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Your body requires magnesium, which is essential. Although calcium is often mentioned for its importance in bone health, magnesium is equally important. Magnesium is one of those nutrients that you don’t really notice until you don’t have enough—then you can feel it everywhere in your life.
Magnesium is vital in over 300 biochemical reactions within your body, including your sleep quality and mood. It also helps with muscle cramps, hydration, and cellular function. Insufficient or low magnesium levels can lead to many problems.
Magnesium can come in many forms just like calcium. However, not all magnesium offers the same benefits. Recently magnesium bicarbonate has been a popular choice, and for good reason. In this blog post, I’ll explain how it’s different from other forms of magnesium. I’ll also tell you exactly how I make it for myself with an easy recipe you can replicate in your own kitchen to optimize your health.
Magnesium: What is it?
Magnesium supports many essential physiological functions including:
It’s absolutely necessary at a metabolic, DNA, and cellular level.
These important biological processes can not take place if magnesium isn’t in the correct amount, even though you may have sufficient nutrients.
Magnesium is also needed for many other purposes. It’s important for:
As you can see, magnesium isn’t just a fad nutrient, and it isn’t of little consequence. All nutrients can contribute to your health but magnesium is at the top.
Are You More Likely to Have Low Magnesium Levels?
Even though magnesium is such an essential nutrient, it’s also a common deficiency. As much as half of the U.S. population doesn’t get enough magnesium.
According to sex and age as well as stage of life, the recommended magnesium dietary allowance changes. Breastfeeding does not affect your magnesium needs. Pregnant and postpartum women require more magnesium than those who aren’t.
Supplements should not exceed 350mg of magnesium daily. Multivitamins typically contain half or less of that amount.
In how magnesium is absorbed from foods, it’s slightly different than supplements. Supplements that contain too much magnesium can cause intestinal pain and diarrhea, depending on their form. Magnesia, Milk of Magnesia and other magnesium supplements can be used to induce vomiting.
If you have kidney disease, magnesium may affect the function of your kidneys.
Magnesium can be found in foods like legumes, green vegetables, beans and seeds. However, most people don’t eat enough of these to meet their daily needs. Even if they do, certain foods, such as oxalates, may not be easy to digest.
Magnesium absorption can also be affected if you take too much zinc, eat a lot of fiber, or don’t eat enough protein. At any time, the body can store approximately 25g of magnesium. About 60% is located in bones and the remainder is intracellular fluid. The magnesium content of your blood is less than 1%.
Are you low on magnesium? It’s very possible! You may still not get enough magnesium from your food, even if you have a high-magnesium diet and take magnesium multivitamins. You might be surprised at how little you are actually getting.
Low magnesium levels can be identified by:
What is the Difference Between Magnesium Formulas?
Supplementing with magnesium is possible. Magnesium is an extremely common dietary supplement. There are many forms of it, each with a different function and purpose.
These are the most common forms of magnesium supplements:
There are so many magnesium forms, so how can you choose the best one?
Magnesium supplements can be more effective than others at correcting deficiency. Because magnesium citrate is easily absorbed by the stomach, it’s a common form of treatment for magnesium deficiencies. People with sensitive intestines may feel discomfort from the laxative effect.
People who require magnesium supplementation but do not want to affect their intestinal function may consider magnesium malate.
For specific uses, certain types of magnesium are best:
What’s Magnesium B Carbonate?
There is another form of magnesium that we haven’t talked about yet: magnesium bicarbonate. Not to be confused by sodium bicarbonate!
Magnesium Bicarbonate, a magnesium form that can be taken in as water, is what you take. This supplement helps to meet your daily magnesium requirements and maintains a healthy pH.
The body works constantly to keep its homeostasis, or total balance, intact. Your pH level must be controlled to avoid being either too alkaline, or too acidic. Magnesium Bicarbonate functions in the same way as other electrolytes, to maintain a healthy pH.
While it’s great to try to get most of your magnesium from food intake alone, it’s often difficult to do so. You can save money by adding magnesium bicarbonate into your daily routine, and still get the magnesium minerals your body needs.
How to make Magnesium bicarbonate water
My magnesium bicarbonate water is made with magnesium hydroxide. You can make your own magnesium bicarbonate and magnesium hydroxide water. It’s easy, cheap, and it is very economical.).
Here’s how I do it:
How to take Magnesium bicarbonate
It’s important to note: you are not going to drink this whole bottle in a day. Consuming excessive magnesium bicarbonate water may cause severe digestive discomfort and cramping. It can also lead to electrolyte imbalances, magnesium toxicities, and worsening of symptoms such as diarrhea, cramping, nausea, vomiting, or even death. Over-consuming magnesium daily can lead to damage in your heart, and other parts of the body.
You don’t want to make your body too alkaline. All you need to supplement your daily magnesium intake is 1-2 small glasses per day, about ¼ to ½ cup each. Limit the amount of magnesium you consume if you are taking other magnesium supplements, or eating a lot magnesium-rich food.
Here are some things that you might want to learn:
For magnesium bicarbonate to be active, it must remain refrigerated. If you don’t drink it all within a few weeks, you may notice some white powder settling at the bottom of the bottle. This may mean that it has lost some of its potency, but it’s not bad to drink. You can always make another bottle if you feel you have not been getting enough magnesium bicarbonate.
Are Children able to take Magnesium Bicarbonate?
Children are very important users of magnesium. They need it for the same health benefits that adults do, and many don’t get enough in their diets. You need to take extra care when giving supplements to children than you would for adults. For most nutrients, the RDAs of children are not as high as those for adults.
Many supplements can be given to children as young as four years of age. You may give magnesium bicarbonate to them at a lower level than you would for your own. Your pediatrician or functional medicine doctor should be consulted if your child is under 4 years old.
Let’s get to the bottom
Magnesium, a crucial nutrient we all require. Most of us don’t get enough in our daily diets. Magnesium bicarbonate, a simple DIY supplement that supports your magnesium requirements, is a great option. I have loved integrating it into my daily wellness routine because it’s simple to do and actually feels like a treat. It’s fine to swallow supplement capsules, but I love it when I make a small cup of tea and take the time to really invest in my own health. This helps me as a mom who is busy.
Jessica Meyers (MPAP, PA–C, RH(AHG), a specialist in functional and herbal medicine) reviewed this article. Jessica is also available on Instagram. You should always consult your doctor if you need any personal advice.
Have you ever tried taking magnesium supplements? Are you familiar with making magnesium bicarbonate from scratch? Please share your experiences with me in the comments section below.
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