And why you should take The Oligoscan Test to determine whether your cells are getting enough of this VITAL mineral.
I’m writing this blog for anyone out there who might be needlessly suffering from sleep deprivation, that's being driven by something as simple as one single nutrient deficiency.
If you find yourself lying in bed staring at the ceiling way beyond midnight, or you struggle to pull yourself out of bed when the alarm blasts in your ear, it's almost certain a significant magnesium deficiency is the culprit.
Having worked with the Oligoscan machine since 2016, I've witnessed how, over the last four years, the number of individuals with sub-optimal magnesium levels has steadily risen.
Low levels of this mineral can easily go undetected, even with a GP authorised blood draw testing for magnesium. This is because there's only ever a small percentage of magnesium travelling free within the bloodstream at any given time (blood is a transport system for nutrients to reach their cellular destination). 98-99% of magnesium is taken up and utilised by cells & infused into bone tissue. Consequently, the very best method of detection, is the Oligoscan Test, which measures your INTRACELLULAR levels of magnesium (i.e. what's actually been taken up and is being utilised by your cells).
WHY IS MAGNESIUM SO IMPORTANT FOR SLEEP?
If you're in search of a decent night's slumber, magnesium truly is the supplement to reach for. This mineral calms the adrenal 'stress' glands, lowering blood cortisol, when levels of this stress hormone are abnormally high in the evening (often a consequence of a demanding day, or in some cases, caffeine sensitivity or intermittent fasting). Cortisol needs to be reduced as it blocks the release of 'melatonin' sleep hormone. Too much excitation from adrenaline and cortisol can lead to irritability, restlessness, sleeplessness, and spasmodic movements, so this excitation needs to be balanced with inhibition. Magnesium also activates GABA receptors in the brain. This allows circulating GABA – the most important inhibitory neurotransmitter in the brain – to provide this restraint, acting like a "brake" during times of 'runaway stress'. Magnesium enables GABA to relax the body and mind, so you can fall asleep and sleep soundly throughout the night.
Magnesium also nourishes & regulates the adrenals, so they can provide the appropriate early morning 'cortisol surge' that's needed to incite that 'I'm ready to get-up-and-go' feeling that drives you up and out of bed each day.
But it's not just those with dysregulated circadian rhythm that can benefit from magnesium.
WHAT ARE THE OTHER BENEFITS OF MAGNESIUM?
Magnesium is (or should be) the fourth most abundant mineral in your body.
As mentioned above, magnesium supports the adrenal glands, helping us better manage stressful events in our lives (hopefully, leaving us with less to worry about in the dead of the night!). Magnesium also re-calibrates and soothes nerves, as well as playing a role in nerve transmission, earning it a reputation as the mineral that stabilises the emotions and enhances cognitive function.
Magnesium can also be extremely useful in the fight against unwanted flab and fatigue. It's required to fuel our metabolism - optimising calorie-burning (converting glucose into ATP energy molecules) and enhancing fat metabolism in the liver. This mineral plays a role in water balance - pumping out old, stagnant water from cells and the lymphatic system, shifting fluid retention weight gain. In addition, magnesium may reduce the risk of weight gain due to Hypothyroidism, as it affects the pituitary gland's ability to release Thyroid Stimulating Hormone/TSH, influencing the thyroid glands production of Thyroxine/T4 hormone.
For those who've made it their New Year's resolution to get 'fighting fit', magnesium is excellent for improving exercise performance and recovery (easing post-exercise stiffness and muscle aches). Magnesium is also important for blood sugar regulation and protein synthesis, enhancing the deposition of glucose and amino acids into muscle fibres (to build lean muscle mass).
Critically, in today's toxic world, magnesium is used to drive phase I and phase II liver detox pathways, allowing this organ to effectively filter, neutralise and flush harmful compounds out via our gut and kidneys (helping prevent 'toxic overload' and it's myriad of symptoms)
Coupled with calcium, magnesium works to co-ordinate muscular contraction & relaxation (including gut muscles that massage waste along out of the intestines). Both magnesium and calcium are valuable components of bone matrix, so help reduce the risk of bone density issues.
Sufficient levels of magnesium are required for keeping the heart muscles strong and the vagus nerve regulated (this nerve helps regulate our heart beat). Insufficient magnesium can contribute to heart rhythm disturbances, high blood pressure, and coronary artery calcification, increasing the risk of heart failure & stroke
Magnesium is an important nutrient required for regulating the synthesis of oestrogens, progesterone and testosterone. All of the reproductive hormones are connected, so when one is imbalanced the others can become imbalanced as well. Magnesium deficiency is certainly something to consider if you're plagued by 'menopausal' symptoms.
Magnesium is a mineral and electrolyte involved in over 300 biochemical enzymatic reactions and electrical impulses, so this is not the exhaustive list of its roles within the body. You can see though, magnesium is a pretty important mineral, even for those who do have the luxury of enjoying a blissful night's sleep.
WHICH SYMPTOMS CAN BE IMPROVED WITH MAGNESIUM?
And are you experiencing any of these?
Sleep issues / insomnia (especially night-time waking)
Poor stress management - feeling excessively overwhelmed by challenges & crying more easily than normal
Chronic Fatigue and low energy
Headaches and migraines
Hot flushes
High blood pressure and irregular heartbeat (Arrhythmia)
Sex hormone imbalances ('menopausal' symptoms, PMS, breast tenderness, testosterone slumps and fertility issues)
Muscle weakness, tension, stiffness, pain, spasms, twitches and cramps (including twitching eyelid, calf cramps, jaw clenching, jittery legs, back & shoulder pain, nocturnal leg cramps and painful menstrual cramps)
Asthma, chest tightness and incessant coughing (diaphragm muscle tension)
Constipation and bloating
Poor exercise endurance and prolonged post-exercise muscle aches and pains
Weakened bones & low bone density
Nerve pain and hyper-excitability of nerves (including tingling & numbness, peripheral neuropathy, vertigo and hyperactivity)
Anxiety, depression, confusion, poor focus and brain fog
Magnesium = mental health 'medicine' WHICH FACTORS CAN MAKE YOU VULNERABLE TO MAGNESIUM DEFICIENCY?
Living in such a stressful world (i.e. during a pandemic or political or economic turmoil!) - the more stress & strain we experience, the more our adrenal (stress) glands use up magnesium in order to synthesis adrenaline and cortisol stress hormones.
Depletions of mineral in soil - the average diet is devoid of sufficient magnesium due to modern farming techniques. The use of pesticides, insecticides and herbicides has stripped our land of a vast percentage of its important minerals such as magnesium, calcium and zinc.
Insufficient intake of plant foods - the highest levels of magnesium are found predominantly in fruits, vegetables, herbs and grains. With so many health advocates yelling 'Go Keto' & "Go low-carb!", it's not surprising (as you'll see from the chart below), that people of all age groups are struggling to reach their daily magnesium requirement.
Higher intake of alcohol and caffeine - all forms of alcohol, coffee, black tea, white tea, green tea, matcha, chocolate/cocoa & Coca Cola are beverages & foods that act as 'diuretics' and 'stimulants', increasing the amount of magnesium lost through the kidneys in urine or sucked up by the adrenal 'stress' glands to produce stress hormones.
Higher prevalence of digestive issues - low stomach acid secretions (induced by factors such as stress or low zinc levels) can lead to poor absorption of minerals such as magnesium.
Higher magnesium loss from the body - through intense exercising & sweating and laxative use.
Pharmaceutical drug use - most medications, such as the corticosteroids (Prednisone or inhalers), contraceptive pill & HRT, induce depletions in a range of vitamins and minerals, such as magnesium.
WHAT'S THE SOLUTION?
ADD MORE OF THESE MAGNESIUM-RICH FOODS INTO YOUR DAILY DIET
GLUTEN-FREE OATS
LENTILS, BEANS, CHICKPEAS & GREEN PEAS
SUNFLOWER SEEDS, SESAME SEEDS & PUMPKIN SEEDS
PINENUTS
ALMONDS
BANANAS
FRESH APRICOTS OR DRIED UNSULPHURED APRICOTS
ALL BERRIES
MANGOES
CITRUS FRUITS
ARTICHOKES
AVOCADO
OKRA
ASPARAGUS
ALL LEAFY GREENS (ROCKET, WATERCRESS, CHICORY, SPINACH, KALE, CAVOLO NERO, SWISS CHARD & COLLARD GREENS)
RAW SPROUTS & MICRO GREENS
CHIVES, DILL & BASIL
SHOULD YOU BE SUPPLEMENTING WITH MAGNESIUM?
Adding more bioavailable foods sources of magnesium into your diet is a great first step to begin boosting your magnesium levels. However, many people these days need 'therapeutic' doses of magnesium from supplements in order to fully alleviate their symptoms (mainly because the high levels of stress we're all currently dealing with, increases our magnesium requirement to synthesise sufficient stress hormones).
WHICH FORM OF MAGNESIUM SHOULD I TAKE?
There are different forms of magnesium, with a variety of benefits. Each individual's specific symptoms and conditions will determine which is the best form to opt for (& dosages), but here is a very basic guideline of those on offer and their uses:
MAGNESIUM GLYCINATE - this is a highly bioavailable form of magnesium utilised by the nervous system, making it ideal for anyone experiencing neurological issues such as sleep disruptions, anxiety, depression, PMS and migraines.
MAGNESIUM CITRATE - this form is often used as an aid for occasional constipation, as it increases the amount of water retained by the gut, softening the stool and easing the passage of faeces along the gut.
MAGNESIUM OXIDE - this magnesium is poorly absorbed, and works as an osmotic laxative used for stubborn constipation or impacted stools.
MAGNESIUM SULPHATE - commonly found in Epsom Salts, this is a potent 'bowel cleanser' (taken orally). Added to a bath or applied to the skin it can act as a muscle relaxant and drawing infections out of the skin (e.g. with a boil or abscess) and reduce swelling.
MAGNESIUM MALATE - this form of magnesium is used for issues relating to any type of pain (such as fibromyalgia and migraines)
MAGNESIUM TAURATE - helps to regulate electrolyte levels and is commonly used in conditions related to the heart & muscles, such as lowering blood pressure and easing muscle cramps and spasms in athletes.
MAGNESIUM L-THREONATE - this form of magnesium is formulated to readily cross the blood brain barrier (delivering magnesium direct to the brain), so works wonders for improving cognitive function (memory, learning, recall and brain fog). As per magnesium glycinate, Mag L-threonate is fantastic for regulating sleep patterns.
So if you feel you're experiencing symptoms of magnesium deficiency, BOOK IN FOR AN OLIGOSCAN TEST to check your mineral levels. If you reveal a deficiency, I can help you understand which is the most appropriate, highly bioavailable, good-quality (non-toxic) magnesium supplement for you (& your ideal dosage).
Take advantage of my current 'Winter discount' on the Oligoscan Test (now only £105 in Belsize Park, Primrose Hill and Hammersmith until March 31st).
PLEASE NOTE: It is NOT advisable to self-prescribe supplements as there may be contraindications to consider and many supplements now contain unwanted binders, fillers, genetically modified ingredients and more. Please seek advice from a qualified practitioner. IMPORTANT: Magnesium supplementation above 800mg / day should be avoided by anyone taking blood thinners (e.g. anti-coagulants such as Warfarin or Apixaban). Magnesium doses of > 800mg/day can act as a blood thinner and increase the risk of haemorrhage.
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