Day 36 of 365 - The Soothing Benefits of Magnesium
This will be my first foray post into the controversial area of dietary supplements. I believe in this one so strongly that I don't hesitate to talk about it. That supplement is magnesium. But, I'll be referring to its use in more absorbable forms which the body can most benefit from.
If you have ever had an Epsom salt bath to soothe sore muscles, or just to relax, then you are already aware of the effect of magnesium, in that case, in magnesium sulfate form. I used to be more a fan of these baths, with a little essential oil added. However, I don't like the shape of our apartment tub for the longer soak required for this, so I don't do them much any more.
Instead, I take on a daily basis, a combination of magnesium citrate and magnesium bis-glycinate. I have them in a powder form to be mixed with warm water or, in a capsule form. There are other forms too, but these ones, especially the bis-glycinate, are easily absorbed to do their job.
Magnesium is a mineral, a salt, which is necessary for many functions in the body. It is mostly in our bones, quite a bit in our soft tissues and a little in our blood. It is involved in over 800 essential biochemical roles in the body. It's really a basic building block that our body uses and needs. A booklet I received from a health food store provided by one of the brands of magnesium I buy, is a very helpful primer about the roles of magnesium.
To keep it basic, the four primary functions of magnesium are these: magnesium activates enzymes which regulate our metabolism; magnesium assists in turning our food compounds into cellular energy; magnesium helps create, repair and protect DNA and proteins; magnesium regulates concentration of other minerals like sodium, potassium and calcium in our cells.
We usually only become aware of deficient magnesium when we have symptoms. If I start listing them, and there are a large number that are relieved with magnesium supplementation, you will be sure to recognize some common ones. However, I'll just mention a few for my purposes here. My reasons for taking this supplement on a daily basis are mostly to relieve or prevent muscle pain or cramping, for insomnia and sometimes for constipation, as well as just enhancing metabolic functions overall.
The first objection to taking supplements is usually that we should be able to get what we need from our food. Alas, due to modern industrialized agricultural practices, our growing soils have been depleted. This results in our plants having much less nutritional value than those of our grandparents generation. Food processing and refining also removes a lot of magnesium.
As we get older, the magnesium we consume gets harder to absorb due to changes in our stomach acid. Any conditions that cause bowel inflammation make it harder to absorb too. Some foods we eat and medications we take can impair absorption too. When we suffer from high stress, eat a lot of processed foods or drink a lot of coffee or alcohol, our bodies use up and eliminate more magnesium.
Another objection may be worrying about taking too much of a supplement. In the case of magnesium, the body is very efficient at flushing out what it does not use via the digestive tract or the kidneys. The worst you may experience is loose stools, which is why it is a treatment for constipation.
It is not uncommon for me to hear complaints from my fitness class peers, especially those over the age of 40, that they are experiencing more muscle cramps than before. One of the first things I suggest is considering magnesium supplementation in an absorbable form such as an Epsom salt bath, as magnesium citrate or bis-glycinate orally, or even magnesium gel products you can rub on your skin.
For me, this has been a week of multiple body work appointments again, along with my regular fitness classes. So, I have increased my magnesium intake this week accordingly. My body thanks me for it by allowing me to sleep more deeply and preventing those startling night time cramps. But, it's also a staple supplement for me on a daily basis to support the functions in my aging body. Maybe it's something you would find helpful too.
If you have ever had an Epsom salt bath to soothe sore muscles, or just to relax, then you are already aware of the effect of magnesium, in that case, in magnesium sulfate form. I used to be more a fan of these baths, with a little essential oil added. However, I don't like the shape of our apartment tub for the longer soak required for this, so I don't do them much any more.
Instead, I take on a daily basis, a combination of magnesium citrate and magnesium bis-glycinate. I have them in a powder form to be mixed with warm water or, in a capsule form. There are other forms too, but these ones, especially the bis-glycinate, are easily absorbed to do their job.
Magnesium is a mineral, a salt, which is necessary for many functions in the body. It is mostly in our bones, quite a bit in our soft tissues and a little in our blood. It is involved in over 800 essential biochemical roles in the body. It's really a basic building block that our body uses and needs. A booklet I received from a health food store provided by one of the brands of magnesium I buy, is a very helpful primer about the roles of magnesium.
To keep it basic, the four primary functions of magnesium are these: magnesium activates enzymes which regulate our metabolism; magnesium assists in turning our food compounds into cellular energy; magnesium helps create, repair and protect DNA and proteins; magnesium regulates concentration of other minerals like sodium, potassium and calcium in our cells.
We usually only become aware of deficient magnesium when we have symptoms. If I start listing them, and there are a large number that are relieved with magnesium supplementation, you will be sure to recognize some common ones. However, I'll just mention a few for my purposes here. My reasons for taking this supplement on a daily basis are mostly to relieve or prevent muscle pain or cramping, for insomnia and sometimes for constipation, as well as just enhancing metabolic functions overall.
The first objection to taking supplements is usually that we should be able to get what we need from our food. Alas, due to modern industrialized agricultural practices, our growing soils have been depleted. This results in our plants having much less nutritional value than those of our grandparents generation. Food processing and refining also removes a lot of magnesium.
As we get older, the magnesium we consume gets harder to absorb due to changes in our stomach acid. Any conditions that cause bowel inflammation make it harder to absorb too. Some foods we eat and medications we take can impair absorption too. When we suffer from high stress, eat a lot of processed foods or drink a lot of coffee or alcohol, our bodies use up and eliminate more magnesium.
Another objection may be worrying about taking too much of a supplement. In the case of magnesium, the body is very efficient at flushing out what it does not use via the digestive tract or the kidneys. The worst you may experience is loose stools, which is why it is a treatment for constipation.
It is not uncommon for me to hear complaints from my fitness class peers, especially those over the age of 40, that they are experiencing more muscle cramps than before. One of the first things I suggest is considering magnesium supplementation in an absorbable form such as an Epsom salt bath, as magnesium citrate or bis-glycinate orally, or even magnesium gel products you can rub on your skin.
For me, this has been a week of multiple body work appointments again, along with my regular fitness classes. So, I have increased my magnesium intake this week accordingly. My body thanks me for it by allowing me to sleep more deeply and preventing those startling night time cramps. But, it's also a staple supplement for me on a daily basis to support the functions in my aging body. Maybe it's something you would find helpful too.
very helpful info, thanks Joan
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