Key Points:
- According to Dr. Stanfield, many individuals are not getting enough magnesium from their diet.
- The anti-aging benefits of magnesium encompass protection against cardiovascular disease, type 2 diabetes, and osteoporosis.
- Stanfield says the best form of magnesium is magnesium taurate, of which he takes 126 mg.
According to a national survey, 48% of Americans ingest less magnesium than is recommended. This is just one reason why Dr. Brad Stanfield — a physician hailing from New Zealand — says that everyone should take a magnesium supplement. In his YouTube video The One Supplement EVERYONE Should Take, Dr. Stanfield relays information from the National Institute of Health’s (NIH’s) Magnesium Fact Sheet for Health Professionals and describes several versions of magnesium, ultimately arriving at magnesium taurate (magnesium and taurine) as the best option.
Why Supplement with Magnesium?
Magnesium is an essential mineral needed for over 300 biochemical reactions in our body. These reactions regulate an array of critical biological processes, including muscle, heart, and nerve function, blood glucose control, and blood pressure regulation. Magnesium is also required for energy production, contributes to bone development, and is indispensable for the synthesis of DNA and glutathione — a powerful antioxidant that our body produces less of with aging.
Despite magnesium’s presence in many whole foods, including pumpkin seeds, spinach, and salmon, Stanfield says that food processing removes much of this magnesium. This, he says, makes it difficult to ingest enough magnesium by diet alone. He also points out the difficulty of determining if we have optimum magnesium levels, even with a blood test. This is because most of the magnesium in our body is in our cells, not our blood. Studies show that blood magnesium levels have little correlation with the body’s total magnesium levels.
Symptoms and Likelihood of Having Low Magnesium
While it may be difficult to determine if we are low in magnesium, there are signs of deficiency. Early symptoms of magnesium deficiency include loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, and weakness. Worsening deficiency entails numbness, tingling, muscle cramps, seizures, and personality changes. Severe deficiency can result in low blood calcium and potassium levels — essential electrolytes our cells need to function.
These symptoms are uncommon because our kidneys limit the excretion of magnesium from our body. However, chronic low intake of magnesium or certain conditions places some individuals at higher risk of magnesium deficiency. These groups are as follows:
- People with gastrointestinal conditions: like chronic diarrhea and Chron’s disease — a type of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), which leads to the malabsorption of magnesium.
- People with type 2 diabetes: have high blood glucose levels that lead to increased magnesium excretion.
- People with alcoholism: are often malnourished and excrete excess magnesium.
- Older adults: may exhibit malabsorption because the absorption of nutrients by our gut declines with age.
Anti-Aging Benefits of Magnesium Supplementation
Cardiovascular
High blood pressure is a major risk factor for heart disease and stroke, which are age-related diseases and leading causes of death. That said, an analysis of over 1,000 individuals and twenty-two studies found that magnesium supplementation lowers blood pressure. Another analysis showed that higher blood levels of magnesium and higher dietary magnesium intake are associated with a lower risk of heart disease and stroke.
Metabolic
Another disease for which the primary risk factor is age (age-related disease) and a leading cause of death in the United States is type 2 diabetes. Given this, an analysis of over 280,000 individuals found that a 100 mg/day increase in magnesium intake decreased the risk of type 2 diabetes by 15%. In some of these individuals, 30 days of magnesium supplementation improved their blood sugar levels. However, the American Diabetes Association says there is insufficient evidence supporting the use of magnesium supplementation to control blood sugar levels in diabetes patients.
Bone
While not a leading cause of death, osteoporosis — bone mass, density, and strength loss — is an age-related disease also affected by magnesium. Several studies have shown an association between higher magnesium intake and higher bone density, suggesting magnesium’s role in combating osteoporosis. A handful of studies also suggest that increasing magnesium intake could increase bone density in postmenopausal and older women.
Which Dose and Form of Magnesium are Optimal?
For those 31 and older, the recommended daily allowance (RDA) for magnesium is 420 mg for males and 320 mg for females, which Stanfield argues cannot be obtained through diet alone. Additionally, when it comes to supplementation, he warns against megadosing — taking a very high dose of a compound. For magnesium supplements, anything over the tolerable upper intake level of 350 mg would be considered a megadose. Stanfield goes on to say that if supplementing with 350 mg of magnesium, the rest should be obtained through diet.
Stanfield says that the most common and inexpensive form of magnesium is magnesium oxide, which provides 60% elemental magnesium (the true amount of magnesium). However, he says that, along with magnesium sulfate, the body doesn’t absorb magnesium oxide very well. In contrast, he says magnesium citrate is absorbed far better and can even help with bowel movements and possibly have a calming effect. Magnesium chloride is also absorbed efficiently, and Stanfield says it is gentle on the digestive system and is especially beneficial for those with kidney issues or muscle cramps.
Continuing, Stanfield names the forms of magnesium that he thinks are particularly interesting. Magnesium glycinate, which he says is highly bioavailable — absorbed by the body — is a combination of magnesium and glycine. Glycine has been shown to increase the lifespan of mice and may also help people fall asleep. Therefore, Stanfield says magnesium glycine may be beneficial for those who have trouble sleeping.
Stanfield says magnesium L-threonate is famous for crossing the blood-brain barrier (BBB), allowing it to get into the brain, which has implications for enhancing memory and improving concentration. The doctor also says that magnesium L-threonate is often considered in the context of age-related cognitive decline and mental clarity. He then continues by saying magnesium L-threonate has potential benefits in neuroplasticity — the brain’s ability to form new connections.
Finally, the form of magnesium that Dr. Stanfield uses and thinks is the best is magnesium taurate, a combination of magnesium and the amino acid taurine. Recently, a study showed that taurine increased the lifespan of mice by 10 to 12%. Additionally, Stanfield says taurine plays a significant role in mitochondrial health, which is crucial for cellular energy production. He says this is why taurine is known for its cardiovascular benefits, adding that it is well-absorbed and gentle on the stomach. Furthermore, he says magnesium taurate crosses the BBB, meaning it could have the same benefits as magnesium L-threonate. He says,
“From the current research that we’ve got so far, magnesium taurate appears to be the clear winner in terms of the best magnesium form.”
He ends by saying that the only drawback to magnesium taurate is that it’s only 8% elemental magnesium. This means that consuming 1 g of magnesium taurate only gives 80 mg of magnesium. Many supplement labels will show the dose of “magnesium (from magnesium taurate),” which is not the elemental dose of magnesium. For example, 125 mg of “magnesium (from magnesium taurate)” is 10 mg (8% of 125) of elemental magnesium. Therefore, one should be wary of this if purchasing a magnesium taurate supplement.
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