Ever wondered why the DOMS (delayed onset muscle soreness) just doesn’t seem to ease? Are you getting migraines that won’t go away with aspirin or other pain killers? Maybe you’re not getting enough Magnesium! Real food and possible supplementation may help you reduce muscle soreness and ease headaches…

What is Magnesium (Mg)?

Magnesium is a “macromineral”, which means it is needed in high quantities everyday and because we can’t make it we must make sure we eat plenty of Mg containing foods everyday. It’s needed for healthy bone formation and to keep our muscles happy as well as maintaining a healthy blood pressure.

Why do I need it?

As with all macro and micronutrients, they have hundreds of functions in the body that without them we wouldn’t be alive – but just to keep it basic, Magnesium…

• Has been found to help reduce muscle soreness and speed up recovery;
• Relaxes your nerves and muscles;
• Builds and strengthen bones, working with Calcium and other essential minerals;
• Keeps your blood circulating smoothly;
• Relieves headaches and migraine pain;
• Plays a role in prevention of osteoporosis.

Where can I find it?

Great sources of Magnesium include pumpkin, sunflower and sesame seeds, spinach, eggplant and Swiss chard (the less time you cook them for the higher the Mg content), certain fish including salmon, halibut and sardines, and bananas. It is also found in many nuts, seaweed and other fish, seafood and meat in smaller amounts.

Again, the pattern follows that if you are eating real food – lean meat/fish, garden vegetables, nuts and seeds, little starch and no sugar – you will be getting plentiful Magnesium!

How much should I have?

There are basic guidelines of 320-360 mg/d for women and 400-420 mg/d for men. To give you an idea of how much this is… we can get 50 mg from half a medium avocado, 160 mg from a cup of cooked spinach and 90 mg in 85 grams of halibut or salmon.

So as you can see, we need to make sure we are eating lots of foods that contain Magnesium because it takes a while to get to the recommended intake!

What happens if I don’t get enough?

If you are deficient in Mg, you may experience symptoms of decreased appetite, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, and weakness. As magnesium deficiency worsens, numbness, tingling, muscle contractions and cramps may occur.

Deficiency is normally caused by people not eating enough Magnesium containing foods, that is a diet high in processed, man-made foods because minerals are destroyed during processing. People with digestive problems and gut inflammation will have lower body Mg because they aren’t able to absorb as much.

What happens if I have too much?

Toxicity of Magnesium from food sources is not a health risk but too much Mg from artificial sources like supplements can be a problem and may lead to diarrhoea and stomach cramping. To make sure you stay within the limits, don’t have more than 350 mg per day from a supplement (Magnesium from food is not counted in this limit).

Supplementation

This is probably necessary for some of the population, especially women at risk of osteoporosis. If you are eating “The Ignite Way”, you will be getting a fairly decent amount of Mg – but if in doubt get onto the multivitamins or a “chelated” Magnesium supplement (for example, Magnesium Oxide) because these are better absorbed than “non-chelated”.

So, all you need to remember is…

Eat plenty of fresh veg, fish, nuts and seeds – Eat the Ignite Way! – and you will be covering your daily Magnesium requirements. If suffering from regular DOMS and/or headaches, give supplements a go for a while and see how you feel…

Let me know how you go or if you have tried Magnesium supplements before, tell us your experiences with them below!