After reading the text below you can probably fill it in yourself! Magnesium is an essential mineral for our body, but also for your little one.
Let me explain it to you further below:
Indispensable
Magnesium is the indispensable mineral for our energy production and the functioning of our muscles, nerves, bones, blood vessels and the connections/developments of our brain. Also called the 'anti-stress mineral'. An important mineral, which is actually too low in the population worldwide. Research shows that about 16-35% of adults do not consume enough magnesium. Among young people, the percentage of magnesium intake that is too low is even 57-72%!
So pregnant or not ; extra magnesium supplementation never hurts! But why is it actually good to ensure that your magnesium levels are up to standard?
Why extra magnesium during pregnancy?
During pregnancy, magnesium requirements are higher, partly because you are developing a little one (who also needs magnesium) but also to give and maintain your body an extra boost. This prevents many pregnancy ailments!
For the development of the child, the body requires about 20-40% more magnesium. It plays an important role in cell division of the embryo. We also see clear links between complications during pregnancy and magnesium deficiency. Examples include premature birth, intrauterine growth retardation, preeclampsia, and gestational diabetes.
Reducing pregnancy ailments with Magnesium
A lot happens in the body of the (expectant) mother during pregnancy. Cool, beautiful, but also intense developments. This sometimes causes some ailments, many of which are due to a magnesium deficiency.
Examples of these ailments due to magnesium deficiency may include:
Restless legs
Bad sleeping
Muscle cramps (often in the calf, but also possible in the abdomen)
High bloodpressure
Mood swings/depression
More often hard bellies
If you read these ailments like this, you will notice that it is actually a circle that you are in, and it is all connected to each other; Magnesium is also called the 'rest' or 'anti-stress mineral' and provides extra relaxation and better sleep. When there is a lot of stress, the muscle tension in your body is increased. The hard bellies that pregnant women often experience are a result of this: long working day, a lot of exercise, so more muscle tension on the abdominal muscles and uterus. Extra rest is required for this. This is more difficult if you also sleep poorly, for example due to (calf) cramps, restless legs, etc. Negative and depressive thoughts also surface more quickly as a result of a low energy level. This is already annoying because your hormone balance is turned upside down, so you don't want to 'aggravate' this through low energy levels and bad nights.
In case of long-term stress, also consider a man's sperm production and a woman's fertility, which can suffer from this. Stress is one of the most detrimental states of the human body. Especially during pregnancy. Unfortunately, a magnesium supplement is of course not a 'miracle cure' and will simply make stress disappear from your life ;)
How much magnesium do I need exactly?
After reading the above, you know that it is good to always have and maintain your magnesium level. A standard daily amount of magnesium for a normal healthy lifestyle is 350mg for a man and 300mg for a woman. During pregnancy, but also when breastfeeding, this amount may be increased to 40%.
This can be achieved by a well-varied diet with, for example:
green vegetables
dark chocolate
meat
fish
seaweed
nuts
seeds and kernels
The disadvantage is that magnesium is less well absorbed from vegetables and fruit than from meat and fish. The more alkaline (high PH value) the intestines are, the lower the absorption rate of most minerals. Even if you eat or supplement with magnesium, your body is less able to absorb it with an alkaline gut environment. It is important to have a varied diet for optimal magnesium absorption.
What if I consume too much Magnesium?
An excess of magnesium is not a problem. You simply pee this out again. It can only cause intestinal complaints and diarrhea, which may mean that other nutrients are less well absorbed by the body. So not ideal.
Use magnesium post natally.
With long-term magnesium deficiency you have an increased risk of postnatal depression. The maternity period is an intensive time, during which the mother has a new full-time job. (Breast)feeding, broken nights and a completely different interpretation of day and night. It is therefore also important to give the body what it needs in terms of vitamins and minerals. Through breastfeeding, mom provides the right vitamins and minerals to the baby. Magnesium also plays an important role in the child's 'building' of this new body. So after giving birth, continuing with magnesium supplementation is recommended.
But which form should I use?
The ideal form of magnesium supplementation varies per person. For example, bound to magnesium oxide, chloride or sulphate. The Radboud University Medical Center has conducted research into this. This shows that magnesium absorption in the blood differs per person. Chloride works better for some people, sulphate for others. This depends on all kinds of factors, such as the diet (vegan, vegetarian, etc.) and the acidity in the intestines. The standard supplementation of magnesium is via tablets.
Valuable supplement
In conclusion, magnesium is essential for both general health and during pregnancy. It supports the development of the unborn child and reduces pregnancy ailments such as muscle cramps and restless legs. A varied diet and possibly supplementation help prevent a deficiency.
So: are you not yet using extra magnesium? Give it a try! Pregnant or not! There are many benefits to be gained from it.
For reliable supplements, look at the Mirasoon Shop, where we sell the 400mg Magnesium Citrate capsules from VitaminFit, but also many other vitamins and supplements. Vitaminfit magnesium capsules can be used during or outside of pregnancy. Click on the link to take a look: https://mirasoon.shop/products/Magnesium-Capsules-p652414570
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