From supporting healthy blood sugar levels to promoting heart health, magnesium is a source of energy that can benefit the body in many ways. It offers health benefits to men and women, young and old.
However, it is essential for women. This vital nutrient will keep you healthy and strong throughout the different stages of your life.
If you need to know more about why women need magnesium, read on. This article will cover all the key facts about women’s health and the effects of magnesium.
The Importance of Magnesium
What is magnesium, and why do we need it?
Magnesium is a mineral. It is a major player in hundreds of enzymatic reactions in the human body. It is necessary for almost all important processes in the functioning of your body. Magnesium is especially important for:
- Cellular energy production
- Glucose metabolism
- Protein synthesis
- Bone and muscle strength
- Cardiac health
- Immune system support
- Healthy nervous system function
- Digestion
Why Supplementation is Essential
Although it is still possible to obtain magnesium from our diet, the nutrient density of many natural foods can be affected by the use of herbicides, pesticides and chemical fertilisers.
When your body does not get enough of this important mineral from the diet, it will leach it from the magnesium stores in your bones.
This can lead to some serious health complications. Fortunately, there are many different magnesium supplements on the market. Two of the most common forms you may have seen are magnesium glycinate and magnesium citrate.
The choice of the formulation will depend on your specific needs, but for general health benefits, we recommend our chelated magnesium glycinate.
This product has high absorption and bioavailability rates that are gentle on the digestive system. And an added bonus is that it is vegan-friendly and completely free of artificial fillers and low-quality ingredients.
The Benefits of Magnesium for Women’s Health
Magnesium is especially beneficial for women’s health, as it can treat, alleviate or reduce the risk of many health problems in women. From puberty to menopause, women of all ages can benefit from taking magnesium supplements.
Here are the top 12 health benefits of magnesium:
Alleviates Menstrual Pain
Menstrual pain is a sad reality for many women of childbearing age. The uterus contracts during the menstrual period, which can cause lower abdominal pain and sometimes severe cramps. Magnesium supplements can help because of their muscle-relaxing effect.
It also helps to combat menstrual pain by slowing down the production of prostaglandins. These are chemical compounds that can trigger pain during a woman’s menstrual cycle.
Helps with PCOS
Polycystic ovary syndrome, or PCOS, affects many women during their childbearing years. This hormonal disorder can cause menstrual cycle irregularities and even infertility.
Women with this condition are much more likely to have a magnesium deficiency. Perhaps because of this, most women with PCOS also suffer from insulin resistance, which has been linked to low magnesium levels.
Magnesium supplementation is useful in both of these conditions, as it increases insulin-dependent glucose uptake. This is because it regulates blood glucose levels, which can improve and even reverse insulin resistance.
The main benefit of magnesium supplementation for PCOS sufferers is its ability to reduce inflammation. Since inflammation is one of the causes of PCOS, magnesium supplementation may offer relief for PCOS patients.
Treats PMS symptoms
PMS, or premenstrual syndrome, affects millions of women. It can present as mood disturbances, breast tenderness and bloating, among other symptoms.
According to experts at the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, taking magnesium supplements can help treat these PMS symptoms.
Magnesium normalises the action of the hormone progesterone in your central nervous system. It also supports the healthy excretion of oestrogen. As menstrual and menopausal problems are often hormone-related, magnesium’s effect on hormones offers relief in all cases.
Prevents Migraines
Up to 43% of women suffer from migraines due to the rise in oestrogen levels that occurs at puberty. Women also account for up to 85% of people diagnosed with chronic migraines.
This hormonal link to migraines may also be the reason why many women experience migraines during menstruation. As mentioned above, magnesium is involved in regulating the levels and effects of the hormones oestrogen and progesterone.
According to the American Migraine Association, magnesium supplements may be helpful in preventing migraines.
Reduces the Pre-Eclampsia Risk in Pregnancy
Pre-eclampsia is a life-threatening condition that can develop during pregnancy. It is characterised by protein in the urine and elevated blood pressure levels.
This serious medical complication sometimes arises when there is a magnesium deficiency, so magnesium supplementation can reduce the risk of this dangerous condition in pregnancy.
Relieves Leg Muscle Cramps
Leg cramps are common during pregnancy, as the body has increased demands due to excess weight and compression of the blood vessels in the legs.
Magnesium can play an important role in relieving leg muscle cramps as it directly affects the muscles and nerves.
Maintains Normal Blood Pressure
Hypertension, or high blood pressure, is a medical condition characterised by high pressure in the arteries. This can be very dangerous, as it affects the transport of blood from the heart to the rest of the body.
Many see hypertension as a male health problem, but it affects many women, especially those over the age of 40. Menopausal women may be at even greater risk than men for hypertension and its related medical conditions.
Magnesium can reduce high blood pressure and is, therefore, very beneficial for hypertensive patients. It reduces blood pressure by relaxing the muscles, especially those in the veins and arteries. This, in turn, prevents blood vessels from constricting, which is what raises blood pressure.
As an added bonus, other minerals crucial for healthy blood pressure, such as calcium and potassium, are balanced by magnesium.
Relieves Perimenopausal Problems
Perimenopause, the period before menopause and the cessation of the menstrual cycle, can be a tough time to go through. Your body may experience a number of changes caused by fluctuating hormone levels.
Magnesium has been found to relieve many of the symptoms associated with this stage of life, including the dreaded “hot flushes“.
Perimenopause and menopause are also often marked by a decrease in sexual desire caused by a drop in testosterone. Since magnesium has been found to increase testosterone levels, it may also help treat low sex drive.
Important for Bone Health
Magnesium plays a key role in maintaining bone mineral density. This is good news for women, as osteoporosis (brittle bones) affects many postmenopausal women.
Most people think calcium is essential for strong bones, and it is, but did you know that magnesium is essential for calcium absorption? If you are a mature woman, magnesium supplements can go a long way to reduce the risk of osteoporosis.
Improves Heart Health
Magnesium plays a key role in heart health. Magnesium deficiency is a common factor in people with congestive heart failure.
More women die of heart disease than men. It kills more women over the age of 65 than all cancers.
This risk can be reduced by dietary magnesium supplementation, as magnesium is incredibly beneficial for cardiovascular health.
Decreases the Risk of Stroke
The same process that leads to coronary heart disease (the build-up of fatty plaques in the arteries) can also affect the brain. This means that the risk of stroke is just as likely as the risk of heart attack. Why is it important for women?
Unfortunately, women are at a higher risk of stroke than men, and this risk increases with age.
As magnesium has been found to improve neurological disorders, it may reduce the risk of stroke and may be used in the treatment of other neurological conditions. Part of this may be due to the reduction in blood pressure that magnesium provides. A severe increase in blood pressure can lead to a hypertensive crisis, a type of stroke.
Combats Insulin Resistance
Insulin resistance is a condition that exists when the body does not respond to the hormone insulin. This makes it unable to convert glucose into energy. Insulin resistance is the main feature of type II diabetes and can also be detected in people with pre-diabetes.
Excess belly fat is one of the first signs that you may be insulin-resistant. However, there is a much more sinister reality surrounding insulin resistance. Insulin resistance is not only associated not only with diabetes and excess fat, but also with cancer-specific mortality in postmenopausal women.
How can magnesium help? Magnesium helps transport glucose across the cell membrane, reducing the incidence of insulin resistance.
Hypomagnesaemia (magnesium deficiency) is frequently observed in diabetic patients. Magnesium supplementation is therefore advised for those suffering from this debilitating disease.
Can You Obtain All The Magnesium You Need From Your Diet?
It is always preferable to get the vitamins and minerals you need from your diet. Magnesium is readily available in a healthy, balanced diet containing fruits, vegetables (green leafy vegetables contain magnesium and potassium), dairy products, whole grains and legumes. Nuts and seeds are a great dietary source of this mineral.
Vegetarians and vegans can get enough magnesium from their diet as they consume more magnesium-rich plant foods. However, others who do not necessarily follow a healthy diet may be deficient in magnesium, which can have a negative impact on our health.
This is where supplementation can be of great benefit.
Magnesium Doses for Women’s Health
There is no single answer to the question of how much magnesium women need for optimal health, as the ideal dose depends on several individual factors. However, most experts recommend that women consume between 310-320 mg of magnesium per day.
Magnesium RDA for Women
Many factors play a role in determining the NRV (nutritional reference value) or recommended daily allowance(RDA) of magnesium for women. Age, activity level, pregnancy status and menopause influence the amount of magnesium a woman needs. The RDA for magnesium is 310 mg/day for women aged 19 to 30 and 320 mg/day for women over 30. For pregnant women, the RDA is 360-400 mg/day. And for lactating women, the RDA is 320-360 mg/day.
Magnesium requirements may be higher for women with certain medical conditions or taking certain medications. Talk to your doctor if you think you may need to supplement your diet with magnesium.
Conclusion
Magnesium is a very important mineral that plays a number of vital roles in the human body. Although it is needed by both men and women for optimal health, it is especially beneficial for women’s health.
Are you concerned that you are not getting enough of this mineral through your diet, or do you suffer from any of the conditions mentioned above? Consider taking magnesium supplements for optimal health.
