Magnesium is a mineral which is essential for the functioning of your body. It is found in muscles and soft tissues like the heart and the extra is stored in bones and teeth (which also keeps them strong, and keeps calcium in proper balance). Magnesium is involved in hundreds of roles, including energy production, nutrient metabolism, producing DNA, regulating blood sugar, balancing mood, relaxing the body and mind, controlling electrical charges across muscles and nerves and over six hundred enzyme reactions. It also acts as an electrolyte, keeping pH levels balanced and water flowing across cell membranes. Sounds pretty important, indeed!

Like mentioned, magnesium is essential which means we don’t make it, but need to intake it from our diet or supplements. Magnesium is rich in plant foods, especially those high in chlorophyll. Chlorophyll, the substance that gives plants their green-ness, is essentially ‘plant blood’ and is high in magnesium. Seaweeds, dark leafy vegetables, fruits and veg, nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grains are all great sources. But magnesium is one of the most common nutrient deficiencies – over 35% of Canadians aren’t getting the estimated average requirement of magnesium from their diet. This is due to a lack of whole, fresh foods in the diet, along with other factors like poor digestion, taking certain medications, the intake of caffeine, alcohol, sugar and cigarettes, and a lack of magnesium in the soil due to nutrient-depleting farming practices. This leaves our body low in the mineral that is involved in so many vital jobs. No wonder we’re not feeling optimal!

Many of the functions listed above involve magnesium’s role in relaxing various systems in the body. Think of something stressful – everything gets tense, right? Well it’s magnesium that allows all those cells and tissues to relax. This goes for your muscles and heart, as well as digestive tract and nervous system. These areas are supposed to get tense when you are in danger, to allow you to run away or fight. But because we’ve added so many more stresses to the plate, and get stressed over so many things that are less than life-threatening, modern-day humans are staying in their fight/flight/freeze mode of their nervous system more often. This leads to a higher overall need for magnesium. Less going in, more required. We might be in trouble!

MEDICINAL INGREDIENTS – EACH SERVING CONTAINS: 

• Magnesium (Sourced from Magnesium L-Threonate) 50 mg.

NON-MEDICINAL INGREDIENTS: 

• Brown Rice Flour
• Microcrystalline Cellulose
• Magnesium Stearate (Non-GMO Vegetable Source)
• Hypromellose / Pullulan (Vegetarian Capsule).

RECOMMENDED DOSE — (ORAL) ADULTS ONLY:

Take 1 capsule 1 – 3 times per day.

DURATION OF USE: Consult a health care practitioner for use beyond 3 months.

CAUTION: Consult a healthcare practitioner prior to use if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Q: How much magnesium do I need?

A: The Canadian RDA (recommended daily allowance) of magnesium for adult males is 400-420 mg/day, and 310-320 mg/day for adult females. This can be from a combination of diet and supplements. Remember though, you may not absorb magnesium well or have higher requirements due to chronic stress. As long as your kidneys are functioning optimally, you will excrete any extra that you don’t need.

Q: The amount in the capsule of 50 mg doesn’t seem like a lot of magnesium. How is this still effective?

A: 50 mg is the amount of elemental magnesium found in each capsule, not the amount of magnesium l-threonate. This can be confusing and important to note when comparing products. Because it is easy to absorb and crosses the blood brain barrier, you can benefit from a larger percentage of the magnesium than other harder-to-absorb forms. In capsules of 50 mg, you can start slow with one capsule and work your way up to three capsules, determining your optimal dose for maximum benefit. This upper dose provides 150 mg of magnesium, which is similar to the amount in our other magnesium products, Soothe and Serenity. 

Q: What symptoms might I have that show I need to supplement with magnesium?

A: Think of tension – of the nervous system, mood, heart, muscles, digestion, head, uterus, etc. Low levels of magnesium have been linked to stress, anxiety and related symptoms, as well as symptoms such as muscle cramps, fatigue and irregular heartbeat. Bone loss, dental caries, kidney stones or other excess calcium symptoms can be contributed to due to low magnesium. 

Q: Organika offers magnesium in bisglycinate, citrate, and L-threonate forms. I know I need magnesium – which one do I need when?

A: When magnesium is bound to salts (like citrate), about 30-40% of the magnesium is absorbed into the body and tissues, helping our muscles and nerves relax. The rest stays in the digestive tract, where it can help ensure proper regular bowel movements. This is super beneficial for relieving constipation and can be taken daily without dependance. Organika’s Soothe is your choice if you need any help with staying regular. 

Magnesium bisglycinate has over twice the absorption rate into the body of magnesium citrate. The magnesium is bound to glycine amino acids, which makes it much easier to transport across the digestive tract lining. As glycine also has calming effects, this formula does great things for promoting relaxation of the body and mind. Organika’s Serenity is the choice for those whose bowels are pretty great but the rest of their body and mind could use some serious support and relaxation. 

Magnesium L-threonate  is highly absorbable, and can cross the blood brain barrier, having a greater effect on memory. It has been shown to increase short and long term memory. If the central nervous system are your weak link, Organika’s Magnesium L-Threonate is the choice for you.

Q: Don’t I have to take calcium and magnesium together?

A: When you’re feeling quite balanced and not experiencing the symptoms listed above, calcium and magnesium taken together is a great idea. It’s recommended to take two parts calcium to one part magnesium, ideally along with some vitamin D and other bone supporting nutrients. On the other hand if you do see yourself in the list of symptoms above, we can actually have too much calcium relative to magnesium. This is especially the case with chronic or ongoing stress. When this stress or other magnesium deficiency symptoms are occuring, we may need to leave out the calcium and take magnesium on its own to bring these two minerals back into balance.