Magnesium Supplementation – It’s not all the same

Magnesium is essential for more than 300 biochemical reactions in the body and plays an important role in the nervous system and brain!1 Unfortunately, most Americans don’t get enough magnesium from their diet, and suboptimal magnesium levels increase with age.2,3In fact- Around 48% of the US population does not meet the recommended intake levels of this important mineral (NHANES, 2013-2016).Magnesium levels can be hard to detect through traditional labs – however many people with IBD exhibit physical signs of low magnesium like: headaches, muscle cramping, tightness in the jaw etc.Magnesium plays an important role in muscle relaxation. This is why when it’s low we tend to see more of the above signs. Constipation can also occur in some with low magnesium since the gut is also a smooth muscle! However, low magnesium doesn’t always show up as constipation. It can also show up as cramping of the muscles within the gut.Before supplementing, it’s important to know that there are many different types of magnesium and each absorb at different levels and can be used for different things.Magnesium citrateMany of the over-the-counter magnesium comes in the form of magnesium citrate. It’s a bit cheaper to produce products with this form of magnesium […]