Could low magnesium be contributing to your hormonal woes?
There's not a week that goes by in The Mamawise Naturopath online clinic where I don't seem to prescribe magnesium! It's indicated for countless functions of our body; our nervous system, our energy levels, our muscles, our sleep, our mood and our hormones.
I also consider it a mama's BFF and it really is the backbone of women’s health.
Having low magnesium is associated with these hormone conditions [in fact up to 30% lower than those women who are symptom free}
PMS
Painful and/or heavy periods
PCOS
Endometriosis
Menstrual migraines
Symptoms of perimenopause/menopause
What affects our magnesium levels?
Stress (physical/mental/emotional) and/or our body perceiving we are in a stressed state. I call this 'rushing woman syndrome' but can also be known as 'doing life in a sympathetic dominance'. Or just 'motherhood' to some!
Then there's our modern diet, processed foods, caffeine, alcohol, high sugar/carb intake, pregnancy, breastfeeding ….plus we know the contraceptive pill (and some other medications) leach magnesium from our body.
What about supplements; which type and what dose?
It's important to remember that not all forms of magnesium are equal, or have the same action in the body.
Some have a primary action within the intestinal tract (good if you're a little constipated!) like magnesium oxide, but it's poorly absorbed from the gut into the rest of the body. Given this, I would avoid if you're trying to increase your body's overall levels.
As a good rule of thumb, look for a magnesium glycinate/bisglycinate. This has great bioavailability and absorption therefore it gets to where the body needs it.
Next would be magnesium citrate. This may have a little impact on your bowels but nothing as dramatic as the oxide form. It's absorption is pretty good too.
Then there’s magnesium threonate is a newer type of magnesium supplement. Studies have shown it to increase magnesium levels in the brain more than any other form of magnesium. This is due to its ability to cross the blood-brain barrier. This form supports brain health through improving cognition and memory, and is also beneficial for migraines, sleep and depression.
Some magnesium supplements are just one form, whilst others are a combination of forms.
Most retail forms of magnesium (ie. off the shelf varieties) usually give around 150-200mg of equivalent magnesium per scoop/capsule/tablet. Whereas, the practitioner-only products (that I prescribe) this is likely to be higher around 300-400mg, depending on the product.
When dosing yourself, remember to calculate the dose according to the 'equivalent magnesium'.
You may see it written on the bottle like this:
Meta Mag® Magnesium diglycinate 500 mg
equiv. 50mg
Magnesium amino acid chelate 750mg
equiv. 150mg
So, per tablet this equates to 200mg of magnesium, and not 1250mg.
Depending on what I'm working on in clinic, I tend to start with a dose around 300mg, once a day. Some women respond to this, whilst others need this twice a day. Some need more still, it's really a case-by-case basis.
If you're feeling fatigued, frazzled, held hostage by your hormones each cycle, or you’re having headaches, PMS symptoms, menstrual cramps, sleep issues, restless legs (or leg cramps) and even sugar cravings, consider adding some magnesium into your daily life. Hopefully, you feel the benefits within a couple of weeks!