I think we both are in the same boat.
We all have heard the massive health & fitness benefits of vitamins, fats, proteins, and Omega-3s for weight loss, etc but hardly there is a word about magnesium and weight loss.
While in fact, magnesium is an important mineral for our bodies that helps in a number of ways like producing energy, regulating blood sugar levels, and affecting crucial chemical reactions of our body.
Moreover, your heart, muscles, and kidneys all need magnesium to work properly. Not least, this mineral is also a vital component of our bones and teeth.
So, do you want to uncover how intaking magnesium and weight loss are related? How magnesium in your diet can help your weight loss efforts?
Then this post is not something you want to miss out.
Does magnesium help with weight loss?
First thing first…..
The fitness industry has so far been not able to produce a magic pill that can improve your weight loss but in the case of magnesium, its adequate dose can certainly help your body function more efficiently and boosts metabolism which directly relates to your weight loss efforts.
Here’s a closer look at how magnesium is related to your weight loss efforts and your body’s ability to retain a healthy body weight.
1. Magnesium boosts energy to help burn more calories which aid weight loss
Magnesium can boost your weight loss efforts.
Essentially, magnesium has no magical weight loss benefits but what it does is that if you are adequately supplied with magnesium in your body, it will give you a feeling of having more energy which may cause you to exercise more or at a greater intensity.
Science: how this works?
Actually, Magnesium boosts cellular energy and helps you burn more calories being the part of a critical process that makes cellular energy.
Our cells produce energy in the form of ATP which is vital for our normal day’s task. When you are magnesium deficient, your ATP energy production is lowered making you feel tired and this directly affects your metabolism which is important for your weight loss efforts.
Thus an adequate quantity of magnesium gives us the ability to spend some more time at the gym, lift more weights and spend more calories thus directly helping your weight loss efforts in the gym.
Average people require about 300 to 400 mg of magnesium while athletes or fitness enthusiasts who spend a lot more daily may need around 600 to 800 mg of magnesium everyday.
2. Magnesium may help weight loss by lower insulin resistance
Insulin is a hormone responsible for regulating sugar levels in your blood. Some people may develop ‘insulin resistance’ which is the inability of bodies to utilize their insulin levels which results in a high level of sugar in peoples’ blood which translates into glycogen stores in the form of fat deposits.
So in this case, Magnesium may also help with insulin resistance i.e it can reduce insulin resistance to save you from all these weight complications arising out of elevated insulin levels which leads to the storage of excess sugar as fat.
Research evidence
A study published in the “ The journal of nutrition” established a direct link between adequate intakes of magnesium and considerable improvement in circulation of blood glucose and insulin levels.
Moreover, it also argued that for weight loss, magnesium and supplementation are certainly a great help but not the ultimate magic combination.
3. Magnesium helps in losing water weight and stool weight
Probably you have heard about Magnesium citrate for weight loss. Essentially magnesium can help you lose weight and stool weight, thereby preventing the weight gain and bloating problems associated with premenstrual syndrome in women.
Scientific Evidence:
A 2013 study published in the “Journal of Caring Sciences” established that women who were given about 250 mg of magnesium had reduced rate of bloating and swelling as compared to women who were given either a placebo or vitamin B-6
4. Magnesium may help you sleep better which is related to obesity
Getting enough sleep and relieve your stress is very important for your weight loss efforts as a lack of adequate sleep can jeopardize your weight loss efforts by triggering fat storage in your body through a hormone called “cortisol”
How magnesium can help in this regard?
- Magnesium can help you maintain hormonal balance like melatonin and GABA which improves your sleep quality. Since magnesium improves your sleep quality, this can directly improve your stressed heart, mind and body and restlessness.
- Magnesium helps you smooth functioning of your circadian rhythm which helps in smooth regulation of your day and night hormones.
Research evidence
Various studies have found that magnesium before bed can help you sleep throughout the night and when you run deficient in it, this can mess with your sleep quality and make you restless.
5. Magnesium can improve your mood to relieve stress
As already explained above, since magnesium is an important hormone regulator, it can definitely affect your hormones linked to your mood too. Many types of research have established a credible connection between signs of depression and deficiency of magnesium.
Since it directly impacts many of the brain messaging process i.e it impacts nerve impulse transmitters, studies have found magnesium to be very useful in countering certain mental problems like reducing panic attacks.
Finally, it is one of the few nutrients that are known to affect neuroplasticity i.e to improve neuroplasticity. Due to this reason, magnesium supplements have proven to be a strong influencer of your mood.
Then finally, this depression has been linked with weight gain as you are more prone to eat more once you are feeling depressed according to studies.
The Bottom line
Magnesium may help weight loss and overall physical and mental health. However, experts caution that taking magnesium alone has not been shown to be effective for weight loss.
Instead, the best strategy for long-term weight loss includes maintaining a healthy diet and following a well-planned workout routine.
Magnesium in your diet: best foods & dietary sources of magnesium
Now that you know magnesium has potential benefits for weight loss, you might wonder what are the best dietary sources for magnesium? Below are the best food sources of magnesium.
Foods high in magnesium
- nuts
- beans
- fish
- yogurt
- Tofu
- dark leafy greens (best vegetables with magnesium in them)
- quinoa
- whole grains
- legumes
- spinach
- bananas
- salmon and halibut
- whole grains
- Potatoes
- nuts and seeds
- avocados, and
- Bananas
- Pumpkin seeds
- Kelp
- Your favorite dark chocolate
Factors affecting low levels of magnesium in your body
- Diarrhea
- Alcohol
- caffeine
Diseases that can make you magnesium deficient
- Gastrointestinal disease
- Crohn’s disease
- Celiac disease
- Diabetes
- Kidney disease
What magnesium-dose to take?
According to the National Institutes of Health (NIH), the daily recommendations for magnesium are:
- adults 19-30 years
- men 400 milligrams (mg),
- women 310 mg
- adults 31+: men 420 mg,
- women 320 mg
Best magnesium supplements to buy
Symptoms of over-supplementing magnesium
Supplements can offer magnesium in larger quantities than you’d get through regular foods, so there’s a possibility for negative side effects. These potential side-effects include
- drowsiness
- being overly thirsty
- trouble breathing
- loss of appetite
- muscle weakness
- low blood pressure
- irregular heartbeat
Important magnesium tips to remember
- It produces the best results with taking in Vitamin D and calcium but not with both Zinc and certain antibiotics.
- Magnesium can ease your migraine pain
- Caffeine is an enemy of magnesium.
- It is the best friend of the gym rats.
- It can cut down risk cancer.
Now you know the importance of magnesium in your weight loss efforts and general health. But you may ask what are some other important vitamins beside magnesium for weight loss.
So, if you are curious about it, then read on below to find out
Best vitamins for weight loss
The following are some of the best vitamins for weight loss. Read and test out what works best for you.
1. Vitamin A for weight loss
Vitamin A helps keep your metabolism for weight loss in good shape. Make sure you get the recommended daily value (DV), which is 700 micrograms for women and 900 micrograms for men.
Vitamin A-rich foods include
- Cooked 6-ounce fillet of tuna (143 percent DV)
- One cup cooked butternut squash (127 percent DV)
- Medium-sized baked sweet potato (122 percent DV)
- One cup cooked spinach (105 percent D
2. Vitamin D for weight loss
Researcher theorizes that vitamin D may play a role in regulating fat mass, which could contribute to weight gain and obesity, according to a March 2012 review study published in the International Journal of Obesity.
The Daily recommended dose of vitamin D is 600 international units (IU) for those ages 1 to 70, and 800 IUs for those older than 70, according to the Mayo Clinic
Vitamins-D rich vitamins foods include
- Cooked 6-ounce fillet of salmon (142 percent DV)
- 16-ounce glass fortified whole milk (32 percent DV)
- One cup fortified tofu (28 percent DV)
- Hard-boiled egg (6 percent DV)
3. Vitamin C for weight loss
Numerous studies like this one in Nutrition Journal have found vitamin C to be very helpful in working out thus powering you to lose weight by working hard at the gym.
The recommended dose for adults is 65 to 90 milligrams of vitamin C each day, according to the Mayo Clinic, with upper limit going up to 2,000 milligrams.
Best dietary sources for vitamin c
- Kiwifruit (185 percent DV)
- Strawberries (108 percent DV)
- Oranges (106 percent DV)
- Broccoli (90 percent DV)
- Tomatoes (61 percent DV)
4. Vitamin B for weight loss
B vitamins make up a group of 8 water-soluble vitamins that play an important role in metabolizing food into energy, reports the Office of Dietary Supplements.
Vitamin B rich foods include
They’re found in a variety of foods, according to MyFoodData.com, including:
- 6-ounce pork chop (96 percent DV of B1)
- One cup fortified tofu (76 percent DV of B2)
- 6-ounce cooked fillet yellowfin tuna (234 percent DV of B3)
- One cup cooked shiitake mushrooms (104 percent DV of B5)
- 6-ounce cooked fillet of wild salmon (94 percent DV of B6)
FAQs
Q1: What type of magnesium is best for weight loss?
Answer: Magnesium in its original form is best for weight loss. An adequate amount of magnesium in your body helps in your weight loss efforts by combating insulin resistance, regulating some of the weight loss hormones, providing you comfortable sleep and relieve your stress.
Q2: Does magnesium help you lose belly fat?
Answer: Yes, numerous research studies have found magnesium to be very helpful in making you lose belly fat. Essentially, it combats ‘insulin resistance’(this disease enhances sugar level in your blood and ultimately your body), thereby helping you lose belly fat.
Q3: Does magnesium make you gain weight?
Answer: No, magnesium has been linked to helping in losing weight mainly by combating fat storage diseases like “insulin resistance” but no studies as such have found it to be making you gain weight.
Q4: Is it better to take magnesium at night?
Answer: Yes, it is better to intake magnesium at night because it has been found to massively aid in “comfortable sleep”. So taking magnesium at night can give you a night full of cool dreams and make your next morning very refreshing by taking away all your tiredness.
References:
- “How to use magnesium supplements for weight loss?” by healthline.com
