you’re unsure whether you’re getting enough of it in your diet, or feel like you could benefit with a boost of it, there are supplements or other products that you can try.

About the author 

 Dr Michelle O’Driscoll is a pharmacist, re searcher and founder of InTuition, a health and wellness education company. Her research lies in the area of mental health education, and through InTuition she delivers health promotion workshops to corporate and academic organisations nationally.