• Magnesium is an essential mineral required for more than 300 metabolic reactions in the body but almost half the U.S. does not have sufficient levels (partly because of poor diet)
• One theory of aging: when we have suboptimal dietary intake, our body sacrifices the long term for the short term, producing insidious damage overtime that accelerates aging
• Stress will lower magnesium levels, even for days after stress passes
• Flaws of supplement and nutritional study design: randomized controlled trials are the gold standard for pharmaceutical interventions, but, nutritional studies need to consider individual nutrition and improve study design at the outset with consideration for baseline levels of participants if we want real answers

• Most studies are also observational so you can’t infer causality
• Micronutrients also often work in conjunction with one another – for example, magnesium is necessary for the conversion of vitamin D into its most stable form

• Confounding: magnesium is found in leafy greens, legumes, nuts, fish – and healthier foods; it may not be solely the magnesium that’s improving health

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In this solo episode, I'm taking an in-depth look at magnesium – a critical yet frequently underestimated mineral in our health. Magnesium stands tall among vital nutrients for its significant role in multiple aspects of human physiology. During this podcast, we'll delve into the widespread negative health effects caused by a lack of magnesium and discuss why increasing your magnesium intake might be key to achieving optimal health.

In this episode, I discuss:

• (00:04:27) Why the effects of magnesium are far-reaching
• (00:06:47) Why athletes need at least 10-20% more magnesium than the RDA
• (00:10:54) Why magnesium deficiency & insufficiency are common
• (00:12:19) How to determine if you're getting enough magnesium
• (00:12:23) The problem with magnesium blood tests
• (00:15:14) Magnesium supplements
• (00:18:17) Is magnesium threonate better at crossing the blood-brain barrier?
• (00:25:08) Why magnesium threonate shouldn't count toward your RDA goal
• (00:17:50) The effectiveness of epsom salt baths (see also 01:12:41)
• (00:26:04) What magnesium supplement do I take?
• (00:26:31) The effect of stress on magnesium balance
• (00:30:15) Why the energy demands of workouts affect magnesium balance
• (00:32:56) Does magnesium supplementation improve sleep?
• (00:34:04) Why trials in the field of nutrition are often misleading
• (00:37:26) Does higher magnesium intake improve cognition?
• (00:39:07) Does magnesium have a role in preventing Alzheimer's disease?
• (00:42:09) The effect of creatine on the brain (and its relationship to magnesium)
• (00:42:42) Why magnesium may prevent excitotoxicity in the brain
• (00:43:32) Magnesium's potential for managing migraines
• (00:46:41) The role of magnesium in aging
• (00:47:39) Why magnesium deficiency impairs DNA repair
• (00:49:13) Magnesium's role in cancer prevention
• (00:51:14) Why magnesium is intertwined in genomic stability
• (00:54:04) Why we shouldn't disregard observational data in nutrition
• (00:54:52) How magnesium intake affects mortality risk and cancer
• (00:57:49) Magnesium in osteoporosis prevention
• (00:59:21) Why magnesium intake in early life affects bone accretion
• (01:01:06) The effect of magnesium on vitamin D metabolism
• (01:06:36) Does magnesium treat high blood pressure?
• (01:10:12) Does magnesium help manage muscle cramps?
• (01:12:41) Is transdermal absorption of magnesium effective?
  

Watch this episode on YouTube

Show notes are available by clicking here