If you’ve been hearing from friends and family about how magnesium has been a game-changing part of their health routine, you may be wondering if you should add magnesium into your daily lifestyle. Magnesium is a mineral that is essential to countless processes that go on in the body every day. If you’re not getting enough magnesium you’re likely to start to notice symptoms that can range from nervous tension and sore muscles, to poor sleep and irritability. So, imagine what a difference the addition of magnesium could have!
Read on to learn more about the benefits of magnesium and the super simple way to get more of it every day.
What is Magnesium?
Magnesium is an essential mineral that is required for a wide variety of important processes in the body, from energy production to cell signalling - it’s involved in some amazing functions that go on in the body every day without us ever realising.1
Where is Magnesium Found
An ‘essential’ vitamin or mineral is one that can’t be made by the body and needs to be obtained through the diet every day. While there aren’t that many foods that are rich in magnesium, eating a combination of the foods listed below, along with other plant foods, can help in achieving adequate magnesium intake.
High-magnesium foods include:7
- Cacao
- Nuts such as almonds and cashews
- Pumpkin seeds
- Chia seeds
- Whole grains like brown rice
- ‘Pseudo’ grains such as quinoa and buckwheat
- Oily fish like salmon and mackerel
- Dark, leafy green vegetables
How Magnesium Helps the Body
Since magnesium is vital to so many important functions in the body, it’s safe to say we need magnesium to maintain good health. While it’s not a ‘cure all’ mineral, magnesium has some pretty significant benefits:
General Health and Wellbeing
When you’re feeling like you could just use a bit of extra support and a general boost, magnesium could be the answer. Think of magnesium as an important part of your daily regimen for staying on top of things - just like moving your body, eating your greens and staying hydrated.
Joint health
Magnesium helps to relieve mild joint aches and pains. Research has found that low dietary magnesium intake is linked to worsening pain and poor function of knee joints in osteoarthritis.2
Muscle Health
When you think of magnesium, think of muscles - this mineral is vital to muscle health and function in quite a few ways - magnesium helps to support muscle mass and function, while also providing relief from cramps and spasms. Magnesium is the mineral for you if you suffer from muscle soreness - whether it’s from working hard at the gym or being cooped up at a desk all day.3
Better Sleep
If you’re struggling to fall asleep, wake through the night or feel generally restless, magnesium may help to ease you back into a restful sleep.
A 2021 study of 5,115 adults found that getting enough magnesium was associated with a better sleep quality. This may be due to the fact that magnesium is required for the activation of certain brain chemicals involved in sleep, such as GABA.4
Relief from Headaches
Headaches can have a number of causes, but if you’re a regular headache sufferer you may want to look at your magnesium intake. Low dietary intake of magnesium is associated with an increased risk for headaches.
Magnesium has been found in multiple studies to relieve the pain of headaches and reduce their frequency.5 Magnesium can also alleviate headaches that are a result of nervous tension and tight muscles.
PMS Symptoms
While premenstrual syndrome (PMS) symptoms are a common occurrence, they’re actually a sign that there could be a deeper issue, such as a mineral deficiency.
Magnesium deficiency has been revealed as having a clear relationship with some gynaecological issues, including PMS symptoms such as headaches and uterine cramps.6
If your intake of dietary magnesium is low, a magnesium supplement or magnesium spray may help to relieve the symptoms of PMS.
How is Magnesium Absorbed?
It’s estimated that only around 30-40% of the magnesium from the diet is absorbed in the gastrointestinal tract. Depending on the type of food, this can be slightly more or less as some food requires a lot more breakdown which can reduce absorption.8
How well the body absorbs magnesium can also be influenced by things like gastrointestinal and kidney health. Disorders that involve the gut, such as Coeliacs disease, Crohn's disease and even frequent diarrhoea can greatly decrease the absorption of minerals, including magnesium.9
Transdermal absorption is another ‘pathway’ to increasing magnesium levels in the body. Since this form of magnesium supplementation doesn’t require digestion, it can also be a great option for anyone dealing with less than optimal gut health.
The Benefits of Topical Application of Magnesium
The skin is the largest organ of the body and one of its most important jobs is to act as a barrier to the external environment - preventing damage and infection from things like UV radiation, bacteria and chemicals. So you may be wondering, if it’s the skin’s job to keep things out then how is topical magnesium absorbed? Whether taken in the form of a supplement or sprayed over the skin, magnesium’s absorption is significantly boosted by being attached to an ion molecule such as chloride.10
Magnesium in the form of magnesium chloride spray is better able to penetrate the skin’s barrier. Magnesium can then be transported across the dermal layer by chloride, with studies showing that the hair follicles and sweat glands are a great help at absorbing up the magnesium to be taken up by the body.10
One trial outlined that topical magnesium is a very easy and cost effective way to increase cellular magnesium levels quickly. During this trial, 20 sprays of magnesium per day were administered anywhere on the body and a 20 minute foot soak with 100mL of magnesium oil twice a week was also included. As a result, eight of the nine study participants had a significant 59% increase in magnesium levels.10
Taking the time to have a relaxing magnesium foot soak or spritzing some magnesium oil onto your skin sounds like a pretty lovely way to increase magnesium levels!
Why is Magnesium Spray So Beneficial?
Magnesium chloride can be applied topically in the form of a cooling spray, gel or cream and diffuses through the skin.
Topical magnesium, such as a spray, is useful when applied directly on the site of a muscle cramp or sore muscle. The fast absorption of the spray allows the magnesium to target specific areas of concern, such as sore or tired muscles for immediate relief.11
As a bonus, because we know that topical application increases cellular magnesium levels, a magnesium spray can be beneficial in all the same ways as a magnesium supplement - whether it’s sore, tired muscles, nervous tension, headaches, or the need for a little boost in your health and wellbeing.
Our Zea Active range includes the Magnesium Oil Topical Spray, made with a high concentration of pure magnesium brine and MAGZEA Sports Cooling Spray, a refreshing, topical spray that contains a high concentration of pure magnesium chloride.
The unique MAGZEA™ formulation contains magnesium chloride to help relax the muscles, Kunzea to provide natural relief, and a special combination of Australian Peppermint and Spearmint Essential Oils to give a cooling effect on the skin. The fresh and minty scent will uplift, reinvigorate, and re-energise!
This spray is perfect for those who love a cooling sensation and want longer-lasting relief from strains, sprains and delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS).
You will love it for all of these special features:
✓ Combines benefits of Kunzea + Peppermint + Magnesium
✓ Long-lasting relief
✓ Extra-strength formulation
✓ Non-irritating, cooling sensation
✓ Fast drying and rapid absorption
✓ Natural and refreshing scent
✓ Non-greasy and non-staining
✓ NO Menthol or Methyl Salicylate
Plus, it has the quality you know, love and expect from all products within the Zea range.
The natural, refreshing formulation will soothe and revive the body, helping you to get the most out of every workout. A must have for every gym bag!
Magnesium and the Zea Active Range
Adding magnesium to your daily routine is a convenient, cost effective way to supercharge your wellbeing without giving it a second thought. Whether you’ve been training hard or struggling with niggling symptoms, relief could be just a few sprays of magnesium oil away.
Explore our new Zea Active range - a collection of magnesium products that has been specifically formulated for people who love to train hard and exercise. These products are a great addition to your pre- and post- workout routine to aid muscle and body recovery.
We’ve included the uplifting and energising blend of Kunzea, Australian Peppermint and Spearmint along with magnesium to ensure you get the maximum benefits, as well as relief from strains, sprains and delayed onset muscle soreness (DOMS).
ABOUT THE AUTHOR - JACINDA BRASS
A qualified Physical Training Instructor, Jacinda has a huge passion for health and wellness. As our Marketing Assistant & In-House Personal Trainer, she is the perfect person to assist both the Customer Service and Marketing teams. Her can-do attitude, drive and determination ensures both teams are supported and on track to do what we do best - help our customers stay happy and healthy. Her love for helping people stay active and healthy is her driving force.
Medical Disclaimer
All content by Australian Kunzea Pty Ltd, including, text, images, audio, or other formats, were created for informational purposes only. The content is not intended to be a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. To read our full medical disclaimer, click here.
References:
- Linus Pauling Institute. Magnesium; https://lpi.oregonstate.edu/mic/minerals/magnesium Reviewed February 2019, accessed November 2021.
- Shmagel A, et al. Low magnesium intake is associated with increased knee pain in subjects with radiographic knee osteoarthritis: data from the Osteoarthritis Initiative. Osteoarthritis Cartilage 26(5): pp.651-658;2018. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29454594/
- Reno AM, et al. Effects of Magnesium Supplementation on Muscle Soreness and Performance. J Strength Cond Res; 2020. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/33009349/
- Zhang Y. Association of Magnesium Intake with Sleep Duration and Sleep Quality: Findings from the CARDIA Study. Current Developments in Nutrition: p.1109; 2021 https://academic.oup.com/cdn/article/5/Supplement_2/1109/6292661
- Chiu HY, et al. Effects of Intravenous and Oral Magnesium on Reducing Migraine: A Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Pain Physician;19:E97-E112; 2016 https://www.painphysicianjournal.com/current/pdf?article=MjQ4Nw==&journal=93
- Parazzini F, et al. Magnesium Research 2017, 30(1): pp.1-7 https://www.jle.com/fr/revues/mrh/e-docs/magnesium_in_the_gynecological_practice_a_literature_review_309489/article.phtml
- Healthline. 10 Magnesium-Rich Foods That Are Super Healthy. https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/10-foods-high-in-magnesium#TOC_TITLE_HDR_2 Written 22 August 2018, accessed 2 November 2021.
- National Institutes of Health. Magnesium. Updated August 2021, accessed 2 November 2021 from https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Magnesium-HealthProfessional/
- Kiela PR, et al. Best Pract Res Clin Gastroenterol 2016, 30(2): pp.145-159. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4956471/
- Grober U, et al. Myth or Reality?--Transdermal Magnesium. Nutrients 9(8): pp.813;2017.
- Bass M. Effects of transdermal magnesium chloride on recovery of force production and perceived muscle soreness after eccentric exercise. University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill; 2019.
