You can read on to learn more about this compound, how to get it and take it, its benefits, and how it affects your sleep.
What Is Magnesium Glycinate?
Why You Need Magnesium
Your body needs magnesium to keep your energy levels up, regulate nerve and muscle function and keep your blood sugar and blood pressure at optimal levels. When your body doesn’t have enough magnesium, you experience nausea, fatigue, vomiting, and loss of appetite.
Benefits of Taking Magnesium Glycinate
Research shows that supplements to boost your magnesium levels offer many benefits. Benefits include:
Reducing the frequency of migraines Lowering your blood pressure Maintaining healthy bones Boosting your mood Improving your sleep
Do You Need a Prescription to Take Magnesium Glycinate?
No. You do not need a prescription for magnesium glycinate. You can find it in stores or online as a dietary supplement. Magnesium is also found naturally in foods, food products, and some medicines. Your doctor may, however, recommend that you purchase magnesium glycinate if you have a magnesium deficiency.
Can Magnesium Glycinate Help You Sleep Better?
Research into how magnesium glycinate helps regulate your sleep is relatively new. While it has long been established that magnesium supplements can help you relax and boost your mood, current research suggests that they may also help people with insomnia. Another way magnesium helps you sleep better is by regulating your gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) levels. GABA is an amino acid that plays a crucial role in sleep. When you are about to go to bed, the amino acid helps to signal your brain to begin to wind down. It gradually slows your brain’s communication with your nervous system until you fall asleep. Magnesium helps your body to maintain healthy GABA levels.
What Else Can Magnesium Glycinate Help With?
Aside from helping you sleep, magnesium glycinate can also aid in treating restless leg syndrome, stress, and anxiety.
Magnesium for Restless Leg Syndrome
Restless leg syndrome is a condition that affects the quality of your sleep. It causes sudden and uncontrollable movements in your leg throughout the day. Some research suggests that the symptoms worsen at night, making falling and staying asleep difficult for people with the condition.
Magnesium for Stress and Anxiety
Getting a good night’s sleep can be difficult when you are stressed or anxious. In a 2016 study to determine the effects of magnesium on stress and anxiety, researchers found that mentally and physically stressed people benefited greatly from taking magnesium daily. They determined that not only did it help prevent magnesium deficiency and conditions that occur as a result, but it also improved symptoms of irritability, depression, lack of concentration, and sleep disorder.
Other Benefits of Magnesium Glycinate
Some of the established benefits of taking magnesium supplements include:
Prevents migraines: Low magnesium levels have been linked to frequent headaches and migraine episodes. Promotes bone health: Your body requires magnesium to keep bones healthy and prevent conditions that affect bone health, such as osteoporosis. Boosts heart health: Some research suggests that magnesium may help reduce the risk of stroke and other conditions that affect your heart. Improves gut health: Magnesium has been proven to help regulate gut health. People with constipation and heartburn have been shown to benefit from taking high magnesium levels.
How Much Magnesium Should You Take?
Before taking magnesium or other supplements, you should consult your doctor to ensure that it won’t contraindicate any other medications you may be on. According to the National Institute of Health, the recommended daily magnesium intake for an adult woman is between 300 to 320 milligrams (mg) and 400 to 420 mg for an adult man. Your body doesn’t create magnesium naturally but needs it to optimize many processes. This is why eating magnesium-rich foods and taking supplements to ensure you have healthy magnesium levels is crucial. Magnesium naturally occurs in foods like brown rice, green leafy vegetables, cashew nuts, and almonds.
How to Take Magnesium Glycinate
It’s recommended that you take magnesium along with vitamin B12. Vitamin B12 helps to boost the absorption of magnesium in your system.
What Happens When You Take Magnesium in Excess?
Like with many supplements taking magnesium in excess can lead to medical complications. This is why it’s recommended you consult with your healthcare provider before taking any supplements. Taking too much magnesium could result in symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, irregular heartbeat, cramping, and diarrhea.
How Long Does Magnesium Stay in Your Body?
The kidneys usually excrete magnesium via your urine. Through urine tests, doctors can determine how much magnesium has been absorbed into your body after a period of 24 hours.
A Word From Verywell
It’s crucial to ensure your body gets all the magnesium it needs for optimal functioning through your diet and sometimes through supplements. It’s recommended to consult your doctor before you begin taking magnesium glycinate. Do not give children magnesium to children before talking with a doctor.
