Magnesium Deficiency and How to Correct It

Do you have a magnesium deficiency? More than likely, you do.

Less than 30% of adults in the U.S. consume the Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of magnesium. And nearly 20% of us only get half of the magnesium we need each day to remain healthy.

After reading those statistics, I started to wonder if I was one of the many people who are suffering from a magnesium deficiency. Unfortunately, according to this article, it seems the blood serum testing most often done at your doctor’s office isn’t accurate, so I looked for a list of symptoms:

• Anxiety, depression and other behavioral disturbances
• Times of hyperactivity
• Insomnia (difficulty getting to sleep and staying asleep)
• Chronic fatigue
• Impaired memory and cognitive function
• Anorexia or loss of appetite
• Painful muscle spasms
• Muscle cramping and weakness
• Impaired muscle coordination
• Tinnitus
• Facial tics
• Eye twitches, or involuntary eye movements
• Irregular heart rhythms
• And more

While I can relate to multiple symptoms on that list, there is one symptom on that list that has been plaguing me for over a year – insomnia. Many nights I have trouble falling asleep. But even if I’m able to fall asleep quickly, I tend to jolt awake at 3 or 4 am and am unable to fall back asleep for a couple of hours.

It’s a viscous cycle that I have been struggling to break. If something as simple as correcting a magnesium deficiency could help me sleep better, I wanted to give it a try.

So I started researching magnesium supplements to figure out which type was best. What I discovered is that magnesium chloride is the form of magnesium most known for having superior solubility.

I further discovered that the best delivery method was transdermal (applied topically to the skin). Transdermal therapy creates tissue saturation, which allows magnesium to travel to the body’s tissues and cells at a high dose without losses through the gastrointestinal tract.

On the other hand, when taken orally, magnesium may not be absorbed efficiently. This could be due to the laxative effect, the effect of other foods, vitamins or minerals in the gut that lessen absorption or due to individual differences, such as impaired gut function (leaky gut syndrome), all of which reduce magnesium processing.

So, I set out to find a good topical magnesium supplement to add to my regimen. I came across Ancient Minerals, which offers transdermal magnesium in multiple forms, including bath flakes, oil, lotion and gel. I have been able to try the bath flakes, Ultra oil and lotion so far.

I have been taking a bath in the flakes 1-2 times per week (I wish it could be more). I feel so completely relaxed when I get out of the tub. I love it! The Magnesium Bath Flakes look a little different than any bath salt I’ve used before.

I always put lotion on after I shower since I have dry skin, so I have been using the magnesium lotion after I get out of the shower. It has the same consistency of a typical lotion, but also supplements my body with magnesium. Just don’t rub it on your lips (it stings).

I also try to apply a small amount of the magnesium oil to my skin before bed. It’s not greasy at all either, which I love. I was expecting a massage oil type consistency, but it’s in a spray bottle and it rubs right in – it’s great. I couldn’t capture a picture of it because it absorbs in so well!

Since I started using the Ancient Minerals magnesium, I have noticed that I am actually sleeping through the night again most nights (not every night, yet), which is amazing for me. It feels so great to wake up after getting a full night’s sleep – something I haven’t gotten on a regular basis in years.

I definitely believe I am seeing benefits from supplementing with topical magnesium, and I plan on continuing long-term. I have read that the restoration of magnesium levels can take anywhere from six weeks to an entire year^, so I’m going to continue to see if I can build my magnesium levels up to where they need to be. Ancient Minerals recommends using the products for at least 3-4 months before reducing the amount you’re using.

Given the statistics, you’re likely suffering from a magnesium deficiency as well. If it’s something that you’d like to address, I recommend checking out the transdermal magnesium supplements from Ancient Minerals.

They can be purchased on the Ancient Minerals website, or they’re also available on Amazon.com.

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