Our bodies are pretty spectacular. They use essential vitamins and minerals to run all of the processes—from moving oxygen around our bodies to synthesizing DNA and powering our neurons—that keep us happy, healthy, and alive.
In an ideal world, we’d get all of the vitamins and minerals we need from our diets alone. But thanks to modern food processing and production, the way we eat has dramatically shifted over the last 50 years. Today we eat foods with much higher concentrations of added sugars and salt while getting less of the essential vitamins and minerals our bodies need.
Magnesium is one such essential mineral that’s missing from many daily plates. Statistics suggest that two-thirds of the Western world don’t get enough magnesium by eating foods like leafy vegetables, legumes, and bananas in their diet alone. Not only do our fast-paced lifestyles have us reaching for more convenient foods, but the soil these foods are grown in lacks the magnesium and other minerals we once took for granted.
Enter magnesium supplements! These dietary sidekicks are an easy way to make sure we’re getting more of the magnesium we need to power our bodies and everything they do for us. But how do you know if you’re getting enough magnesium? Can you take too much magnesium? What kind of health benefits can you expect from magnesium anyway? Let’s answer these questions and more as we explore the many health benefits of magnesium and why supplements are an excellent way to optimize your health
The Health Benefits of Magnesium
Magnesium is one of the 15 essential minerals that our bodies rely on and one of the most important among them, too. Behind calcium, sodium, and potassium, magnesium is the fourth most abundant mineral in our bodies. Magnesium is involved in more than 300 of our bodies’ enzyme processes, from building proteins and strong bones to keeping our muscles and nerves working well together.
When your body has enough magnesium, it’s able to support:
- Restful sleep
- Nervous system balance
- Healthy digestion
- Vibrant energy
- Strong bones
- Cardiovascular health
It’s easy to see why it’s important to get enough magnesium every day. The problem is, in the Western world at least, few of us do.
How Do I Know If I Need Magnesium? Signs of Low Magnesium
Recent reports show that 50 – 75% of Americans don’t get enough magnesium to consistently meet their recommended daily allowance. Currently, dietary recommendations propose a minimum of 420 mg per day for most adults, and a slightly lower 400 mg per day for women during pregnancy or lactation.
Despite the importance of vitamins and minerals like magnesium, research has shown that nutrition dietary education is lacking in most physician training programs. As a result, many practitioners are not fully aware of the signs of nutrient deficiencies, possibly overlooking simple solutions to common health symptoms.
Thankfully, even though many people don’t get enough magnesium, serious magnesium deficiencies are rare. Always striving for equilibrium, our bodies, or more specifically our kidneys, maintain magnesium balance by limiting the amount that’s eliminated through urine.
How Magnesium Supplements Can Help
Eating plenty of whole foods like nuts, leafy greens like spinach, beans and other legumes, and whole grains is the best way to get the magnesium we need, but if maximizing magnesium in your daily diet is a challenge, there’s an abundance of options in the supplement space.
If you haven’t noticed, the options for magnesium supplements have exploded over the last few years. The most common forms provide magnesium as magnesium citrate, magnesium glycinate, magnesium malate, and magnesium oxide, each with its own features and benefits. Most of these sources are synthetic, but there’s also ingenious, plant-based sources of supplemental magnesium.
Icelandic red algae (Lithothamnion calcareum) is a mineral powerhouse that absorbs pure calcium, magnesium, and 74 other trace minerals and phytonutrients from cool, North Atlantic oceans. Another natural source of magnesium is the Dead Sea. Twelve of the minerals found in this ancient “ocean” cannot be found anywhere else on earth. Intrigued? Look no further than Bone Renewal®, a unique source of bioavailable magnesium from Icelandic red algae, Dead Sea minerals, and a third form that’s naturally chelated with amino acids, giving you unmatched purity and bioavailability as magnesium supplements go.
Common Forms and Sources of Magnesium
- Whole Foods – Eating plenty of whole foods like nuts, leafy greens like spinach, beans and other legumes, and whole grains is a great way to support daily magnesium needs.
- Synthetic Magnesium Isolates – If you haven’t noticed, the options for magnesium supplements have exploded over the last few years. The most common forms provide magnesium as magnesium citrate, magnesium glycinate, magnesium malate, and magnesium oxide, each with its own features and benefits.
- Plant-Based Sources – Icelandic red algae (Lithothamnion calcareum) is a mineral powerhouse that absorbs pure calcium, magnesium, and 74 other trace minerals and phytonutrients from cool, North Atlantic oceans. Another natural source of magnesium is the Dead Sea. Twelve of the minerals found in this ancient “ocean” cannot be found anywhere else on Earth, making magnesium from the Dead Sea extremely unique. The trace minerals in both these natural sources help optimize magnesium absorption, while also promoting electrolyte balance and cellular health.
Benefits of Plant-Based Magnesium
Because there’s a full spectrum of nutrients delivered alongside magnesium, plant-based sources are easily absorbed by your body and highly bioavailable. While synthetic magnesium isolates often offer targeted benefits, because of its nutritional complexities, magnesium from natural sources can support your entire body – from cellular energy to sleep cycles. That’s why we formulated Vital Ocean Magnesium™ exclusively with ocean-sourced ingredients like organic seaweed, algae, and purified seawater. These natural magnesium sources also offer a host of trace minerals that optimize absorption and support whole-body health benefits – such is nature’s intelligent design.
Magnesium is vital to over 300 different processes in the body. Because of that, its mechanisms of action vary, which is why it can support such a range of (seemingly unrelated) health benefits, like sleep, heart, and bone health.
Magnesium for Sleep
Much of the rising popularity of magnesium supplements stems from evidence that it supports a range of benefits for bodily relaxation and restful sleep.
Research suggests that magnesium supports better sleep by upholding cortisol balance, supporting healthy melatonin production, and promoting GABA, a neurotransmitter that helps support a calm central nervous system. Together, this fosters healthy muscle relaxation, a sense of calm, and a well-regulated circadian rhythm that all come together to promote a good night’s sleep.
Magnesium for Heart Health
When it comes to heart health, the benefits of magnesium are many. Magnesium is important for muscle health, and the heart is essentially one big muscle.
This mighty mineral helps our hearts maintain a healthy rhythm, serving as an electrolyte that helps your heart uphold healthy electrical impulses that are key to its function. The right amount of magnesium helps keep your heart pumping at a steady, healthy rate.
Magnesium also helps support healthy blood pressure and, by facilitating the exchange of potassium and sodium across cell membranes, magnesium can be a major factor in fostering overall cardiovascular health, too.
Magnesium for Bone Health
Most people associate calcium with bone heath. While it is the most predominant mineral in bones, magnesium also plays a critical role. Low values of magnesium have been shown to impact bone health, particularly in postmenopausal women.
About 60% of our bodies’ magnesium is stored in our bones. As a result, magnesium supports healthy bone formation and, in turn, bone mineral density. Getting enough magnesium—whether it’s through diet, supplements, or both—gives our bones the strength they need to stay flexible and resilient. Studies show that building healthy bones throughout life is the best way to maintain strength and balance as we age. This is especially true in children, but the benefits of magnesium supplements for bone health can be reaped at any age.
Bone health supplements like Bone Renewal® are designed to provide an extra supply of calcium, magnesium, and more to enhance what you consume in your diet. Bone Renewal® delivers unique sources of bioavailable magnesium from Icelandic red algae, Dead Sea minerals, and a third form that’s naturally chelated with amino acids, giving you unmatched purity and bioavailability. With plant-based and vegan minerals that are gentle and easily absorbed, plus ancient Ayurvedic herbs like cissus extract that nourish bone and joint health, our bone health supplement provides all the benefits of magnesium with unmatched nutrient synergy.
Your Privacy Choices