6 Health Benefits of Magnesium

For Your Gut Health

From balancing your electrolytes and blood sugar levels to boosting your athletic performance, magnesium is one of the vital minerals for the well-being of your brain and body. Usually found in most green leafy vegetables, due to our hectic routines, it can become difficult to consume enough magnesium. As per studies, around 60-80% of people may be deficient in magnesium. Some common signs of magnesium deficiency are chronic fatigue, poor sleep, disrupted gut, and even heart issues. 

Why is Magnesium So Important For Digestion?

Magnesium plays a vital role in facilitating smooth digestion and fecal movement through the digestive tract. The digestive system relies on a smooth muscle function called peristalsis to move food along the tract. Magnesium helps relax the muscles in the intestines, preventing cramping, bloating, and sluggish digestion.  

Magnesium for Constipation Relief:

Magnesium, if taken in the right form and quantity, can help act as a natural laxative. So if you've ever thought of does Magnesium Make You Poop? Yes, it does. There are several types of magnesium, like magnesium oxide, magnesium citerate, magnesium glycinate, and magnesium malate, which each have their benefits. Magnesium Oxide is formed by combining magnesium and oxygen. The resultant salt, magnesium oxide, is naturally laxative and is not easily absorbed by our body. Hence, it avoids increasing the magnesium levels in your body. On the other hand, magnesium glycinate is easily absorbable, giving your muscles the calming and relaxing benefits.

In Gut Glow, we combine magnesium oxide and magnesium glycinate in just the right quantities so you get the benefits of both types of magnesium to improve your gut health. Magnesium oxide attracts water from your intestine and adds it to the poop, and magnesium glycinate helps in relaxing muscles so your poop passes through smoothly.

Magnesium For Bloating Relief:

How Does Bloating Occur?

Bloating is a result of food passing through our system without being adequately digested. This could happen due to several reasons, such as eating too fast, having food intolerances, or constipation. This undigested food then starts to ferment in our intestines resulting in the formation of gasses and thus causing you to bloat.

Here's How Magnesium Helps Avoid Bloating:

Magnesium helps in regulating the production of stomach acid, which is essential for the breakdown of food in the stomach. Magnesium, your fiber supplement, can help in regulating the stomach acid production (hypochlorhydria). Additionally, it also helps in neutralising the stomach acid as the partially digested food enters our intestinal tract, thus playing a vital role in minimising inflammation in the gastrointestinal digestive tract and relaxing stomach muscles. 

Magnesium Supports Energy Production:

Every cell in our body requires magnesium to carry out daily cellular functions. Its key role is as a helper molecule in converting food into energy and in over 300 other biochemical reactions. 

Approximately 60% of magnesium stores are found in the bones. During metabolism, magnesium binds with ATP and GTP and is a key factor in the creation of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the molecule that provides energy for most metabolic processes. ATP is essential for glucose use, fat, protein, nucleic acid, and coenzyme synthesis, and alteration in magnesium metabolism can have adverse effects on these functions.

Some Other Benefits Of Magnesiums That Ultimately Support A Healthy Gut:

Helps with muscle function and recovery

Magnesium plays a crucial role in muscle function and recovery by regulating muscle contractions. When one exercises, the movement of the muscles increases the build-up of lactic acid. This, in turn, gives you soreness or the burning feeling in the muscles, which sometimes can reduce the capacity to carry out a heavier workout. Adequate magnesium intake in this case can help in reducing this muscle soreness by reducing the formation of lactic acid and relaxing the muscles. 

Some of the key benefits of magnesium in muscle recovery are:

1. Muscle Contraction Control:
   
   Magnesium helps contract and relax muscles by acting as a natural calcium blocker and preventing muscle tension. 

2. Lactic Acid Reduction: By supporting energy production, magnesium can help in reducing lactic acid formation. In studies conducted in July 2024, it was found that magnesium supplementation had increased glucose and piruvate levels in blood, thus reducing and delaying the accumulation of lactate concentration and increasing performance. 

3. Improved Recovery: A 2022 study found that having enough magnesium helps the body metabolize ATP levels faster, ensuring your muscles have a consistent energy supply for speedy recovery.
   
   

4. Cramp Reduction: Magnesium plays a crucial role in facilitating nerve and muscle communication. Magnesium deficiencies can lead to muscle tension and cramps due to the presence of calcium blocker

Reduces Stress and Improves Sleep

Various studies have found that magnesium may help in reducing stress and improving sleep quality. Gamma-aminobutyric acid is a neurotransmitter in the brain that calms the nervous signals from transmitting. Magnesium plays an important role in regulating GABA, which helps in promoting calm and relaxation. 

Supports Heart Health

Magnesium is essential for maintaining good heart health. Studies have shown that magnesium consumption shows a modestly lower risk of coronary heart disease. Intake of magnesium supplementation had also shown a lower risk of high blood pressure in more than 8500 women.

Strengthens Bones and Teeth

Magnesium has also been found to strengthen bones and teeth by remineralizing tooth enamel and supporting bone density. Magnesium is also known to support the jawbone structure to help keep the teeth stable.

Furthermore, magnesium also helps in the absorption and metabolization of calcium, which is essential for healthy teeth and bones. 

Regulates Blood Sugar Levels

Magnesium helps regulate blood sugar levels by influencing insulin levels. It is also involved in breaking down glucose (carbs) into energy. When magnesium levels are low, glucose is less efficiently used for energy, leading to higher blood sugar levels and increasing the risk of type 2 diabetes. Magnesium helps regulate the stress response, keeping the cortisol levels down and helping prevent glucose spikes. 

Magnesium deficiency can cause varied issues like muscle cramps, spasms, and twitches, weakens muscles, and causes stiffness in muscles. 

In several instances, it can also cause anxiety and irritability, difficulty sleeping, brain fog, and trouble concentrating. 

A lack of magnesium can also lead to slow digestion, which can result in constipation, bloating, loss of appetite, or nausea. 

Best Sources of Magnesium For Gut Health and Everyday Wellness:

Magnesium can be found in several natural food sources, including:

Nuts and Seeds:

Pumpkin Seeds

Chia Seeds

Almonds 

Cashews

Flaxseeds

Leafy Green Vegetables
Spinach

Swiss Chard
Kale
Collard greens

Whole Grains & legumes

Quinoa
Brown rice
Oats
Black Beans
Lentils

Fruits

Avocado
Bananas
Figs
Raspberries

Dairy  & Fish

Greek Yogurt
Salmon & Mackerel

Supplements:

Dietary supplements can complement your diet and help you meet your magnesium targets. It can be difficult to consume enough magnesium through food, but magnesium supplements can help balance your needs. If your goal is having smooth digestion every day and a healthy, thriving gut, Lumy combines magnesium for gut health with soluble and insoluble fibers in Gut Glow. This gives you holistic support for building your gut strength.

Final Thoughts?

Magnesium is an essential mineral that regulates over 300 biochemical functions in the body, from everyday energy production to heart health, sleep,, and digestion. Despite its importance, most of us do not get enough magnesium through our everyday diet. Complementing your daily meals with supplements rich in magnesium can help your body balance the required quantity. Gut Glow, has a blend of fibers, adaptogens and magnesium to help relax muscles and generate energy for a smooth digestive process.