Often feel fatigued? Try magnesium
FEELING tired and don’t know why? You’re not alone. According to a recent study, up to 70 per cent of people in the UK could be deficient in magnesium, a mineral that helps us turn our food we eat into energy.
Less than half of us consume the recommended daily amount of magnesium.
Best known for helping to reduce tiredness and fatigue, magnesium is also vital for our health.
Deficiency can cause mood swings, migraines, eye twitches and muscle cramps.
If you have low magne
sium levels, you are also less likely to get a good night’s sleep.
Magnesium is present in foods such as black beans, bananas and pumpkin seeds, but to get the benefits we need to absorb it into our bodies.
One way to ensure we consume a consistent level of magnesium is by taking a daily supplement — but not all supplements are equal.
Your body’s ability to absorb the magnesium depends on the way that it is made.
‘Most supplements use magnesium oxide — it is the most common form, as it has a high concentration of magnesium,’ says Dr Miriam Ferrer, head of product development at a Cambridge supplement company.
‘However, this form does not release the magnesium easily, and it has a very low absorption rate, about 4 per cent. When we created our supplement, we decided to use magnesium lactate instead, which is very soluble, and it has a high absorption rate of about 45 pc.’
By taking a supplement containing magnesium lactate, you can absorb greater amounts of magnesium while actually consuming less.
Reviews gathered on independent website Trustpilot, speak of its effectiveness. ‘It gives your body a magnesium boost without upsetting your digestive system,’ writes Robert.
And Annie, 74, says: ‘I put my lack of energy down to age, but it was really impacting on my life.
‘My husband read about a magnesium supplement and I thought I’d give it a try. Within two weeks I was a different woman, with energy to spare.’