Magnesium!

In the world of natural remedies and supplementation, magnesium is a big front runner in conversations. This is for good reason-magnesium is a mineral that is essential in the human body being able to function properly. Our bodies need it for a healthy cardiovascular system, nerves, bones, and more. It’s used to treat constipation, sleep, migraines, blood pressure, anxiety, pain, inflammation and so much more. But for as common as magnesium is, it is also a confusing mineral to implement. We are often told we need to have a specific type of magnesium. With there being 20+ forms of magnesium, it can be hard to keep track of and hard to find the right supplement!

In this post we are going to zero in on magnesium. What exactly is it? What does it do for our bodies? What is natural magnesium vs synthetic and isolated magnesium? What form do you really need and how can you get it?

First off, what is magnesium? Magnesium is an essential mineral. This means it is a vital nutrient your body cannot produce. For those science lovers out there, it is an alkaline earth metal; one of 6 chemical elements in group 2 of the periodic table. It is required for over 500 biochemical reactions in the human body like energy creation, muscle function, and nerve regulation.

Now that we know what it is, where do we find it in its natural form? Magnesium is naturally found in the earth’s crust, in seawater, salt lakes, and underground brines. It is found inside plants as a central component of chlorophyll.  It is also in foods like leafy greens, nuts, seeds, legumes, and whole grains.

Let’s talk about the difference between synthetic magnesium vs. magnesium kept in its natural form. Synthetic and isolated forms of magnesium are produced through various chemical processes and blended with binders and fillers. These forms tend to lack bioavailability and are often prepared using harsh chemicals. They are often manufactured from things like coal tar, petroleum, corn and sugar. Another thing to think about is that when you take isolated and synthetic forms of magnesium, especially too much of one form, this can throw off balance in the body. Symptoms of this imbalance would be gastrointestinal complaints and possibly even low blood pressure and irregular heartrate.

In contrast, natural forms of magnesium provide multi-form magnesium. This encourages better absorption and makes sure that one form isn’t missed! When you consume magnesium in its natural form, it brings with it other cofactors like trace minerals and vitamins that are often necessary in conjunction with magnesium. These work in tandem with the magnesium to help support the body towards better health. When you consume magnesium in its natural form you also avoid fillers, preservatives and chemicals.

So clearly, we are advocating magnesium to be consumed in its natural form. While it is ideal to get your full magnesium needs directly from your food, this can be challenging, especially if your body needs extra magnesium for a time. Supplementation may make sense in many cases. The goal of supplementation is to feed concentrated whole food supplements to your body for a time to produce change and healing. After this time of healing most people can get back to relying on eating and digesting whole foods without a lot of supplementation. If taking a magnesium supplement is something your body needs, there are, thankfully, some excellent supplements that not only provide you with natural magnesium but with the necessary added trace minerals and vitamins.

Lastly, we will highlight two amazing supplements we carry that will bring you that natural, whole food magnesium we have been advocating in this post!

1.       Magnesium Complex: straight from a highly nutritious wild-growing spinach variety this is a 100% whole food magnesium supplement.

2.       Liquid Magnesium with Trace Minerals: this magnesium is concentrated without heavy machinery or chemicals by natural evaporation over time from the water in the Great Salt Lake.

We hope this helps clarify all the confusion around magnesium and gives you some knowledge to put into practice as you pursue a healthy body and lifestyle. As always, reach out with any questions or if you need any help finding the right supplement for you!