Magnesium is a mineral vital to many aspects of overall health. True magnesium deficiency is rare; however, the National Institutes of Health report roughly half of Americans consume less than the estimated optimal required amount of magnesium. Since the majority of magnesium in the body is stored in the bones and soft tissue, rather than in blood, blood tests for magnesium are considered unreliable. Instead, it's best to focus on consuming foods high in magnesium or relying on supplements to ensure you are getting what you need.
Multi-Use Mineral
Magnesium has so many roles in the body that many magnesium-centric supplements and products exist for a wide variety of uses. Magnesium supplements are given as a compound, meaning the elemental magnesium is conjugated to another molecule to make final products such as magnesium oxide, chloride, sulfate, citrate, or bisglycinate. Used as a laxative, magnesium is a common choice, as found in Philip's Milk of Magnesia (as magnesium hydroxide). Similarly, magnesium hydroxide is a common ingredient found in some antacids (such as Rolaids). In addition to use as a targeted medicine, supplementation with magnesium is said to help with sleep, mood balancing, bone health, and muscle cramps.
Dietary Sources
Luckily, meeting your daily requirement of magnesium is fairly easy with a healthy, varied diet. Nuts and seeds such as pumpkin, chia, almonds, and cashews are some of the best sources of magnesium by weight. Additionally, foods like greens, beans, and whole grains are also great whole food sources of magnesium.
If upping your magnesium intake is important to you, set up an overnight chia pudding and mix in a spoonful of peanut or almond butter for an easy, magnesium-rich breakfast. Bonus points for adding a tablespoon of cocoa powder, which also is also a fantastic source of magnesium!
Stacey Aggarwal received a Ph.D. in pharmacology from the University of Washington and writes about biology, health and nutrition from her lavender farm in North Idaho.
