Will popping magnesium pills cure your aches and pains?

HeADAcHeS, exhaustion, feeling sluggish all day then struggling to sleep at night are problems many middle-aged women will recognise.

All too often we dismiss them as nothing more than the symptoms of busy modern life and getting older.

But they could have a surprising cause in many people, say experts: A lack of magnesium.

One of six essential minerals we need in our diet, magnesium is stored mainly in our bones and muscles. each person’s body will contain around 25g, and it is used in a startling number of ways.

recent studies have found benefits to taking magnesium supplements: U.S. researchers said the tablets improved mood in depressed patients. And Bristol University experts found in April that middle-aged people with low levels of magnesium in their blood had an increased risk of bone fractures.

They carried out their research on men, but said they expected it to apply equally to women, who are much more likely to suffer from osteoporosis.

Several studies also suggest the supplements can help you sleep better.

‘Magnesium has a far-reaching impact on the body, yet its vital role has been underplayed or ignored,’ says Professor Ailsa Welch, a reader in Nutritional epidemiology at Norwich Medical School. She explains that it also helps to lower blood pressure, drives fuel production within cells and plays a vital role in muscle, nerve and heart function, bone health and fighting insulin resistance, which can lead to type 2 diabetes.

And experts say you may need to start consuming more of it as you get older.

‘After 40, your body isn’t working the same way it was at 20, so the rules start to change,’ says clare Thornton-Wood, a registered dietitian and spokesperson for the British Dietetic Association says: ‘You are more likely to be overweight, and muscle mass starts to deteriorate. You are also more likely to have other conditions which affect the uptake of magnesium by the body.

SHONA

Wilkinson, a registered nutritionist from Surrey, developed crushing migraines for the first time as she approached 40. Painkillers didn’t help, and she says: ‘I was getting migraines that lasted for three to four days every five or six weeks.’

But she finally worked out a solution. ‘I found out that magnesium had been used to treat migraine and gave it a go. I adjusted my dose using trial and error and my migraines virtually disappeared.’

In January last year Sophie Plant, 39 — who lives in Staffordshire with her three children aged ten to 19 — woke up one morning with terrible leg cramps. ‘I assumed I must have slept in a bad position, but the pain didn’t go away,’ she says

‘Then I found an article about magnesium’s effects on cramping, so decided to try taking a supplement,’ she says. ‘I was sceptical, but desperate.’

She started with a 250mg magnesium supplement daily, and her restless legs problem disappeared in four days. ‘I had no trouble for months, but the restless legs came back, so I decided to up my daily dose to 350mg, and the problem went again.’

Guidelines suggest we should consume 375mg per day of magnesium, primarily from nuts and seeds, pulses, wholegrains and leafy vegetables. Men take in 283mg a day on average, while women get just 226mg, says a UK National Diet and Nutrition Survey, published in February. So, should you be getting more magnesium? Here’s what the science has to say . . .

MANAGING MIGRAINES

ONe in seven people — three times as many women as men — are estimated to suffer from migraines. Many get relief from daily magnesium supplements, says Dr Andrew Dowson, a headache specialist and chairman of the Migraine Action Medical Advisory Board.

‘There is definitely evidence that it works as a preventative,’ he says. ‘Magnesium also doesn’t cause side-effects like those associated with drugs including Topirmate, which can cause mood disturbance. However, it can cause mild stomach upsets in some people.’ Magnesium can also interact with some prescrip- tion medications so you must check with your doctor before taking it.

Its effect on headaches was first noticed when magnesium infusions were given to women suffering from the pregnancy-related condition eclampsia.

‘The infusions were used to control high blood pressure — but doctors found they reduced headaches too. We think the magnesium works at a cellular level, changing the metabolism within brain cells,’ says Dr Dowson.

BONES AND MUSCLES

NHS Direct talks about the importance of Vitamin D and calcium to ward off brittle bone disease, but nothing about magnesium — and yet it plays a vital role in our bone health.

Bristol University researchers recently found that older people who took magnesium supplements were less likely to break bones after falls.

Many clinical studies have shown magnesium deficiency contributes to osteoporosis.

‘ evidence is mounting that magnesium is very important for healthy bones, along with calcium and vitamin D,’ says Professor Ailsa Welch, who is also spokesperson for the National Osteoporosis Society. Although the link has not been proven, Professor Welch’s research recently found that men with higher intakes of magnesium had much better muscle density.

‘You can get magnesium in a balanced diet, but many people are not eating their five a day and processed foods tend to have these essential macronutrients removed during production,’ she says.

STROKE RISK

A STUDY published in the journal Stroke said it had been found men and women reduced their stroke risk with a higher intake of magnesium. ‘We don’t know exactly why this happens, but one theory is magnesium reduces inflammation in the body,’ says Professor Welch.

Studies also show higher levels of dietary magnesium can help to reduce hypertension and cholesterol levels — both risk factors for stroke.

HEALTHY HEARTS

TrAcY Parker, Heart Health Dietitian at the British Heart Foundation (BHF), says: ‘Some research indicates that eating foods rich in magnesium is linked with a positive impact on heart disease risk factors such as lowering blood pressure.’

Magnesium also plays a role in the heart’s electrical functioning by which it beats, and studies show it can relieve atrial fibrillation, or unusual heart rhythms.

Dr Sarah Myhill, a GP in Powys, explains: ‘In the heart muscle and elsewhere in the body, calcium is needed to help excite muscle cells and cause contractions, whereas magnesium is involved in getting the muscle to relax.

‘ If you don’t have enough magnesium, the muscle doesn’t relax as it should and the rhythm of the heart can go awry.’

DIABETES CONTROL

TYPe 2 diabetes, a lifestyle disease linked to obesity, affects more than four million people in the UK.

In a large study published in 2013, researchers found that magnesium intake protected people against the disease.

And magnesium deficiency has been linked to insulin resistance and poor glucose regulation.

Dietitian clare Thornton-Wood says: ‘ Magnesium deficiency could be contributing to insulin resistance. The data so far warrants further research.’

INSOMNIA AND RESTLESS LEGS

ArOUND a third of adults in the UK suffer from episodes of insomnia, and growing numbers take magnesium supplements.

‘Magnesium is a relaxer of muscles, so this can help to calm the body,’ says Sammy Margo, a physiotherapist and sleep expert based in London.

Magnesium deficiency has also been linked to restless leg syndrome, which can make it difficult to fall asleep. ‘Anecdotally, lots of my clients use magnesium to help with aches and pains, restless legs and sleep problems,’ says Sammy Margo.

She recommends getting magnesium from dietary sources first, since this form is the most easily absorbed into the body. ‘A banana is high in magnesium, potassium and serotonin, otherwise, nuts including almonds and whole grains contain high levels.’