5 Supplements for men that you should consider: Magnesium

 

 

In this article series, I will discuss the 5 essential supplements I take daily and what the research says about each supplement. These include crucial elements for our cells and the proteins that keep them functioning, some of the best daily vitamins for men, and compounds that aren’t necessary for survival but that have good data to suggest they will help keep my brain functioning optimally as I age.  And although I will focus on the best supplements men can take, women can also use these supplements.  As always, this is not medical advice, and always consult your doctor before adding a new supplement to your regimen.

Kicking off the list ranking in the top 5 of my best supplements for men that I take every day:

 

Magnesium

 

Why is magnesium important on the cellular level?

To understand why magnesium is so important and why I take it every day, we must first understand the context in which it exists inside our cells.  I recommend skipping to the next section for those not looking to get into the nitty gritty and just wanting to know the overarching points. 

Magnesium is essential to use and produce ATP properly; as you may remember, it is the basic unit of energy in everyone's cells.  Without the proper use of ATP, cells cannot function.  The reasoning for this is that proteins in your cell act as ‘molecular machines’ to perform tasks that keep the cell alive and well, such as disposing of waste, making new molecular machines, fighting off disease, and making sure every part of your cell is in the right place. These functions, as well as many more, rely on the energy from ATP. Without magnesium, which is essential for producing and using ATP by our cell's molecular machines, these functions cannot be carried out correctly.1

 

Why is magnesium essential in disease risk, and what is the prevalence of magnesium deficiency?

Now, let's zoom back out from the nitty gritty to why this should matter to an individual and not just to a cell. Magnesium deficiency is associated with an increased risk of type 2 diabetes, metabolic syndrome, osteoporosis, and cardiovascular disease.2,3 This increased risk is not only for a small subset of the population; studies have found that 48% of Americans do not consume enough daily magnesium.3  Risk factors include eating refined flour, sugar, and processed food, through which magnesium is often eliminated.  This leads to the typical diet, which often includes not nearly enough magnesium.  Other risk factors may include excessive alcohol consumption, chronic stress, aging, and over-supplementation with calcium.  It is important to note that although this is an essential supplement for men, it is also important for women.

 

How do I get more magnesium?

I always examine my lifestyle and dietary habits when working on nutrient deficiencies.  Starting with dietary habits, both spinach and almonds are good sources of magnesium, with 79 mg of magnesium in a 100-gram serving of spinach and 268mg of magnesium in 100 grams of almonds.  The Recommended dietary allowance (RDA) of magnesium for adult men is 420mg.4  So adding some almonds and spinach, provided you are not allergic, to your diet may help. For me, it is hard to reach this recommendation on diet alone, so I also choose to supplement my magnesium intake.

For lifestyle changes, not all of the risk factors are within our control. However, alcohol consumption can be decreased to healthy levels.  What constitutes healthy in the context of alcohol is the subject of a future discussion; if you can drink none, the current scientific literature seems to indicate that would be best.  If you prefer to continue to partake, I limit to 2 drinks or less per week.

 

What type of magnesium should I take?

I generally look for supplements that include magnesium glycinate (also called magnesium bis-glycinate on some labels). I try to avoid supplements that contain magnesium citrate as, for me, magnesium citrate causes diarrhea and is part of protocols used by doctors on patients for bowel preparation for colonoscopies.  Regardless, many companies will still use magnesium citrate because it is cheaper or because they haven’t researched their ingredients thoroughly enough—a common problem in this space.  Suppose you are looking for a magnesium supplement for men or women with superior magnesium glycinate. In that case, you can try our focus product, which contains magnesium glycinate and other ingredients we have carefully considered to give you the best experience.

 

References:

  1. Ko, Y. H., Hong, S., & Pedersen, P. L. (1999). Chemical mechanism of ATP synthase. Magnesium plays a pivotal role in formation of the transition state where ATP is synthesized from ADP and inorganic phosphate. The Journal of biological chemistry, 274(41), 28853–28856. https://doi.org/10.1074/jbc.274.41.28853
  2. James J DiNicolantonio, James H O’Keefe, William Wilson - Subclinical magnesium deficiency: a principal driver of cardiovascular disease and a public health crisis: Open Heart 2018;5:e000668.
  3. Andrea Rosanoff, Connie M Weaver, Robert K Rude, Suboptimal magnesium status in the United States: are the health consequences underestimated?, Nutrition Reviews, Volume 70, Issue 3, 1 March 2012, Pages 153–164, https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1753-4887.2011.00465.x
  4. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/magnesium-healthprofessional/
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