Benefits and properties of Magnesium

What is magnesium and what is it for?

Magnesium is an essential mineral for our body and that is why it is one of the basics in our supplementation guide, but what magnesium is, what it is for and which one to choose, we will tell you here.

Magnesium is one of the most abundant minerals in our body since it participates in more than 300 metabolic reactions that happen every second in our body.

Foods that, in principle, are sources of magnesium are: almonds, cashews, spinach, legumes, dairy products, bananas and potatoes. However, it is estimated that almost 60% of the European population suffers from an intracellular magnesium deficiency, which puts at risk the adequate maintenance of the functions carried out by this mineral.

Why is the deficit so common?

• Due to the demineralization of crop waters as a result of the existing contamination, which causes vegetables, legumes and nuts grown with said waters to contain less of this mineral in their nutritional matrix and consequently, when consuming these foods, our magnesium intake is lower.
• Due to taking certain drugs: omeprazole, diuretics, antibiotics, hormonal contraceptives, insulin and sulfonylureas
• For alcohol consumption (1-2 beers a day or 1 glass of wine a day)
• Due to chronic stress and lack of sleep
• Due to endocrine diseases such as diabetes, obesity, pancreatic insufficiency...
• Due to other malabsorption states: bariatric surgery, Crohn's disease, liver failure
• And for intense physical exercise

Until recently, it was not known that the magnesium that is truly important when assessing the status of said mineral in the body is intracellular magnesium and not what we measure in the blood. This blood value serves to document a marked deficiency, but it is known that once magnesium is low in the blood, it remains low inside the cells for a long time and with this all the functions involved have been affected. You will wonder what functions this mineral is involved in and here we go:

Magnesium properties

- It is key to absorb, transport and activate vitamin D

-It is a necessary cofactor for the synthesis of the hormone melatonin and the neurotransmitter serotonin involved in sleep and relaxation.

- It is key for the correct metabolism of insulin and glucose uptake by your muscles (where we want the glucose to be)

- It is necessary for adequate muscle contraction, being key to controlling blood pressure, heart function and adequate physical performance.

-Regulates the secretion of the main hormone PTH responsible for maintaining the balance of calcium in the body. A lack of magnesium leads to an excess release of PTH and the consequent loss of bone mass with the risk that this entails.

Not all are the same, what is the best magnesium supplement?

You will see that there are many types of magnesium, most are chelated magnesium, that is, magnesium in its elemental form bound to an amino acid or molecule. This is done to promote the intestinal absorption of magnesium or increase its entry into certain structures such as muscle tissue or the brain. Examples of these magnesiums are: magnesium lactate, magnesium malate and magnesium bisglycinate.

You will also see that there are cheaper magnesiums: magnesium oxide and magnesium citrate. Basically, these types of magnesium, although they contain a greater amount of elemental magnesium , their absorption is very poor, causing most of the magnesium to remain in the intestine and produce such undesirable adverse effects as diarrhea, gas and abdominal distention.

When you choose your magnesium supplement, be sure to read the label carefully to recognize which one promotes greater absorption, that the amounts are safe, and always remember to take it with food so that you feel good.

We cannot stop recommending our Total Magnesium, of course you can find it here.