Do you take magnesium?

You’re not alone; this is one of the most common supplements I see people taking.

There are tons of articles about the benefits of it and you see products for it everywhere.

But do you question whether it’s even working?

Meaning, you’re taking it for one reason or another but haven’t really noticed a marked difference?

Perhaps you’re dealing with some of the common symptoms of magnesium deficiency, such as:

• depression
• anxiety
• hyperactivity
• confusion
• fatigue/exhaustion
• low blood pressure
• muscle weakness
• muscle twitches and cramps
• blood sugar issues
• insomnia
• high blood pressure

Magnesium is responsible for over 600 reactions in the body, and many experts believe it’s the most important mineral of all. And when we’re deficient, the body stops operating at optimal levels, leading to those symptoms.

But just because you’re taking magnesium, doesn’t mean that you’re going to see these symptoms automatically disappear.

There could be other factors at play.

So if you’re taking magnesium and feeling these symptoms, then there’s a chance that you might have one of the following going on…

1. You are deficient in Vitamin B6
A lot of people are deficient in Vitamin B6. One of the jobs of B6 is to help magnesium get into the cell.

2. Your boron levels are low
Boron also has the responsibility to help magnesium get into the cell; if we’re low in boron, magnesium may not be getting into the cell.

But you don’t want to take boron blindly without knowing your levels because high levels of boron can be problematic.

3. You aren’t taking enough magnesium
It’s really difficult to get all the magnesium we need from our food. Oftentimes, supplementation can be helpful. It cannot replace the food sources, but it can definitely help build up our stores.

Regulations say that adults need somewhere between 300-420 mg of magnesium. However, we also lose it fairly easily and some experts say we need more than that. When I work with clients, I have them do a higher dose for the first few months to help build up the stores within the cells.  But only if they really need it.

4. You are taking the wrong kind of magnesium
There are 8 types of magnesium, and most are not easily absorbed by the body. I often see citrate and oxide in multivitamins and other products, and these are two that just don’t get absorbed by the body as well as could.

Additionally, some types can cause loose stools or diarrhea, which can be great if you’re constipated, but less so if you are trying to boost your manganese levels.

Glycinate or malate are the two best kinds to stick with.

5. Heavy Metal Accumulation
All of us have heavy metals in our bodies – and some of us have a lot of them. Heavy metals cause stress on the body and can drive magnesium out.

Additionally, they can lead to a lot of health issues if left unaddressed in the body.

6. You’re On Birth Control
Birth control is associated with a number of mineral and vitamin deficiencies, including B vitamins and minerals like magnesium.

7. You Have Copper Toxicity
Women who use (or have used) either hormonal birth control or the copper IUD are at increased risk for copper toxicity. It’s a fairly unknown phenomenon that many women suffer from.

Elevated tissue copper depletes magnesium, as well as other important minerals and vitamins such as zinc, B6, vitamin C and phosphorus.

Plus, it can lead to a ton of symptoms like fatigue, brain fog, insomnia, racing mind, anxiety, tearfulness, and more.

Women who have used any kind of birth control (the pill, hormonal IUD, and copper IUD) are at higher risk for copper toxicity.

8. You Have Adrenal Fatigue
Our adrenals create hormones that help us manage stress, and when we’re under stress for a long period of time, they start to get depleted. Signs of adrenal fatigue are things like feeling tired all the time, a “wired and tired feeling”, body aches, dizziness, sleep issues, digestive problems, and more.

When our adrenals are working below optimal levels and we take magnesium, especially by itself, it can actually make the adrenals worse, especially if you aren’t doing anything to support them.

If this has made you curious about your own magnesium levels, there’s a simple test that you can run that looks at if magnesium is staying in the cell – this is the Hair Tissue Mineral Analysis (HTMA) test.

When we look at the contents of our hair, we get to see what’s going on inside the cell.  Blood tests are not an accurate test to look at magnesium levels since 99% of our magnesium is supposed to be in the cell.

In addition to magnesium, the HTMA looks at 36 other VERY important minerals necessary for optimal health as well as heavy metals that could be causing us a variety of health issues.

It’s the cheapest functional lab you can run and it’s also the test that I think EVERYONE should run because of what it tells us. Typically, people notice a big improvement in how they feel within 3-4 weeks…especially in the areas of:

• Having more energy all day long to get more done
• Falling asleep easier and staying asleep!
• Feeling more motivated to accomplish goals rather than procrastinating
• Feeling calmer overall

Best of all – that’s just the beginning.  After a few months, clients report improvement in all areas of their lives!

And this is even after they have been struggling for years

Interested in running? Email me! Happy to answer any questions you have to help you decide if this is the test for you.

Or if you’d rather do some research first – check out the two ways I offer this test:

• The HTMA test with a consult and no support (cheaper option)
• The HTMA test with email support and a call for accountability and support as you implement the protocol

Kim