Magnesium is a vital component of more than three hundred biochemical processes in the human body. Magnesium helps maintain optimal nerve and muscle functions, it supports a healthy immune system, it keeps the heartbeat steady, it helps bones remain strong, it adjusts blood glucose levels, and aids in the production of energy and protein, etc. There is widespread research into the potential of magnesium to be utilised in preventing and managing disorders such as high blood pressure, heart disease, and diabetes.
While magnesium hasn’t been proven to be a miracle cure just yet, there is no doubt that magnesium is a highly important nutrient for humans and their health. More specifically, magnesium can be a vital dietary component for women undergoing menopause. Magnesium can keep menopausal women healthy and reduce negative menopause symptoms as it affects numerous closely related bodily functions.
Menopause
Menopause most commonly occurs in women in the ages between 51 and 52, although it may occur years earlier or years later in some cases. Menopause refers to the threshold in a woman’s life where she stops menstruating, finalizing the fertile stage of her life. This transition is usually accompanied by multiple unpleasant symptoms such as insomnia, weight gain, hot flashes, hormone changes, a decline of bone and muscle, etc.
Insomnia
Insomnia is probably the most common symptom of menopause as more than sixty percent of women at this stage have reported mild to severe sleeping difficulties. This rate is significantly lower for women who haven’t gone through menopause yet. In the case of menopausal women, insomnia can be caused by a variety of factors, all of which can be brought upon or intensified by menopause such as anxiety, night sweats, hot flashes, depression, as well as a decrease in melatonin and progesterone. These hormones are highly responsible for falling and staying asleep and as their production drops severely during menopause it doesn’t come as surprising that so many women passed this stage struggle with insomnia.
Magnesium can help alleviate this issue by tackling a few of its underlying causes – It helps reduce hot flashes, it helps regulate the body’s cardiac rhythms (also known as the biological clock), and helps with muscle relaxation. Additionally, low magnesium intake is also associated with shorter sleep cycles and lower sleep quality.
A small scale study that involved forty-six older adults has found that supplementing five hundred milligrams of magnesium, which is an equivalent to two hundred and fifty milligrams of elemental magnesium, per day over the course of thirty days led to a significant increase in sleep duration,
reported sleep quality, and melatonin production. No changes have been recorded in the control group.
Osteoporosis
Magnesium plays a crucial role in preventing Osteoporosis which affects between ten and thirty percent of women who’ve gone through menopause. Osteoporosis is characterised by deficient bone mineral density, and it only increases with age.
Osteogenesis
Human bones naturally undergo a ‘remodeling’ process, also known as Osteogenesis, through which they strengthen themselves. During this process, bones are broken down and then rebuilt stronger. This process is faster and more efficient in younger people but with age, it slows down and the bones are rebuilt weaker than before.
Bone Strength
Magnesium plays a vital role in cartilage and bone matrix calcification, which contribute to increased bone strength, which is why it is such an important supplement for women in menopause. Magnesium also affects parathyroid hormone, or PTH, and vitamin D, both of which are crucial for bone development.
Osteoblast
Additionally, low magnesium levels have been linked to a decrease in Osteoblast (bone-rebuilding activity) and an increase in inflammation, making bones weaker and causing pain.
A small-scale study that involved twenty women with Osteoporosis determined that supplementing 1830 milligrams of magnesium citrate, which is an equivalent of 290 milligrams of elemental magnesium, per day for thirty days decreased the rate and volume by which their bones deteriorated. A follow-up study which has been conducted seven years later examined 73 684 menopausal women and found t that a daily magnesium intake of between 334 milligrams or higher was highly linked to greater bone mineral density.
Since magnesium seems to play such a vital role in keeping bones healthy and strong, it follows that women undergoing menopause are especially advised to ensure adequate mineral intake.
Magnesium plays a vital role in muscle contractions, as well as in maintaining nerve functions, and the production of some proteins, enzymes, and ATP (a cellular source of energy). It highly contributes to skin hydration and barrier repair, as well as to skin cell regeneration and shedding.
Intake
Magnesium intake can be managed in a variety of ways. Greens contain a healthy dose of magnesium, but most people can’t afford to eat a sufficient amount of greens regularly. For skin specifically, there are skin-care products on the market which contain the mineral but the skin’s ability to metabolize it directly isn’t sufficient. Therefore, magnesium in the form of supplements is the easiest and most efficient way to secure proper amounts of magnesium for your skin and body. The recommended daily dose of magnesium for menopausal women is 320 milligrams.
Food Rich With Magnesium
Magnesium may be found in a variety of foods such as almonds, bananas, fish, nuts, etc.; but it also comes in the form of supplements. You should consult your local physician on the safest and most efficient way of dosing your magnesium by a combination of food and supplements.