Magnesium Magic: How Magnesium Can Help Your Menstrual Cycle

Wondering where all the magnesium hype came from? Don’t worry, we’re dedicating an entire blog post to this super supplement to find out what it is, all its body benefits, and how this miracle mineral could help you. Let’s go… 

What actually is magnesium?

You’ll find magnesium in the bones, muscles, and soft tissues of your body, and a little in your bloodstream, too. It’s a nutrient that keeps you healthy, as it is used in a whopping 600+ cellular reactions, for example, helping muscles contract. It’s so important that it actually helps stabilise our DNA... pretty crucial! 

We get it from eating the foods that naturally contain this magical mineral, such as nuts, seeds, green leafy vegetables, and more. But like with other minerals, we can become deficient in magnesium, and an estimated 68% of American adults don’t get their recommended daily intake. For those of us with a menstrual cycle, this can take its toll, as it is linked to our estrogen and progesterone levels.

Here’s what getting your recommended daily intake of magnesium could do for you: 

Reduce mental health related PMS symptoms

Research has found that decreased magnesium could be the cause of PMS symptoms, as it is essential for the brain's dopamine synthesis, and if unbalanced, can affect mood and lead to anxiety. Studies show that decreased circulating magnesium concentrations in the luteal phase can lead to PMS, and supplementing your magnesium could help reduce the effects of this. 

Plus, its incredible calming properties have been found to positively affect those who experience anxiety and stress, so if you find yourself particularly stressed out at a certain point in your cycle, magnesium could help with this. 

Improve sleep quality

Reducing anxiety and getting us more ZZZs? Yes please. It is thought that taking magnesium supplements could improve your sleep quality by helping you relax and unwind at the end of the day. In one study, researchers found that participants taking a magnesium supplement every day reported falling asleep faster, and noticed an improvement in their quality of sleep. 

Alleviate period pains and cramps 

If you suffer from bad cramps during your menstrual cycle, magnesium could be your new best friend (it is commonly known as "nature's relaxant"). It works to calm the physical symptoms of PMS by relaxing the smooth muscles of the uterus and reducing the prostaglandins that cause period pain. Pain killers like ibuprofen may not be a good long-term solution (you should discuss this with your GP if you rely on regular pain medication for period pain), so it may be worth trying a magnesium supplement out as a more natural alternative.  

Manage menstrual migraines

For those who suffer from the dreaded menstrual migraines, a boost in magnesium could help you out, too. Studies have shown that decreased levels of magnesium may cause migraines, and one study found participants that reported migraines had significantly lower magnesium levels than those who didn’t. The findings? Taking a magnesium supplement or upping your magnesium-rich food intake could provide some relief from migraines. G’bye headaches! 

Help with menopause or perimenopause symptoms  

If you are desperate for some relief from those pesky hot flashes, then magnesium could be the answer. While more studies are needed in this area, one did find that magnesium supplements were an effective and safe way for women who could not take hormone replacements to find relief from hot flashes.

What’s more, it is thought that around 10–30% of postmenopausal women suffer from osteoporosis, meaning a gradual decline in bone density. Upping your magnesium intake could help decrease the progression of osteoporosis and keep bones healthy long-term. 

So… how do you increase your magnesium levels?

Good question! If you’re sold on the possibility that magnesium could help you have a calmer, more balanced menstrual cycle, then you’re probably wondering what foods you need to be eating to support healthy levels of magnesium. Luckily there are lots of scrumptious foods you can promptly add to your shopping list. 

If you’re a vegetable fan, then you may want to pick up spinach, edamame, potatoes (keep the skin on!), tamarind, okra, and if you’re at a reeeally fancy supermarket… prickly pear is also packed with magnesium - who knew?! 

Whole grain products like bran cereals, wheat germ and quinoa are magnesium-rich, and you can snack on seeds and nuts such as almonds and cashews to up your levels. Some other items to add to your basket include soy, cheese, cooked beans (black, lima, navy, pinto and chickpeas are ideal), yogurt, tempeh, tofu, and peanut butter. Stock up on these and you could start to feel the benefits in no time. 

… and if you want an easy way to get your magnesium fix

Yoppie’s awesome supplement range wouldn’t be complete without one dedicated to this mighty mineral. Our Super Soother supplement features magnesium as one of 10 carefully chosen ingredients to help tackle every issue we’ve mentioned above, and much more! 

Are you curious about how magnesium could help with your menstrual cycle? Share in our private Facebook group or drop us a note on Insta @itsyoppie. Don't forget that our personalised period subscription box can get organic tampons (and much more, soon including supplements!) delivered easily and regularly through your letterbox, fully tailored to your menstrual care needs.

This content has been fact checked by Yoppie's nutritional expert, Shona Wilkinson.

References:

1. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3703169/
2. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/22069417/
3. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/31691193/