Magnesium is an essential mineral required in over 300 enzymatic processes in the body, which means a deficiency can wreak havoc on anyone’s body.
The World Health Organization estimates that over 75% of adults suffer from a magnesium deficiency.
Although the uses the body has for magnesium are beyond the scope of what one informational article can provide, we’ll cover a few major so you get inspired to have your potential deficiency corrected. We’ll cover general health and sports performance as a primer for how important this mineral is. Here’s a short list of magnesium deficiency symptoms compiled by Dr. Perlmutter.
Magnesium Deficiency Symptoms
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Now that we’ve had an opportunity to see just how much this one mineral can affect, let’s cover just a few main reasons we want to correct magnesium deficiencies.
General Health – Depression
The purpose of diet, exercise, and life, in general, is to be happy. Being depressed reduces happiness and life satisfaction and causes a multitude of conditions too numerous to list in this article. Magnesium deficiency is directly linked to Depression. When we want to feel our best, train our best, sleep our best, proper magnesium intake is essential to that end.
General Health / Athletic Enhancement – Sleep Disorders
Sleep is the #1 recovery agent for the body whether for general health or for athletic enhancement. We experience a considerable amount of stress more than our parents and grandparents and coincidentally many of us have sleep issues or even insomnia. Magnesium improves sleep and reduces the effects of insomnia.
Athletic Enhancement – Energy Production
Our bodies produce energy from the Krebs Cycle and in that cycle, magnesium plays a major role in that energy production cycle. A deficiency in magnesium will reduce energy and athletic performance.
General Health / Athletic Enhancement – Osteoporosis
Magnesium plays a very large role in bone health along with Calcium and Vitamin D. A deficiency in magnesium will result in weaker bones and make a person much more susceptible to various bone-related injuries.
Different Types of Magnesium
Due to magnesium playing such a large role in so many systems of the body each type of magnesium can have a unique way and a general way it works in the body.
Magnesium L-Threonate – This form of magnesium was created at MIT and was studied to increase GABA levels in humans which assists greatly with insomnia and sleep. It’s great for a stress reduction protocol. It is the best version of magnesium to increase magnesium levels in the brain.
Magnesium Glycinate – This easy to absorb and chelated form is great to take for improving bone health, blood sugar levels, anxiety, depression, cramps, and maintains itself as one of the most recommended forms.
Magnesium Malate – This form shares many of the same effects as glycinate and is generally sought after for energy purposes as the malic acid assists with our Krebs Cycle (energy cycle) and assists with heavy metal detoxification.
Many additional forms of magnesium are available. It’s important to work with your naturopathic, integrative, or regular doctor to determine which types and quantities are best for you and your specific needs.
Magnesium Dosing
| Age | Male | Female |
| Birth to 6 months (AI) | 30 mg | 30 mg |
| 7–12 months (AI) | 75 mg | 75 mg |
| 1–3 years (RDA) | 80 mg | 80 mg |
| 4–8 years (RDA) | 130 mg | 130 mg |
| 9–13 years (RDA) | 240 mg | 240 mg |
| 14–18 years (RDA) | 410 mg | 360 mg |
| 19–30 years (RDA) | 400 mg | 310 mg |
| 31–50 years (RDA) | 420 mg | 320 mg |
| 51+ years (RDA) | 420 mg | 320 mg |
References
Over 75% of Adults are Magnesium Deficient
https://www.who.int/water_sanitation_health/publications/publication_9789241563550/en/
Magnesium Deficiency linked to Depression
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25748766
Magnesium improves sleep and insomnia
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/23853635
Magnesium and Energy
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/26166051
