Magnesium is the human body’s fourth most prevalent mineral. It is vital to your body’s and brain’s wellness in a variety of ways. Even if you consume a healthy diet, you may not be getting enough of it. Here are the health benefits of magnesium that have been scientifically proven.
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Health Benefits of Magnesium
Bone health
While the majority of study has focused on the role of calcium in bone health, magnesium is also necessary for bone growth.
In females after menopause, increased magnesium consumption has been associated to higher bone density, enhanced bone crystal formation, and a lower risk of osteoporosis, according to research published in 2013.
Magnesium may benefit bone health both directly and indirectly by assisting in the regulation of calcium and vitamin D levels, both of which are important for bone health.
Boost Exercise Performance
Magnesium is also important for workout performance.
Depending on the activity, you may require 10–20 percent more magnesium during exercise than while you are resting.
Magnesium aids in the movement of blood sugar into muscles and the elimination of lactate, which can accumulate during exercise and produce weariness.
Supplementing with it has been demonstrated in studies to improve exercise performance in athletes, the elderly, and persons with chronic diseases.
Volleyball players who took 250 mg of magnesium per day improved their jumping and arm movements in one research.
Athletes who took magnesium supplements for four weeks improved their running, cycling, and swimming times during a triathlon. Insulin and stress hormone levels were also lower in these people.
However, the evidence is contradictory. Magnesium supplements have been found to have no advantage in athletes with low or normal magnesium levels in other trials.
Diabetes
High magnesium diets have been associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes in studies. This could be due to the fact that magnesium is involved in glucose regulation and insulin metabolism.
According to an article in the World Journal of Diabetes, most, but not all, diabetics have low magnesium levels, and magnesium may have a role in diabetes management.
Insulin resistance, which frequently occurs before type 2 diabetes, can be exacerbated by magnesium shortage. Insulin resistance, on the other hand, might result in low magnesium levels.
Researchers have connected high magnesium diets to diabetes in a number of studies. Furthermore, according to a 2017 comprehensive review, consuming magnesium supplements can enhance insulin sensitivity in persons with low magnesium levels.
However, further research is needed before doctors may utilize magnesium for glycemic control in persons with diabetes on a regular basis.
Cardiovascular health
Magnesium is required by the body to keep muscles, especially the heart, healthy. Magnesium has been discovered to play a vital function in heart health in studies.
Magnesium insufficiency has been linked to an increased risk of cardiovascular disease, according to a 2018 study. This is largely related to its cellular functions. Magnesium insufficiency is frequent in persons with congestive heart failure, according to the authors, and it can impair their clinical results.
People who get magnesium immediately after a heart attack have a decreased death rate. Magnesium is occasionally used during congestive heart failure (CHF) treatment to lower the risk of arrhythmia, or irregular cardiac rhythm.
Magnesium Fights Depression
Low magnesium levels have been related to an increased risk of depression. Magnesium plays an important role in brain function and mood.
Adults under the age of 65 who had the lowest magnesium intake had a 22% higher risk of depression, according to a study of over 8,800 people.
Some scientists feel that modern food’s low magnesium level is to blame for a lot of unhappiness and mental disease.
Others, on the other hand, argue that further research is needed in this area.
Supplementing with this mineral, however, may help alleviate depressive symptoms – and the effect can be substantial in certain circumstances.
In a randomized controlled trial, 450 mg of magnesium daily improved mood as well as an antidepressant medication in depressed older individuals.
Lower Blood Pressure
Magnesium supplementation has been shown to reduce blood pressure in studies. In one trial, patients who took 450 mg per day had their systolic and diastolic blood pressure drop significantly.
However, these advantages may be limited to persons with high blood pressure.
Magnesium, according to another study, reduced blood pressure in persons with high blood pressure but had no effect on persons with normal blood pressure.
