Super supplements: How magnesium can reduce aches and pains

We’re often told as we age how important it is to add vitamins and supplements to our diets, because let’s face it, as we age everything in our bodies starts to change. New health issues arise, you find it easier to gain weight and much harder to lose it, there’s more aches and pains and you just generally don’t have the energy you did in your heyday.

One of the best supplements on the market to help address these age-related issues is magnesium. Magnesium is an essential nutrient that the body needs to stay healthy. It helps to regulate muscle and nerve function, maintain blood sugar levels and blood pressure, and may also lower cholesterol, decrease your risk of developing type 2 diabetes, and is associated with a reduced risk of depression.

There was even a study carried out by researchers at the Erasmus University Medical Center that found participants who’s magnesium levels sat in the sweet spot of 0.79 millimoles per litre and 0.90 millimoles per litre, were less likely to develop dementia; those outside of that had an increased risk of developing the condition.

But, the bad news is older adults have lower dietary intakes of magnesium than younger adults and according to the National Institutes of Health, magnesium absorption from the gut decreases as you age, meaning there’s an increased risk of magnesium depletion. Meanwhile, if you suffer from a gastrointestinal disease such as Crohn’s disease or coeliac disease, or live with type 2 diabetes, there’s also a higher risk of having too little magnesium in your body.

This may not result in any serious symptoms to begin with, especially if you’re a healthy person, as the kidneys get to work and help retain magnesium in the body. However, if you go a long time without the right levels of magnesium that’s when things may start to become difficult. You could experience anything from nausea and fatigue to muscle cramps and even seizures in the most severe cases.

Thankfully, you can up your magnesium levels quite easily with magnesium-rich foods and supplements. Legumes, nuts, seeds, whole grains and green leafy vegetables such as spinach are great sources of magnesium that you can simply add to your meals or eat as a snack throughout the day.

But, if that doesn’t help, magnesium supplements could be the answer. Major pharmaceutical companies such as Bioglan and Nature’s Way have a range of magnesium-based products on the market, from simple supplements you take daily with a glass of water, to others that are combined with the likes of curcumin and glucosamine to address certain issues such as joint pain associated with mild arthritis.

For example, Bioglan’s Active Magnesium 1000 is a top choice found on the Sassy Marketplace that may assist with the relief of muscular aches and cramps associated with inadequate magnesium intake, bone strength and formation and energy production. Meanwhile, the Nature’s Way Magnesium and Turmeric capsules are created specifically for those with joint issues.

The magnesium helps to maintain muscle health, while turmeric contains a potent antioxidant to help relieve inflammation, reduce mild joint pain and soreness and maintain joint flexibility, and the black pepper extract is a special inclusion to help enhance the absorption of curcuminoids found in turmeric. There’s also the Nature’s Way Magnesium and Calcium supplement, which is also combined with Vitamin D3 to support calcium absorption in bones.

You can find these supplements and many more on the Sassy Marketplace.

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IMPORTANT LEGAL INFO This article is of a general nature and FYI only, because it doesn’t take into account your personal health requirements or existing medical conditions. That means it’s not personalised health advice and shouldn’t be relied upon as if it is. Before making a health-related decision, you should work out if the info is appropriate for your situation and get professional medical advice.