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The Wavelength

Top 5 Reasons to Boost Your Magnesium Levels With A Supplement

Hundreds of important reactions in the body need magnesium. From better sleep to a healthy heart, this nutrient is crucial for maintaining a healthy body and mind. A deficiency can result in health problems such as heart disease, type 2 diabetes, and migraine headaches. Yet, more than 50 percent of Americans are not meeting the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for this essential nutrient.

Why Is Magnesium So Important

Magnesium is an essential nutrient. This means it needs to be obtained from the diet because the body doesn't produce it on its own.

This essential mineral is needed for more than 300 biochemical reactions in the body. In fact, every cell in your body needs it, and there are (literally) billions of cells. One of the main roles of magnesium is to act as a cofactor — a helper molecule that facilitates these reactions.

It supports many functions in the body, such as:

  • Energy production (converting food into energy)
  • Protein synthesis (creating new proteins from amino acids)
  • DNA and RNA creation and repair (gene regulation)
  • Muscle contraction
  • Nervous system regulation

Most of the magnesium in your body is stored in your bones. Only a small percentage – less than 1 percent – is stored in the blood. So blood work doesn't always provide a complete measure of your magnesium levels. This means early signs of deficiency can be difficult to detect.

Getting adequate levels of magnesium supports a healthy body and can prevent many chronic conditions and deficiencies can easily be overlooked. Here are five benefits of magnesium along with easy and effective ways to increase your intake.

5 Science-Backed Benefits Of Magnesium

1. May Combat Depression

Happy family

Magnesium is involved in many of the pathways, enzymes, hormones, and neurotransmitters that affect and regulate mood. Studies have found a significant association between low magnesium intake and increased risk of depression.

There is also research suggesting that daily magnesium supplementation may help improve symptoms of depression in people with a nutrient deficiency. One study found 500 mg of magnesium was effective for improving magnesium status and mild-to-moderate depression and anxiety symptoms in as little as two weeks.

2. May Promote Heart Health

Woman making heart with hands

There are many ways magnesium supplementation may support a healthy cardiovascular system. Research shows that magnesium supplementation may help lower risk for high blood pressure. High blood pressure is associated with many factors and a major risk factor for heart disease. It does this by facilitating healthy dilation and relaxation of blood vessels, and lowering both systolic and diastolic blood pressure.

One study found an association between high magnesium intake and lower risk of heart disease, stroke, and high blood pressure. Further, a meta-analysis of 7 prospective trials (with a total of 241,378 participants) found that adding an additional 100 mg/day of magnesium was associated with an 8% decreased risk of total stroke.

Magnesium supplements have also been shown to improve other risk factors for heart disease such as lipid profile. Lipid profile includes LDL (bad) cholesterol, HDL (good) cholesterol, and triglycerides.

3. May Support Better Sleep

Person sleeping

Magnesium has the important function of regulating neurotransmitters involved in sleep. One of these is Gamma-Aminobutyric Acid (GABA), which plays a role in stress levels and sleep quality.

Research suggests the natural effects of magnesium supplementation may be a way to help manage sleep issues such as insomnia. It has been shown to:

4. May Promote Healthy Bones

Couple hiking

About 60 percent of the body's magnesium is stored in the bones. It plays a pivotal role in bone health by maintaining bone mineral density and protecting against bone loss.

A recent research analysis of more than 28 studies concluded that low magnesium intake increases the risk of osteoporosis and bone fractures. A smaller review found high intake to increase bone mineral density in older adults, lowering the risk of bone fractures.

Dietary supplementation is even more effective when paired with calcium and vitamin D, two other nutrients that are critical for bone health.

5. May Support Healthy Response to Inflammation

Couple boating

Inflammation is associated with many chronic conditions and plays a major role in the aging process. You might have heard the term "inflammaging." Magnesium supplementation has been shown to decrease levels of inflammatory markers such as C-reactive protein (CRP) and interleukin-6.

Low intake, on the other hand, is associated with increased levels of inflammation. Deficiency can also increase oxidative stress, which can lead to chronic inflammation.

Why Your Diet May Be Letting You Down

A balanced diet, consisting of mostly wholesome foods, is essential for good health. Plus, there are many magnesium-rich foods you can eat. Some of the best food sources include non-processed plant-based foods like green leafy vegetables, nuts, seeds, and cacao.

Ideally, we would get all the nutrients we need from diet alone, but this is often easier said than done. The nutrient quality of food depends on the soil it's grown in – nutrient-depleted soils create nutrient-deficient foods.

Plus, the Standard American Diet that most Americans consume contains a large proportion of processed foods and animal-based foods. Unfortunately, these contain little to no magnesium. People who eat this way will likely not be getting enough magnesium from foods alone. Further evidenced by the fact that we know that about half of Americans are not meeting their daily needs.

Magnesium deficiency can also be an issue for people with high levels of stress, digestive disorders, and those taking certain medications.

The Most Effective Way To Get Enough Magnesium

Taking a dietary supplement is the easiest and most effective way to ensure you are getting enough of this essential mineral. Of course, with any supplement, it should also be combined with a nutritious diet.

Blueshift's drinkable Magnesium supplement is an effective and effortless way to meet your daily nutritional needs (while also staying hydrated!). It combines four bioavailable forms of magnesium, which means it's more easily absorbed to support your body and brain.

It also packs a powerful antioxidant boost from real organic raspberries and blackberries. Plus, it tastes amazing and is guaranteed to be easy on your stomach. If you're looking for an easy, enjoyable way to boost your daily magnesium intake you need to check out this formula.

Blueshift Magnesium