Magnesium – effect, daily requirement and how to take it

Magnesium is a mineral that is vital for human beings and without which a lot of things would not work in our body. Therefore, it must be adequately nourished via the intake of food. In nature, we come into contact with minerals mainly via the earth’s crust, salt water and as a building block of the green leaf pigment, chlorophyll.

If magnesium is considered more closely, it can be seen that the light metal is a true all-rounder. Its most important tasks in the body include the following areas:

Teeth and bones

Approximately 20–30 g magnesium are found in the human body. The majority is in our bones (around 60%) – and not without reason! Like calcium, magnesium is also involved in the formation of bones and teeth and ensures the necessary stability in these structures.

Cell structure and cell division

Magnesium also provides stability at the cell level and regulates both the stability and the permeability of the cell. Magnesium is also involved in cell division.

Muscles and nerves

Tense... relax... – without magnesium, that’s impossible. The light metal not only causes the contraction and slackening of our muscles, it is also indispensable for the smooth forwarding of nerve stimuli. But magnesium is also a mood-maker, because it is involved in the production of the happiness hormone serotonin.

Energy metabolism

Magnesium is a key element not only for muscles and nerves, but also for energy metabolism. Finally, it is essential for all the functions in our body that are related to energy creation and provision. For this reason, magnesium also works like an energy booster, contributing to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue.

In particular, adolescents and people over the age of 50 can suffer from an insufficient supply of magnesium. Particularly in these phases of life, it is important to maintain the required quantities through a sensible diet and, if necessary, by taking supplements. Children and senior citizens who eat little food should eat foods with a particularly high magnesium content.

Everyday life situations can also have an influence on magnesium requirements. The following in particular create a need for magnesium:

• Stress, nervous tension, worry
• Physical exertion
• Sports
• Unbalanced diet, dieting
• Pregnancy and breastfeeding
• Growth of children and adolescents
• Consumption of diuretics
• Heavy alcohol consumption

In these situations it can make a lot of sense to increase your magnesium intake on a preventive basis. Once your magnesium deficiency has taken hold, it can often be extremely difficult to refill your supplies. The most promising strategy in the event of a deficit is the regular ingestion of a suitable magnesium preparation over several weeks or months together with a balanced diet.

Living without stress is no longer conceivable in our days. Stress can affect us in a variety of ways: as a heavy burden in everyday work, as a fear of exams, as demands in school or training or simply through noise pollution.

All these influences are constantly gnawing at mental well-being and often lead to worries and fears. And this in turn leads to an increased outflow of magnesium from the body, caused by the increased release of stress hormones such as adrenaline.

Fundamentally, stress hormones are extremely useful. They put the body in escape mode – a reflex that ensured survival for early humans in prehistoric times. Adrenaline and the other stress hormones provide the body with additional energy reserves that are required for escape from wild beasts.

Nowadays, however, flight is no longer the right reaction to stressful situations. The consequence? The excess of stress hormones remains unused in the body. To get rid of them again, magnesium is required, as it removes the hormones from the body.

Short-term stress phases can generally be dealt with by natural methods. However, if the stress and the associated psychological stress persist on an ongoing basis, there is a sustained deficit of magnesium in the body. The effect works in two ways. Stress causes the increased elimination of magnesium, and the resulting under-supply leads to stress no longer being properly compensated. A vicious circle that can only be broken through by increased magnesium intake.

The effects of magnesium deficiency are clearly noticeable in many cases. The problem is to recognise whether the symptoms that occur are actually due to magnesium deficiency. These are typical signs:

• cramps in muscles, thighs, calves or toes
• twitching in the facial muscles or eyelids
• tension in the shoulder, neck or back areas
• increased sensitivity to stress
• reduced quality of sleep
• general restlessness and nervousness

When should you take magnesium?

Fundamentally, magnesium can be taken at any time of day, preferably not at mealtimes or in the evening. A high dose of magnesium can act as a laxative. However, this is not serious and can be prevented by dividing up the intake over the course of the day. The body simply excretes any excess magnesium.

Can you take magnesium every day?

If taken in sensible doses, magnesium can be taken every day. Particularly if you are suffering from a magnesium deficiency, supplements should be taken on a regular basis in order to restock your reserves. Also in phases when you need more of this nutrient, taking magnesium on a daily basis can make sense in order to prevent your magnesium levels from getting depleted.

Magnesium doses

Ideally consult your doctor about a magnesium dose that is right for you. Your local GP can identify your individual status by means of a special laboratory diagnostic analysis and determine your magnesium dose based on this.

Magnesium is available in various dosage forms. Products that are produced according to the pure substance principle (mostly capsule products) achieve the best tolerability here. This is because only they guarantee that unnecessary excipients and additives have been dispensed with in the specific magnesium preparation. This "less-is-more principle" is also helpful when it comes to the bioavailability (= absorbency) of the mineral, because additives can hinder the intake of magnesium.

Magnesium Tablets, capsules, powder, drops. If you are looking for magnesium supplements online, you will come across an incredibly wide variety of products. But what are the different dosage forms? And which one is best?

Magnesium is a very responsive element that is always found in its bound form in nature thanks to its readiness to bond. Depending on the chemical composition, magnesium compounds can be divided into organic and inorganic magnesium salts.

Magnesium is essential for maintaining general health and well-being. Since the body cannot produce magnesium itself, external intake is of great importance to compensate for the deficits that arise. If a full supply via food cannot be established, magnesium supplements are recommended, especially in special situations such as high physical requirements, stress or illness.