Magnesium: Should You Take It or Not?

Do I need to take it or not? And when I decide to take it, I find that there are different types or chemical forms of magnesium. Which one is best for me? My answer is IT DEPENDS. But let's start at the beginning...

Magnesium is an essential mineral for the proper functioning of our body, essential because one, our body needs it for the proper functioning of our nervous system, to relax the muscles, structurally for the bones and a long list etc.… and two essential because we can only receive it from food, our body cannot produce it.

Magnesium is found in fruits and vegetables in low doses, and especially in whole grains and legumes or in nuts.

The problem is that foods due to pesticides, herbicides and other chemicals, intensive farming of the same plant on the same land over and over again. It makes the soil lose nutrients and by losing these nutrients the foods do not have as many nutrients as they should. For this reason we end up having to take supplements that provide us with the vitamins and minerals that foods do not provide us with naturally.

To this we add extra stress, overexertion and a diet of pre-cooked, unhealthy and unbalanced meals…. And this is the perfect formula for us to have a good organic imbalance.

As I said at the beginning there are different biochemical forms of magnesium and each one has a different bioavailability (it is absorbed more or less effectively in the intestine).

From lowest to highest bioavailability we find magnesium oxide being the one that is used and recommended the least due to its low absorption, magnesium carbonate and chloride which have a medium bioavailability but are laxatives, magnesium citrate and finally, the one our body absorbs best is magnesium bisglycinate.

Between carbonate and chloride, the basic difference is that carbonate is a mild, but effective osmotic laxative, which means it increases water in the intestine softening the stool and helping our intestine expel the stool naturally. Magnesium chloride is another osmotic laxative somewhat stronger than chloride, but it should not be used in people with heartburn.

Finally, the two forms with the highest absorption are magnesium citrate and bisglycinate.

Let's see what functions magnesium has:

• It helps the proper functioning of our nervous system.

• It is essential for relaxing the muscles, without this our muscles would always be tense.

• Magnesium along with potassium are two of the essential minerals that help reduce cramps in the leg muscles.

• It helps reduce blood pressure by relaxing the muscles of the blood vessels (along with other products).

• It is essential for the formation and maintenance of bones and teeth.

• It helps reduce premenstrual and menstrual pain (especially in women whose bodies crave chocolate at that time, since what they are truly craving is magnesium and chocolate provides a small dose).

• It helps reduce sugar levels.

• It is necessary to prevent calcification in our body out of place (heel spurs or in the joints for example).

• It helps clean and detoxify the intestine (in the case of chloride or carbonate).

• And in the synthesis of proteins and fats.

Finally, it is worth mentioning that the appropriate daily dose is 350 mg of magnesium and that only on therapeutic recommendation, a higher dose should be taken.