We all know that we need magnesium. It's the fourth most abundant mineral in our bodies and it's essential for good health. But how do you know if you're not getting enough magnesium? Here are 9 signs to look out for.
1. You're always tired
If you're constantly feeling fatigued, it could be a sign that you're not getting enough magnesium. Magnesium plays a role in energy production and metabolism, so if you're deficient in magnesium, you're likely to feel tired all the time.
2. You have trouble sleeping
Magnesium is known as the "relaxation mineral" because it has a calming effect on the body. If you have trouble sleeping, it could be a sign that you need more magnesium. Try taking a magnesium supplement before bed and see if it makes a difference.
3. You're stressed out
We all deal with stress from time to time, but if you're feeling stressed out all the time, it could be a sign of a magnesium deficiency. Magnesium helps to relax the body and mind, so if you're deficient in magnesium, you may find yourself feeling anxious and stressed.
4. You have muscle cramps or twitches
Magnesium is involved in muscle contractions, so if you're deficient in magnesium, you may experience muscle cramps or twitches. If you find yourself experiencing these symptoms, it's a good idea to talk to your doctor about whether or not you need more magnesium.
5. You have irregular heartbeat
Magnesium is important for heart health, so if you have irregular heartbeat, it could be a sign of a magnesium deficiency. If you experience this symptom, it's important to talk to your doctor right away.
6. You get headaches often
Headaches can be caused by many things, but if you find that you get them often, it could be a sign of a magnesium deficiency. Magnesium helps to relax blood vessels and muscles, so if you're deficient in magnesium, you may find yourself getting headaches more often than usual.
7. You crave chocolate or coffee
If you find yourself craving chocolate or coffee more than usual, it could be a sign that you need more magnesium. Chocolate and coffee are both rich sources of magnesium, so if your body is craving them, it's likely because you're deficient in this important mineral.
8. You have PMS or menstrual cramps
Magnesium is known for its ability to relieve PMS symptoms and menstrual cramps. If you find yourself dealing with these symptoms more than usual, it could be a sign that you need more magnesium in your diet. Try taking a magnesium supplement and see if it makes a difference.
9 Conclusion:
These are just some of the signs that you may need more magnesium in your diet. If you think you might be deficient in this important mineral, talk to your doctor about whether or not supplementation is right for you. Do YOU think YOU need more magnesium? Share YOUR story below!
Dr. Kathryn King ND (00:02):
Dr. Kathryn King here, and today we're gonna talk about magnesium. So if you read that and think, Hey, maybe I am a little bit magnesium deficient, then perhaps, uh, you might wanna supplement. So we should be getting our magnesium from our food. Yes. So magnesium is found in things like dark leafy greens and lentils, and it's also found in the little tiny bones that you might eat with the, uh, sorry, the little tiny fish that you might eat with the bones in it. So basically like sardines, I'm sure there's other ones, but sardines are the ones that come to my head naturally. And I don't think a lot of us eat sardines to get the little magnesium one of their little bones. So, uh, vegetables, we're looking at vegetables. Now the problem is, is that the vegetables are supposed to get it from the soil, but whatever farming practices growing the same crops over and over again, I think our soil is maybe not quite as nutrient rich as it once was.
Dr. Kathryn King ND (00:54):
And so the plants don't have anywhere to get the nutrients, so we are not getting the minerals necessary. So a lot of people do benefit from supplementing with a magnesium, uh, supplement. So somewhere between 150 and 500 milligrams a day, everyone's a little different depending on what they need. Uh, but the nice thing is, okay, so there's quite a few different types of magnesium. So this is what I kinda wanna talk about. So the first one is the cheapest. Okay? So there's a bit of a hierarchy. So the first one is the cheapest. It's magnesium oxide. Uh, almost everybody gets wild diarrhea <laugh>. So, uh, I do usually base my decision on how much pooping do you do. So if you're like never pooping, maybe we start with oxide, um, because it's very poorly absorbed. So you'll get some of it, but it also ma automatically draws in water and then helps you to move a poop along.
Dr. Kathryn King ND (01:50):
Now, uh, citrate and malate, this is a better middle ground. You know, if you're pooping every two, three days, uh, you absorb quite a bit more of it than you do have the oxide, but still not a lot. Not a lot, not, not all of it. So I don't know how much, but in my mind it's 50 50. So in about 50 50 and then the other half does the poop making. Okay, so citrate and malate. So I usually, uh, if someone's constipated, my first thought is 150 milligram caps of magnesium citrate. Cause then you can play around with that dosage. The next one up is magnesium, bis, glycinate or glycinate. This one I love when you bind it to a glycine molecule or two. Then it, uh, actually kind of has a bit of a antianxiety, uh, component to it as well. So it's calming, it helps with your muscles, but then it also, uh, almost never do we get capsules that have all magnesium bis in them. So it kind of ensures a good poop every day because again, 150 milligram caps, uh, are pretty typical, but you can only actually fit 90 milligrams of magnesium bis glycinate into a standardized capsule. So
Speaker 2 (02:59):
That means that the rest of it is probably citrate, maybe a little bit of oxide. So you get a little bit about poop action, but it shouldn't be like, ah, blasting you off the toilet. If you're pooping every single day beautifully and you don't wanna mess with it at all, then you can maybe get a magnesium, uh, glycinate that's 90 milligrams. Uh, I've seen them around. They're a little bit more expensive, but, uh, maybe worth it. Lastly is magnesium three and h This is for wicked bad headaches. You absorb tons of it and you, it doesn't affect your pooping at all either. And it's, it's very expensive. So I don't think I've ever given it to anybody but these other three, usually I stick with the two. I go Magnesium bis, if you are already pooping, good. And Magnesium ci. If you're not, uh, those are my go-tos. The Magnesium citrate is super dirt cheap. You can get it almost anywhere.