What is magnesium chloride?

| Magnesium is a mineral present in nature and in our own body. It participates in more than 300 biochemical reactions that are necessary for the optimal functioning of the organism, such as: energy, regulation of blood glucose, muscle function or the formation of bones and teeth.

This mineral is present in many foods such as: bran, potatoes, legumes, nuts, seeds, green leafy vegetables, cereals and dairy. But nevertheless, certain pathologies or a poor diet may cause a deficit.

A daily intake of 420 mg of magnesium is recommended for men and 320 mg for women. If, for some reason, our body does not receive these amounts, it produces deficits whose symptom are:

• Loss of appetite
• Sickness
• Vomiting
• Fatigue
• Numbness
• Tingle
• muscle cramps
• Seizures
• Personality changes in extreme cases

If the insufficiency lasts over time can be developed other pathologies:

• Coronary diseases
• Cerebral stroke
• Osteoporosis

For all this, there are many people who decide to take magnesium dietary supplements, among which we highlight magnesium chloride, a salt of this mineral that includes chlorine and whose absorption rate is higher than other magnesium supplements such as carbonate or citrate.

What is magnesium chloride for?

Magnesium chloride is a dietary supplement (not as it is used to call it) easily absorbed that can be useful for:

• Relieve the.
• Help in digestions.
• Improve constipation.
• Improve the It may help reduce the risk of osteoporosis in older women.

However, there are certain myths which indicate that Magnesium chloride supplements help tendon and tissue regeneration: in this regard, there are no studies that demonstrate these benefits.

Risks of magnesium supplements

The kidneys are responsible for eliminating or reabsorbing magnesium depending on our blood levels:

• If we have a deficit there is a reabsorption
• If we have an excess, it is eliminated through urine.

However, this "self-regulation" may fail if maximum magnesium limit is exceeded from dietary supplements and medications, which in adults is 350 mg.

From this amount, a high consumption may cause diarrhea, nausea, stomach cramps, even heart disease or cardiac arrest. Additionally, magnesium supplements can interact with taking other medications What:

• The drugs used for osteoporosis, decreasing the effect of these.
• diuretics that increase magnesium reabsorption: in this case, if magnesium supplements are also taken, kidney stones can develop.
• The antibiotics, whose absorption may decrease if taken at the same time as magnesium supplements.

Carrying out a balanced diet is already a sufficient action to enter the recommended daily amounts of magnesium. It is necessary to know if we really have a deficiency of any mineral since if we decide to self-supplement, there is a risk of exceeding the maximum recommended amounts and endangering our health.

On the contrary, if there really is a deficit that CANNOT be solved through a specific food plan, we must prescribe the dose and presentation of this food supplement in a personalized way.

What you should know:

• Magnesium is a mineral present in many foods so if our diet is balanced there is no need to take supplements.
• Deficits can occur whose symptoms include: loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, numbness, tingling, muscle cramps, seizures and personality changes in extreme cases.
• It is necessary to know if there is a deficit, because exceeding it can endanger our health.

Judith Torrell Diploma in Human Nutrition Clinical Nutrition Specialist