Everyone seems to be talking about it, but I don’t actually know enough about it or what to take.” And she’s right, magnesium has many forms and isn’t just one thing. It’s more like the Avengers: same team name, but each one has a different power. And every molecule of ATP, your body’s energy currency, has to bind to magnesium to become active.
This week one of the members in The Million Hour Club asked me “What’s the deal with magnesium? Everyone seems to be talking about it, but I don’t actually know enough about it or what to take.” And she’s right, magnesium has many forms and isn’t just one thing. It’s more like the Avengers: same team name, but each one has a different power. Let’s dive in…
Where insight becomes impact
What I’ve been looking at this week…
Here’s what I see: despite being essential for over 300 biochemical reactions, around 70% of people are running low. And every molecule of ATP, your body’s energy currency, has to bind to magnesium to become active. No magnesium, no usable energy. It’s like having a wallet full of cash but no way to spend it.
So how do you know if you’re low in this essential mineral? Your body often whispers before it shouts. The whispers of magnesium deficiency can look like:
Fatigue that lingers despite rest
Restless legs or twitchy eyelids
Poor sleep or those 3 a.m. wake-ups
Migraines or tension headaches
Muscle cramps or post-exercise spasms
Heart flutters or palpitations
Brain fog or anxiety
Constipation or sluggish bowels
If you’ve ticked a few of these, it’s not “just stress” or “getting older.” It might be magnesium.
So what do you test?
Serum magnesium (standard blood test): easy to get, but often misleading because only 1% of magnesium is in your blood. Serum magnesium can look normal even when your cells are starved. RBC magnesium (red blood cell test): better; shows what’s inside your cells, not just floating in your bloodstream.
Urinary magnesium (my go-to): best for the big picture; not just how much you have, but how much you’re holding on to vs. losing. Think of it as checking both your bank balance and your spending habits.
And here’s why you can’t ignore it: long-term low magnesium is linked to insulin resistance, high blood pressure, arrhythmias, osteoporosis, depression, even dementia. It’s the mineral most doctors don’t check, but the one you can least afford to miss.
Track it to hack it.
What I’ve been monitoring this week…
There’s no wearable that says “your magnesium is low,” but you can spot the signs through:
Sleep trackers (Oura, Whoop, Garmin): look at sleep latency (how long it takes to fall asleep)and deep sleep %.
Heart Rate Variability Monitors (HRV): magnesium steadies the nervous system, often nudging HRV upwards.
Continuous Glucose Monitors (CGMs): magnesium is crucial for insulin signalling - low levels often mean erratic glucose spikes.
Lab kits my go-to for urinary magnesium and other micronutrients - a real “cellular bank statement.”
From knowing to doing.
What this means for YOU…
🔹 Food first Is supplementing essential? Not always. You can get enough magnesium from food if you prioritise the right sources:
Leafy greens (spinach, kale - magnesium sits at the centre of chlorophyll).
Nuts & seeds (almonds, chia, pumpkin).
Legumes & pulses (lentils, black beans).
Fish (salmon, mackerel).
Dark chocolate (raw cacao - magnesium + polyphenols).
The catch? Modern soil depletion and food processing mean intakes often fall short, which is why supplements sometimes become the bridge.
🔹 Supplements Here’s where it gets practical. Not all magnesium is created equal. When you pick up a magnesium supplement, you’re not just buying “magnesium” - you’re buying a salt/compound (like citrate, glycinate, malate). Only a fraction of that is actual elemental magnesium. For example: magnesium citrate is ~16% elemental magnesium, while oxide is ~60% but poorly absorbed. Start by checking how many milligrams of elemental magnesium you’re getting.
A good average daily dose of elemental magnesium for most adults: 200-400 mg.
Electrolyte powders usually contain 30-100 mg- useful for topping up, not for correcting deficiency.
More is not always better: high doses can cause diarrhoea, abdominal cramps, kidney strain, or even dangerously low blood pressure if you overshoot.
So don’t just buy the biggest number on the bottle. Go for the right dose, not the highest dose. And remember: everyone’s needs differ. That’s why I always say: test, don’t guess.
🔹 Match form to function Now, how do you actually choose a magnesium supplement when the back of a bottle can look like chemistry class. Choose the form that matches your need. Here’s a memory-friendly match- up (form and function start with the same letter!)
Citrate = Constipation (laxative effect, gut motility).
Glycinate / Bisglycinate = Goodnight (calm, sleep, anxiety).
Malate = Muscles (energy, fatigue, cramps, recovery).
Taurate = Ticker (heart health, blood pressure).
Threonate = Think (brain, memory, cognition).
Chloride = Cells + Skin (sprays/oils, absorption).
Sulphate = Soak (Epsom bath for sore muscles).
Orotate = Output (niche; mitochondria + cardiovascular).
Oxide = Oops (cheap, low absorption).
🔹 Electrolytes You’ll also see magnesium in electrolyte mixes alongside sodium and potassium. This is crucial because these three minerals work as a team to balance fluids, nerve signals, and muscle contractions. If one is off, the whole system wobbles. Just watch the dose: electrolyte powders often give small “topping-up” amounts of magnesium, not therapeutic levels.
💼 Case in point: One client was on magnesium oxide for months, thinking “more must be better.” She still had migraines and poor sleep — plus loose bowels. I switched her to glycinate at night (for sleep) and malate in the morning (for energy). Migraines halved, and her Oura showed 20 more minutes of deep sleep. Right form, right dose, right result.
🎯 If you'd like to test your magnesium level or other micronutrients, or want to get to the root cause of any symptoms you may be experiencing so you can make decisions with precision based on your personal data and using devices that are specific for you, then book a private consultation and let's start to decode your health.
Where you’ll find me… Last week: I was on a wonderful equine retreat with my daughter, out in nature and amongst the horses. What did I learn? How to be more H.O.R.S.E!
Humble: a reminder that being human is a wonderful gift, but we can’t do it alone. We need the oxygen from the trees and the microbes from the soil for our survival; we’re all part of the ecosystem.
Observant: with almost 360° vision, horses don’t miss much. Our 120° human view means we need to pay extra attention or risk overlooking what matters.
Ready: ready to give, ready to receive. Horses live in a state of readiness; so should we.
Sentient: horses are deeply sensory. We too experience the world through our senses, but only if we tune in.
Exploratory: horses are curious and spontaneous. Try new things, with new people, and remember that fun is fuel for longevity.
This week: I’m at Ideas Fest, the Health Optimisation Summit, and judging for the Growing Business Awards.
Next week: Excited to be speaking at The Adina Event — bringing longevity insights to a whole new audience.
A thought to pause on…
“If ATP is your body’s cash, magnesium is the PIN code — no PIN, no payment.”
Wishing you a wonderful week ahead (that's 168 hours of your million-hour life!) Dr Alka
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