MIRACLE MAGNESIUM

M01 Magnesium

Magnesium for nerve health has been completely underestimated so far - how you can work wonders with a daily teaspoon and what you should definitely pay attention to when buying it, you will find out in this article.

Half a percent of your body is made up of magnesium, about 25 grams. That doesn't sound like much at first, but without those few grams you would probably be feeling pretty bad pretty soon. The white powder not only keeps Fabian Hambüchen on the rings, but also your body in top health and good spirits. Muscles and nerves need magnesium just as urgently as blood sugar control and blood pressure regulation - all in all, over 300 processes in your body would not work as they should without magnesium.

Did you know? Magnesium during your period can save the peace in your home.

Studies have shown that magnesium can significantly reduce the symptoms of PMS, including mood swings, anxiety and depression. In general, magnesium deficiency is often associated with increased levels of stress hormones and reduced serotonin production, which can be particularly pronounced during a woman's period. Scientists also found that taking 200 mg of magnesium daily with 50 mg of vitamin B6 for a month significantly reduced anxiety and other premenstrual symptoms. This suggests that magnesium may be particularly effective when combined with vitamin B6.

Nerve & muscle miracle magnesium – how your body processes the mineral and why you urgently need it.

Magnesium is an essential mineral that is essential for numerous functions in your body. Especially if you suffer from polyneuropathy or restless legs, an adequate supply of magnesium can be crucial. It is absorbed mainly in the small intestine and then distributed throughout the body. About 50-60% of magnesium is found in the bones, while the rest is found in muscles, soft tissues and body fluids. Magnesium has the greatest influence on the following areas in your body.

1. Nervous system

Figuratively speaking, magnesium keeps the protective insulation of the nerves in good shape - similar to the rubber coating on an electrical cable. It acts as a natural calcium blocker and prevents too much of it from flowing into the nerve cells. Although we need calcium to build and maintain strong bones and teeth and also for the function of muscles and nerves, "too much" makes our nervous system oversensitive, which can lead to tremors, cramps and nervousness - the risk of developing epilepsy even increases with a permanent excess of calcium in the nerve cells. Overstimulation of the nerves is of course particularly problematic for polyneuropathy patients. This is because the rubber insulation mentioned is porous anyway, which opens the door to calcium - so it can be extremely important to support this weakened system with sufficient magnesium.

2. Muscle tissue

We also need magnesium in our muscles as an antagonist to our old friend, calcium. When muscles contract to make a movement, calcium flows into the tissue to support the process. However, if the muscle is to relax again, the calcium has to come out again and we need magnesium for that. Just like in the nervous system, it also provides a kind of protective insulation that keeps calcium away even in a neutral state such as when sleeping and thus prevents cramps and twitches. In restless legs syndrome, this "bouncer" magnesium is therefore incredibly important, in the nerve cells as well as in the muscle tissue. By stabilizing the cell membranes, magnesium prevents uncontrolled muscle movements and ensures that your muscles can relax at night too.

3. Energy metabolism

Magnesium is also a key player in energy metabolism. It activates enzymes necessary for the production of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the main energy storage in your cells. Think of ATP as your body's battery - without magnesium, this battery cannot be charged efficiently, leading to fatigue and weakness. Magnesium helps to optimize energy production by supporting the conversion of nutrients into usable energy. So, whatever you give your body to drink or eat, with enough magnesium it will get the maximum energy out of it.

4. Blood sugar control and blood pressure regulation

What do apple cider vinegar, cinnamon, zinc and magnesium have in common? That's right, they help your body control blood sugar by improving insulin sensitivity and stabilizing blood sugar levels. While zinc improves the function of the pancreas, which stimulates insulin production, cinnamon and magnesium help increase the sensitivity of all body cells to insulin - so less is needed for the same effect. Magnesium also helps regulate blood pressure by relaxing vascular muscles. So the same effect we explained above for "normal muscles" also plays a role in the most important muscle of all, our heart.

5. Stress management

Magnesium helps reduce the release of stress hormones such as cortisol and promotes states of relaxation, not only in our muscles. It acts as a natural sedative that helps you sleep better and recover. Stress can lower magnesium levels in the body because magnesium is excreted in increased amounts through urine. Low magnesium levels can in turn increase susceptibility to stress, which can lead to a vicious circle. By getting enough magnesium, you can break this cycle and be more relaxed both physically and mentally. Magnesium also makes you happy because it stimulates the production of neurotransmitters such as serotonin, thus stabilizing your mood.

6. Other benefits of magnesium

In addition to the functions mentioned, magnesium also supports bone and dental health by contributing to mineralization. It plays a role in the activity of parathyroid hormone and vitamin D, which are important for calcium metabolism. Magnesium helps maintain bone density and reduces the risk of osteoporosis. Magnesium is also important for protein synthesis, which is necessary for muscle building and tissue repair. It supports DNA and RNA synthesis and is thus involved in basic cellular processes necessary for growth and regeneration.

List of 10 most important magnesium suppliers

Mg per 100g // Daily dose adults = 310-420 mg per day

Important: Your body loves nutrient packages!

Manufacturers of food supplements are making a lot of money right now and no mineral is sold more often than magnesium. Never before have there been so many offers of minerals, vitamins and trace elements in a pill or a powder that can be dissolved. We think this trend is extremely dangerous because: Your body needs REAL food, i.e. a combination of nutrients, fiber and secondary plant substances - and it has to CHEW! This is the only way to set certain processes in motion so that it can absorb the nutrients properly and distribute them where they are needed. In addition, these "waste products" in fruit, vegetables and whole grain products ensure that your body also absorbs lots of free radicals, which helps prevent cancer. So please just remember one thing: You can't replace fruit and vegetables, period.

I always had the worst nights after the sauna.

Since I was 25, I have suffered from restless legs syndrome, which has caused me many sleepless nights. However, my legs were particularly restless on warm nights and after long evenings in the sauna, which I do about once a month. When I (finally) came up with the idea that it might have less to do with the heat itself than with sweating, I started researching. Since then, I have been taking high-quality magnesium powder and today I no longer have any problems, no matter how hot it gets in the evening :-)

Misleading packaging? Why magnesium from the drugstore is often useless.

Today, drugstore shelves are also full of nutritional supplements, one of which is magnesium. But be careful: it is almost always cheap, low-quality manesium oxide. I had often wondered why the pills have to be so huge and thanks to researching this article, I finally have an answer. Scientific studies suggest that magnesium oxide is poorly absorbed by the body. The so-called bioavailability describes how efficiently a nutrient enters the bloodstream and becomes usable for the body and unfortunately this is very low in the case of magnesium oxide. This is because it is an inorganic magnesium compound that does not dissociate effectively in the gastrointestinal tract. This means that magnesium ions are not sufficiently released and absorbed by the intestines. Studies show that the bioavailability of magnesium oxide is only about 4%, which is very low compared to other forms of magnesium such as magnesium citrate or magnesium glycinate, which have a bioavailability of up to 30-40%.

The pH of the stomach also plays a role. Magnesium oxide requires an acidic environment to dissolve. In people with low stomach acid production, which is common in older adults, absorption may be even further reduced. This leads to inefficient release of magnesium ions and therefore less absorption in the small intestine. Another problem with magnesium oxide is its tendency to have a laxative effect at higher doses. This can cause the magnesium to pass through the gastrointestinal tract more quickly, further reducing the time for absorption. In clinical studies, other forms of magnesium, such as magnesium citrate, have been found to be better tolerated and have a higher absorption rate, even at higher doses.

But finally, one more thing: healthy people do not need magnesium supplements. They can adequately cover their needs through food. The Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) writes that a balanced and varied diet with plenty of fruit and vegetables provides the body with all the essential substances. In most cases, food supplements are therefore unnecessary. As you can see in the table above, a handful of pumpkin seeds or a tablespoon of hemp seeds are enough to more than cover your daily needs. For the sake of completeness, we have nevertheless taken the trouble to list the most common supplements for you and consulted the results of the magazine Ökotest (2019). In most cases, the overall assessment is very negative. Some manufacturers even use phosphates, which, according to studies, can increase the risk of heart attack and stroke if the blood concentration is too high.

Overview of magnesium supplements

Calculated:

If you want to supply your body with the higher quality citrate every day, for example from Verla, then at the recommended maximum amount of 250mg/day, this will cost you €12.90 per month. So you can spend around €155 per year on higher quality food instead.

What you can take with you

Let's summarize what you have learned today and what you can perhaps integrate into your everyday life. Feel free to give us feedback or ask us questions if there are still things that are unclear, that's what we're here for :-)

1. Magnesium is the babysitter for calcium and makes sure that not too much of it ends up in muscle and nerve cells – this is especially important for people with RLS and polyneuropathy.

2. In addition, magnesium ensures a balanced mind, a relaxed heart and a higher insulin sensitivity of your cells, which can prevent diabetes.

3. The foods with the highest magnesium content are nuts and seeds, but legumes and dark chocolate also give you an extra portion of the mineral.

4. Your body needs complete nutrient packages, i.e. fruit, vegetables and whole grain products – save your money on nutritional supplements and go to the organic market instead.

5. All of the magnesium supplements examined by Ökotest are not recommended because they either consist of inferior oxide (only 4% bioavailability) or contain other questionable substances such as phosphate.

Ökotest Magnesium