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  • Magnesium is vital for 300+ bodily processes: Supporting sleep, stress resilience, energy, and muscle function.
  • Lifestyle factors: Like stress, poor diet, and exercise can deplete magnesium, leading to symptoms like fatigue and cramps.
  • Increase magnesium: Through diet, supplements, or Epsom salt baths, while reducing depleting habits like sugar and alcohol.


Magnesium has many benefits such as aiding sleep, helping to build resilience to stress, improving energy levels and supporting muscle function and tension. It is an essential mineral that is used in over 300 bodily processes. Read on to find out why so many people are talking about magnesium.

Your magnesium levels are fluctuating constantly as you use up and replenish your body’s stores. You tend to use more magnesium if you are exercising frequently, eating sugary foods or consuming caffeine1 and alcohol2 and, perhaps one of the biggest areas where we use magnesium in the body is in our nervous system i.e. when we are stressed!3 If you experience a higher incidence of any of these then it makes sense that you begin using a higher amount of magnesium.

Your daily magnesium is generally replenished by consuming foods that are high in magnesium such as green leafy veg, wholegrains, nuts, seeds and oily fish to name a few. However, statistics from the National Diet and Nutrition Survey show us that some groups are not routinely meeting the recommended daily magnesium requirement. For example, a large percentage of women and girls have low dietary magnesium intakes.5 In addition to lower intakes, food processing and lower amounts of minerals in soil is contributing to lower levels of magnesium in the foods we eat. Over time if we are continually depleting our magnesium levels this can lead to low magnesium levels.

What are the symptoms of low magnesium?

You may have low magnesium without realising it as the symptoms can be confused with those of a busy lifestyle (which is using up a lot of your magnesium!).

Symptoms of low magnesium include:
• Muscle cramps and weakness.6
• Tiredness.
• Increased feeling of anxiety and nervousness.
• Headache.
• Gastrointestinal spasms.
• Irritability.
• Mild sleep disorders.
• Nausea/vomiting.

The majority of these symptoms are remarkably similar to the most frequently reported symptoms of stress.7

Health problems associated with low magnesium?

Magnesium can be depleted by certain lifestyle habits such as stress, poor diet, over exercising and lack of sleep, but lower levels of magnesium can also lead to increased feelings of anxiety, stress, insomnia and muscular tension. This is because we need magnesium in order for our hormones, neurotransmitters and lots of enzymes to work properly. If we don’t replenish our stores of magnesium, we can fall into a downward spiral of magnesium depletion and worsening symptoms.

Low levels of magnesium have also been seen in individuals with common chronic health issues such as fatigue, inflammation including hormonal disorders, chronic fatigue syndrome, cardiovascular disorders and mental health issues.

Magnesium daily requirement

The daily amount of magnesium that the NHS recommends you have is 300mg a day for men and 270mg a day for women8, an amount that isn’t always achieved with a typical western diet. Taking steps to improve your magnesium status as well as your magnesium absorption and intake is key to helping to achieving a balanced level of magnesium in the body.

Magnesium works in harmony with other nutrients in the body so often you find it combined with other vitamins and minerals. For example, you need magnesium to use vitamin D properly so these are 2 nutrients that are often taken alongside each other.

What is the best way to increase magnesium intake?

Tip 1. Cut back on your magnesium depleters

If you have an activity that is “draining” your magnesium stores, then this can be an easy place to start when trying to take back control of your magnesium levels. Reducing consumption of alcohol, caffeine and sugars is a great way to reduce demands on your magnesium reserves at the same time as helping to balance your blood sugars. You need magnesium to handle sugar in the body so the more balanced you are the better.9

Tip 2. Add magnesium rich foods to your diet

By adding green leafy veg to a smoothie, avocado to your salad or nuts and seeds to your daily meals you can boost the amount of magnesium that you are consuming. There are many additional benefits to consuming whole foods that are rich in magnesium. Remember that ultra processed foods are low in nutrients such as magnesium so if you are eating these try to make some easy swaps to alternatives that are less processed.

Tip 3. Add electrolytes back in if you are exercising frequently

Muscles require a lot of magnesium so a workout will generally use up your stores. You also lose magnesium in sweat whilst you are working out so be sure to replace electrolytes as part of your recovery. If you frequently experience cramps when exercising that can be a sign that low magnesium might be a problem for you. Try adding magnesium and electrolyte rich sources such as coconut water to post-workout smoothies or choose magnesium rich nut or seed butters for your homemade protein bar or energy ball.

Tip 4. You are what you can absorb!

You are not only what you eat but what you can digest and absorb. If you have digestive complaints, then there is a chance that you are not absorbing your minerals very well. Consider talking to a healthcare practitioner about your gut health or speak to a member of our advice team to discuss ways to support your gut health and microbiome.

Tip 5. Relax in a mineral bath

Using Epsom salts in the bath has been used traditionally to support magnesium levels through potential absorption through your skin.10 This can be a particularly good option if you are dealing with children or those who find it difficult to alter their dietary habits easily. A warm bath is also a great way to unwind before bed as the changes in temperature following a warm bath can supports levels of the sleep hormone melatonin and reduce the time it takes to fall asleep. 11

Tip 6. Use a magnesium supplement

Topping up your magnesium intake with magnesium supplements may be the best option for some people. Choosing a magnesium that is bound to glycinate or glycerophosphate (both naturally occurring forms) is best as these types are better absorbed and do not cause tummy upsets at higher doses like some of the alternatives do.12

References:
1. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33052484/
2. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/19271417/
3. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7761127/
4. National Diet and Nutrition Survey
5. Summary of UK dietary patterns NDNS report 2020
6. National Diet and Nutrition Survey
7. https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC7761127/
8. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vitamins-and-minerals/others/
9. Magnesium and disturbances in carbohydrate metabolism - PubMed
10. Effects of magnesium deficiency--more than skin deep - PubMed
11. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33645499/
12. (PDF) Type of Magnesium Salt and Formulation Solubility Determines Bioavailability of Magnesium Food Supplements

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