Why Your Body Needs Magnesium

The viral Sleepy Girl Mocktail*, a mix of cherry juice, sparkling water, and powdered magnesium supplement, has turned magnesium into a “miracle” remedy for many, especially those battling insomnia. TikTok is flooded with magnesium tips, including a new craze: spraying magnesium oil on the soles of the feet. Why? Because everyone is seeking better sleep. However, limiting magnesium to just its sleep benefits doesn’t do it justice. This potent mineral is vital for numerous bodily functions and enzyme activities.

We could easily call magnesium the body’s most hardworking mineral. It supports muscle and nerve function, regulates blood pressure, helps produce energy, controls blood sugar, synthesizes protein, maintains bone density, and aids in DNA repair. Around 60-70% of the body’s magnesium is in the bones and teeth, with the rest in muscles, soft tissues, and bodily fluids.

In her book, The Magnesium Miracle, Dr. Caroline Dean emphasizes that both men and women can suffer from magnesium deficiency, but “women appear to have more problems with low magnesium because they can suffer deficiencies during pregnancy, when breast-feeding, with premenstrual syndrome, and painful periods.” Dean also points out that “soil has become so over-tilted that the magnesium we usually get from our food has decreased.”

Still, eating magnesium-rich foods like almonds, spinach, pumpkin seeds, avocados, and yogurt is definitely beneficial. However, only about 30-40% of the magnesium in food is absorbed by the body.

Consult your doctor about a magnesium supplement tailored to your needs before adding it to your daily regimen.