Magnesium is a naturally occurring trace element and dietary mineral used by your body in most physiological functions. Magnesium helps transmit nerve signals, helps maintain your circulatory system, is vital in energy production, and bone formation.
To function properly your muscles, heart, and kidneys need magnesium. Magnesium also contributes to the development and strength of your teeth and bones. Magnesium activates digestive enzymes, contributes to energy production at the cellular level, and binds or reacts with potassium, calcium, zinc, and vitamin D to maintain metabolism. I guess you’d say that magnesium is pretty important!
Are you getting enough magnesium? Symptoms of low magnesium levels include frequent headaches and migraines, irregular heartbeat and fatigue, muscle spasms, cramps, and weakness, high blood pressure and weak bones and teeth. Advanced symptoms of magnesium deficiency include low blood calcium, facial tics, spasms and seizures, chronic anxiety, and irregular heart rhythms.
It is possible to get the magnesium your body needs from foods rich in magnesium like nuts, whole grains, and leafy green vegetables like kale and spinach. However, it has become increasingly difficult to consume adequate natural sources of magnesium as the soil they are grown in eventually becomes depleted. Many people do not consume sufficient quantities of these healthy magnesium sources and need to supplement their diet with magnesium.
Magnesium supplements are available in a variety of topical and oral forms including:
// Magnesium Chloride Flakes
Magnesium can be absorbed through the skin, and soaking in magnesium “salts” can provide your body soothing muscle relief while providing added levels of magnesium. Generally, one cup added to your bath water provides approximately 15 g magnesium. While magnesium chloride flakes may be referred to as “salts”, they are not Epsom Salts…
// Magnesium Sulfate
Or Epsom Salts contain magnesium sulfate which can also be absorbed through the skin in a bath, but is absorbed more slowly and excreted more quickly. Choose the more effective magnesium chloride over the magnesium sulfate (Epsom Salts) when available.
// Magnesium Chloride Oils
Topical supplementation is the fastest method to increase total body magnesium levels, and magnesium chloride oil can be applied directly to the skin. These oils are also helpful for those who have digestive disorders that prevent normal absorption of magnesium from their food or oral supplements. Simply spray or rub the oils into your skin.
// Magnesium Chelate – are found naturally in the foods we eat. Many oral dietary magnesium supplements are “chelated” meaning they are attached to amino acids and used to restore magnesium levels. As mentioned, adding leafy greens to your diet may increase magnesium.
// Magnesium Citrate
Contains liquid magnesium combined with citric acid. This form of magnesium is often used in a clinical setting as a laxative, but may be safe to use in smaller doses for increasing magnesium levels, improving digestion and preventing constipation.
I’ve started using a magnesium oil spray at night before I go to bed (and I’m sleeping better!) and when I feel like a bath I’ve had a nice soak in the bath with Magnesium Chloride flakes along with one of my DIY Bath Bombs.
I got the magnesium chloride flakes and magnesium oil online from Blants, they are a NZ company that sells larger quantities without flashy packaging, which means you save the money they would have spent on marketing and pretty labels!