5 Reasons We LOVE Magnesium
Magnesium is a mineral that is absolutely crucial for your body and hormones to function at their best. It helps everything from balancing blood sugar to boosting your mood and alleviating your PMS symptoms.
Here are just a few of the reasons we love magnesium for supporting your health:
- Boosts your mood - Magnesium helps with regulating cortisol (your stress hormone) thereby reducing anxiety and boosting your mood.¹
- Balances blood sugar - Magnesium plays a key role in controlling insulin production and can even help reduce sugar cravings.² Balancing your blood sugar is crucial if you have PCOS or type 2 diabetes.
- Sleep support - Getting enough sleep is one of the pillars of good health, and magnesium helps you to both get to sleep and stay asleep so you get the quality rest that you need.³
- Hormone helper - Magnesium helps with hormone production, encouraging the natural balance of progesterone, estrogen, and testosterone. Magnesium has been shown to reduce PMS symptoms, painful periods, and even menstrual migraines.⁴
- Reduces Inflammation - Chronic inflammation puts you at risk for a slew of chronic diseases and ramps up the aging process.⁵ Maintaining healthy magnesium levels reduces inflammation markers and boasts antioxidant benefits as well.⁶
Clearly we want (and need) the benefits of magnesium. Yet, even with a balanced diet, most people don’t get enough magnesium. Studies have found that half of all Americans are magnesium deficient, with the greatest deficiency occurring in those who eat a diet high in processed foods, refined grains, sugar, and phosphate.⁷
So how can you tweak your diet to get more magnesium? We’ve got you covered:
- Seed cycling - Seeds are an especially high source of magnesium, including pumpkin seeds, flax seeds, and chia seeds.⁸ Seed cycling takes the benefits to the next level by using specific blends of nutrient-rich seeds to support your hormones throughout your menstrual cycle, with one blend for your follicular phase (first half of your cycle) and another for your luteal phase (second half of your cycle).
We’ve taken the guesswork out of seed cycling by creating ready-made blends that you can add to your smoothies, granola, or oatmeal to get the benefits without the effort. - Dark chocolate - You don’t have to tell us twice. Dark chocolate is an indulgence that is worthwhile for both its taste and its health benefits. Just two ounces of dark chocolate contains more than 30 percent of your recommended magnesium intake.⁹ Plus it has ample antioxidants and flavanols to help you maintain healthy gut flora. To get the best benefits, choose chocolate that contains 70 percent cocoa solids or higher.¹⁰
- Leafy greens - Spinach, kale, collard greens, and all your other favorite leafy greens are health powerhouses, and they’re one of the best sources of dietary magnesium. A one cup serving of cooked spinach contains about 40 percent of your daily recommended magnesium and is also loaded with essential nutrients like iron, manganese, and vitamins A, C, and K.
- Legumes - This plant family which includes lentils, chickpeas, soybeans, and beans of all kinds is a grea t source of fiber, vegetarian protein, and, you guessed it, magnesium. A cup of cooked black beans has about 30 percent of your daily recommended value of magnesium. Legumes also promote heart health and balanced blood sugar.¹¹
Taking a magnesium supplement in addition to your dietary intake can also be helpful in making sure you get enough of this vital mineral. Just make sure to talk to a trusted healthcare professional to ensure you’re making the best decisions to support your health and wellness.
Sources:
¹ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3198864/
² https://diabetesjournals.org/care/article/26/4/1147/23730/Oral-Magnesium-Supplementation-Improves-Insulin
³ https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3703169/
⁴ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28392498/
⁵ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29403302/
⁶ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28545353/
⁷ https://www.pharmacytimes.com/view/study-half-of-all-americans-are-magnesium-deficient
⁸ https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-foods-high-in-magnesium#TOC_TITLE_HDR_7
⁹ https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-foods-high-in-magnesium#TOC_TITLE_HDR_2
¹⁰ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/21068351/
¹¹ https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23089999/