The Benefits of Magnesium

What do you think of when we say “magnesium”? Metallic? The periodic table? Science? What about food and drink? Did you know that, with a good diet, magnesium is the fourth most abundant mineral in the human body?

Magnesium plays a crucial role in maintaining the good health of your body and your brain. It can be found in whole and natural foods like spinach, nuts, beans, and whole grains. However, magnesium’s daily benefits can be lost or made less effective during the refinement and processing of many foods of today.

Studies from PubMed Central suggest that about 50% of people in Europe and the US get less than the recommended daily amount of magnesium, meaning that vast swathes of the population suffer from magnesium deficiency. So, no matter how healthy you think your diet may be, you may not be getting enough of the mineral to fully reap its benefits.

Not convinced? We’ve compiled our top 11 magnesium uses and benefits to ensure you get enough magnesium in your diet. So, what are the benefits of taking magnesium daily?

Magnesium is Crucial for Hundreds of Reactions in Your Body

About 60% of all the magnesium in your body can be found in your bones, and the rest will reside in your muscles, soft tissues, and bodily fluids; including blood. Every cell in your body contains magnesium, and it is an essential mineral to maintain the functioning of your body and your cells.

One of the main roles that magnesium takes in your body is the position of a cofactor or helper molecule. This means that the mineral aids in over 600 biochemical reactions that are performed continuously by bodily enzymes.

Some of these reactions include:

  • Energy creation: helping in the process of converting food into energy
  • Protein formation: aiding in the creation of new proteins and amino acids
  • Gene maintenance: assisting in the generation and repair of DNA and RNA
  • Muscle movements: acting as a part of the contraction and relaxation of muscles

Regulation of your nervous system: regulates neurotransmitters, helping them to send messages to your brain and nervous system

This means that one of the immediate benefits of magnesium is that they assist in the efficient workings of highly crucial mechanisms within your body in order to keep all systems green.

Magnesium Benefits Your Exercise Performance

Playing a role in exercise performance, your body may use and require up to 20% more magnesium compared to when you’re resting - though this is activity-dependent.

During exercise, magnesium and its benefits help to move blood sugar into your muscles, while also helping to dispose of lactate. Lactate is a substance that can build up in your muscles during exercise and make you feel fatigued, so with a mineral that helps to remove this more efficiently, your athletic performance will last for longer periods of time. There are also benefits of taking magnesium at night and before bed, such as increased muscle recovery and reduction of lactic acid helping you relax for sleep.

There have been several studies surrounding this topic, with experiments involving volleyball players and athletes taking magnesium to see if their athletic performance is improved, however, the results have been mixed according to PubMed; showing little to no change in athletes with very low or below-average levels of the mineral already in their system.

This indicates that magnesium supplements, and an increased intake of magnesium through sources like veggies and OHMG, do have an effect on those who typically have higher levels of magnesium in their diet.

Magnesium Can Help Benefit Your Mental Health

Playing a critical role in brain function and mood, low levels of magnesium in your system have been linked to an increased risk of depression according to PubMed Central.

Some experts believe that the low magnesium content of modern, highly processed and sugary foods may cause an increased rate of depression and mental illnesses, though more research showing results, either way, is needed in this field.

In an analysis of over 8,800 participants, it was found that those under the age of 65 with the lowest intake of magnesium were more susceptible to the risks of depression by 22%.

Luckily, there is more than one way to get a good amount of magnesium per day. From the humble avocado to the calorie-free and fruity-flavoured OHMG water, having a decently high daily level of magnesium intake can be used as an all-natural antidepressant.

Magnesium Has Benefits Against Type 2 Diabetes

One of the main medical benefits of magnesium is that, If you suffer from, or are at risk of type 2 diabetes, you may find that magnesium will benefit you by helping your body’s insulin work more efficiently in keeping your blood sugar levels under control.

Studies also suggest that those with very low levels of magnesium intake increase their risk of developing diabetes.

A study that followed over 4000 people for 20 years discovered that those with higher levels of magnesium intake were 47% less likely to develop diabetes than those with lower levels. According to the study, these benefits depend on how much magnesium you’re getting from foods and drinks like OHMG water, rather than artificial supplements.

Magnesium Can Help to Lower your Blood Pressure

If you have high blood pressure, magnesium can help lower your blood pressure to healthy levels, as well as improve blood sugar levels, haemoglobin A1c levels. Increasing your magnesium levels can significantly decrease systolic and diastolic blood pressure, however, this will have no effect on those with typically nominal levels of blood pressure.

This means that, if you have consistently healthy blood pressure, you won’t need to worry about magnesium reducing it to unhealthy levels.

Anti-Inflammatory Benefits of Magnesium

Did you know that having low magnesium intake can lead to chronic inflammation? This ailment is one of the main drivers of significant ageing, obesity, and risks to chronic diseases.

By eating magnesium-rich foods like fatty fish and dark chocolate, drinks like OHMG, and even taking supplements can help to reduce the inflammatory marker CRP, as well as other markers leading to being overweight and prediabetes.

Magnesium Can Help With Migraines

If you frequently suffer from migraines, you know just how debilitating they can be. Horrifically painful headaches that lead to nausea, vomiting, and heightened sensitivity to light and noise are all that someone experiencing a migraine will be going through. But what if the frequency you get them could be reduced?

It is believed that those who suffer from migraines are more often than not magnesium deficient than those who don’t suffer. Whilst not eliminating the risk completely, even just raising your daily dose of magnesium benefits you by quelling the pain from a migraine more quickly and more effectively than typical medication.

So if you increase your intake to a healthy level of magnesium for your system, you may find that your migraines last for shorter periods of time compared to when you had insufficient levels.

Magnesium Helps Insulin to Work Better

If you suffer from type 2 diabetes or metabolic syndrome, you’re probably aware of the risks of insulin resistance. One of the main characteristics is the impaired ability of muscle and liver cells being able to properly and effectively absorb sugar from your bloodstream.

Suffering from insulin resistance also leads to overproduction and over-abundance of insulin in your system as your body’s way of trying to make up for lost effectiveness. However, higher levels will lead to the loss of magnesium through urine which will decrease your body’s levels of magnesium even further.

Thankfully, increasing your intake of magnesium through rich sources, like OHMG water can help to reduce insulin resistance and blood sugar levels, even in those with normal and optimal blood levels.

Magnesium Can Relieve Symptoms of PMS

Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is one of the most common disorders among women old enough to get their period. Symptoms can include water retention, painful abdominal cramps, tiredness and fatigue, and irritability.

Magnesium has been shown to help with the improvement of mood during these periods, as well as helping to reduce the rate of water retention and other symptoms in women suffering from PMS.

Magnesium Can Aid Better Sleep

We’ve all had it, restless or overtired legs when trying to fall asleep. But for those suffering from restless leg syndrome, struggling for a good night’s sleep is a nightly struggle. Using magnesium for sleep is a good idea, as the mineral helps to promote a calm state of mind, improve your mood, and help anxiety sufferers.

The benefits of taking magnesium before bed will set the stage of beginning to start improving sleep, and knowing that a magnesium deficiency is getting in the way of your good night’s sleep will help you decide what route to take in remedying it.

 

Magnesium Is Found in a Wide Range of Sources - Including OHMG Water!

Magnesium benefits you in more ways than what we’ve listed here. It is essential for good health, with the recommended intake of magnesium being up to 420mg per day for men, and up to 320mg per day for women.

OHMG water is available in a range of delicious fruity flavours to satisfy your palette. Each can contains 56 mg of magnesium and should be consumed as part of a healthy and balanced diet alongside other magnesium-rich foods in order to increase your magnesium intake to healthy levels which can show the range of benefits above.

In order of highest to least magnesium content for the best chance at getting the most magnesium intake benefits, some foods that will aid you on your magnesium journey alongside OHMG water include:

  • Pumpkin seeds
  • Boiled spinach
  • Boiled chard
  • 70-85% cocoa content dark chocolate
  • Black beans
  • Cooked quinoa
  • Halibut Almonds
  • Cashews
  • Mackerel
  • Avocados
  • Salmon

OHMG Water Can Help With Your Magnesium Journey

In order to maintain a healthy lifestyle, magnesium is a crucial part of ensuring your body can function at its best. During sport or winding down, reducing symptoms of depression and anxiety, aiding with PMS and diabetic needs, magnesium offers a range of benefits that you’re missing out on if you don’t have a magnesium-rich diet.

By aiding and increasing your magnesium intake with OHMG water, you’ll begin to notice an improvement in your overall health. And it's not that hard either, available in a range of tongue tantalising and deliciously fruity flavours, OHMG can be a part of your healthy lifestyle journey.

Why not try it out for yourself with OHMG?