Magnesium for PCOS : Importance, benefits, dosage & more

by in Biohacking Products, Supplements

June 24, 2022 • 0 comments

Magnesium for PCOS to eliminate all your PCOS-related problems and deficiencies!

Our bodies need magnesium in abundant quantities to function well, but women with PCOS might not get enough of it and that’s where the problem begins!

A study even claims that women with magnesium deficiencies are 19 times more prone to developing or developing PCOS.

But we can always turn the table, right?

So, the first step towards working on anything is having in-depth knowledge about the subject.

To make it easy, we have created this blog to give every vital knowledge you need.

We will talk about:

The different symptoms of magnesium deficiency in women with PCOS.
Why are women prone to such deficiencies?
Importance of magnesium in dealing with PCOS.
Benefits of magnesium.
And most importantly, which type of magnesium supplements are good for you.

So, without a wait, let’s start with it and get going!

Why women with PCOS are deficient in magnesium

Women with PCOS symptoms or other metabolic conditions like:

Type 2 Diabetes.
Insulin resistance.
Metabolic syndrome.

They are deficient in magnesium.

Also, chronic insulin can lower your magnesium levels.

Though all these issues directly impact your magnesium levels, several other factors can affect it too.

If you’re following a diet low in green vegetables, fruits, seeds, and whole grains, your body might run low on magnesium.

Even high amounts of refined foods like baked goods, bread, crackers, and alcohol don’t fulfill your magnesium needs.

If we talk about magnesium absorption, many factors contribute to it:

Intaking heavy doses of other nutrients like calcium, sodium, iron etc.
Medications like birth control pills or diuretics.
High-stress levels.

Signs you have a magnesium deficiency

Your body’s magnesium levels are difficult to evaluate because most magnesium is present in the cells or the bones and not in the blood.

There is no accurate test to detect the magnesium levels of your body. However, several symptoms point towards it:

Weight gain
Intense craving for sweets, especially chocolate
Muscle cramping, pain
Low energy level or chronically fatigued.
Unwanted hair growth (also known as hirsutism)
Numbness or tingling in hands and feet
Thinning hair on the head
Elevated blood Pressure
Infertility
Insulin resistance or metabolic syndrome
Acne
Memory issues, difficulty focusing, problems maintaining attention.
Mood changes like anxiety, depression or irritability
Pelvic pain
Brittle bones and development of stones
Painful menstrual periods or severe PMS symptoms.
Frequent headaches or migraine headaches
Sleep problems

Why is magnesium essential for women with PCOS?

There are various advantages of having sufficient magnesium levels in your body.

Magnesium helps with:

Reducing inflammation and pain.
Relieving PMS symptoms.
Enhancing sleep etc.

However, the most significant benefit of magnesium for women with PCOS is that it reduce anxiety, insulin levels and blood pressure.

But there is a lot to it.

So, let’s get into detail about various benefits.

Minimizes anxiety

PCOS can have a substantial impact on women’s mental health and can cause anxiety as well as depression.

Also, low magnesium levels can be a root cause behind the rising anxiety levels.

A total of 18 studies have shown that magnesium benefits people with anxiety positively. (1)

People who intake magnesium supplements see a drop in various symptoms of anxiety like:

Apathy.
Insomnia.
Rapid pulse.
Anxiousness.
Nervousness.
Anger.
Heart palpitations.

Magnesium also helps enhance the sleep cycle, which calms anxiety.

Increases insulin resistance

Compared to women without PCOS, women with PCOS have higher insulin levels.

And most of them have insulin resistance.

There is when you need magnesium to make things better.

But what’s the process to it?

Magnesium helps glucose enter your cells, and your body uses it to produce energy.

So, when your body is deficient in magnesium, the glucose cannot enter the cells in sufficient amounts.

That’s why people with insulin sensitivity tend to feel tired and exhausted and have difficulties regulating blood sugar levels.

Sufficient magnesium helps improve insulin resistance and the scraps of your chances of having type 2 diabetes. (2)

So, it is better to go for insulin resistance supplements on time.

Lowers blood pressure

Some women with PCOS have high blood pressure levels, also known as hypertension.

High blood pressure can also cause several heart diseases.

Therefore, you must eat a diet rich in fruits and vegetables because several veggies are a rich form of magnesium.

Prevents migraines

A study conducted in 2021 suggested that magnesium helps a lot in relieving migraine attacks if the symptoms are not adverse. (3)

Some studies suggest that magnesium even helps cure menstrual-related migraines.

Magnesium is a great way to treat migraines and headaches. It relaxes your blood vessels so they don’t shrink or narrow.

While doing that, magnesium also prevents the formation of small clots contributing to migraine pain.

Doctors even suggest that migraine results from low magnesium levels in your body.

You can take the help of magnesium oxide to get rid of the migraine pain.

You are good to go with a daily dosage of 400 to 500gms.

Relieves pain

Magnesium has an active hand in maintaining the health of our muscles and particularly muscle contractions.

Our muscles tend to contract when we lift weights or carry heavy bags.

So, if our bodies give off magnesium deficiency symptoms or fail to get enough magnesium, problems like muscle spasms and cramps can elevate.

It is because magnesium plays a vital role in relaxing the muscles.

Provides PMS relief

Magnesium is known to be an effective treatment in relieving the PMS symptoms.

A sufficient dosage of magnesium daily can help lessen cramps, bloating, anxiety and sleep disturbances that women usually face during the PMS phase.

Chocolate has the highest magnesium content, and women crave it before they start their periods. What a coincidence, right? Maybe our bodies tell us their needs.

Magnesium also helps in relieving PMS-associated headaches and heavy blood flow (Dysmenorrhea).

Reduces inflammation

A significant benefit of magnesium for PCOS is its ability to cut down inflammation.

Low magnesium level is associated with increased inflammation, leading to aging and chronic diseases. (4)

A review based on 11 studies concluded that magnesium could help decrease the C-reactive protein levels in our body, which is a marker of inflammation in people with chronic inflammation.

Also, some studies even link magnesium deficiency to higher levels of oxidative stress, which is related to inflammation.

Protects against type 2 Diabetes

Insulin resistance is a progenitor to type 3 Diabetes.

So, improvement in your insulin resistance reduces your risk of developing type 2 Diabetes drops.

More than 50% of women with PCOs are at risk of developing type 2 diabetes by age 40.

Some studies have also found ties between magnesium deficiencies and diabetes. (5)

Intaking magnesium at sufficient levels can help in reducing your risk of getting type 2 diabetes.

Boosts heart health

Women with PCOS are highly prone to developing heart disease.

What crappy news, isn’t it?

Well! Don’t worry! We have some comforting news too.

Magnesium helps in reducing the risk of cardiovascular disease.

Research says that higher magnesium consumption is related to lower cardiovascular risks like heart attacks and other diseases. (6)

But how does magnesium affect heart function?

Well! Magnesium monitors and regulates calcium entering cells.

So, when calcium enters the cells, muscles contract.

And again, magnesium helps calcium exit the cell so the muscles can relax.

However, when sufficient amounts of magnesium aren’t in your body, the muscles contract more than usual. It can cause angina (Chest pain) or, worse, a heart attack.

Therefore, it is essential to have a dietary magnesium intake to preserve your heart health.

Oral magnesium supplementation also reduces the risk of systolic and diastolic blood pressure.

Preeclampsia and eclampsia

Women with PCOS symptoms are at a higher risk of developing conditions like preeclampsia during their pregnancy.

But here is what you can do to prevent it.

You can use magnesium supplements to protect against preeclampsia and improve pregnancy conditions.

However, you must consult a doctor to understand the proper dosage according to your body’s needs.

Improves sleep

Have trouble sleeping? We must say you aren’t alone.

Several women having PCOS face sleeping problems.

One of which is sleep apnea which has symptoms like:

Attention problems.
Lack of breathing while sleeping.
Chronic snoring.
Excessive sleepiness while waking up.

So, sufficient magnesium intake, like magnesium tablets for sleep, will help you rest better.

Calms the nervous system

Magnesium manages cortisol levels and keeps it in good shape. Women having PCOS are susceptible to anxiety and higher cortisol levels. Therefore, magnesium helps a lot in keeping anxiety and stress at bay.

Helps the thyroid gland

The thyroid glands play a vital role in balancing and regulating your hormones.

So, if your thyroid glands are malfunctional, your energy levels will drop, making you feel exhausted.

You might also face difficulty in shedding weight.

Therefore, there are strong ties between PCOS and thyroid problems.

Activates Vitamin D

Magnesium is a prominent factor in helping vitamin D absorption.

Vitamin D is a beneficial mineral for PCOS, and many women with PCOS are deficient in vitamin D.

Also, our bodies need magnesium to properly absorb vitamin D, so it is better to consume it in sufficient amounts.

Provides relief from period pain

Magnesium helps with a lot of problems like:

Reducing cramps.
Sleeping issues.
Bloating.
Food cravings.

It also helps in preventing heavy blood flow during the period cycle.

Controls your weight

You need magnesium for both insulin signaling and glucose utilization.

Without enough magnesium, your insulin and glucose levels go up.

Excess glucose can get stored in your body in the form of fat, causing belly fat.

However, magnesium supplements help a lot in improving your blood sugar levels.

Recommended magnesium dosage and food sources

A wholesome dose of magnesium is somewhere between 200mg- 500mg every day.

Various foods are super good for magnesium, like avocados, dark chocolate, nuts, leafy vegetables, seeds, nuts, grains etc.

However, simply relying on these food sources might not be sufficient for women with PCOS.

That’s when we need magnesium supplements to fill the gap.

Here are the different types of supplements you can choose from, depending on your intake levels and deficiency:

Glycinate.
Citrate.
Lactate.
Bisglycinate.
Aspartate.
Oxide.
Sulfate.
Chloride.

However, you must consult a professional before starting these supplements.

Ways to improve your magnesium intake

Apart from the food sources and magnesium supplements, there are other ways to use magnesium for the better.

Want to know how?

Here you go!

Magnesium for PCOS source #1: Go for Epsom salt baths

Soaking or bathing in Epsom salts helps with the absorption of magnesium supplements or, more precisely, magnesium sulfate through the skin.

Epsom salts are usually made of magnesium sulfate.

Don’t worry if you don’t own a bathtub because simply soaking your feet in Epsom salts will do the trick for you.

Easy right?

Magnesium for PCOS source #2: Try magnesium oils

Magnesium oil is another excellent option for topical application and absorption of magnesium through your skin.

These oils are generally made from magnesium chloride.

It works exceptionally well for people who face problems or digestive issues while taking oral magnesium.

Many times, magnesium citrate is why people feel uncomfortable while taking magnesium supplements.

However, it is recommended that you take recommendations from a doctor before starting with any magnesium supplements or oils or spray.

It is imperative if you have any kind of pre-existing heart or kidney disease.

Bioptimizer magnesium for PCOS

Biotimizer magnesium for PCOS is what you need to fill up your magnesium deficiencies.

Magnesium breakthrough by Bioptimizer is an all-in-one solution to your magnesium needs.

It is made up of seven different forms of magnesium.

All you need is to figure out the exact amount of magnesium in your body and how much you need according to your age, weight and other bodily factors.

You must consult a doctor before starting with the supplementation.

FAQ

Here are some of the questions people usually ask:

Magnesium for PCOS FAQ #1: What type of magnesium should I take for PCOS?

If you have PCOS, you should use the quickly absorbing magnesium types. Here are some forms that are both readily absorbed and available:

Magnesium aspartate.
Glycinate.
Chloride.
Lactate.
Citrate.

Magnesium sulfate and magnesium oxide are not easily absorbed.

Also, if you are thinking of using Epsom salts, go for oral and transdermal cream. Those creams absorb better than salts.

Magnesium for PCOS FAQ #2: Is magnesium Good for PCOS?

Magnesium is a critical mineral for our overall bodily functions. Plus, it provides benefits and relief with multiple problems like:

Relieving oxidative stress in women with PCOS.
Cardiometabolic profiles.
Improving insulin resistance and metabolism.

So, make sure you consume healthy magnesium-rich foods.

Magnesium for PCOS FAQ #3: Is magnesium good for ovaries?

Low magnesium levels can hurt your body. Especially if you’re a woman, magnesium deficiency can make you prone to polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS).

If you have been diagnosed with PCOS, the doctor must have recommended you some magnesium supplements. It is because magnesium helps in relieving specific symptoms of this condition.

Magnesium for PCOS FAQ #4: Which Vitamin deficiency causes PCOS?

Some studies confirm that women with PCOS are highly deficient in vitamin D.

A strong correlation has been established between the low vitamin D levels and several metabolic symptoms in PCOS patients.

Vitamin D can also be a prime reason for the pathogenesis of PCOS.

For more interesting blogs, keep following us on Ageless Bodyblog.

You’d also like to read:

Magnesium for restless legs– Calm down your legs!
Stress relieving foods– Good food, good mood!

Sources:

Magnesium for PCOS : Importance, benefits, dosage & more

Bid adieu to PCOS problems now!

Why women with PCOS are deficient in magnesium

Signs you have a magnesium deficiency