If there was an award given for \u201cbest supporting mineral\u201d in your body, the Oscar could easily go to magnesium. It helps support more than 300 different chemical processes throughout your body.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
But what exactly does it do and how much do you need? Registered dietitian Kate Patton, RD, LD, shares some of magnesium\u2019s most notable benefits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Magnesium is a powerhouse mineral that plays a crucial role in various processes all across your body. It helps with everything from regulating blood pressure and blood sugar levels to promoting energy production, nerve function bone health.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
\u201cMagnesium is an essential mineral that plays a lot of important background roles in our physiological functioning,\u201d Patton says.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In foods you eat, magnesium is versatile. It goes about its work all over your body. In supplements, magnesium is combined with other substances to help bring out specific benefits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
For example:<\/p>\n\n\n\n
While some vitamins and minerals<\/a> get a reputation for being really good at one thing \u2014 say, vitamin C<\/a> for immune health or calcium<\/a> for strong bones \u2014 magnesium is more of a team player. It\u2019s working behind the scenes to keep all of your systems working in tip-top shape.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Patton shares just a few of magnesium\u2019s best-known benefits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n If you\u2019ve ever tried an Epsom salt bath<\/a>, you may already know a bit about what may be magnesium\u2019s most famous benefit. Some people say that soaking in a bathtub of Epson salt helps relieve sore muscles. The idea is that the magnesium in the salts absorbs into your skin to relieve aches and pains.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Research doesn\u2019t necessarily back that up (though it could still be worth a try). But what has been well established is that magnesium can help keep your muscles functioning at their best. What\u2019s more, severe magnesium deficiency can cause muscle cramps, numbness and tingling.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Magnesium has a hand in helping break down food in your body so it can properly get through your system. That\u2019s why you may see magnesium in some products for treating things like heartburn and indigestion.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Magnesium helps keep your heart healthy in a few ways.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It can help keep your blood pressure in a healthy range<\/a>. It can also help regulate your blood sugar, which helps protect you from diabetes<\/a>. And it may even be beneficial for managing an abnormal heart rhythm<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u201cMagnesium is an electrolyte<\/a>, like sodium and potassium,\u201d Patton explains. \u201cThat means it can help keep your body\u2019s electrical system firing correctly.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n Too little magnesium and your heartbeat can go off beat, resulting in heart palpitations<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Magnesium\u2019s role in helping you relax is what gave rise to the \u201csleepy girl mocktail<\/a>\u201d trend. But you don\u2019t have to mix up a special concoction to get magnesium\u2019s stress-reducing benefits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Some researchers have found that magnesium may help level out cortisol levels<\/a>. That means it can help keep your stress hormones<\/a> from running amuck, which can lead to things like depression and anxiety.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Your magnesium needs change over the course of your lifetime. Starting in their teenage years, men<\/a> need more magnesium than women. See these recommended dietary allowances (RDAs) for each age and sex:<\/p>\n\n\n\n Pregnant women should get an additional 40 mg of magnesium per day. Some, but not all, prenatal vitamins<\/a> include magnesium. Check labels to know if yours does.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Magnesium can do your body good, but too much of a good thing can cause problems, especially when you\u2019re taking supplements.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Excessive magnesium intake can come with some risks, like:<\/p>\n\n\n\nHelps muscle function<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Aids digestion<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Promotes heart health<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
Relieves tension and anxiety<\/h4>\n\n\n\n
How much magnesium you need per day<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
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Can you get too much?<\/h4>\n\n\n\n