What Is Magnesium Citrate?
Magnesium is a crucial mineral essential to hundreds of reactions in our body. It participates in a number of functions, including muscle contraction, sugar level control, blood pressure control, energy production, and even bone development. This mineral is essential for the body, so we must ensure we get enough of it.
We’re not great at absorbing magnesium from foods, typically only getting 30-40% of the mineral from food. When making supplements, we add different molecules to the mineral to make it bioavailable. Magnesium citrate is a form of magnesium used in supplements, and it is bound with citric acid. Citric acid is commonly found in citrus fruits and gives them the sour flavor. Magnesium citrate has great bioavailability.
Other forms of magnesium are common. Magnesium oxide is another common form that isn’t as bioavailable as magnesium citrate but is often accessible. It is commonly used to relieve heartburn and indigestion.
Magnesium chloride is another well-absorbed magnesium salt that can be taken as a supplement. Alongside chloride, magnesium aspartate and lactate are also bioavailable. Magnesium glycinate contains magnesium bound to glycine, an amino acid that appears to be beneficial for mental health.
While there are many forms of magnesium, magnesium citrate remains a popular option for many people. Let’s learn more about its benefits.
Magnesium Citrate Benefits
Magnesium citrate benefits span many organ systems in the body. They include benefits like supporting heart health and even aiding muscle function.
-Improves Heart Health
Magnesium is critical for heart health and the cardiovascular system. It helps the mitochondria in cardiac tissue function well and keeps cardiac cells functioning properly. Inadequate magnesium can predispose to blood vessel constriction.
Higher intakes of magnesium are associated with a lower risk of cardiovascular disease and its risk factors like diabetes, hypertension, and metabolic syndrome.
Some people may have heard that magnesium citrate helps lose weight and can also positively affect heart health. While some studies suggest positive effects, it may be too early to conclude anything about using magnesium for weight loss. It may help with weight loss in some cases, for example, for those who are obese or who have low levels of magnesium before starting their weight loss journey.
If you’re looking to lose weight to support your heart health, check out these valuable posts in our Knowledge Center:
- How to lose weight quickly and in a safe manner
- Best fruits for weight loss
- Why some people struggle to lose weight
- Best supplements for weight loss goals
- Fat burner supplements – are they beneficial, and which to use
Promotes Healthy Blood Sugar Levels
Magnesium is a key mineral that’s involved in metabolism. It appears that high magnesium intake improves insulin sensitivity and release and helps balance lipid levels in the blood. In fact, a pooled analysis of trials, resulting in data from over 1300 individuals with type 2 diabetes suggests that magnesium can help with glycemic, lipid and blood pressure control.
However, it’s important to note that if you have pre-existing conditions, it’s better to consult with a doctor before adding magnesium to your routine. They’ll be able to suggest exact dosages and let you know whether you may need to watch for any interactions with medicines you’re already taking.
Reduces Stress
Stress is a common occurrence in our lives. Whether it’s because you’re running late for work, you have an upcoming presentation, or something’s come up at home, stress can affect our well-being. Magnesium and stress have been connected since the 1990s, when a bidirectional relationship between the two was proposed. Simply, it appears that stress increases our magnesium loss, which may lead to deficiency. This, in turn, makes the body more susceptible to stress.
Stress affects our mental state and may also manifest physically through short-term and long-term effects like increased blood pressure and cognition issues. Magnesium can help us support our mood and protect the brain from the negative effects of stress.
For practical ways to cope with stress, look here.
Improves Sleep
Sleep is essential for health and well-being. It supports our learning, helps us form memories, and supports our mood and mental health. Sleep keeps our immunity strong, keeps illness and health conditions at bay, and even controls appetite. With many people struggling with poor sleep quality, anything helps.
Magnesium supplementation may increase sleep time and efficiency and decrease insomnia severity in the elderly. Magnesium may affect sleep due to its role in energy metabolism and the synthesis of neurotransmitters. Magnesium intake was also associated with sleep quality and duration in a longer-term study that aimed to assess Coronary Artery Risk Development in Young Adults (CARDIA). This suggests that magnesium citrate for sleep can be effective.
If you’re looking to improve sleep, look no further than our Knowledge Center. We’ve covered how to reset your sleep schedule, the importance of sleep for weight loss and even assembled exercises to improve sleep.
Aids Muscle Function and Recovery
For active people, recovering quickly and supporting muscle function is essential for success. Magnesium takes part in muscle contractions and relaxation and is implicated in muscle strength and aerobic metabolism. Magnesium supplementation appears to attenuate muscle damage in cyclists and basketball players. This means that magnesium can benefit both those who do high-intensity activities for a short time and those who participate in endurance sports. Perceived recovery may also be improved, with significant decreases in muscle soreness.
Relieves Constipation
Many people struggle with constipation, which can sometimes be chronic. Magnesium citrate and other magnesium-based laxatives can be beneficial in these cases. They pull water into the intestines, which helps soften the stool, making it easier to pass. That’s why they’re called osmotic laxatives.
It’s best to consult a medical professional before using citrate of magnesium for constipation. If not used properly or for a long period of time, it may lead to dehydration or imbalances of electrolytes.
Other things you can do to help support your digestive health include:
- Add plenty of fiber to your diet. You can get it from whole grains, legumes, fruits, veggies and nuts.
- Make sure you’re hydrated. Drink plenty of water and consume broth-based soups. This helps soften stool and prevents dehydration.
- Lay off processed foods and snacks that are low in fiber. Lower your meat intake as well.
- Increasing your movement and daily exercise can also support healthy stools.
Improves Bone Health
Low bone mass is frequently associated with ageing. There appears to be a direct relationship between magnesium intake and healthy bone. About 60% of magnesium is stored in the bone, which serves as a reservoir of the mineral. When our magnesium intake falls, the body obtains the necessary mineral from the bone itself, which may lead to weakening of the bone. Low magnesium intake also affects the process of new bone formation.
Magnesium is important in helping us convert vitamin D into its active form. The enzymes that do so require magnesium. The liver and kidneys also rely on magnesium for vitamin D metabolism. Therefore, ensuring you get enough magnesium is key for strong bones, as without it, you may not use vitamin D effectively, leading to lower calcium absorption.
Drinking magnesium citrate can help support healthy bone mass.
Should you take a magnesium supplement?
We should aim to get all of the magnesium we require from food. Luckily, magnesium is easy to find in many foods. Fiber-rich foods tend to contain magnesium, so whole grains, nuts, legumes, and vegetables are all great sources of the mineral. You can also get magnesium from your water. Some fantastic foods that are rich in magnesium include pumpkin and chia seeds, spinach, peanuts, soymilk, black beans, and rice.
However, we’re not always able to fulfil our daily requirements of the mineral from foods. That’s when you may turn to supplements to help you meet your needs.
It can be hard to know whether you should take a magnesium supplement in general. There are certain signs that you may be deficient in this mineral. These include:
- Muscle cramps or twitching of muscles
- Feeling nauseous or vomiting
- Feeling weak or tired
- Losing your appetite
However, the best way to determine whether you require magnesium is through a blood test. Consult your medical professional, who can perform the necessary tests and rule out any other factors that may be causing your symptoms.
Alternatively, sometimes, people take magnesium supplements to help them address a particular problem. Magnesium has taken the world of social media by storm due to its potential sleep benefits. Additional magnesium may be a good option in these cases.
Make sure you pick appropriate supplements if you plan to take additional magnesium. Here are some tips for choosing great magnesium supplements:
- Look for the right dosage. Dosage plays an essential role in how effective a supplement is. Make sure to understand how much magnesium a supplement provides, as different magnesium forms have different amounts of magnesium.
- Pick the right form. Different forms of magnesium can benefit different things. Magnesium citrate is typically best used to support good stool. Other forms, like glycinate, are more bioavailable and can help combat feelings of nervousness.
- Consider additional nutrients. Some supplements combine multiple nutrients to boost magnesium’s effect. Alternatively, magnesium often comes as part of multivitamin complexes. Maxler Magnesium B6, for example, combines the mineral with vitamin B6 to provide a vegan supplement that supports sleep and helps battle stress.
- Choose a convenient format. Supplements come in tabs, liquid supplements, or even magnesium citrate powder. If you require daily magnesium supplementation, make sure to find a format that’s convenient for you to ensure you stick with it. [DE] Maxler Magnesium Glycinate Liquid supplements come as shots or in a large bottle to make it easy to take your supplements no matter where you are.
- Pick high-quality supplements. It’s essential to find high-quality supplements that contain little filler and more bioactives. Make sure to research the brands and supplements you’re buying, and if you can, go for a third-party-tested option. Maxler takes quality very seriously, and our products are manufactured in IFS and GMP-certified factories.
If you’ve decided to take magnesium, it’s important to understand the dosages of magnesium citrate supplements you should take.
Amounts and Dosage
How much magnesium should you take?
The Recommended Dietary Allowance for magnesium is as follows:
- Men 14-18 years of age – 410 mg of magnesium
- Women 14-18 years of age – 360 mg of magnesium
- Men 19-30 years of age – 400 mg
- Women 19-30 years of age – 310 mg
- Men 31 years and above – 420 mg
- Women 31 years and above – 320 mg
- Pregnant women will require more magnesium, taking an additional 40 mg on top of the recommended amount for your age
For reference, about 1 oz of pumpkin seeds provides just under 40% of your daily magnesium requirements. It can be relatively easy to meet these requirements with food.
Generally, doses between 320 and 420 mg of magnesium will be enough for most purposes. However, remember that the amount of magnesium in a supplement will differ according to the form of magnesium.
Are there any magnesium citrate side effects? High dosages of magnesium due to supplement usage can lead to diarrhea, which may be accompanied by nausea or cramping in the abdomen. Very high doses of magnesium from laxatives or antacid usage can lead to magnesium toxicity, which is accompanied by nausea, vomiting, lethargy, and hypotension. This sort of side effect requires you to consume over 5,000 mg of magnesium, so it is rare but very serious.
However, it is rare to consume excess magnesium from foods because our kidneys help excrete the excess mineral.
The upper tolerable levels for magnesium intake from supplements only appear to be around 350 mg of magnesium, no matter your gender or age for adults.
Magnesium is an essential mineral that is vital for our health. Magnesium citrate can help us get this mineral in a bioavailable manner. Magnesium citrate may be a great way to support you during times of stress or to help you take care of your musculoskeletal system. However, remember that for best results, ensure that you’re eating a balanced diet and keeping active.
