All About Magnesium In Your Diet. Plus, a Giveaway of Natural Calm, the Anti-Anxiety Drink!

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Magnesium is probably on your health radar already, but like a lot of micronutrients, you may hear it referenced without understanding precisely what it does, or why. Magnesium is one of the main electrolytes in coconut water and commercial sports drinks. We know that it helps with hydration, but aside from this, what is magnesium, and why is it important?

Magnesium is a cation, s a positively charged ion that exists in the body and is active in more than 300 enzymatic systems (1). It plays a role in protein synthesis, glucose regulation, cell membrane transport, and muscle and nerve function. Over half of the magnesium in the human body exists in bone matrix, so not surprisingly, magnesium is particularly important in maintaining bone health. Most of the remaining magnesium resides in muscles and soft tissues (2). Magnesium works in concert with calcium to help regulate muscle contraction and blood clotting; while calcium promotes contraction, magnesium promotes relaxation.People with magnesium deficiencies can develop hypertension, because the walls of arteries and capillaries tend to constrict. For this reason, magnesium is critical to heart function and to maintaining healthy blood pressure.

There are typically only a a few ounces of magnesium in the body (0.05% of body weight), but that small amount is important. Serious magnesium deficiencies can result in hypertension, impaired functioning of the central nervous system, and even tetanus. These kinds of deficiencies are rare, since our kidneys tend to regulate the amount of magnesium we excrete in our urine. They usually present themselves either with certain types of diseases (such as kidney or bowel disease) or in cases of alcohol abuse, protein malnutrition, or prolonged vomiting and diarrhea (3). People who abuse diuretics and those with anorexia can become deficient as well.

While full blown deficiency may be unlikely among people who don’t have complicating health factors, it’s still important to put dietary magnesium on your radar. When magnesium isn’t consumed in adequate amounts, magnesium in bones will serve as a reservoir from which the body draws, which may not be ideal for bone health (4,5). Meanwhile, low serum and tissue levels of magnesium may be associated with a number of common health complaints, such as migraine headaches (6), hypertension, insomnia, and irritability. Magnesium supplementation may also be helpful to people who suffer from uncomfortable or prolonged PMS (7), and it’s sometimes recommended in the management of cardiac conditions.

Of course, the therapeutic potential of magnesium that interests me most has to do with gut health–my personal area of fascination! In addition to easing anxiety and helping to relax muscles, magnesium has a laxative effect, and it tends to be particularly helpful in easing chronic constipation. (If you’ve ever noticed that coconut water helps with your elimination, this is part of the reason why!) If you suffer from IBS-C (the type of irritable bowel syndrome that tends to cause constipation) or any other type of chronic constipation, supplemental magnesium may be tremendously helpful for you.

The recommended daily allowance of magnesium for men ages 19-30 is 400 mg/day, and 420 mg/day for men 31+. For women, it’s 310 mg/day between the ages of 19 and 30, and 320 mg/day for women ages 31+. Plant based eaters have an advantage in meeting magnesium needs, because many of the best sources of the mineral are plant foods. They include

  • almonds
  • spinach
  • cashews
  • soy milk
  • tofu
  • black beans
  • edamame
  • wheat
  • avocados
  • bananas
  • brown rice
  • pinto beans
  • cashews
  • Brazil nuts
  • millet
  • apricots

Absorption of magnesium depends on an acidic stomach environment. People with histories of digestive illness often have a hard time absorbing this vital nutrient, as do people with damaged gut linings. Supplemental magnesium can be very helpful in these cases. It can also help folks with constipation, anxiety, and PMS. If you suffer from any of these conditions, you may want to explore a supplement. And if you do, I have a recommendation for you!

In the gastroenterology practice where I work, many of our patients suffer from poor magnesium absorption due to a history of celiac, bowel resections, or bowel removal. Magnesium supplements are vital in these cases, and Dr. Chutkan only recommends one: Natural Calm. Natural Calm, which is made by the Natural Vitality company is a powdered magnesium supplement–the best-selling one on the market–and it happens to be vegan, non-GMO, and gluten free! It contains 350 mg of magnesium citrate, which is thought to be one of the most bioavailable forms of magnesium (magnesium oxide and sulfate may be more difficult to absorb) (8).

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Natural Calm comes in five delicious flavors: orange, raspberry-lemon, lemon, cherry, and natural. They can all be easily mixed into liquid, and they create a delicious, fizzy drink when you prepare them. The only sweetener is organic stevia.

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I really enjoyed the Natural Calm flavors–with the exception only of cherry, which isn’t really my jam 😉 My favorites are lemon and orange, which are tangy and refreshing. I also really enjoyed the natural flavor, which is tart and a little less sweet than the others. Natural Calm is a great way to re-hydrate after a hot yoga class or any sweaty workout–it’s tasty enough that you can simply empty it into a water bottle, shake and drink. But if you want something a little more tasty, you can mix it into coconut water or fresh juice. I’ve been enjoying the orange flavor mixed into a morning combination of orange, carrot, ginger, and grapefruit juice–a refreshing way to start the day (note that I didn’t have a sedative effect from the Natural Calm, but some may, so if you feel yourself getting sedated from it, you should drink it at night or whenever works for you).

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While I no longer suffer from IBS-C, I do think that Natural Calm is a great support for me when I’m feeling stressed out or tense. I’ll be keeping it close to me as I continue my studies, for sure. If you’re curious about trying the product yourself, you’re in luck: the folks at Natural Vitality are offering one lucky CR winner a special care package, featuring 6 packets of each Natural Calm flavor. They’ll also be throwing in samples of E-28, their energy shot, which is whole foods and based in chlorella and maca:

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As well as a bottle each of their Vitamin-B complex and Vitamin-C complex:

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To enter the giveaway, you can:

1. Like Natural Vitality on Facebook

2. Follow Natural Vitality on Twitter

3. Like Choosing Raw on Facebook

4. Follow Choosing Raw on Pinterest

5. Tweet about this giveaway

6. Leave me a comment, telling me why you’re interested in exploring Natural Vitality products

*For each of these actions, please leave me a separate comment telling me you did it!*

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Good luck! I’ll be announcing the winner next Tuesday, October 15th.

References

1. Elin, RJ. Magnesium: the fifth but forgotten electrolyte. Am J Clin Pathol. 1994 Nov;102(5):616-22.

2. Volpe SL. Magnesium. In: Erdman JW, Macdonald IA, Zeisel SH, eds. Present Knowledge in Nutrition. 10th ed. Ames, Iowa; John Wiley & Sons, 2012:459-74.

3. Whitney, E, and Rolfes, S. Understanding Nutrition. p. 422

4. Haas, EM. Staying Healthy with Nutrition. p. 163

5. Kitchin B, Morgan SL. Not just calcium and vitamin D: other nutritional considerations in osteoporosis. Curr Rheumatol Rep. 2007 Apr;9(1):85-92.

6. Sun-Edelstein C, Mauskop A. Role of magnesium in the pathogenesis and treatment of migraine. Expert Rev Neurother 2009;9:369–79

7. Bendich A. The potential for dietary supplements to reduce premenstrual syndrome (PMS) symptoms. J Am Coll Nutr. 2000 Feb;19(1):3-12.

8. Lindberg JS, Zobitz MM, Poindexter JR, Pak CY. Magnesium bioavailability from magnesium citrate and magnesium oxide. J Am Coll Nutr. 1990 Feb;9(1):48-55.

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    298 Comments
  1. I am very interested in the Natural Vitality products because I suffer from anxiety, and I would love a natural way to help with it!

  2. I am so interested in the anxiety reducing qualities of magnesium during these stressful times of applying to medical school (which you know all about)! Already following you on Pinterest!

  3. I take a magnesium supplement in pill form and would love to try the flavored powders!

  4. i’m super interested in natural calm!!! sometimes i find myself real stressed at work and i think this would be interesting to test!

  5. I would love to try Natural Calm! I think it could be really helpful in dealing with all the stress and anxiety that comes with being in college.

  6. I have had GI issues as well for years and will try anything to help relieve tension and stress in my gut. I would love to try it!

  7. I would love to try this product as I know I don’t get enough magnesium. I am stressed and don’t get enough sleep. Think this might help with constipation, too .

  8. I have tried the natural calm products but never the energy formula–I would love to try something new

  9. I would love to try Natural Vitality because I’ve been suffering from some serious gut related issues now for the past couple of years. It is mainly due to my ED, I tend also to be a fairly stressed person, together this doesn’t help my poor intestinal tract :S. I’ve read about this product before and have been curious as to whether or not it could help me. Either way I’m going to tract down this product and give it a go :).

  10. I am interested in exploring natural vitality products because I am becoming more interested in helping my body reach its full potential though natural channels, such as their products.

  11. I am interested in exploring the natural calm products because being vegan myself, I feel these nutrients are especially important to take. B vitamin complex in particular! The natural calm magnesium powder looks very convenient and delish!

  12. I’d love to try all the different flavours since we in Canada seem to be lagging behind in the new fancy ones! I’ve loved the lemon-raspberry one and have recommended it to countless clients, mostly for anxiety. Morning and night seems to do the trick for mild anxiety to keep the body and mind relaxed. I take it to prevent headaches as well as monthly for treating cramps. So glad you’re featuring this great product 🙂

  13. I’m very interested in the calm drink since i take a supplement as a pill- the fizzy drink sounds so much more appealing!

  14. hi Gena! I just recently tried natural calm to helpwith sleep but based on you’re post itcould help with anxiety too. I’m also interested in the energy shot for the morning. I would love to see the combined effect. thanks for another informative post!

  15. I have tried a sample of the Natural Calm plus Calcium in raspberry lemon and I loved it. It really helped me to unwind before bed and is a great way to hydrate after yoga…I have a hard time chugging water after a late class and wake up feeling dehydrated, but the flavor is awesome and the calming benefits helped me to rehydrate. I’d love to try the other flavors and supplements. Thanks for the giveaway!

  16. also i’d love to win this giveaway because many people i have recommended the product to, i would love to give them samples 🙂 i honestly brag about the stuff. and want other people who deal with what i did to find a solution

  17. I am interested in these products because I need to sleep better, and I believe the magnesium would help.

  18. I’m not actually entering the giveaway, since I presume it’s for US residents only, but I just want to say that magnesium helped me immensely with IBS-C when I started taking it. For me, I’ve found it’s better to take small amounts than large amounts, and allow it to work it’s magic over time. However, it’s a pity that it took me about 8 years to realise I should stop taking it after my breakfast because it was making me sleepy. Doh!

  19. I teach hot yoga, so I am always looking for electrolyte replacements. (Spending at least four hours a day in a room that is 105 degrees with 40% humidity means I sweat a LOT!).

  20. I am interested in trying out these products because I suffer from anxiety and would like to try a natural remedy before considering any other options.

  21. I’ve heard so many great things about naturally calm and just today I was researching a good b complex and came across their supplement. What a coincidence! Would really like to try their products out.

  22. Hi Gena,

    What part of muscle contraction does magnesium help with? I know that the sarcoplasmic reticulum releases Ca2+ ions to stimulate contraction because Ca2+ then binds to troponin to remove the troponin-tropomyosin complex from the myosin binding sites on actin. Myosin can then bind to actin, split ATP and use the chemical energy to perform the mechanical power stroke. The SR actively reuptakes the Ca2+ when muscle contraction is to cease i.e. in the absence of an action potential. Which part does magnesium help with?

    Thanks
    Amy

  23. This is helpful information Gena. I’m particularly interested in magnesium (and calcium) and its effects on regulating my autistic son. Thank you for the references as well!

  24. Hi! I have tried one of these flavours before, but am interested in trying them all! Also, I have not seen their other supplements, so would be interested in learning more about them. Magnesium is one of the things I always wonder if I am getting enough! thanks 🙂 (hope I win!!)

  25. I would love to try these products. I’m currently applying to graduate school, and know I’m not necessarily processing my stress and anxieties in the most productive fashion. I’m also looking to switch the supplements I’m currently taking.

  26. I have not considered magnesium but I found this article incredibly informative! I would love to try this product!

  27. Loving that you referenced, Gena. 😉
    I can’t remember what i used to give people at the hospital. MgSO4, I think. After surgeries (especially the IBD folks), it was not uncommon to see Mg deficiencies. It must be cheaper than the citrate, especially if flavoured. 😉

  28. I would love to try this product! I sometimes use valerian to calm me down before bed, but this seems like a great alternative!

  29. Of course I already “like” you, but I’ll leave a comment as well. My chiropractor recommended I keep an eye on my magnesium because that can be a cause of the severity of my back/neck muscular pain/issues. It was tested and okay–your food list above reads like my grocery lists–but it’s something I have to keep an eye on. That’s really interesting to read what you said up above. I learned a lot.

    In other words, great giveaway!

  30. I have liked Natural Vitality and Choosing Raw on FB. This is an amazing gift. I use magnesium now, and would live to try this product!

  31. I really need something natural to calm my nerves. I am a natural worrier, and this would surely help. I am a busy military wife and mom!

  32. I would love to explore these products! I am a college student and I have IBS. I’m usually fine as long as I eat healthy, but when I have a lot of anxiety and/or stress, the IBS is pretty bad so I’d love to try using these when that happens!

  33. Hi Gena,

    I have used Natural Calm’s magnesium powder to help ease anxiety and insomnia. I noticed that in your post you mention mixing a packet into your morning juice, but I would caution some of your readers to avoid using it early in the day due to its relaxing and potentially sedating effects.

    I am interested in entering your giveaway, as well. Those energy shots intrigue me, and I have been thinking about supplementing with vitamin C to see if it makes a difference in my overall health and energy, and especially with my iron absorption!

  34. I would like to try Natural Vitality products because I know I need more magnesium in my diet and trust in your judgement that these products are superior.

  35. I would love to try this,as I have several of the symptoms it can help with, in addition to digestion issues due in part to wheat/celiac. I am already a fan on Facebook 🙂

  36. Hi Gena! What a great giveaway! I was introduced to Natural Calm tea by a friend. I loved the flavor and the health benefits are great. I’m a holistic health coach and this product would be a wonderful recommendation to clients. I follow you and Natural Calm on Twitter and liked your facebook page. I also tweeted this giveaway 🙂

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