Magnesium: The Unsung Hero of Your Nervous System (and Probably Your Sanity)
Let’s talk magnesium. It’s the fourth most abundant mineral in your body, quietly doing everything from keeping your muscles calm to helping you not feel like a frazzled mess. And yet, most people are walking around with sub-optimal levels—completely unaware that their tiredness, cramps, anxiety, or sleep issues could all be traced back to this one crucial mineral.
Magnesium 101: The Mitochondrial MVP
At the cellular level, magnesium is basically the sidekick every biochemical reaction wants on its team. Without it, ATP (your body’s energy currency) doesn’t work. No magnesium? No energy. Simple.
It also plays bodyguard to your nervous system by regulating calcium influx, keeping excitatory neurotransmitters like glutamate in check, and maintaining balance between your parasympathetic (rest and digest) and sympathetic (fight or flight) nervous systems.
Plus, it helps detoxification, supports DNA synthesis, keeps your heartbeat steady, and even makes your hormones behave. I’m honestly surprised it doesn’t do your taxes.
Magnesium Deficiency: The Stealth Saboteur
Here’s the kicker: standard blood tests can’t even detect most magnesium deficiencies. Only about 1% of your total magnesium is floating in your bloodstream—the rest is tucked away in your bones and cells. So you could feel exhausted, tense, constipated, or anxious and still be told your magnesium levels are “fine.”
People I see who are stressed, postpartum, on certain medications, burning the candle at both ends—or just alive in modern society—are usually running low.
Common signs of deficiency include:
Muscle cramps or twitches (hello, eye twitch)
Trouble sleeping
Feeling wired but tired
Constipation
Migraines or headaches
Heart palpitations (always get these checked properly, but magnesium can be a game changer)
Why Are We All So Magnesium-Starved?
Modern life is basically magnesium’s worst enemy. Think:
Chronic stress (we burn through it like wildfire)
Coffee and alcohol (they increase excretion)
Low-magnesium soils in modern agriculture
Gut issues that block absorption
Medications like PPIs, diuretics, and antibiotics
Excess calcium supplementation (calcium and magnesium need to be in balance)
If you’re pregnant, breastfeeding, perimenopausal, or doing HIIT 5 days a week, your needs go up even more.
How to Replenish It (Without Taking the Wrong Type and Living in the Loo)
There are loads of magnesium supplements out there—and yes, the type absolutely matters.
Magnesium glycinate: Highly absorbable, calming for the nervous system, non-laxative. My personal fave for anxious types.
Magnesium citrate: Great for loosening things up if you’re constipated.
Magnesium threonate: Crosses the blood-brain barrier—brain fog and mood support.
Magnesium oxide: Cheap and cheerful, but not well absorbed—mostly used as a laxative.
And then there’s transdermal magnesium (sprays, oils, or Epsom salt soaks)—a dream for people with gut absorption issues or those wanting targeted muscle recovery. I love this route for tired legs, muscle tension, and end-of-day nervous system support.
Pro tip: layer a warm magnesium bath into your evening wind-down, maybe even with a red light session if you're fancy like that.
Magnesium’s Crew: Nutrient Friends with Benefits
Magnesium works best with a few close companions:
Vitamin B6 helps shuttle magnesium into cells
Vitamin D needs magnesium for activation
Zinc competes with magnesium, so balance is key
If you’re supplementing with one, it’s often wise to consider the rest of the picture—especially if you’re chasing energy, better sleep, or mood balance.
In My Clinic World…
I see magnesium as the nervous system whisperer. I often recommend it to clients who are holding tension in their fascia, waking through the night, or stuck in that wired-but-exhausted state. It’s not a magic fix—but when the body’s ready, magnesium can help it finally exhale.
The Takeaway: Magnesium Deserves More Hype
If you’re stressed, tired, sore, moody, or sleeping like garbage—magnesium might not fix everything, but it’s one of the first places I’d look. It’s the foundation mineral your nervous system, muscles, and mitochondria are begging for.
