Do YOU know when to take magnesium?
Magnesium is a mineral occurring naturally in food and needed in the diet. In instances when you just don’t get enough of it from the diet, or need more, you can take magnesium supplements to meet your full requirements of the dietary mineral.
Magnesium supplements simply add to your daily intake of the mineral, with excesses being eliminated almost completely within an average of 24 hours.
What’s great about magnesium supplements is that they are not medication which makes them much safer to use.
But there are circumstances when taking one dose of magnesium can do a lot of good, with a therapeutic action as quick and measurable as that of conventional medication. Read below to find out what are 9 of those circumstances when taking magnesium is extra good for you!
1) If you want to sleep better, take magnesium at night
If you have been struggling with insomnia and want to enjoy better sleep, taking magnesium supplements can help a lot. And taking them at night, for example 30 minutes to 1 hour before going to bed, is better than if you were to take them in the morning.
Magnesium is a nervous system depressant that induces relaxation by lowering neurotransmission levels, in particular, levels of excitatory neurotransmitters such as glutamate. This causes a reduction in excessive alertness and enables the brain to self-regulate by allowing levels of the neurotransmitter adenosine to rise which helps induce sleep.
Also great for sleep is vitamin D. See what are 3 amazing things vitamin D does for your health!
2) If your heart rate is too high and you want to bring it down, take magnesium right then
When you go through a highly stressful or even traumatic experience (e.g. you argue with someone intensely, you witness a car crash, you are let go, you get bad news health-wise), your heart rate goes up immediately.
And it can stay up which puts you at risk for potential cardiovascular events, especially if you have a history of heart disease.
Taking just one dose of magnesium, be it 300 milligrams, 350, 400 or 450, which are amounts normally found in OTC magnesium supplements, can help bring down your high heart rate within a couple of minutes and spare your potential side effects.
And the best time to take the magnesium is as soon as you become aware that you heart rate is abnormally high.
3) If you’re experiencing palpitations, extrasystoles or other forms of arrhythmia, take magnesium as soon as you can
Palpitations and arrhythmia are usually self-resolving and often do not pose serious risks to one’s health, more so when they occur occasionally.
But it may not be good for you to experience them as they can cause a rapid decline of mental health parameters, potentially resulting in an anxiety episode, a panic attack, even an asthma episode, and associated side effects such as high blood pressure, fainting and injury.
If your extrasystoles are causing you unnecessary grief, preventing your from resting, working or simply going on with daily life, if it feels like your palpitations are only getting worse, and your mental health is declining as a result, then it could help to take a dose of magnesium. When? As soon as you can, and wait until your condition improves before you proceed to do anything.
Also see what are 5 dangerous side effects of low magnesium.
4) If you are experiencing anxiety, take magnesium soon
Anxiety can affect quality of life just as much as a physical illness.
If you start to feel anxious and the anxiety episode looks as if it will be getting out of control, then it can help to take a dose of magnesium as soon as you can.
Magnesium travels to the brain where it regulates neurotransmission, lowering excessive activity in the brain and associated alertness which induces a state of calm and relaxation.
5) If your blood pressure numbers suddenly get too high, take magnesium right away
High blood pressure can occur as a disease, or symptom. It can be a symptom of cardiovascular disease, or it can also occur as a freestanding symptom (sort of a natural response to stress). Experiencing a highly stressful event, having an argument, receiving very upsetting news unexpectedly, all of that can make your blood pressure go up instantly, even without a history of the disease.
If that happens, taking a dose of magnesium right away can help put a stop to the rise AND lower blood pressure numbers too, before the situation potentially escalates to a cardiovascular event. It’s important to try to calm down and not exert yourself, and make those around you aware of your condition so that they may know to seek medical help if needed.
Also see what are the 5 big symptoms you’re low on magnesium.
6) If you experience an anger or high-stress episode, take magnesium right away
To get angry is a very human reaction. To feel stress is also perfectly human.
But it’s important to know when anger and stress need to be put a stop to.
Because whatever the outcome, neither anger nor stress episodes end well.
So if you’re feeling yourself getting unusually angry or abnormally stressed, take a magnesium supplement right away, and, of course, distance yourself from the causative agent.
7) Take magnesium before any highly physically-demanding activity
If you’re expecting to undergo a highly physically-demanding activity, whether it’s intense manual labor, an intense exercise routine, a marathon or hiking expedition or a Zumba class, it’s good to take your magnesium 30 minutes to an hour before.
The magnesium will be great for your heart and other muscles, helping them keep up with the intensity of the physical activity without major side effects, as well as help you enjoy a good mood.
Another benefit is you’ll stand a lower chance of experiencing painful muscle cramps such as calf, foot or leg cramps.
8) If it’s hot outside, or you’re going to be in high temperatures, take magnesium before you go out
If it’s hot outside, if you absolutely need to go outside during a heatwave, or if you’re going to be in high temperatures for whatever the reason, take some magnesium before you leave the house.
Also remember to drink plenty of water and have water with you. Just as important, avoid carbonated juices, coffee and coffee products, caffeinated teas such as green tea, alcohol and energy drinks.
Wear a hat, loose clothes, and don’t exert yourself unnecessarily. Some B vitamins could also help.
9) Take some magnesium right before an event that you find particularly stressful, nerve-racking, demanding or draining
Whether you need to give a speech at school, make a presentation at work, go into an important exam, meet someone new, go to an interview or another type of appointment that is particularly stressful for you, taking magnesium can help a lot.
Magnesium can help you contain your nerves and be more present in the moment, have a clear mind and a less-hesitant approach which can turn your dreaded appointment into a successful and maybe even exciting experience. Anywhere between one hour to 45 minutes before your event is a great time to take magnesium.
Read more about what is the best time to take magnesium supplements and why.
