How This Helps
Magnesium is an important nutrient for your body. It’s part of several critical processes that help maintain health, particularly in the brain, heart, and muscles. Published research in Nutrition Reviews found magnesium deficiencies to be found in roughly 50 percent of people in the US.
What does magnesium do?
Why is Magnesium Important?
Magnesium is an essential nutrient for the body because it has a role to play in many vital processes that help maintain your health. It is crucial for maintaining the health of your heart, brain, and muscles.
Research conducted by the Center for Magnesium Education & Research and published in Nutrition Reviews journal [1] has found that deficiency of magnesium is present in nearly 50 percent of people in the United States. The recommended dose of magnesium varies from person to person, depending on the following factors:
– Gender
– Age
– Physiological conditions such as pregnancy and breastfeeding
Further research published by the American Physiology Society has shown that magnesium supplements are known to help with chronic pain, diabetes, anxiety, migraine, heart disease, and heartburn. [2]
Magnesium glycinate is one of the most common magnesium supplements that is usually prescribed by doctors. Magnesium glycinate is a form of magnesium bound to glycine, and this particular form of supplement is known for having outstanding absorption levels. This increased absorption (higher bioavailability) allows your body to make the most of it once you ingest the supplements.
What is magnesium glycinate good for?
Magnesium Glycinate Benefits
There are many known benefits of magnesium glycinate. These include:
· It is known to have a calming impact on the brain because of the presence of glycine.
· It can help alleviate anxiety and also promote better sleep.
· It helps keep your bones healthy by maintaining proper bone density.
· It helps to control the blood sugar levels in people with diabetes.
· It helps lower the risk of developing diabetes.
· It reduces abnormal heart rhythms.
· It reduces the symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS).
Magnesium glycinate is used to treat several health conditions because of the soothing and beneficial effects it has on the body.
According to one research study done by the University of Waterloo and published in the Journal of Pain and Relief3, the benefits of magnesium glycinate can help in chronic pain, improve overall muscle flexibility, and improves the quality of life in general.
There are certain health conditions or risks that have been found to improve with magnesium glycinate supplementation. These include:
· Research published in Rheumatology International [4] and carried out by the University of Barcelona in Spain shows that magnesium glycinate can help in fibromyalgia.
· A study done by the University of Tromsø and published in BMC Complementary and Alternative Medicine [5] found that magnesium glycinate helps in chronic fatigue syndrome.
· Another study published in BMC Medicine [6], it lowers the risk of heart failure, stroke, diabetes, as well as all-cause mortality.
Magnesium glycinate is available in the form of capsules containing 12 mg or 125 mg, and the recommended dosage is 320 mg per day for women and 420 mg for men each day. You should be taking the pills with food or combined with a supplement of vitamin B complex for better absorption.
It is possible to start noticing an improvement in your health problems as early as a week after starting the supplements. Depending on the severity of your medical condition or your magnesium deficiency, it may take up to six months for you to see results. Your doctor can guide you for your specific situation.
Certain medications can cause your body to get rid of extra magnesium, leading to magnesium deficiency. If you suspect you are taking such type of drugs, then you should consult your doctor as your medications may interfere with your supplements and vice versa.
Magnesium Glycinate Side Effects
Magnesium Glycinate Side Effects & Precautions
Even though magnesium glycinate supplements are generally considered to be safe for adults who are in good overall health, certain precautions have to be taken. However, excess magnesium in the body can affect the kidneys if your immune system is compromised. Listed below are some of the common symptoms of excess magnesium:
– Nausea
– Low blood pressure or hypotension
– Facial flushing
– Vomiting
– Difficulty breathing
– Irregular heartbeat
Here are some other precautions you need to take while taking magnesium glycinate:
1. Consult your doctor and then only start taking supplements of magnesium glycinate to take the appropriate daily dosage.
2. When choosing a magnesium glycinate supplement, always check how much elemental magnesium is present. This information is found on the information label.
3. Only buy supplements from a respectable and professional establishment. Vitamins and supplements are not monitored by the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA), and therefore it is not advisable to buy from unreliable sources.
4. Consult with your doctor about whether you should be taking magnesium supplements if you have any kidney or heart problems.
5. If you are on any other medications or antibiotics, then ask your doctor how these medicines will interact with magnesium and also whether the absorption of magnesium or the drug will be affected in any way.
Summary
Magnesium is a critical mineral that is required by the body to function correctly. Magnesium glycinate is the most common supplement form of magnesium, and it is necessary for your bones, muscular system, and even the nervous system. Magnesium glycinate can help in anxiety, improving your sleep, and also has many other health benefits. It is also considered to be safe for most people, but those with kidney and liver problems should not take magnesium glycinate supplements without consulting your doctor.
Keep in mind, though, that only about 30 to 40 percent of magnesium is ingested from food sources and gets absorbed by the body. If you want to get the necessary amount of magnesium from food sources, then opt for foods that are grown in nutritious soils without pesticides. These soils are known to have the highest concentration of minerals and other nutrients, including magnesium.
It is possible to get magnesium from your daily diet as well by including a lot of green leafy vegetables, lentils, beans, and seeds and nuts, seaweed, fish, whole and unrefined grains. If you are unable to get sufficient magnesium from your diet alone, then supplementing with magnesium glycinate is an effective, yet gentle way of getting the required amount of magnesium.
