What Is Magnesium Glycinate? Most Miss This!

Author's Bio: Katie Bailey, MS, RD, LD, FNC

Most people don't realize this, but magnesium is involved in over 300 reactions in the body from how you sleep and manage stress to how your muscles move and your heart beats. And research shows that over 50% of people are estimated to be low in magnesium and don't even know it.

Now, you've probably heard of magnesium before, maybe you've even tried a supplement or two, but most people miss this one sign of magnesium deficiency.

I'll tell you what that is later. But first, let's talk about what magnesium glycinate really is, and don't forget to hit that subscribe button for more gut health videos.

[Video Transcript Below + Supplement Links Discussed In Video]

What Magnesium Glycinate Is and Why It Matters

All right, so what makes this particular form of magnesium so special? Let's break it down. Magnesium glycinate is magnesium bound to the amino acid glycine, and this pairing makes it highly absorbable, gentle on the stomach, and less likely to cause diarrhea. Unlike some other forms of magnesium, now it's considered to be one of the best forms to support sleep, stress reduction, relaxing tight muscles and nervous system balance. Now, the reason for that is that magnesium as well as glycine itself is very calming. It supports our neurotransmitters that help you feel more relaxed. And that brings us to why magnesium, especially this form of magnesium, is so powerful.

How Magnesium Supports Energy, Mood, and Stress

Magnesium is like a spark plug for your cells. It helps you to convert food into energy, regulate muscle and nerve function, support healthy blood pressure as well as blood sugar, produce our neurotransmitters that are going to help with our mood and our sleep, and then calm the stress response in the body. Now, unfortunately, magnesium is often depleted by chronic stress, caffeine and alcohol, processed foods, certain medications like PPS and diuretics, and then gut issues that impair absorption. So if so many of us are low in magnesium, how would we even know we're going to get to that next?

But first, I'm Katie Bailey. I'm a registered dietitian at Flusso Nutrients where we provide supplement education and professional quality supplement options for you to make the world of nutrition supplements a little bit easier to navigate. As always, be sure to check with your main nutrition literate healthcare provider before starting anything new, as we can't know your full medical history to provide a personalized recommendation.

The First Sign: Muscle Cramps and Other Red Flags of Low Magnesium

Okay, so here are some of the red flags that can indicate that an individual has suboptimal magnesium levels. The first is muscle cramps, especially during the night, constipation, low energy or fatigue, anxiety or irritability, trouble sleeping, restless leg headaches or migraines, irregular heartbeat or palpitations.

The Second Sign Most People Miss: Eye Twitching

And then here's the sign that most people miss eye twitching or facial twitches. Okay, so if you have any of those signs, then the next question is, how do you take magnesium correctly?

How to Take Magnesium Correctly

So common dosages for just general wellness typically are between 250 to 400 milligrams per day, preferably taken at night, especially if you're looking for those relaxation and sleep benefits. But magnesium can be taken anytime during the day. Now, dose will depend on the person. The two 50 to 400 is a general dose, but you may need more, you may need less. So sometimes working with a practitioner can be helpful to determine what would be the best dosage for you.

It's always important to start at a lower dose and increase gradually to make sure that you tolerate it. And if you have a sensitive stomach, you want to make sure to take it with food and consistency matters. So just taking magnesium one night may not provide a lot of benefit. It's taking it consistently to see those benefits and remember, quality really does matter. So choosing a quality brand that does third party testing for purity, as well as avoiding any unnecessary fillers or additives.

Precautions and When to Be Careful

Now, even natural supplements need to be used wisely. So let's talk a little bit about some precautions. So if you have kidney disease, always check with your doctor first before starting any supplement. Too much magnesium can cause some digestive issues, particularly loose stools or some cramping. So dosage really does matter here. It may also interact with certain medications like antibiotics or blood pressure medications. And then always be sure to check with a healthcare provider if you're unsure, especially if you're pregnant, nursing or have chronic health conditions.

Recap and Final Thoughts

Alright, so let's do a quick recap. Magnesium glycinate is a form of magnesium that is highly absorbable and is well known for helping with sleep, anxiety, and stress. Many people are low in magnesium and don't even know it. Signs of suboptimal levels include things like muscle cramps, eye twitching, and trouble sleeping among many other things. If you're dealing with any of these symptoms, magnesium glycinate may be a game changer for you. So if you're interested in trying magnesium glycinate, I'll have a few quality options linked below in the description box. That's it for today. Thank you for watching. I'll see you next time. Bye.

Check out the high-quality supplements we discussed in this video - links below for your convenience!

1) Magnesium Glycinate: https://flussonutrients.nutridyn.com/magnesium-glycinate

2) ALL PROFESSIONAL QUALITY SUPPLEMENTS: https://flussonutrients.nutridyn.com & https://us.fullscript.com/welcome/flussonutrients