The importance of magnesium
Magnesium is a micronutrient that is present in a range of fruit, vegetables and meat products that appear to suffering from a decline in nutrient content, and yet is critical for our health. The question I’ve tried to answer is “how do we get enough magnesium to live our best long life?” Here’s what I looked into:
Why is magnesium important?
Are we getting enough, and what happens if we don’t?
Causes of magnesium depletion and ways to get enough
Why is magnesium important?
Magnesium is the seventh most abundant mineral on Earth. Thus, our bodies evolved to use magnesium that was readily available in our natural diet. It is necessary for the proper function of over 800 enzymes, is involved in almost all major metabolic and biochemical processes in our cells, and is critical to the function of every organ in our body [1]. Magnesium is, thus, considered essential for our good health.
Most (99%) of the magnesium stored in our body can be found in bone (50% - 60%), muscle (25% - 30%), and other soft tissue (20% - 25%) [1]. Blood (serum) contains only 1% of our on-board magnesium [1,2,3,4].
Are we getting enough and what happens if we don’t?
Despite its importance, our body does not tightly control magnesium in the way that, say, fats for energy are. This may be because as we evolved we didn’t need to control it closely due to its abundance in nature, and by extension, our food [2]. It is very important, therefore, to ensure that we obtain sufficient magnesium from our modern diet or supplements and avoid behaviours that increase its depletion.
“…blood tests for magnesium are not very useful because most of it is stored in our cells”
Are we getting enough magnesium?
Sadly, for such an important micronutrient, at appears that too few of us around the world are getting enough of it [1, 4 - p.153]. Consider the following:
Roughly 50% - 60% of USA not meeting recommended daily allowance (RDA) of 350-420 mg/kg/day
Taiwanese men and women getting only 70% of RDA
German men and women – at best 57% to 70% of RDA
France – 17% to 28% get adequate amounts
There are two types of nutrient deficiency, acute (short-term) and chronic (long-term). Acute deficiencies show up quickly and can be easier to spot and treat. Chronic deficiencies are less likely to show themselves in a way that we easily observe. They are, therefore, difficult to diagnose before serious symptoms develop. The published literature suggests that chronic magnesium deficiency is common, and represents a major cause of so-called chronic ailments, such as heart disease [3].
Blood tests for magnesium are not very useful because most of it is stored in our cells. Blood (serum) magnesium levels represent only about 1% of the total in our body and is, therefore, a poor predictor of the total.
It is possible to suffer from too much magnesium and this condition is reviewed in reference 1. I assumed from what we now know about the general decline of micronutrients in real food today, that a greater risk stems from not getting enough.
Implications of insufficient magnesium
Magnesium deficiency is associated with many different types of so-called diseases [1,2,3,4], so much so that for some of them it is considered a first (e.g., irregular heart beat) or second (e.g., asthma, migraine, muscle cramps) therapeutic of choice [1].
Too little magnesium can be caused by low dietary intake, vomiting and diarrhea, addictive substance abuse, genetic defects, and certain pharmaceutical medications.
The extensive lists and descriptions of potential symptoms of magnesium deficiency make for interesting reading [1, 4 – p.163]. I’ve listed below those symptoms that I’ve experienced.
Muscle cramps – acute
Photosensitivity – acute
Asthma - chronic
Tinnitus - chronic
Hearing loss – chronic
Heart disease – chronic
High blood pressure - chronic
Disrupted immune response - chronic
Acute effects
I am very confident that my muscle cramps are related to lack of magnesium because they stop when I take a supplement. I have also noticed a marked decline in photosensitivity but can’t put that down to my magnesium supplement because it may, for example, be related to cutting out seed oils.
Chronic effects
I’ve noticed a marked reduction in dry skin on my face, arms, and legs which I associated with an immune response.
Despite my success in managing muscle cramps over the past few years, I can’t confidently say the same for reduction in photosensitivity and immune effects. Also, I can’t say for sure that chronic symptoms are related simply to a lack of magnesium. Most symptoms of chronic effects have persisted despite my actions. I still suffer from tinnitus, mild hearing loss, high blood pressure, and will always bear the heart-related ill effects of poor nutrition. Time will tell what happens.
“My old diet of processed food lulled me into a false sense of security. I was overfed and undernourished.”
Causes of magnesium depletion and ways to get enough
There are many potential causes of magnesium deficiency [3, 4 – p.160]. The three big ones for me are eating processed food, a worldwide decline of magnesium in real food, and exercise effects.
Processed food
I suspect that consuming too much processed “food” is the main reason that so many of us are deficient in minerals like magnesium. I am referring specifically to processed things like seed oils, fruit juices, sugary ingredients, and refined grains.
Processing real food before consumption has several harmful effects [4]. Essentially, the manufacturing processes strip out micronutrients with the result that our bodies are constantly in a state of having too few to maintain a life-long healthy state. Our bodies will take care of our short-term health using the micronutrients available. A long-term lack of micronutrients (chronic malnutrition) won’t show up immediately but will manifest later in life in what we now refer to as chronic disease. This process of prioritizing short-term health at the expense of the long-term during periods of micronutrient insufficiency has been documented [6].
Many of the processed ingredients also cause insulin resistance and chronic inflammation, which require our bodies to expend minerals from their stores to counteract.
I eliminated from my diet as much processed food as possible. My old diet of processed food lulled me into a false sense of security. I was overfed and undernourished.
Decline of magnesium in real food
Since 1940, there has been a decline in the micronutrient content of many fruits, vegetables, and meat products in Europe, the USA, and Australia.
Changes in the plant and animal varieties cultivated, and other agricultural practices were implemented in the 1960s to feed our rapidly growing population. Those changes succeeded in increasing agricultural yield and providing calories to a rapidly growing world population. Unfortunately, the increase in yield had the unexpected consequence of reducing the micronutrient content of the food produced.
It appears that the yield-producing changes to agricultural practice, altered our soils’ ecology in a way that reduced the availability of micronutrients. Since plants get their micronutrients from soil, and animals get theirs from plants [5], the net effect has been a marked decline in the micronutrient content of real food.
Exercise effects
I suspect that for most of my family and friends, exercise is much less likely to represent a cause of magnesium depletion than insufficient intake. However, for me, exercise has frequently induced muscle cramps, especially during intense or prolonged exertion and especially in the summer months. Cramps have also occurred on days after strength training.
I haven’t found a good source of advice on preventing magnesium loss. I’ve tried to establish a good source and level of magnesium intake for normal daily life, and supplement additionally when necessary.
“Getting older is not for the faint of heart…!”
Getting enough magnesium
I use reference 5 to get information on optimal intake [p.155], the best foods [p.157], and the best form of magnesium supplement [p.166].
The foods containing the most magnesium are pumpkin seeds, chia seeds, almonds, spinach, and cashews [5 – p.157]. Except for chia seeds and cashews, I eat those somewhat regularly. The foods that I tend to consume mostly such as bivalves, oily fish, dairy, organ meats, muscle meats, avocado and brassica vegetables are much lower in magnesium, but I do regularly eat plenty of them.
I supplement daily the magnesium from my natural food intake in three ways:
In combination with sodium and potassium as a hydration electrolyte. I take this first thing in the morning and before and during exercise – from elete electrolyte
In combination with vitamin D3 and K2. I take this daily and it allows me to use magnesium synergistically to get the greatest benefit from the two vitamins – from DoNotAge
As a nightly sleep aid about 30 minutes before I go to bed, I find that in combination with glycine, inositol and L-theonine it helps me stay asleep - from PipingRock
A final thought on getting enough magnesium. The requirement for magnesium increases with age and is at its highest level in lactating women [3]. Getting older is not for the faint of heart…!
Summary
Magnesium is an essential micronutrient and many of us around the world appear not to be getting enough to support a long, well lived life. In my experience, it is possible to spot the immediate symptoms of magnesium deficiency and fix them. Muscle cramps are my sign of deficiency which I have mostly now solved.
It’s impossible to say that the symptoms of ill health that I’ve tolerated for a long time were caused by insufficient magnesium. However, the more I come to understand, the more convinced I become that the modern ailments of old age are symptoms of malnutrition. I think many of those symptoms can be avoided and even reversed by eating enough real food, supplementing, and following a healthy lifestyle That includes getting enough micronutrients like magnesium.
As always, there is no silver bullet. What works for me may not work for you and vice versa. Each of us will benefit from sound guiding principles and fine-tuning the details for our own use.
References
Magnesium in Man: Implications for Health and Disease Jeroen H. F. de Baaij, Joost G. J. Hoenderop, and René J. M. Bindels Physiological Reviews 2015 95:1, 1-46
Vormann J. Magnesium: nutrition and metabolism. Mol Aspects Med. 2003 Feb-Jun;24(1-3):27-37. doi: 10.1016/s0098-2997(02)00089-4. PMID: 12537987
DiNicolantonio JJ, O’Keefe JH, Wilson W Subclinical magnesium deficiency: a principal driver of cardiovascular disease and a public health crisis Open Heart 2018;5:e000668. doi: 10.1136/openhrt-2017-000668
Dinicolantonio, D. and Land, S. (2021) The Mineral Fix; How to optimize your mineral intake for energy, longevity, immunity, sleep and more. John Wiley & Sons
Montgomery, D. and Bikle, A. (2022) What your food ate: How to heal our land and reclaim our health. London: Norton and Company
Ames BN. Low micronutrient intake may accelerate the degenerative diseases of aging through allocation of scarce micronutrients by triage. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A. 2006 Nov 21;103(47):17589-94. doi: 10.1073/pnas.0608757103. Epub 2006 Nov 13. PMID: 17101959; PMCID: PMC1693790