This one nutrient powers more than 80 percent of your body’s metabolic processes—from supporting your immune system to helping maintain blood sugar levels that are already within the normal range. Here’s why you should make sure you’re getting enough.
There’s a reason we call magnesium a superhero. This nutrient—which the human body can only get from external sources like food and supplements—helps keep your body running at peak performance. It powers 300 essential biochemical reactions involved in muscle function, the immune system, and heart and bone health, which is why it’s important to maintain sufficient levels of magnesium.
So how can you be sure you’re getting enough magnesium? The first step is by eating fruits, vegetables, and other whole foods that are high in magnesium. Whole grains, dark green vegetables, milk, beans, fish, nuts and seeds are all good sources of magnesium. But eating one or two of these things a day isn’t enough for most people—a cup of nonfat milk contains just under 28 grams of mg, and ½ cup of broccoli contains 51 grams. The average woman needs 320 grams and the average man needs 400 grams of magnesium daily, in order to power their body at peak levels.
That’s where a magnesium supplement can, well, supplement the amount of mg you’re taking into your body each day. OMG! Nutrition offers a Ready to Mix, highly absorbable type of magnesium, magnesium bisglycinate chelate, that makes it easy (and delicious) to get the magnesium your body needs. Keep your levels steady, and your health will thank you in many ways.
Magnesium helps maintain digestive health
There’s a lot of talk about gut health these days, as the medical community learns more about how it influences immunity, mood, and more. To maintain a healthy gut, proper nutrition is essential. Unfortunately, many gastrointestinal (GI) conditions limit the foods a person can safely eat—and often, the foods on the “do not eat” list are the very ones that are also high in magnesium. It’s a catch-22.
These GI conditions can also restrict absorption of key nutrients like magnesium, which may result in magnesium deficiency. People with GI conditions may have higher magnesium requirements due to increased losses as a result of the condition. Additionally, certain medications for GI conditions can interfere with magnesium absorption.
Supplementing with magnesium seems like an obvious solution for these individuals, but some magnesium supplements can cause diarrhea and other GI side effects. Besides, pills can be tough to swallow, especially for certain individuals.
OMG! Nutrition has made magnesium supplements more palatable, even for people with GI issues. OMG! is formulated with a proprietary form of magnesium that’s less likely to cause the unpleasant side effects that can occur with some other magnesium supplements, making it a good choice for people with GI conditions.
Magnesium helps maintain heart health
You know what to do for your heart, right? Eat healthy, whole foods, get regular exercise (yes, walking counts), and keep stress low. But there’s even more you could be doing—and it starts with magnesium. Along with a healthy diet, magnesium supplements may be beneficial in maintaining heart health by:
- Supporting endothelial functioning
- Supporting heart rhythm
- Maintaining healthy blood pressure levels that are already within the normal range
- Helping to regulate your body’s response to stress
- Supporting healthy lipid metabolism
Magnesium and performance benefits
Want to get the most out of your workout? Make sure your magnesium levels are sufficient. Magnesium is essential for normal muscle function. In addition, magnesium supplementation has been shown to promote muscle strength and power. Whether you’re running races or simply participating in the marathon of everyday life, a magnesium supplement may help optimize your performance.
Magnesium helps regulate sleep and everyday stress
When was the last time you felt really, truly rested? Super calm and mellow? For many of us, the daily stressors of life take their toll on our mood and our sleep quality. Forty five percent of Americans say they suffer from poor sleep, which may be related to everyday stress. The same percentage of Americans (45%) say stress can keep them up at night.
Your first strategy should always be to examine your sleep habits (are you turning in and rising at the same time every day? Is your room cool and dark enough?), as well as life stressors (do you hate your job? Are you under financial stress?). But another tool in your tranquility toolbox should be magnesium.
Magnesium gets a lot of attention for its role in stress and sleep—and for good reason. Magnesium supplementation can help regulate the body’s response to stress and can help promote feelings of calmness and wellbeing. It also acts on the same pathways as some sleep agents, and may help prepare the body to relax for sleep—without causing residual drowsiness.
Magnesium promotes women’s health
Yes, all of the above perks—gut health, heart health, muscle performance, and sleep and stress—impact women, and magnesium can help support those body functions. But unique to women is that whether you are coping with PMS or wanting to maintain healthy bones, studies show magnesium may help.
Magnesium supplementation can minimize common symptoms of PMS and support bone health. At every stage of a woman’s life, magnesium can help keep you feeling healthy and happy.