Magnesium’s role in both maintaining health and as a preventative is vastly overlooked in allopathic medicine despite being used extensively in emergency rooms for cardiac arrests and strokes. It is also well known for its effectiveness in helping atrial fibrillation, diabetes, mental wellbeing and much more. Understanding the connections between magnesium and inflammation also holds the key to its many benefits and roles in the body.
Inflammation is a critical factor in many chronic health issues, including heart disease, obesity and diabetes. Whilst acute inflammation has an essential role in eradicating and repairing damage in a localised area, low-grade chronic inflammation produces a steady, low level of impairment throughout the body. Low-level inflammation is usually measured by increased C-reactive protein (CRP) levels. Raised levels of CRP are known to contribute to stress, anxiety and depression, arthritis, neurodegenerative disorders, high blood pressure, heart disease, and stroke.
Magnesium is involved in a vast number of processes in the body. Because of that, once there is a deficiency, metabolic functions decrease, with the knock-on effect that magnesium is less readily absorbed or retained. And when magnesium levels fall, researchers have noted a profound increase in inflammatory cytokines and histamine levels. Therefore, the connection between magnesium and inflammation cannot be overlooked.
Magnesium deficiency is a serious issue not easily detected by standard testing.
When the body is deficient in magnesium, over three hundred enzymes cannot function properly. Magnesium deficiency has been identified as a critical factor in the onset of various diseases. Beyond heart health, obesity, diabetes, etc., other symptoms can also include compromised bone health, muscle twitches, asthma, headaches, fatigue, seizures and changes in mental attitudes, including stress, anxiety and depression.
Boosting magnesium levels can also help relieve pain from cramps, arthritis, muscle strain, and exercise recovery. And, profoundly, the pain relief experienced can reach not only the symptom but also the cause because the symptom may well be related to the cause – magnesium deficiency.
Studies have shown that at least 50% of Americans, and quite possibly more, do not consume enough magnesium. In the Paleolithic era, it is estimated that hunter-gatherers consumed a diet containing about 600 milligrams of magnesium, which is way more than the average daily magnesium intake of around 270 milligrams a day today. These low magnesium levels are due to several factors, including medications, low magnesium levels in modern crops and increased consumption of nutritionally depleted refined, processed and ‘fast foods’.
Furthermore, the detection of low magnesium levels can be frequently overlooked. Serum testing is not a good indicator of overall levels because most magnesium is contained in the soft tissues and bones and less than 1% in the blood. Furthermore, if serum levels fall, the body will take magnesium from the bones to maintain adequate levels, making deficiencies even less likely to be detected from a blood test.
The Magnesium-Mood Connection
Magnesium is an essential mineral involved in numerous biochemical processes within the body, including those that affect our mental health.
Known for its ability to relax muscles and nerves, magnesium is often referred to as a natural anxiety reducer. When levels are low, the body’s stress response can become overactive, leading to feelings of restlessness and unease. Supplementing with magnesium can help balance these reactions and promote a calmer, more relaxed state of mind.
Low magnesium levels have been linked to an increased risk of depression. This mineral is crucial in producing serotonin, a neurotransmitter that regulates mood. When magnesium levels are insufficient, serotonin production may be compromised, potentially contributing to feelings of sadness and hopelessness. By replenishing magnesium stores, individuals with depression may experience improved mood and emotional well-being.
Stress can also deplete the body’s magnesium deposits. In turn, magnesium deficiency can exacerbate the body’s stress response. It’s a vicious cycle that can lead to chronic stress and its associated health issues. Supplementing with magnesium helps break this cycle by supporting the body’s ability to adapt to physical and emotional stressors.
Incorporating Magnesium into Your Routine
An excellent way to raise levels is by using magnesium chloride applied directly to the skin, where it is absorbed transdermally and can have an almost immediate effect on chronic and acute pain. As opposed to oral administration of magnesium, a transdermal application bypasses the stomach and liver in the digestive process, and a much more significant percentage, potentially up to 40% more, goes straight into the bloodstream where it’s needed.
There are risks of pollution with some magnesium products, but that drawn from the Zechstein seabed, an ancient 250 million-year-old and inactive sea located deep underground in Europe, is an excellent and abundant source of ultra-pure and highly energised magnesium chloride. This magnesium can be used as flakes in a bath or footbath. It is also available as an oil to spray topically on the skin for an intense effect or a lotion for those who like a moisturising element with their product. It is good to use twice a day on clean skin, applying to the chest area, hips and base of the spine, and any other areas of the body that may require attention, such as sore joints or muscles.
Aside from supplements, you can boost your magnesium intake through dietary changes. Foods rich in magnesium include leafy green vegetables, nuts, seeds, whole grains, and dark chocolate. However, getting enough magnesium through diet alone is often challenging, especially if you’re dealing with stress or anxiety or taking pharmaceutical drugs, which can deplete magnesium stores more rapidly.
Conclusion
Magnesium is an often underrated but potent tool in the battle against chronic inflammation, metabolic syndrome, anxiety, depression, joint and muscle pain, and stress, to name but a few. Understanding the connection between magnesium and inflammation and increasing your magnesium intake may help you achieve a calmer, more balanced state of mind and a healthier body.
As Dr Mark Sircus says in his book Transdermal Magnesium Therapy, ‘We would have an entirely different world if governments got behind magnesium supplementation. People would be healthier and happier, would miss fewer days of work, would be less stressed, and would be able to work harder and enjoy life more. The world’s medical bills could be reduced by trillions of dollars.’
However, in the absence of government recognition and action, you can take your magnesium levels into your own hands very simply, and potentially improve your health, with a quality topical magnesium product.
Discover the Ancient Magnesium® Product Range here.
References and sources:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5476783/
https://journals.physiology.org/doi/abs/10.1152/ajpregu.1992.263.3.r734
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/12/041219164941.htm and https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28140318/
https://openheart.bmj.com/content/5/1/e000668
Transdermal Magnesium Therapy by Dr Mark Sircus,
Hi. I wonder why my skin stings and tingles after applying the oil. It’s really uncomfortable. I’ve started to have a foot bath with it instead. Will I still gain from that and why does it sting my skin. I take quite a large dose of L Threonate so shouldn’t be deficiency???
It normally tingles as the skin is adjusting to the magnesium intake. You can always apply before a shower and wash it off 30 minutes later. Alternatively, there are lotions with shea butter which you may find suits your skin better. But for now you can continue to soak up via the foot bath, which is still effective for absorption.