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Ep: 49 - The Magnesium Confusion: When the Anti-Stress Mineral is Stressing You Out!
31 Plays15 days ago
Standing in the supplement aisle wondering why there are 24 different magnesium supplements? You’re not alone. In this episode, we break down the real differences between magnesium glycinate, citrate, threonate, malate, taurate, oxide, and more — what they actually do, who they’re best for, and how to choose the right one for your body. From anxiety and sleep to constipation, brain fog, hormones, and stress support, we’re simplifying the magnesium madness once and for all.
Where to find us:
IG @whatsmyageagain.podcast / FB - What’s My Age Again Podcast
Email us at: wmaapod@gmail.com
Where to find Tanya:
IG @tlcholistic / FB @tlcholistic
Book with Tanya:
Join the TLC Community: https://www.patreon.com/tlcholistic
Where to find Kim:
IG @kimdesmarais.nutrition /FB @KimDesmarais
Book with Kim: Complimentary Connect Call
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Transcript
Introduction to 'What's My Age Again?' Podcast
00:00:00
Speaker
Welcome to What's My Age Again, the realest podcast for women who are done chasing trends and ready to feel empowered. Hi, I'm Kim. And I'm Tanya, holistic nutritionists and childhood best friends who've been there, done that, and bought the collagen.
00:00:16
Speaker
more than once. Each week we provide actionable steps that you can start today to help you thrive through every decade to come. We're cutting through the wellness noise to bring you honest conversations about aging, hormones, health, beauty, mindset, and everything in between.
00:00:33
Speaker
You see, we're also on a mission to age gracefully, one WTF moment at a time. Backed by research and real life, we're here to share what actually works, what's a waste of time, and how to truly thrive through the messy, magical midlife transition.
00:00:49
Speaker
We're so happy you're here. Let's dive in.
Navigating the World of Magnesium Supplements
00:00:53
Speaker
Hi, everyone. Welcome back to What's My Age again. We have an exciting podcast for you today because Have you ever stood in the supplement aisle staring at 24 different kinds of magnesium supplements thinking, why is there so many?
00:01:10
Speaker
You know, because apparently one me magnesium supplement helps us sleep, one helps you poop, one helps with anxiety, one helps with migraines, one helps your brain and the other helps your muscles, one helps our blood sugar. You know, this can suddenly, what should feel simple, can become really overwhelming.
00:01:30
Speaker
We all keep hearing the same thing. Magnesium is essential. It's involved in over 300 reactions in the body. And most people are deficient, which is all true. So we can get our magnesium in our food like spinach, pumpkin seeds, almonds, beans, dark chocolate.
00:01:47
Speaker
But then, you know, when it comes to supplementation, What type are we actually supposed to take? Because this is the truth that nobody really explains clearly. Not all magnesium supplements are created equal.
00:02:03
Speaker
Right. So some forms are absorbed beautifully. Some barely absorb at all. Some calm that nervous system and some energize that body.
00:02:16
Speaker
As you mentioned, some are amazing for constipation, but others can actually make digestive system, sorry, digestive symptoms worse for certain people.
00:02:26
Speaker
And if you're in perimenopause or menopause, magnesium becomes even more important. Sleep issues, anxiety, muscle tension, headaches, heart palpitations, blood sugar swings, PMS-like symptoms, constipation, stress overload, poor recovery, or all of it we can say, aka hormonal chaos. Guess what?
00:02:53
Speaker
Magnesium touches all of it.
The Importance of Magnesium for Health
00:02:56
Speaker
So today we are breaking down the complete guide to magnesium. the different types, what each one actually does, who they could be best for, which ones may be overhyped, which ones are worth your money, and how to even know where to begin.
00:03:15
Speaker
Because once you can understand magnesium properly, it becomes one of the most powerful foundational tools in your toolkit for your health. So why magnesium matters so much is so, so important. And we're going to dive in today because there is a lot of confusion.
00:03:36
Speaker
For sure. For sure. Well, let's start with, before we get into supplementation, because that is what we're really focused on here today, right? We know we can get magnesium from our food, but so many of us have been, have been, you know, can benefit from a supplement. And that is where you stand there and look at 8 million supplements on the, on, and think which one is best for me. So let's start with why magnesium is, what magnesium is and why it's so important. So essentially magnesium is an essential mineral and an electrolyte. And it's involved in functions in our body that includes nervous system regulation, muscle contraction and relaxation. relaxation it supports growth and development in children.
00:04:23
Speaker
it supports blood sugar balance, hormone support, as Tanya mentioned in the intro, detoxification, sleep, energy production, our heartbeat, our heart rhythm.
00:04:37
Speaker
It supports bone health. It's important in the stress response. You know, for people who are more stress who have a lot of stress in their life, it depletes our magnesium more, right? It's important for digestion, brain function. It regulates our blood pressure, balancing nitric oxide in the body.
00:04:56
Speaker
We discussed this in the intro, over 300 things, right? So, you know, it is so important for us, this mineral and electrolyte. Yeah, so right now we're like, um is there something that magnesium doesn't do? That's how much it does do, right? And ladies, here is the problem.
00:05:18
Speaker
Modern life absolutely burns through your magnesium stores. And guess what? You're going to be like, oh, great. Great, Tanya.
00:05:29
Speaker
You want to know what depletes, further depletes magnesium if you're lucky enough to even be getting enough? Here are the things that deplete magnesium. Stress. Poor sleep, alcohol, sugar, ultra processed foods, certain medications, heavy sweating, hormonal changes. So there's a little bit of a laundry list. And guess what? Here's the kicker. Here's the cherry on top of your sundae.
00:05:56
Speaker
If that's not enough things that is working against you to potentially deplete your magnesium stores, our soil, it simply doesn't contain the mineral density that it once did. Meaning,
00:06:09
Speaker
You could eat abundantly rich magnesium foods. But if you took these foods and compared them to the same foods decades ago, you know, the 1940s, 50s, even 1960s, the magnesium content is drastically lower. So yes, Kim and I will always say it's best to get what you need when you can from foods first.
00:06:36
Speaker
But let's be honest, most of us are walking around this earth um functionally very low in magnesium and not realizing it until we might tell you some of the signs and you might be like, holy smokes, could I be low in magnesium?
00:06:53
Speaker
For sure. And that's why so many practitioners actually recommend magnesium supplementation to their clients, just because it's so common to not, you know, we have optimal levels of magnesium and to not receive optimal um magnesium within your diet.
Recognizing Magnesium Deficiency Symptoms
00:07:10
Speaker
um So before we dig into supplementation a little bit, here are some signs that, you know, even it's not limited to these signs, but here are some signs that could suggest that you're low in magnesium. um anxiety, poor sleep, muscle cramps is a big one, headaches, constipation, PMS, irritability, fatigue, um heart palpitations, light muscle tight muscles, restless leg syndrome, and difficulty recovering from snap so from stress.
00:07:41
Speaker
And that also includes, because I hear this often, the random foot cramps that you're getting while you're walking or stretching and you need to grab your foot. That is also can be a really good sign that you're a little bit deficient in magnesium.
00:07:56
Speaker
For sure. And so... You know, magnesium supplementations is generally safe. Obviously, talk to your practitioner and to make sure that it's right for you. um But we wanted to talk a little bit about this because this is where the big decision comes in, right? Which supplement is right for you?
00:08:14
Speaker
You know, again, magnesium supplementations is generally safe. um But there's a confusion about which type of magnesium supplementation that can be right for you, because there are different types of magnesium supplements.
Types of Magnesium and Their Benefits
00:08:30
Speaker
And the reason for this is because the magnesium is bound to another compound.
00:08:35
Speaker
And these pairings will affect things that we mentioned at the beginning of the podcast. I love that, Kim. So to reiterate, the magnesium is the magnesium. Magnesium is the mineral, but the different kinds are exactly bound to different things to help support different things inside.
00:08:56
Speaker
in the body, depending on what our needs are. So that's where it becomes very confusing. Like you said, Kim, a lot of times you'll go to your doctor or your naturopath or whatever, and just be like, yeah, take some magnesium.
00:09:07
Speaker
What magnesium? What magnesium do you take when there is 5,000? So I love that. Thank you for bringing that up. The magnesium remains the same, but the different types of do different things in the body.
00:09:21
Speaker
For sure. Like you might've heard of magnesium citrate versus magnesium bisglycinate. And so, you know, and basically each of these different types, the difference is how well the supplement may be absorbed, you know, how gentle it can be on your stomach, if it helps with sleep, if it helps with constipation.
00:09:45
Speaker
So that's sort of what we're going to dig into here. And before we dig into it, Kim had mentioned earlier, and I'm going to say it, but I'm going to credit her. We had a Tanya analogy, but that came from Kim. So it's a Kim analogy. And it was fantastic.
00:10:01
Speaker
Okay. Think of a car. Very easy. Magnesium is the passenger. Okay. Okay. the compounds that are attached to the magnesium. So some of the different kinds that we're going to talk about, the citrate, the glycinate, the oxide, um, are actually the different vehicles. So the car carrying it into the body where it needs to go, right? So the car determines where it needs to go in the body. The magnesium is the same. It's the delivery system that changes. Absolutely. And it affects how well a supplement is absorbed, how gentle it is on the stomach, all the things that we just talked about. So let's dig into it. And maybe we can start with magnesium glycinate or magnesium bisglycinate. So magnesium glycinate is magnesium bound to glycine.
00:10:52
Speaker
And Glycine is an amino acid that is a very calming amino acid. And so this formula is best for anxiety, stress, sleep. You know, if you've been recommended a magnesium bisglycinate, you might want to take it before bed.
00:11:10
Speaker
That's when I take mine. I take this this form of magnesium. It's nervous system support. It can support during perimenopause and menopause, especially with sleep, muscle tension. And this form is highly absorbable.
00:11:24
Speaker
It's gentle on the digestion, and it's less likely to cause loose stools. A thousand percent. And this is the form that I feel lately that i is most recommended um by practitioners as a general magnesium. um It tends to be often my favorite overall form for all of those things that you said. um And we've heard magnesium called the anti-stress hormone, even though it can be very stressful finding out which magnesium is right for you. So like this is the one that we think of truly as that
00:12:00
Speaker
that deep breath magnesium, that calming magnesium that is amazing if you have like the monkey mind or that stress overload, the decision overload that wakes you up at 3 a.m., m that feeling maybe of overwhelm, that feeling of being tired but wired. So, you know, if someone comes to me and says like,
00:12:23
Speaker
Tanya, I cannot shut my brain off at night. This is often where I'm starting as a practitioner um with that glycinate form. Absolutely. Yeah, absolutely. I love this one. um Okay, another magnesium citrate.
00:12:43
Speaker
And so this form is magnesium plus citric acid. And this one you might be recommended when it comes to working on constipation or sluggish bowels, digestive support. And again, it's another common form that is regularly recommended.
00:13:01
Speaker
It absorbs fairly well. It pulls water into the intestines, which is why it helps with those bowel movements. Actually, when taken in high doses, it can actually have a laxative effect.
00:13:14
Speaker
um So it's great for people with constipation, that sluggish digestion. It's not ideal if you have if you already have loose stools or maybe somebody with IBS or sensitivity. um Yeah. Tanya, do you have anything else to add to this one?
00:13:32
Speaker
I just feel like this this vehicle, the citrate as a car is just driving high speed down the Trans-Canada Highway right to your intestine. I love it. I love it. That's because when I do think of citrate, yeah, that's when someone is constipation, all of the things that you say.
00:13:49
Speaker
And I think because also it is a really, I don't want to say mainstream, but more mainstream, no one magnesium, like the glycinate and the citrate. I think a lot of people...
00:14:00
Speaker
might mistakenly buy this one just for a good overall. um Even though really we like to keep it in mind best for this digestive support. So if,
00:14:12
Speaker
You know, you're not necessarily looking for that constipation digestive support. That's my caution with citrate. You might be better with a glycinate. Again, not telling you specifically who listening what to take. You need to see your practitioner. But yeah, picture that citrate as a road right down to your intestines. That's that's what I was picturing when you were talking about it. No, i love that. And it is true. Everything we're talking about here, again, really, the reason we wanted to move forward with this podcast is because so often we get questions about magnesium and which type is right for you. So really, we're just going through each type, what it can be best for, and if that symptom resonates with you. then this might be something to talk to your healthcare care practitioner about because dosage is also really, really important. Again, for example, with citrate, um if you take too much, you're going to find that, again, that TransCanada Highway, it's going to go right through you. It can have a laxative effect. So speaking to your practitioner about this, this is this again, this is educational,
00:15:15
Speaker
that you can take this information and figure out what's, what first of all is the right fit in terms of supplement, if you require a supplement and then the dosage as well. Oh man, I don't know if that's going to come out on the podcast, but that literally made me snore. It's yeah, that trans candidate, the intestines. Okay. So switching vehicles and switching cars, this one's actually headed to the brain in opposite direction is magnesium, um excuse me, L3 and eights.
00:15:43
Speaker
Am I saying that right, Kim? I'm so bad with pronunciation. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So as I said, this vehicle is head into the brain. um First off, highly, highly absorbable. And it's really unique because this car is specially formulated to cross the blood-brain barrier more effectively than any other forms of of magnesium. So this is going to be best for, as you can probably imagine, no shocker, brain health, things like that brain fog, focus, memory, cognitive support. So this one is your brain magnesium. Um, so a lot of women in perimenopause love this because again, I'm sure you guys can relate. Um, why can't I remember the words anymore in this podcast? I'm always like words, words, Kim, what does that work?
00:16:36
Speaker
Or we talked about it a couple of weeks ago. Why am I on my phone looking for my phone in a panic? So this magnesium, again, dosed properly and, you know, working with your practitioner can actually be a really supportive tool in situations like this.
00:16:56
Speaker
Absolutely. and And like you said, brain fog, focus, memory. You know, we talk about, you know, cognitive aging. That's another one. Somebody who's more elderly, this could be a good formulation for them, mental clarity. And you mentioned in perimenopause, this is when we go through the brain brain fog. So yes, love that one. It can be very supportive.
00:17:19
Speaker
um The next one, magnesium malate. It's magnesium and malic acid. magni ma Malic acid plays a role in cellular energy production. So this form, you know, we talked about taking bisglycinate before bed. This one you might not want to. This form is more energizing rather than calming, right? So it's best for people who suffer from fatigue, muscle soreness, energy production, those fibromyalgia symptom symptoms. So for somebody dealing with chronic fatigue, muscle pain, low energy, this might be the right formulation for them.
00:17:57
Speaker
and again, i would definitely take this maybe during the day instead of before you go to bed. Yeah. And I picture this vehicle, the malic acid driver as like a tour bus.
00:18:09
Speaker
And he's just going like stop to stop to like all of the different cells, you know, to rev up that energy. So that's what I picture this one kind of working like a full body, but it is actually a really good one to talk to your practitioner about if you are someone with that Chronic fatigue and muscle pain and low energy can actually make a really big difference, especially if you're on a different form of magnesium. Again, it's um just more formatted for that energetic part and that pain, right?
00:18:36
Speaker
Exactly. Love it. So another super interesting one is um the magnesium taurate. So this is magnesium combined with taurine, which is another amino acid, but this amino acid specifically supports cardiovascular and nervous system health. So again, two really, well really important symptoms, systems, sorry, no matter our age, but two really important systems to kind of give that extra attention to as our hormones are changing during perimenopause, menopause, and postmenopause, right?
00:19:14
Speaker
Because it is best for that heart health. And definitely as estrogen, you know, goes down, we can see more incidences of, you know, heart disease in women. And that's really important to know and keep in mind. um Blood pressure support,
00:19:32
Speaker
supporting blood sugar balance, which is huge, as well as calming the nervous system. So yes, not to be confused. We did talk about, you know, glycinate also being that that side. But remember, magnesium itself is still overall the anti stress hormone, right? So all of these things are going to help take a load of stress off your body. But again, it's that vehicle taking them to those certain places. um So still very calming for the nervous system. And this is a big one for could be supportive, especially for heart palpitations, which again, very common ladies, I've experienced them myself during hormonal shifts, it's wildly annoying, um cardiovascular overall support, and even stress-related tension. So again, it's another very overall calming form that specifically works more towards that cardiovascular and nervous system support.
00:20:31
Speaker
Love it. Another one you might see is magnesium chloride, which you know is magnesium attached to chloride. And this is usually found in our topical oils or lotions. um It's best for things like those topical magnesium sprays or pi baths.
00:20:51
Speaker
um It can be found in magnesium oils, topical sprays, bath flakes. um This one, you know, some people enjoy using topical magnesium because it bypasses your digestion digestion. So if you're, you know, it can be really great for somebody with sore muscles, relaxation, you know, You can use it in your bedtime routine.
00:21:16
Speaker
For sure, which I do. I always have several different bags of like magnesium flakes and different, you know, bath salts and whatever on the go. And for somebody who does definitely have some joint pain going on that can be chronic or whatever, consistency with this magnesium for me, you know, really, really makes a difference. Like I'm a very big believer in that Epsom salt baths.
00:21:41
Speaker
Love it. Which brings us to, I think the next one is Epsom salts, right? Which is the magnesium sulfate. So very similar, um but it's bound with sulfur and oxygen, right? So instead of having the magnesium flakes in your bath, it's the classic Epsom salts.
00:22:03
Speaker
Right. Simple effect. I mean, used for eons to support muscle soreness, relaxation, um Again, like Tanya said, actually in me me as well, I have Epsom salts right next to my bath right now.
00:22:16
Speaker
My kids use it. we I use it. It's it's a beautiful way to a beautiful thing to include in your your bedtime routine, your evening routine. Absolutely. And can we maybe talk about, in my opinion, the most least desirable vehicle has its place of usage, of course, but is the magnesium oxide. so this is magnesium bound to just the pure oxygen.
00:22:44
Speaker
I feel that this is the SOS for short-term usage for maybe someone who is more severely constipated. um it's It's cheap.
00:23:00
Speaker
So unfortunately, if you're looking at a multivitamin, you know, that might not be top choice of branding or whatever. It is used in many supplements. If you look at like, ah I don't want to say the brand names, but you know, one of those multivitamins you can guess. Usually there's a small amount of magnesium oxide.
00:23:18
Speaker
And guess what? The absorption is actually really poor. So when I think of magnesium oxide, I think of it almost as an air quotes product. More of a natural laxative, not really that magnesium replenishment that you want in your body. So if your goal...
00:23:36
Speaker
is to actually raise the magnesium levels and kind of use the magnesium as a tool to be there. And so you have enough to support all of those 300 plus functions.
00:23:48
Speaker
There's usually better options. I don't know why I feel like I'm whispering. Like the magnesium is going to hear me and be offended. There are usually better options than the magnesium oxide. Yeah. For sure. I think the biggest concern is the absorption rate. right And like you said, you said it perfectly. If your goal is to raise magnesium levels, if that's why you're you know you're being put on a supplement, this might not be the right fit.
Choosing the Right Magnesium Supplement
00:24:13
Speaker
Right, so back to the original question. Now we've told you what all of these magnesiums are, you're still standing at your health food store looking at all of the shelved magnesium. So I think where we start with choosing the right magnesium for you is A, definitely work with a practitioner. Okay, someone like Kim and I, your naturopathic doctor, like get a clear recommendation about the magnesium that may be best for you. And instead of asking your practitioner, what is the best magnesium in general? I get that question a lot. Tanya, what's the best magnesium?
00:24:52
Speaker
We as practitioners aren't going to talk about the best magnesium because they all have their space and they all have their usage. We're going to look at what is the magnesium that your body is asking for right now, right through symptoms?
00:25:07
Speaker
For sure. Like if you come to me and say, you know, stress, anxiety, Tanya was just saying, you know, I have the monkey mind, you know, the first one we might go to is the bisglycinate, right? Whereas if your symptoms are constipation, we might say citrate.
00:25:24
Speaker
Right, exactly. Same thing. And if you're, you have brain frog fog and you're having, you know, memory changes, you're forgetful, you're losing your keys, we might go with like a theonates. So there's going through the symptoms is really what's important because as we've said before, our symptoms, we're lucky to have them. Because they're messengers telling us that something is off in our body. So that's important. So instead of just saying, oh, I heard magnesium glycinate is the best overall, but I'm constipated. It's not necessarily listening to the messages of the body. And Kim and I are translators in that. So we actually can help you decipher. You're going to get the messages, but we can kind of maybe give you an idea of
00:26:08
Speaker
what the body's asking for. And then you feel if that resonates and that's how you kind of go about picking the best supplement. But we have to remember, talked about it last week, there's no quick fix, right? So supplements support foundations, they do not replace them. And also supplements aren't a forever thing. I think that's a big one too. That's a huge one actually. So you get put on a magnesium, let's say bisglycinate or glycinate for a decade, and you know, you're supposed to be on magnesium.
00:26:42
Speaker
But your needs are probably a lot different than they were at the start. So magnesium supplements, they're allowed to change just like everything else in your life is based on your needs, right? Like based on how your symptoms shift and your needs shift as you age, you're allowed to change your magnesium supplement.
Integrating Supplements with Healthy Lifestyle
00:27:00
Speaker
Absolutely. And I love it, Tanya. We talked about this last week. you know, we need to make sure that we're balancing our blood sugar. We need to make sure that we're actually eating foods that are rich in magnesium and protein. And we need to support our stress in many ways. Magnesium is going to support, but if we're not doing the nervous system work that we need to do right, we're not going to see a change. So foundations are so important and the supplement is supplementary to those foundations. And so, you know,
00:27:33
Speaker
What are magnesium-rich foods? Things like pumpkin seeds, hemp hearts, leafy greens, cacao, almonds, cashews, black beans, avocados, salmon, and mineral-rich sea vegetables are great options.
00:27:52
Speaker
For sure. so Starting with those is foundational. And then adding that supplementation is almost always, I'm going to say, a necessity because of the reasons that we talked about earlier. All of the things that we listed that deplete magnesium plus the less so less mineral rich soils that we have now. So remembering to, because I want to say it one more time, it deserves to be said one more time. If our body is under constant stress, which for most of us, unfortunately, we do have a significant amount of stress in our lives, um we can eat all the healthy food in the world. And we can still burn through the minerals in those foods way faster than we can replenish them, right? So that's why nervous system work also matters very much as well. Like, I don't know, Kim, I can't remember, but it's been mulling in my mind. You said something a long time ago. It's like,
00:28:47
Speaker
working out absolutely amazing and consistently I'm paraphrasing here and doing all the right things and then going through the McDonald's drive-thru like you need both things to kind of help like we have to support that foundation that nervous system eating right and then the magnesium supplement is going to build on that we can't just take the magnesium supplement and not do anything of you know anything else like Absolutely. And I hope this brought you some clarity, you know, because as we know, magnesium supplementation is not a one size fits all right. There are different forms of magnesium supplements. And, you know, as we said, different benefits for each.
00:29:25
Speaker
The big thing here too is quality does matter. It matters. Can say it one more time? Yes. more time and be very clear about this. Quality matters, right? So finding a brand and a formula that works for you is so, so important. So work with a practitioner. you know just Don't just next go into and pick one off the shelf, right? Speak to somebody and figure out which one is is the right supplement for you.
00:29:55
Speaker
And I think I'm going to leave with this sentiment. um When we talk about food, my husband and I joke too, when we talk about tattoos, we say um good tattoos aren't cheap and cheap tattoos aren't good, which is very true. You can put food in there. Guess what?
00:30:14
Speaker
You put supplements in there. So say that again. Good supplements aren't cheap. and cheap supplements aren't, I'll say, usually good in that regard. I mean, we don't get joy sending you, you know, brands that are maybe two times the price of what you could pick up on the shelf at your local Costco. But I promise as practitioners, there's intention behind that.
00:30:36
Speaker
Because quality matters. So with that, work with your practitioner. You're now armed with the knowledge of what your symptoms might be telling you and what your body might need. So now you can kind of go out, move forward, and get that proper magnesium into your body.
00:30:53
Speaker
All right, everyone. Have a wonderful week. And we look forward to talking to you again next week. Take care, guys. Bye. Bye.
00:31:01
Speaker
Hey guys, thanks so much for hanging out with us today. If this episode resonated with you, we would love it if you would hit like, subscribe to the podcast and share it with a friend. We love to hear from you because let's be honest, this show is for you.
00:31:16
Speaker
If you have a topic you'd love us to tackle or want to learn more about something we talked about today, send us a message. We got you. Stay connected with us on social media at what'smyageagain.podcast for even more knowledge and inspiration between episodes.
00:31:33
Speaker
Kim and I aren't doctors or your healthcare practitioners. Everyone's body is unique, so always consult your own healthcare care provider before starting something new.