The Antistress Mineral

Magnesium gets no respect. Other nutrients, like calcium, folic acid or iron, are in the news all the time, and even vitamin D has been getting some press of late. But you never hear about magnesium. Big mistake.

This mineral helps in more than 300 processes in the body. In fact, every cell in your body needs this mineral. That might explain why it helps lower the risk for diabetes, heart disease, high blood pressure, osteoporosis and much more. Yet three out of four Americans don’t get enough.

Why Magnesium?

When it comes to mood, magnesium is a major player. Stress triggers the release of stress hormones that drain magnesium from the body. In turn, low magnesium levels raise stress hormones, escalating the stress response. Studies on animals show that low magnesium intake increases sensitivity to noise and crowding and escalates stress-included diseases, such as ulcers, while animals fed magnesium-rich diets cope better and are at lower risk for disease. Studies on people under pressure at work to meet ridiculously tight deadlines cope far better when their diets are rich in magnesium but are more likely to freak out if they aren’t.

Women who get crabby, depressed and downright difficult to live with the 10 to 14 days before their periods also need more magnesium. Magnesium levels drop during the last two weeks of the menstrual cycle, which might contribute to PMS symptoms, such as water retention, cramping, headaches and an oversensitive nervous system (feeling crabby, irritable and edgy?). Increasing intake of magnesium helps curb these symptoms – even to recommended levels is enough to see improvement for symptoms for some women.

How Much Do You Need?

You need about 320 to 500 milligrams of this feel-good nutrient every day. That doesn’t sound like much until you realize that most of the magnesium gold mines in the diet are foods many people don’t typically include in generous amounts, such as avocados, oysters, bananas and the super mood foods wheat germ, whole grains, cooked dried beans and peas and dark green leafy vegetables.

If you choose to supplement, look for the best absorbed forms, such as magnesium oxide, citrate or hydroxide. But don’t go overboard on this mineral! It is the active ingredient in Milk of Magnesia, which means that too much can loosen more than your muscles, leaving you in the bathroom rather than at the party.