Magnesium & Your Brain

Did you know Magnesium is one of the most important nutrients for your cognitive health and overall well-being? According to research, it's involved in many processes in your body, including supporting memory, attention, focus, and calm.*

In fact, Magnesium may be part of over 600 enzyme systems,¹ making it a real nutrition MVP. More times than not, our bodies simply cannot function properly without it. Yet, about half (~48%) of the U.S. population has an inadequate intake, putting a considerable number of people at risk for deficiency.*²

More Magnesium in your daily diet may lead to better brain health as you age, according to scientists.*

An extensive 2023 study by the Australian National University found that Magnesium may decelerate brain aging.*³

In this cohort study participated 502,655 cognitively healthy individuals between the ages of 40 and 73 from the U.K. Researchers noticed that those who took more than 550 milligrams of Magnesium daily had a brain age approximately one year younger when they turned 55, compared to those who consumed 350 milligrams.*

"Our study shows a 41% increase in Magnesium intake could lead to less age-related brain shrinkage, which is associated with better cognitive function and lower risk or delayed onset of dementia in later life," says lead author and Ph.D. researcher Khawlah Alateeq of the ANU National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health. "This research highlights the potential benefits of a diet high in Magnesium and the role it plays in promoting good brain health."*³

Feeling stressed out or fretful? Magnesium may help you with that, too.*

For many, stress and anxiousness are just part of the 'package deal' of living in today's world. These two challenges can affect a significant percentage of the world's population. In fact, according to recent statistics, about one-third (33.7%) of people worldwide are expected to face at least one period of anxiousness at some point in their lives.⁴

Now, here's something interesting: Magnesium may be, in fact, the ‘calming’ nutrient many need.*

You see, Magnesium may be a key factor in keeping your stress response system (hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis or HPA axis for short) in check.*

If you don't have enough of this nutrient, that may lead to anxiousness and mess up your HPA axis.*

How does that work? According to science, it's quite a simple process. Magnesium can suppress the release of cortisol and adrenaline stress hormones and work at the blood-brain barrier to possibly prevent stress hormones from entering the head-brain.*⁵

May help you stay happy, calm, and focused.*

Recent studies looked into a potential connection between Magnesium and lack of focus, hyperactivity, and restlessness, and get this... there could be an interesting correlation.*

Evidence shows that young adults who received Magnesium supplementation over six months exhibited reduced hyperactivity and better attention span.*

But it gets even better. When researchers mixed Magnesium with Vitamin B6, the benefits became even more obvious, toning down attention challenges even further.*⁶

And here's another interesting twist. One recent study combined Magnesium with Vitamin D. Over eight weeks, young adults facing attention-related challenges showed significant improvements in emotional and conduit issues, socialization, and overall difficulties.*⁷

Why you may need to step up your Magnesium game.*

According to research published in the BMJ Journal, our hunter-gatherer ancestors in the Paleolithic era consumed roughly 600 milligrams of Magnesium daily. That's more than double what the average person gets today—about 270 milligrams per day for a 150-pound person.*⁸

So not only are many likely getting less Magnesium than our ancestors, but we might also be falling short of the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of 300 to 420 milligrams.*

And get this: Some experts believe that the RDA is just the bare minimum to avoid a deficiency, but not enough for us to be at our best health-wise.*

Magnesium deficiency can be more common than you may think.*

While Magnesium can be found in decent amounts in many foods (dark chocolate, avocados, almonds, cashews, brazil nuts, black beans, tofu, whole grains, fatty fish, bananas, and leafy greens), many may still be at risk to develop a deficiency.*

And to make things even worse, many may not even be aware of it. How's that possible? Simple. You could be low on Magnesium even when your blood tests say you're all good.*

That's because only a tiny 1% of your body's Magnesium hangs out in your bloodstream. The rest of it? It's chilling in your bones, muscles, and inside your cells.^9,10 So, even if your test results look great on paper, you might still be dealing with a deficiency.*

Now, some may probably ask by now: ‘OK, but I eat a healthy diet... how can I still be at risk of deficiency?’

There could be many reasons for a Magnesium deficiency. It may not sound like a direct correlation, but soil degradation can be one of them. The soil we grow crops in isn't what it used to be. It's been worn out, drastically lowering the food's nutrient content.*

Plus, the modern Western diet can include processed foods with little to no Magnesium content. Plus, many soft drinks—some we consume daily—are typically packed with Phosphorus, a compound that may deplete Magnesium.*

Tackling Magnesium deficiency, one step at a time.

For most, our busy lives, dietary restrictions, or even personal taste preferences can sometimes make it challenging to consume a balanced diet. This is where an isolated Magnesium supplement, combined with other essential nutrients, can help fill any nutritional gaps.*