If you’re only going to take ONE supplement for your health… let it be this
The science, the symptoms, and the simple fix most adults are missing
While I think the supplement market has become over-hyped and over-promised, they still have their place. I don’t think taking 50 supplements a day = health, and I’ll even go so far as to say that most supplements may be unnecessary.
Most nutrients we’re missing come from our diet, and the issues start when we are no longer supplementing our health, but replacing our nutrient dense diet for capsules. But there are still some supplements that can make a meaningful difference- and if I had to defend just one, it would be magnesium.
Nearly 2/3 of people are not getting adequate Magnesium from their diet alone. And even worse, blood tests aren’t very useful here.
Less than 0.3% of total body magnesium is found in blood, while the bones store about 50-60% and the rest in muscles & soft tissue.
Meaning: Even if your lab results say your magnesium levels look “normal”, it’s only measuring that tiny 0.3% - not the other 99% that may very well be depleted.
Why do we need magnesium?
Magnesium plays a vital role in over 300 enzymatic processes (enzymes are like little helpers that make the processes move faster) in the body, including those such as:
Energy Production
Sleep
Muscle Function
Neurotransmission
Hormone Creation
Detox
DNA Repair
Blood Pressure Regulation
Bone Mineralization
Frankly, this is the first supplement I recommend to all my clients… and without fail, they call me within a week telling me how much their sleep has improved.
I personally take 3 capsules 30-45 mins before bed every single night, no exceptions.
Signs you might not be getting enough magnesium:
Not sleeping well
Tired even with enough sleep
Trouble Falling Asleep
Muscle Cramps
Twitching
Pins & Needle Sensation
Waking up with clenched jaw
Anxiety / always in fight-or-flight (low mag amplifies cortisol)
PMS
Headaches/Migraines around your period
Frequent Headaches
High Blood Pressure
Constipation
Salt Cravings
Inflammation
More than just diet
Like most of our food system, modern processing has strayed far from how we used to do things. It isn’t that we’re just eating less spinach than our grandparents were, we’re actively depleting it.
The way food is processed these days is not with nutrients in mind.
Today’s produce has significantly less magnesium than it did 50 years ago.
The refining of grains strips away the magnesium-rich germ and bran, removing up to ~80% less.
Medications that didn’t exist a few decades ago- hormonal birth control, proton pump inhibitors (PPI’s) like nexium, and diuretics- all flush magnesium from the body.
Modern processing simply does not prioritize nutrient preservation.
Which form should you take?
Magnesium is beneficial for most adults, but you can find many forms on the shelf. Here’s how to choose which is best for you.
Magnesium Glycinate
Best for: anxiety, PMS, stress, people with sensitive stomachs
Highly absorbed, gentle, & most well tolerated
Magnesium Citrate
Best for: constipation, slow digestion
Mild laxative (not as strong as Oxide)
Magnesium Oxide
Best for: constipation
Poor absorption, so it stays in the gut = laxative
Magnesium L-Threonate
Best for: brain fog, focus, memory, mood support, ADHD tendencies
Only form that crosses the blood-brain barrier
Magnesium Taurate
Best for: anxiety, blood pressure support, heart palpitations
Helps regulate heart rhythm and calm the nervous system
Magnesium Chloride
Best for: overall absorption, muscle cramps or soreness
Topical form, absorbs well through the skin
Conclusion
Magnesium is not a magic cure-all, but it is one of the few supplements that consistently makes a difference in people’s health routine, fairly quickly. When you support the body at the cellular level, the results show up everywhere.
If you have been feeling “off” in ways you can’t quite pinpoint, a magnesium supplement is one of the simplest, safest places to start. I have seen it transform my clients’ sleep, stress, periods, and energy in a week’s time- and it is the one supplement I refuse to skip myself.
This is the form I take myself but use the chart above to find which form is best for you! If you’re unsure, Magnesium Glycinate is a gentle, well-absorbed, most common option.
Here’s to deeper sleep, calmer days, and a supported system♡
References:
Al Alawi AM, Majoni SW, Falhammar H. Magnesium and Human Health: Perspectives and Research Directions. Int J Endocrinol. 2018 Apr 16;2018:9041694. doi: 10.1155/2018/9041694. PMID: 29849626; PMCID: PMC5926493.
Grober U., Schmidt J., Kisters K. Magnesium in prevention and therapy. Nutrients. 2015;7(9):8199–8226. doi: 10.3390/nu7095388.
Jahnen-Dechent W., Ketteler M. Magnesium basics. Clinical Kidney Journal. 2012;5(Supplement 1):i3–i14. doi: 10.1093/ndtplus/sfr163
Cazzola R, Della Porta M, Manoni M, Iotti S, Pinotti L, Maier JA. Going to the roots of reduced magnesium dietary intake: A tradeoff between climate changes and sources. Heliyon. 2020 Nov 3;6(11):e05390. doi: 10.1016/j.heliyon.2020.e05390. PMID: 33204877; PMCID: PMC7649274.
