Magnesium

Why take a magnesium supplement?

Magnesium is the fourth most abundant mineral in the body, making up about 2% of your total body weight. It's essential for more than 300 biochemical reactions in the body, including those related to:

• Heart health
• Muscle function
• Nerve function

However, research suggests that almost 50% of us aren't getting enough magnesium through diet alone. With 2% of us being truly magnesium deficient.

Are you at risk of magnesium deficiency?

You are at risk of magnesium deficiency if you are a woman, aged over 50 years old, or have a medical condition that increases your need for magnesium.

You're also at risk if you have a diet that is low in magnesium such as vegan or vegetarian.

How does magnesium deficiency impact the body?

A magnesium deficiency can cause many different symptoms, but the most common ones are:

• Muscle aches and pains
• Stress and anxiety
• PMS
• Insomnia (trouble sleeping)
• Constipation, diarrhoea or both

Other possible symptoms include headaches and migraines, muscle cramps, restless leg syndrome (unease in the legs), tics (sudden twitches of the face or limbs), high blood pressure, heart palpitations (a sensation that your heart is beating too rapidly), irritability and depression.

All of these symptoms can be very unpleasant to deal with, but they are also a sign that your body needs more magnesium.

Getting enough of this essential mineral is important for maintaining your health and wellbeing.

Beneficial effect of taking magnesium supplements

Magnesium plays a vital role in human health including support for nerve, muscle, and heart function.

It also:

• Helps maintain healthy bones and teeth.
• Supports muscle function - magnesium is a natural muscle relaxant, so it can help ease muscle aches and pains.
• Reduces tiredness and fatigue - magnesium can help relieve stress and anxiety by helping you get a good night's sleep.
• Relieves PMS - if you're having trouble with PMS symptoms, magnesium may be able to ease some of those as well.
• Promotes better bowels - magnesium helps promote regular bowel movements and can relieve constipation, which makes it an effective treatment for both diarrhoea and constipation.
• Reduces migraines - magnesium supplements have been shown to reduce the frequency of migraines by up to 70%.

How much magnesium should I take?

The recommended daily allowance (RDA) for magnesium in the UK is 300 milligrams per day for men and 270 milligrams per day for women.

However, that number can vary depending on many factors, including age and gender.

For example, if you're pregnant or breastfeeding, you'll need more to support your child's requirements as well as your own.

The amount of magnesium you need also depends on several factors including: your age, sex and other factors such as diet or medication you're taking.

For example, eating certain foods that contain high levels of calcium (like spinach), may interfere with absorption of magnesium. Or taking medications like aspirin that reduce the absorption of nutrients when taken regularly over time, will lower body stores reducing how much magnesium can be absorbed through diet alone.

Common sources of magnesium

Magnesium is found naturally in a wide variety of foods. It’s most concentrated in dark leafy greens, nuts, seeds, beans and whole grains.

Magnesium is also found in dairy products and fish.

To increase your magnesium intake:

• Eat magnesium-rich foods like dark green vegetables (kale, spinach), legumes (lentils), nuts/seeds (almonds) and whole grains (quinoa).
• Consume fortified breakfast cereals with added calcium and iron to get the best nutritional value from your morning meal.
• Choose milk that has added vitamin D to support bone health.

If you are concerned about your magnesium intake, talk to your doctor about whether or not taking supplements could help.

Can you take too much magnesium?

There are a few common side effects associated with taking too much magnesium:

• Diarrhoea. This happens because your body is trying to flush out the extra magnesium by way of your colon. It’s not harmful and it should go away quickly when you stop taking the supplement.
• Stomach cramps or nausea. This is related to the first side effect, but can happen even if you don’t experience diarrhoea as a result of taking too much magnesium at once. Try taking smaller doses throughout the day rather than one large dose in order to avoid these symptoms altogether, or try different forms of magnesium that don’t come with this potential downside.
• Vomiting and headaches. These are rare but possible side effects from taking too much magnesium at once—and they're also easy enough to avoid by limiting yourself to small doses over time instead of larger ones all at once. If these symptoms persist despite following this advice, call your doctor right away before continuing with any more supplementation; dizziness can be another symptom that indicates an overdose on these supplements so it's important not to ignore them when they appear.
• Fatigue and dizziness. Sometimes people with heart problems or muscle weakness can experience fatigue and dizziness from using magnesium supplements.

If you experience any of these side effects, talk to your doctor about adjusting your dose or trying another form of magnesium supplementation so that you don't suffer further adverse side effects.

Magnesium and other medications

Also, be wary that magnesium supplements can interact with certain medications.

For example, taking magnesium and ibuprofen together may cause your heart to beat irregularly or too slowly.

Increase your magnesium levels cost effectively

Magnesium is an essential mineral that plays a vital role in many bodily functions.

However, the modern diet often lacks enough magnesium meaning many people don't get enough through their food.

Magnesium deficiency can cause various health problems including aches and pains, muscle spasms, weakness or fatigue.

Taking a good quality magnesium supplement can help you avoid these common issues.

Vegan friendly magnesium supplements

Our magnesium supplements are always vegan friendly. In fact, our selection is ideal for all dietary requirements.

We go above and beyond to provide vegetarians and vegans with everything they need for a healthier lifestyle.

Environmentally friendly magnesium supplements

Vitamin suppliers are notorious for their love of plastic packaging. Not us. We aim to disrupt the supplement market by doing things differently.

We don't use plastic in any of our packages. All of our vitamins are distributed in compostable pouches. Meaning you can purchase your magnesium supplements without worrying about your impact on the planet.

Save money, improve your health, and help the planet in one purchase.

Shop magnesium supplements today

It's hard to find vitamins and minerals that don't impact the environment while still delivering great value for money.

Most people think that to get high-quality magnesium tablets they have to sacrifice their wallets or the environment.

Sealions supplements are different. We have a wide range of products that don't just give you the vitamins and minerals you need to maintain good health, but they're also eco-friendly too.

Buy magnesium supplements online at Sealions, and reap the rewards today.