Magnesium For Menopause

Magnesium for Menopause

Table of Contents

As one of the most important minerals in the human body, magnesium plays a crucial role in supporting women’s health during the menopausal transition. It helps strengthen bones, balance hormones, and influences mood regulation. Fluctuations in hormone levels can lead to various symptoms such as hot flushes, insomnia, mood swings, brain fog, and more. Magnesium can be a valuable ally in alleviating these symptoms and promoting a smoother journey through menopause.

The Impact of Menopausal Symptoms

Menopausal symptoms can have a significant impact on the quality of your life during this phase. Hot flushes, which affect around 75% of menopausal women, can be disruptive and very uncomfortable. Insomnia and mood swings are also prevalent, contributing to fatigue and emotional instability. These symptoms are often a result of hormonal changes, particularly a decline in oestrogen levels, highlighting the importance of finding effective ways to manage them to bring relief.

Magnesium deficiency can accelerate the aging process and exacerbate menopausal symptoms. For instance, low magnesium levels have been linked with high blood pressure, heart disease, diabetes, and lack of sleep.

Make a Smoother Change with Magnesium

It may surprise you to know that your body needs magnesium for more than 300 enzymatic reactions. It is the fourth most abundant mineral in your body, essential for many vital functions such as metabolic processes, building proteins and producing energy.

By making sure you are getting enough magnesium, you can support a smooth menopause by maximising your absorption of nutrients and maintaining mineral balance.

Benefits of Magnesium for Menopause

Although magnesium is vital for health throughout your life, during menopause it is even more important.

Magnesium For Sound Sleep

Due to its relaxation properties magnesium has been shown to help during menopause by promoting better sleep and reducing the frequency and intensity of hot flushes and night sweats.

Maintaining Hormone Balance

Studies have found that magnesium helps efficient hormone release and the way in which your cells manage your circadian rhythm. This is what keeps your body clock functioning efficiently and prompts you to react appropriately to the differences of day and night. In turn, this creates the benefits of getting sound sleep or feeling wide awake. It also helps control your body temperature.

During menopause, your body’s hormones are changing, with oestrogen levels declining, and this leads to various symptoms. The way magnesium works is to help your body to regulate and rebalance oestrogen levels.

Magnesium for Bone Health

Between 10-30% of postmenopausal women are affected by low bone mineral density and this deficit increases with age. About 60% of your magnesium is stored in your bone tissue and this plays a vital role in avoiding osteoporosis. Research has found that, along with calcium and vitamin D, magnesium is a vital factor in the prevention of low bone mineral density.

During your lifetime, bone tissue is in a state of constant flux which is your body’s natural method of strengthening bones. This natural process is known as osteoclast activity, and it involves bone cells being constantly degraded then rebuilt to create greater strength.

The bones of younger people rebuild more quickly and effectively than with older people, and during menopause, when oestrogen levels are falling, there is a spike in osteoclast activity. This results in higher levels of bone loss because bones are being broken down more quickly than they can be rebuilt. The outcome of this process often means weakened, more porous bones.

A study involving 20 women with osteoporosis found that supplementing with magnesium citrate for 30 days resulted in decreased bone turnover, suggesting a reduction in bone loss.

In a seven-year study involving 73,684 postmenopausal women on a high intake (334-422 mg) of magnesium showed greater bone mineral density improvements.

Magnesium for Joint Pain

One of the side-effects, often brought on or made worse by menopause, is joint pain. Oestrogen plays a major role in the onset of musculoskeletal pain during menopause as oestrogen affects cartilage which is the connective tissue inside joints. Oestrogen’s impact on bone regeneration is also connected to inflammation in joints and bones.

Research has found that low levels of magnesium increase the joint pain associated with osteoarthritis and some relief can be gained from the addition of dietary or topical magnesium during the time of menopause.

There is ongoing research on magnesium’s beneficial role in cases of rheumatoid arthritis, and other autoimmune syndromes such as fibromyalgia, which often appear to be made worse by menopause.

Muscular Pain

Magnesium is known to help with muscle function, easing some of the cramps, aches and pains that can present themselves during menopause. It has long been known that soaking in an Epsom salt bath can relax sore muscles and relieve pain in the shoulders, neck, and back. What may not have been so commonly realised was that these benefits were due to the magnesium in Epsom salts.

Holistic Approach to Menopause Management

The holistic approach to menopause management involves regularly incorporating magnesium rich foods such as leafy greens, bananas, dark chocolate, nuts, seeds, and whole grains into your diet. Dietary supplements can also be very beneficial in ensuring adequate magnesium intake. As well as adjusting nutrition, stress management techniques like yoga, meditation, or mindfulness can support you as you cope with this challenging phase in your life. Drinking plenty of water and keeping as physically active as possible will also pay great dividends.

Although magnesium is present in a wide range of foods, research has found that many people don’t get enough magnesium from their diet to sustain optimum levels for achieving health benefits. This is mainly due to the processing of many foods and because for many people, the inclusion of lots of beans and wholefoods in their diet has failed to become a regular habit.

Here’s a more extensive list of those foods which can help your magnesium intake:

Avocados
Bananas
Beans and legumes – all kinds including red, white, yellow, and green
Broccoli
Dark chocolate with high cocoa solids
Fish, particularly mackerel, salmon, and halibut
Green vegetables, especially leafy greens such as spinach and spring cabbage
Low fat plain yogurt
Nuts, such as cashews, and almonds
Oatmeal
Pasta – brown wholemeal
Rice – brown wholemeal
Seeds such as pumpkin and chia
Soybeans and soybean products such as tofu or soy milk
Wholemeal bread

Magnesium Supplements

Choosing to take magnesium as a supplement may be confusing as there are several different forms. The main types of magnesium available are aspartate, carbonate, citrate, glycinate, lactate, and malate. You may see magnesium with added calcium and vitamin D which are also important minerals for bone health.

The forms of magnesium which are known to be most easily absorbed by the body are magnesium glycinate, malate, aspartate, and citrate. A good multivitamin should contain magnesium to help meet daily needs and this is a helpful choice for women beyond the age of fifty years.

Our range of magnesium supplements:

Magnesium Body Spray – Original – A high-concentration spray for topical use giving fast and optimal absorption as it is applied directly to the skin so has no impact on the digestive system. It is excellent for relief of muscular pain and cramp and assists with the absorption of calcium to give added support to healthy bones.

Magnesium Body Spray – Sleep – This is a super-fast absorbing form of magnesium which can be applied to any part of your body before retiring for the night. Helped by added herbal oils such as lavender and chamomile, it supports sound sleep but also helps with muscular pain. Because this is a topical spray it by-passes the digestive system, so a great advantage if you suffer with indigestion, heartburn, or any other digestive tract issues.

Magnesium Bisglycinate – A highly bioavailable supplement with the added advantage of being gentle on the digestive system. The addition of glycine may help with sleep and hormones.

Magnesium Malate – A highly bioavailable form and the addition of malic acid gives added relief from pain.

Wholefood Multi-Vitamins and Minerals – As well as magnesium, this supplement is rich in the necessary vitamins and minerals for optimal wellbeing. A fact well worth noting is that this is a supplement made from natural wholefood vitamins, rather than synthetically produced vitamins. With synthetic vitamins the absorption rate can be as low as 2%, therefore 98% of the supplement is excreted with no absorption. Whereas with wholefood forms of vitamin supplements, 100% is absorbed and used by the body.

Adding Magnesium to Your Routine

Incorporating magnesium into your daily wellness routine can be as simple as taking a magnesium supplement, adding magnesium rich foods to your meals, or by choosing to use a mixture of both. It is very unlikely that you will exceed your body’s magnesium needs as your kidneys will only take what is needed by your body and any remaining magnesium will be eliminated. However, if you have certain health issues, particularly cardiology related problems, you may wish to consult your GP to check on the level of magnesium you should be aiming for.

Whether through oral supplements, topical sprays, Epsom salt baths, or by redesigning your diet to include more magnesium rich foods, finding ways to increase your magnesium intake can provide menopausal relief and promote overall well-being.

By embracing a more holistic approach which includes magnesium, you can enhance the quality of your life during menopause and beyond.

Our Promise

When it comes to keeping you informed on health and nutrition, we’re here for you and aim to help where we can. If you would like to discuss any aspect of using natural supplements, or would find advice helpful, please feel free to contact us on 01297 553932