Feeling tired? There is one supplement that doctors say may give you the energy boost you need.
Said to be vital for healthy bones, beating depression and getting good quality sleep, magnesium is the hero supplement of the moment.
And thanks to endorsements from celebrities like Kourtney Kardashian and Taylor Swift, the mineral is increasingly popular.
Dr Ahmed Abd Elbary, a UK based GP, told his 291,000 TikTok followers on that it is the one mineral that most people will benefit from taking.
He explained that you may still be low in magnesium even if it comes back normal on your blood test.
That’s because only one per cent of magnesium is in your blood, he explained.
The vast majority of it is intracellular — inside your cells— so even if your blood magnesium level is within the normal range, you can still be deficient in it,’ he said.
‘The only way to accurately measure your magnesium levels is by doing 24 hour urine collection and because of the cumbersome nature of doing this it is very rarely done.’
Magnesium is a vital electrolyte needed to convert food to energy.
It also helps bones and muscles stay healthy by enabling the body to use calcium and vitamin D, which are vital for strong bones, and it helps the immune system fight off infection.
Insufficient magnesium results in tiredness because it plays an important role in more than 300 chemical enzyme systems in the body, Dr Ahmed said.
‘It has a role in protein synthesis, muscle and nerve function, blood pressure regulation and glucose management, hence if you are deficient you will be feeling tired,’ Dr Ahmed said.
It’s estimated 2.5 per cent to 15 per cent of the population is deficient in magnesium, according to Metabolic Support UK.
Those with diabetes, heart failure and alcoholism are more likely to develop a severe from of magnesium deficiency which requires medical intervention, the charity added.
Muscle cramps, depression, extreme dizziness and seizures are all symptoms of a magnesium deficiency. But in serious cases it can lead to death.
Dr Ahmed explains that there is a high number of people who are low in magnesium all over the world as a result of disease, over-farming and medication.
A 2018 study published in the journal Open Heart, suggested many people are at risk of magnesium deficiency as a result of chronic diseases, medications, decreases in magnesium in food crops, and the popularity of refined and processed foods that are void of some nutrients.
‘I think in people who are tired all the time and have tried everything and all blood has come back normal… trying a magnesium supplement will be a good option,’ Dr Ahmed told his followers.
The NHS recommends women aged between 19 and 64 years old consume around 270mg of magnesium a day. It also suggests that men of the same age get around 300mg.
You should be able to get all the magnesium your body needs by eating a balanced diet, according to the NHS.
Foods high in magnesium include nuts, seeds, fish such as mackerel, leaf greens, fruit and even dark chocolate.
The NHS warns that all kinds of magnesium may, in very large doses, have a laxative effect.
According to the health service’s guidelines, ingesting more than 400mg of magnesium — the equivalent to about four fillets of mackerel or eight avocados — can cause diarrhoea.
