Last updated on October 17th, 2023 at 12:58 pm
Nowadays, thousands of weight loss supplements compete for the number one position. And all of them claim to be the best ones to aid weight loss. One of the latest weight loss revelations is magnesium – but does it help you lose weight?
With so many prescription weight loss drugs on the market, it can be confusing and even overwhelming trying to find the right one for you. For years, the most popular supplement was phentermine for weight loss. This drug still stands tall and continues to provide incredible results.
An ingredient every weight loss supplement appears to contain these days is magnesium. An essential mineral that helps with blood sugar regulation and enhances exercise performance. But does magnesium help you lose weight? Not directly, but it is involved in other factors that aid weight loss. That means this mineral will not burn your body far; consuming large quantities of magnesium will not budge the number on the weighing scale. However, a rich magnesium diet is necessary for our bodies to perform many vital functions properly. Your ability to gain and lose weight without struggle is among those functions. Chromium and magnesium for weight loss are great supplements to include in your diet. Along with a healthy meal plan and regular physical activity, they can help you boost your weight loss journey.
But if magnesium does not directly help you lose weight, how come so many supplements include this mineral? Because this hidden gem comes with incredible benefits that indirectly affect your body’s ability to lose weight fast. By learning more about magnesium supplements and their benefits for your body, you can understand how to take advantage of this mineral to power up your weight loss goal. And it also will be easier for you to realize if you are suffering from a magnesium deficiency.
The importance of magnesium for your body
Magnesium is a crucial mineral our bodies need to function accurately. Our bodies can’t store it, so we must get it from our diet. Thanks to this mineral, our bodies can perform various tasks, such as producing energy, lowering blood sugar levels, reducing blood pressure, and causing necessary chemical reactions. Magnesium also helps our immune system and muscle and nerve function.
Low levels of magnesium usually do not present an issue. But things can change if those low levels remain like that for too long. Low magnesium levels for a prolonged period can contribute to severe consequences in our bodies and diseases such as high blood pressure, osteoporosis, and type 2 diabetes, among others.
Here are some of the benefits of eating foods high in magnesium or taking supplements:
- Less bloating and water retention: Magnesium citrate is one of the most common magnesium supplements. This supplement is known for its laxative properties which help your body with bowel movements. Magnesium citrate does incredible work in helping you lose water weight.
- It promotes better sleep: Are you having trouble sleeping at night? Normal levels of magnesium help you have a better night of sleep. This mineral impacts your cardiac rhythm; it contributes to decreasing heart palpitations and helps to maintain a normal heart rhythm. Besides, magnesium also plays a role in balancing hormones associated with sleep. If you are feeling restless, increasing your magnesium intake or taking magnesium supplements can improve your sleep quality.
- Bone health: We all know how crucial calcium is for healthy bone formation. Still, there is not much awareness about the vital role of magnesium in bone health. Besides regulating calcium and vitamin B, magnesium helps improve bone density and lowers the risk of osteoporosis.
5 signs of magnesium deficiency
As mentioned, if you have low magnesium levels, severe symptoms do not present themselves until it is too late. However, certain things can work as indicators pointing out that your magnesium intake is lower than it should be. These are five things that may suggest that you have a magnesium deficiency:
- You follow a strict diet: If you follow a high-restrictive diet, like the hCG diet, minerals and vitamin deficiencies tend to happen. Of course, if you stick to a professional meal plan, you can ensure to consume all the nutrients your body needs. Otherwise, some hCG vitamins and minerals supplements can help you tackle magnesium deficiency.
- Muscle cramps: Often, muscle cramps, twitches, and tremors are a sign of magnesium deficiency. Experts confirm it happens because of a greater calcium flow into our nerve cells.
- Fatigue: Fatigue is another symptom of magnesium deficiency. Have you experienced physical and mental fatigue or weakness for a prolonged period (for no apparent reason)? Then you should check with your doctor. Fatigue and muscle weakness can occur for many reasons; a magnesium blood test will indicate if a lack of magnesium is causing the issue.
- Irregular heartbeat: We find heart arrhythmia or irregular heartbeat among the most common effects of magnesium deficiency. The arrhythmia symptoms occur in different forms; they can go unnoticed or be very serious. Some of these symptoms include chest pain, fainting, fatigue, dizziness, lightheadedness, and shortness of breath.
- Your body has a hard time absorbing nutrients: If you suffer from a disease that does not allow your body to absorb nutrients correctly, that can quickly lead to a magnesium deficiency. If your body is not absorbing vitamins and minerals, consult with your doctor about starting to take magnesium supplements.
Does magnesium help you lose weight?
Magnesium does help you lose weight but not by burning fat or suppressing your appetite like other weight loss supplements. Instead, this mineral supports healthy muscle function and helps with metabolism – two essential processes to losing weight. You can step up your weight loss game by knowing how to use magnesium supplements accurately.
Among the many health benefits of magnesium, it helps you enhance your exercise performance. How so? Counting on good magnesium levels provides lasting, constant, and enduring energy throughout the day. We all know how important staying active is when trying to lose weight. A diet rich in magnesium will give your physical activity a boost. That will make it easier for you to achieve a healthy weight.
On the other side, low magnesium levels can trigger overeating and kick-start sugar cravings. Have you wondered why it seems like appetite-suppressing supplements work for everyone but you, or why you’re not achieving the desired Ozempic weight loss? It can be all due to a magnesium deficiency. If you are magnesium-deficient, no matter if you have an adequate calorie intake, you will still feel like you are starving. And let’s not even mention how dangerous sugar cravings spikes are when you are working towards weight loss. Confirm your magnesium levels support your weight loss venture to carry on a seamless journey; it will make all the difference.
Foods high in magnesium
While this essential mineral is found in many foods and is easy to incorporate those foods into your regular diet, many Americans do not consume a sufficient amount of magnesium. One of the reasons why that happens is because those people with magnesium deficiency follow strict diets that cut off foods rich in magnesium. At our weight loss clinic in Chicago, we recommend you adapt each diet to your particular needs. By doing so, you will consume all the required nutrients to stay healthy while losing weight. You can do that by following a professionally designed meal plan.
But the most common reason people have a magnesium deficiency is that they do not know how crucial, but also available, this mineral is. And we are not just talking about magnesium supplements. You can incorporate a wide range of healthy foods in your diet to take your magnesium levels to a healthy number. The recommended dose is 400-420 mg for men and 310-320 mg for women. Here are some examples you can include in your shopping list:
- Pumpkin seeds: 30g (156 mg of magnesium)
- Black beans: 1 cup (120 mg)
- Chia seeds: 30g (111 mg)
- Almonds: 30g (80 mg)
- Spinach (boiled): 1/2 cup (78 mg)
- Peanuts: 1/4 cup (74 mg)
- Soymilk: 1 cup (61 mg)
- Avocado: 1 medium size (58 mg)
- Salmon: 3.5 oz (30 mg)
- Milk: 1 cup (24 mg)
Final thoughts
Magnesium supplements, such as magnesium citrate, will do wonders for your weight loss journey and overall well-being. Does magnesium help you lose weight? Yes, because with low magnesium levels, weight loss will be much more challenging to achieve, and no matter how hard you work, you risk losing the battle. Magnesium is the perfect complement to a healthy diet and physical activity. It will give you a boost to work out harder, replenish your energy, and keep cravings at bay.