Magnesium Oxide – A Vital Mineral Supplement for Various Health Benefits
Leading a healthy life and keeping your brain functioning optimally has become very important in today’s modern life of fast food and smartphones. It’s so easy to fall into the trap of staying home and bingeing on pizza and your favorite series. Before you know it, you’re overweight, sluggish and unhealthy.
We know that a poor diet can pile on the kilos and can be detrimental to our overall health, but do we know just how detrimental?
One of the body’s most important, but also most overlooked, minerals is magnesium.
Magnesium is extremely versatile and has many jobs to perform in the body. These include regulating blood pressure, easing muscle cramps, decreasing insulin resistance, assisting in the production of proteins and even helping prevent osteoporosis. As you can see, your body really needs magnesium to aid in the functioning of its many parts.
A healthy diet and lifestyle are usually enough to ensure that you get the normal and required amount of magnesium in your body. However, there are times when your body loses magnesium faster than it can replace it. This could happen when a poor diet is followed, if there is evidence of severe stomach problems or if the individual has poorly controlled diabetes.
The good news is that there is help. You may be thinking of magnesium supplements, which of course do help to a certain extent.
However, magnesium oxide contains a much higher amount of actual magnesium and can get your body up to the required magnesium levels more efficiently.
What is magnesium oxide?
It is a mineral supplement that is mainly used in the treatment of low magnesium levels in the blood. It can also prevent these low levels.
Why would I need a magnesium oxide supplement?
These supplements have other benefits as well, such as working as a short-term laxative, or even treating indigestion and heartburn.
A great feature about magnesium oxide is that it is available over the counter and users do not require a prescription for it. This means that you can starting taking them immediately to get your muscle and bone health back on track!
Magnesium oxide formula
For those out there who want a little bit of a chemistry lesson, let’s find out some more scientific details about the magnesium oxide formula (MgO).
This chemical compound is white in color and is an absorbent solid mineral.
Another fact is that magnesium oxide naturally occurs as periclase, which is predominantly found in limestone and marble.
Most magnesium oxide is produced using a variety of natural products including magnesite and seawater. After going through numerous chemical and scientific processes, we finally get the end product, which is the magnesium oxide supplement.
How to use magnesium oxide
It is very important that individuals follow all instructions when it comes to the proper usage of magnesium oxide.
These supplements come in liquid, capsule and tablet form. Capsules and tablets must only be taken orally and with a full glass of water. The dosage for the liquid supplement needs to be accurately measured out before you take it.
Individuals should not chew or crush the tablets or capsules as the magnesium will be released too quickly, which may result in unpleasant side effects.
It is very important for users to take only the prescribed amount as overdosing can lead to serious side effects.
Magnesium oxide needs to be taken regularly and at the same time every day.
Magnesium oxide dosage
It’s important to remember to always consume the prescribed dose of magnesium oxide, nothing more and nothing less.
If your doctor has prescribed this supplement, he or she will be able to guide you on the correct dosage. If you have purchased magnesium oxide over the counter, you need to follow the dosage information on the packaging.
There are however some guidelines that you can follow. The maximum dosage for children between one and three years old is 65mg, the maximum dosage for children between four and eight years old is 110mg and the maximum dosage for adults is 350mg. These are considered to be tolerable upper intake levels and will not risk the possibility of side effects.
However, depending on your medical condition, your doctor may prescribe a larger dose. Some diabetics take up to 400mg of magnesium oxide per day. Some sufferers of heart disease even go as high as 1200mg per day. Individuals using magnesium oxide for medical ailments must only take the amount prescribed by their doctor.
Overdosing on this supplement may result in loss of consciousness and respiratory problems.
Magnesium oxide benefits and uses
There are many varied benefits to using magnesium oxide.
The first is that because it is a magnesium supplement, it will increase your body’s magnesium to the ideal level. This means that this mineral will be able to perform all of the functions that it is responsible for. This includes the healthy development of muscles and bones, which can prevent osteoporosis.
Optimum magnesium levels assist in good heart health, aids in digestion and regulates the level of potassium, sodium and calcium in the body.
As previously mentioned, it can also be used to relieve heartburn, and can act as a laxative to relieve constipation.
Magnesium oxide may also assist in controlling anxiety in some individuals. A magnesium deficiency can lead to anxiety and depression. By using this supplement, symptoms leading to these mental health issues can be treated.
Magnesium oxide vs magnesium citrate
Magnesium oxide is less soluble than other magnesium supplements such as magnesium citrate. This means that it is not as easily absorbed as its citrate counterpart or other supplements. It is however still extremely effective. This is because it contains more actual magnesium than the other supplements out there. This means that even though it is absorbed slowly, users will still get more magnesium per dosage of magnesium oxide than another supplement of the same dosage.
Effective absorption of magnesium oxide
It is best to take this supplement after you’ve eaten a full meal. This is because it needs to be made as soluble as possible in order for it to be effectively absorbed by the body. In order to make it soluble, it needs to be broken down by stomach acids. In order for stomach acids to be present, food needs to be consumed.
Potential users would need to discuss this with their medical practitioner if they’ve been prescribed any medication that prevents the production of stomach acid.
Magnesium oxide precautions and warnings
One of the main warnings for magnesium oxide is that you should never take more than you’ve been prescribed. An overdose of this supplement can result in serious side effects such as respiratory or heart problems.
Users should provide a full medical history to their doctor. This includes advising your doctor which drugs you’re allergic to, which drugs you’re currently taking and if you’ve had any organ diseases, specifically of the intestine, heart, kidney or liver.
Any other medication should be taken two hours prior or after taking magnesium oxide.
Do not use this supplement as an antacid for longer 14 days, or as a laxative for more than seven days.
Magnesium oxide interactions
If you’ve been prescribed magnesium oxide by your doctor, he or she should be aware of whatever other medicinal drugs you may be on. However, it is important that you disclose all drugs that you’re talking. This includes antacids, laxatives, weight-loss pills and even Aspirin.
You also need to inform your doctor of any herbal and nutritional supplements that you’re taking, as well as any recreational drugs.
Certain types of antibiotics and anticoagulants, or blood thinners, may also interact with magnesium oxide.
The results of these interactions will vary, and users are advised to discuss this with their medical practitioner before taking magnesium oxide.
Magnesium oxide side effects
The less serious magnesium oxide side effects include diarrhea and abdominal cramps. However, it may help if the magnesium oxide is taken with a meal. If these problems persist or worsen, you should consult your doctor.
Some of the more serious side effects include fatigue, nausea, vomiting and changes in mood. You should immediately contact your medical practitioner if you experience any if these effects.
Some closing thoughts on this super supplement
Even though magnesium oxide’s side effects and interactions with other medication may seem scary, they can be avoided.
Individuals just need to make sure that they always taking the correct dosage at the same time every day. It’s important to remember that an overdose of magnesium in the body is extremely dangerous for your health.
The severity of side effects can be lessened just by having a meal when taking this supplement.
It is also important to disclose any and all drugs and supplements that you’re taking to your doctor or pharmacist to try and lessen any negative effects of possible interactions.
It seems like magnesium oxide benefits far outweigh any of its side effects. Users of this supplement can look forward to improved bone and muscle health, which will exponentially assist in the prevention of osteoporosis.
Because magnesium is responsible for so many functions in the body, it is imperative that we always ensure that we maintain the correct levels of it through good health, a balanced diet and an effective supplement such as magnesium oxide.