There are many causes to contemplate taking a magnesium complement, given its lengthy record of well being advantages like boosting bone well being, selling rest and sleep, serving to stop migraines, and supporting cardiovascular well being, to call just a few.
However do you know that there are over 10 several types of magnesium? These variations come from including several types of compounds (like salts and amino acids) added to magnesium, says Kristine Schonder, affiliate professor of pharmacy and therapeutics on the College of Pittsburgh.
Those you’re more than likely to return throughout in drug shops are magnesium glycinate, citrate, chloride, oxide, hydroxide, and sulfate (epsom salts), says Bradley Phillips, medical assistant professor on the College of Florida Faculty of Pharmacy.
So, which one must you be taking on your wants? Right here’s what consultants must say.
The perfect magnesium for abdomen points
There are a pair forms of magnesium that may assist with GI points, Phillips says. Magnesium hydroxide (often known as milk of magnesia) is thought to help with indigestion, whereas magnesium citrate can assist alleviate constipation, he explains. It’s possible you’ll need to keep away from magnesium oxide, which might result in elevated abdomen discomfort and diarrhea, he provides.
The perfect magnesium for sleep
Whereas magnesium has established hyperlinks to improved sleep high quality, there’s one type of magnesium that stands out as probably higher than the remaining: magnesium glycinate. Schonder says that magnesium by itself can assist with sleep, however the addition of the amino acid glycine can increase these calming results, as analysis exhibits it additionally helps promote sleep.
A 2017 research additionally established a hyperlink between lowered signs of despair and magnesium glycinate consumption. Nevertheless, Phillips factors out that there nonetheless shouldn’t be lots of proof concerning the sleep-boosting and calming results of magnesium glycinate itself, and it must be additional researched.
The perfect magnesium for bone well being
Magnesium’s advantages for bone well being are well-researched, however particular varieties could also be higher than others. A 2021 assessment reaffirmed that supplementing with magnesium can assist stop osteoporosis and cut back the danger of bone fractures. The research particularly pointed to magnesium citrate, carbonate, or oxide nearly as good choices for those who’re trying to enhance your bone well being, however researchers level out that citrate absorbs higher than oxide within the physique.
Magnesium in your weight loss plan is finest
Regardless of the various completely different kinds that magnesium is available in, for those who’re simply searching for a normal magnesium complement, there isn’t one which’s higher than the opposite, Schonder says. “A lot of them are probably more interchangeable than we might think,” she tells Fortune, so that you’d be protected with selecting whichever one is out there to you.
That being mentioned, Phillips doesn’t assume everybody must be reaching for a bottle to get their magnesium.
“If somebody is told they should get more magnesium, out of any supplement I would ever recommend, dietary sources are my number one recommendation,” Phillips tells Fortune.
The perfect sources of magnesium embody: complete grains, legumes, bananas, avocados, nuts (particularly almonds), soy merchandise like edamame and tofu, and inexperienced leafy greens.
“Those are probably healthier ways to supplement magnesium,” Schonder says.
Do you actually need a complement?
Schonder provides that not everybody who takes magnesium wants it. As at all times, discuss to your physician earlier than beginning any complement—Schonder recommends getting a blood take a look at to test your magnesium ranges earlier than you begin supplementing.
She additionally emphasizes that simply because sure types of magnesium are useful for particular targets, that doesn’t imply you need to complement with all of them, nor do it is advisable to.
“If you’re replacing magnesium you don’t need one for your migraines, one for your sleep, one for your bones—one form of magnesium covers you for all of that,” she says.
In the event you take extra magnesium than your physique wants, you’ll seemingly simply pee it out, Schonder says, however there are some individuals who ought to keep away from it.
Who ought to keep away from magnesium?
Anybody with coronary heart issues, kidney illness, or decreased kidney perform ought to keep away from supplementing with magnesium, as this could overwhelm the physique with out the kidneys having the ability to filter it out, Schonder explains.
For these with kidney and coronary heart issues, an excessive amount of magnesium could cause a coronary heart block, Schonder says, which implies “heart tissue can’t conduct electrical impulses the way it should.”
Older adults could have decreased kidney perform, which is why Schonder recommends expressing warning when supplementing. Antacids, for instance, additionally include magnesium, so you may be overdoing it on magnesium unknowingly for those who take a complement and antacid collectively.
Moreover, Phillips and Schonder warn that magnesium can work together with antibiotics and make them much less efficient, so it’s finest to keep away from taking them on the similar time.
When selecting a magnesium complement, consultants urge discovering one from a good model to make sure its high quality. “Just because magnesium is the largest name on the bottle, doesn’t mean magnesium is the only ingredient,” Phillips says. The magnesium dietary supplements marketed for sleep, for instance, might additionally include melatonin, he says, which is why you need to test the label intently.
“If you’re buying a supplement, make sure it’s FDA approved or USB approved,” Phillips says. If it’s on a shelf in a retailer, he says, meaning it’s seemingly accepted, versus on-line dietary supplements that will not be.
For extra on dietary supplements:
- Vitamin D dietary supplements could decrease your danger of colorectal most cancers by as a lot as 58%, in accordance with a brand new research
- Creatine dietary supplements for enhancing muscular tissues could be a waste of cash, new research finds
- This gastroenterologist says probiotics are ‘a waste of money.’ Right here’s what you ought to be doing as a substitute
This story was initially featured on Fortune.com
