Magnesium

Authored by Sumeet Sharma

Take Home Points

• Magnesium is an essential mineral for health.

• Magnesium deficiency is common in the United States, with an estimated 68% of the population not meeting the FDA recommended daily intake of magnesium.

• Magnesium supplementation can improve sleep quality, reduce stress, and increase attention.

Origins

• Magnesium can be obtained from various natural sources, including leafy green vegetables, nuts and seeds, fish, beans, lentils, avocados, bananas, fruits, and dark chocolate.^1,2,3

Structure

• Magnesium is a base element.

• Magnesium bound to citrate appears to have a higher bioavailability at around 25-30%, probably due to its increased water solubility.

• Magnesium plays an important role in vitamin D pathways, and magnesium deficiency has been shown to reduce vitamin D absorption.⁴

• Magnesium excretion is also increased by insulin. Thus, magnesium deficiency is commonly observed in diabetic, atherosclerotic, hypertensive, and obese individuals.⁵

Effects on Cognition

• Magnesium is used in the body primarily as an electrolyte and a mineral cofactor for over 300 enzymes. Magnesium is involved in the enzyme systems for ATP and Adenyl Cyclase and is required for the activation of creatine kinase and enzymes in the glycolysis pathway.

• Magnesium acts as an antagonist at NMDA receptors, which drive increases in neuronal firing, thus magnesium reduces the firing of some excitatory neurons.

• Magnesium also acts as an agonist at GABA receptors, increasing the firing of these inhibitory neurons.^6,7,8,9,10Together with the first point, this suggests that magnesium has an overall inhibitory effect on neuronal firing.¹¹

Sleep

• Magnesium, taken in an increasing dose for 20 days (from 246 mg to 738 mg), was effective in improving sleep. Those individuals that consumed magnesium exhibited a significant increase in slow wave sleep.

• Magnesium taken in increasing doses for 20 days from 246 mg to 738 mg was effective in improving sleep in 12 individuals. This was associated with significant increase in slow wave sleep.

Stress

• Magnesium supplementation improved various markers of stress, particularly cortisol levels, in a study of individuals ages 51 and older.¹²

• Magnesium has been associated with suppression of ACTH secretion at night.¹³ACTH drives cortisol, also known as the stress hormone.

Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

• Magnesium levels were lower than normal in >95% of 116 children aged 9-12 with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder.¹⁴

• A magnesium-vitamin B6 hybrid supplement for eight weeks was effective in decreasing the symptoms of ADHD in 40 children with ADHD. In particular, hyperactivity and hyper-emotivity/aggressiveness were significantly ameliorated in children that took this supplement.¹⁵

• Magnesium may assist with ADHD therapy as an adjunct to FDA-approved medical treatment.

How to Take

• Take a dosage of 200 mg of Magnesium per day.

• Consider taking Magnesium at bedtime, in a sleep-promoting stack, as magnesium supplementation is associated with optimal sleep.

Side Effects

• The most common side effects of ingesting Magnesium is gastrointestinal upset, including diarrhea.

Safety

Magnesium is approved as a dietary supplement component under provisions of the Dietary Supplement Health and Education Act of 1994. It is classified as generally recognized as safe (GRAS).