Magnesium is an essential mineral that plays a vital role in hundreds of biochemical reactions in the human body. Getting enough magnesium ensures optimal functioning of muscles, nerves, blood vessels, bones, and the heart.
Out of the many forms of magnesium supplements available today, magnesium glycinate stands out as one of the most bioavailable and gentle on the stomach. Curious? Then follow on for Magnesium Glycinate: 10 Powerful Health Benefits!
What is Magnesium Glycinate?
Magnesium glycinate is a compound formed by attaching glycine, which is an amino acid, with magnesium. This enables efficient absorption of magnesium in the body. The glycine helps transport magnesium easily across cell membranes, making magnesium glycinate one of the most bioavailable forms with high absorption rates.
Additionally, glycine has calming effects on the body. So magnesium glycinate provides both magnesium and glycine, both of which promote relaxation and reduce anxiety.
Benefits of Magnesium Glycinate
Here are some of the top evidence-based health benefits of taking magnesium glycinate as a supplement.
1. Promotes Relaxation and Eases Anxiety
Both magnesium and glycine have natural calming effects that can help relax muscles and nerves. People who struggle with occasional sleeplessness, restlessness, or anxiety may benefit from magnesium glycinate, which allows better sleep quality and stress management.
The glycine especially can raise GABA levels, a neurotransmitter that induces relaxation. Multiple studies demonstrate magnesium glycinate’s anti-anxiety benefits and its ability to improve symptoms in people with depression and anxiety disorders.
2. Supports Heart Health
Adequate magnesium levels support cardiovascular function and maintain healthy blood pressure levels already in the normal range. Magnesium dilates blood vessels, allowing better circulation. The mineral also maintains muscle health and electrical signaling, enabling a healthy heartbeat.
People with higher magnesium intake generally have a lower risk of strokes, heart disease, and sudden cardiac death. Magnesium deficiency also increases inflammation and atherosclerosis. Supplementing with highly bioavailable magnesium glycinate can ensure optimum heart health.
3. Builds Strong Bones
Over 60% of magnesium in the body gets stored in the bones. It cooperates with vitamin D and calcium to facilitate optimal absorption of calcium in bones. Magnesium is essential for bone matrix formation and calcification.
Getting enough magnesium can prevent bone-mineral loss, especially in older adults. It also allows better bone growth and density. Magnesium deficiency is linked with higher fracture risk and accelerated osteoporosis. Taking magnesium glycinate helps maintain strong bone integrity and strength.
4. Boosts Exercise Performance
Magnesium supports energy production and muscle and nerve function required during exercise. Athletic individuals and those who are into weight training can benefit from magnesium glycinate to enhance performance, endurance, and recovery from intense workouts.
It also reduces lactic acid build-up that causes muscle cramps. Magnesium helps utilize oxygen better to derive more energy from metabolism. It transports blood sugar into cells and regulates hormones involved in energy regulation. This is why magnesium supplementation can boost both aerobic and anaerobic performance.
5. Alleviates Occasional Constipation
One of the biggest benefits of choosing magnesium glycinate is that it does not have any laxative effect, unlike many other kinds of magnesium. Magnesium draws water into the intestines, which can lead to diarrhea when taking high doses.
Magnesium glycinate supplements are easily tolerated without digestive discomfort. It maintains bowel regularity and can provide relief from occasional constipation without causing diarrhea or digestive upset. This makes it advantageous for long-term supplementation.
6. Supports Brain Health
The brain requires sufficient magnesium to maintain neural pathways and support various processes like memory, learning, and focusing ability. Magnesium deficiency is linked with cognitive decline, and supplementation may help delay Alzheimer’s disease.
Magnesium glycinate’s high bioavailability ensures good transportation across the blood-brain barrier to exert positive effects. Glycine also boosts memory and cognition while protecting the nervous system.
7. Regulates Blood Sugar Levels
Magnesium plays an essential role in insulin secretion and sensitivity, thereby regulating blood glucose levels. Supplementation with magnesium glycinate can prevent fluctuations in sugar levels and lower Type 2 diabetes risk, especially for those with magnesium deficiency.
Magnesium also binds to sugar molecules, shielding proteins from glycation, which is implicated in diabetes complications. Maintaining a healthy magnesium status helps moderate healthy blood sugar regulation.
8. Supports Immune System Function
Magnesium assists in the production of glutathione, a key antioxidant that fights oxidative damage from free radicals. It supports immune cell function, including that of T cells and Natural Killer (NK) cells – both crucial components of immunity.
With antioxidant and anti-inflammatory activity, having optimal magnesium levels bolsters immune defense and helps combat infections as well as chronic inflammation that triggers many diseases.
9. Alleviates PMS and Menopausal Symptoms
Magnesium deficiency worsens PMS symptoms like mood swings, anxiety, fatigue, bloating, and cramps during monthly menstrual cycles. Supplementing with magnesium glycinate can provide relief by supporting hormone balance and neurotransmitter regulation.
Likewise, magnesium helps reduce hot flashes, night sweats, palpitations, insomnia, and irritability often faced during menopause. It enables better mood regulation for perimenopausal and postmenopausal women.
10. Magnesium Glycinate Dosage Recommendations
The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for magnesium is 400-420 mg per day for most adults. Therapeutic doses for treating deficiencies can range from 500-1000 mg taken in divided doses.
It is best to start with a low to moderate dosage of magnesium glycinate, about 200-400mg daily, to assess tolerance. Those already taking medications should consult a doctor before adding magnesium supplements.
Magnesium glycinate is considered very safe since it does not have a laxative effect like some other magnesium forms. Mild side effects like loose stools or stomach discomfort may occur if taking high doses.
To enhance absorption, take the supplements with food and separate them from calcium supplements if taking both. Those with impaired kidney function should be cautious with magnesium dosage under medical guidance.
Conclusion
Magnesium glycinate is a highly advantageous form of magnesium supplement that offers high bioavailability and additional anti-anxiety benefits from the glycine amino acid. It can effectively restore magnesium status within the body and relieve several symptoms of magnesium deficiency.
Adding magnesium glycinate to your daily regimen can support several aspects of health, from better sleep to enhanced cardiovascular health, brain function, blood sugar regulation, exercise performance, and much more.
Adequate magnesium intake aids hundreds of vital biological processes that are essential for optimizing human health and functioning.
