Magnesium Citrate Vs. Magnesium Glycinate, What’s the Difference?
Magnesium is an essential electrolyte and mineral that should be a part of our daily diet. It is commonly found in food sources such as green vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, and more. However, several factors like poor soil quality and poor handling of the raw vegetables can strip the raw food of magnesium.
If our food is not enriched with enough magnesium, then it might not be wise to depend solely on our diet for a daily dose of magnesium. This is where magnesium supplements come into the picture, as they will suffice for the deficient amount in our body. Primarily, there are two types of preferred magnesium supplements that you will learn about as you follow.
Magnesium Citrate and its Benefits
Magnesium citrate is an excellent choice for supplementation. It comes with improved rates of absorption, in comparison to magnesium oxide. Citrate is also relatively cheaper than the other types of magnesium supplementation.
This supplementation helps people with symptoms of migraine and constipation. It can help people with constipation because the supplementation has a mild laxative effect. So, it can turn out to be a boon for the ones who are suffering from constipation. It works by stimulating the movement of your bowels, giving them a clear passage.
Magnesium Glycinate and its Benefits
Magnesium glycinate is formed by combining magnesium with an amino acid known as glycine. The amino acid glycine is known to promote calm and relaxing feelings by working beside various neurotransmitters. Also known as magnesium bis-glycinate, it is a preferred supplementation because it is easily absorbed by the body and is well-tolerable.
Its ability to promote soothing effects on the body and mind helps with conditions like anxiety, insomnia, and stress. It is less likely to contain any form of laxative effect like magnesium citrate, as it binds well with the amino acid glycine present in the body.
One of the notable things about magnesium glycinate is that it has some benefits associated with anti-inflammation. It is known to improve and regulate sugar levels in the body to reduce your body’s overall inflammation. Insomnia can affect someone due to various causes starting with sleep apnea and depression to a poor circadian rhythm. The glycine present in the supplementation improves your sleep quality by assisting in having a healthy circadian rhythm.
When Will You Need Magnesium Supplements?
There are several methods to find out if you are getting sufficient magnesium in your body. You can order a blood serum test to determine the magnesium levels in your body, although it might not be the best possible way to find out if you are deficient. The human body naturally regulates magnesium levels in the bloodstream by gathering from your bones and tissues.
So the inadequacy of magnesium is never reflected in a test as the body gets its requirements from other sources. But in doing so, the body deprives the bones and tissues of sufficient magnesium levels, which might severely harm your body. So, to find out if you have a magnesium deficiency, it is best to consult with your healthcare provider.
Doctor's Tip:
The easiest (and best) way to maintain adequate levels of the mineral and score all the magnesium health benefits? Eating a diet full of magnesium-rich whole foods, such as seeds, nuts, grains, leafy greens, and certain animal products, says Amy Shapiro, R.D., a New York City-based dietitian and founder of Real Nutrition.
Some other ways in which you can find if you are deficient in magnesium are given below.
Symptoms of Magnesium Deficiency
- Trouble in falling asleep or trouble in staying asleep for a long time
- Premenstrual Syndrome, or the bouts of depression, migraine, irritability, oversensitivity, crying, and overall mood swings that happen when you have your menstrual flow
- Frequent unbearable migraine attacks and headaches
- Cramps and pain in certain parts of the body and muscles
- Lack of energy, mood changes, depression, stress, and anxiety
- Low energy while performing daily tasks
Who Is At The Risk Of Developing Magnesium Deficiency?
Now that we know when to suspect that we are having magnesium deficiency, let us learn about those at risk of conditions related to magnesium deficiency. Many women often are lacking in magnesium levels. Others who could be lacking in magnesium levels are:
- Women suffering from Polycystic Ovarian Syndrome (PCOS)
- People with Type 2 Diabetes
- Obese people
- People with poor thyroid function
Conclusion
Magnesium has about more than 300 essential functions in the body. It also has a crucial role in regulating hormonal balance. While magnesium oxide is also available, it is often advised that you use magnesium glycinate and magnesium citrate as supplements. These two supplements have a huge number of benefits that are required by the human body.
Magnesium supplements are safe to use and have no severe negative implications. There is an abundance of brands offering various ranges of supplements. You can choose your preferred type of supplementation and brand from a supplement store online. It is always better to prevent than cure, so get your bottle of supplements right now to derive maxim results.