The Link Between Magnesium and Migraines

Migraines have been affecting lives since before Hippocrates first described the symptoms of one. He wrote down that he saw a shining light out of his right eye and experienced a sharp pain in his temples. Anyone who’s experienced a migraine before knows this feeling all too well and is likely searching for a way to relieve themselves from it.

In fact, migraines are the 3rd most widespread illness in the world and will affect nearly 12% of the entire population. In the United States alone, more than four million people will experience migraines on a daily basis - or at least 15 times per month - and it will affect women far more than anyone else.

While migraines have been around for thousands of years, we’ve learned a lot about them throughout history - including how to relieve yourself from them and prevent them. One promising treatment is magnesium, a mineral that we consume on a daily basis. As important as this mineral is for migraines, nearly 75% of the population will struggle to get the recommended daily amount.

Since a magnesium deficiency could make your migraines worse - or even be one of the causes of your migraines - ensuring you get enough magnesium is essential, whether it’s through your diet or supplementation.

Now, you’re probably wondering what magnesium is, how it affects migraines, and how you can increase your daily intake of magnesium. Don’t worry, we’ll break it all down for you so you can start to find the relief you’ve been searching for!

Also Read: To test or not to test – how do I get tested for the MTHFR defects?

There are a total of 91 naturally-occurring elements located on the periodic table. Of those elements, 16 of them are minerals that are essential to the human body - sodium, potassium, chloride, calcium, magnesium, phosphate, iron, manganese, copper, cobalt, zinc, selenium, chromium, molybdenum, iodine and fluoride.

(The list above doesn’t include oxygen, hydrogen, carbon, nitrogen, and sulfur, which are found in proteins)

Of course, magnesium is the one we are interested in today. Magnesium is actually essential to a wide range of processes or functions in the body. It helps regulate blood pressure, the function of your nerves, maintain heart rhythm, and improve the health of your bones.

You’ll find several different types of magnesium on the back of ingredient labels, but some of the most common are:

• Magnesium Citrate - this type of magnesium is easily utilized by the body and will stimulate your bowel movements.
• Magnesium Chloride- another type of magnesium that is easily utilized by the body.
• Magnesium Sulfate - not only is this type hard to utilize in the body, but it’s also inorganic.
• Magnesium Carbonate - will contain more magnesium, but won’t settle too well in the stomach.
• Magnesium Oxide - the most prominent form of magnesium that is easy to find, contains high amounts, and is commonly taken for migraines.

As you can see, if you’re looking to treat migraines you’ll be better off with magnesium oxide - also known as magnesia.

Also Read: Get Tested for MTHFR: DNA Methylation Test

Now that we understand a little bit more about magnesium, it’s time to discover what migraines are and how they can negatively affect the quality of life we all fight so hard to maintain.

If you’ve ever experienced a headache, then you understand how it can affect your ability to focus and be happy. It’s distracting, annoying, and always seems to come at the wrong time. A migraine, on the other hand, is much worse than a headache.

Migraines will often be accompanied by an extreme sensitivity to light and a throbbing sensation on either side of your head. They could last an hour or they could last several days, but they’ll be near-unbearable no matter what.

Also Read: Methylfolate for Anxiety

There have been multiple studies throughout recent history that support supplementing magnesium to treat migraines. In most of these studies, a common finding in those migraine patients are lower levels of magnesium in the body.

Not only has magnesium been shown to reduce the frequency of migraines, but it can help reduce the severity of them as well. In one study, the frequency of migraines was reduced by over 40% and it was extremely effective with menstrual-related migraines.

As we mentioned above, the most popular form of magnesium used to treat migraines is magnesium oxide. Commonly found in pill or capsule form, most studies recommend the use of 400-600 milligrams per day - in addition to your normal eating habits.

Before you take magnesium, you should be aware of the possible side effects. In the study mentioned earlier, there was only one patient that dropped out of the study due to the side effects - diarrhea - which seems to be the most common side effect when supplementing with magnesium.

Also Read: Homocysteine and Hyperhomocysteinemia: Hard to spell. Easy to manage

Magnesium supplementation is an extremely important treatment for most migraine patients, but there is a wide range of ways you can naturally find relief. Of course, some will work better than others, but most people with migraines are desperate for any kind of relief.

Believe it or not, your diet can have a lot to do with your migraines. Some of the most common migraine triggers include foods with nitrates (hot dogs, bacon), dried fruits, chocolate, ice cream, foods that contain MSG, processed foods, alcohol, and cheese (mostly feta, cheddar, Parmesan).

Avoiding those types of foods and beverages can help you steer free of migraines. In addition to that, lavender oil has become a popular essential oil that can help relieve migraines. Acupressure with the fingers and hands, peppermint oil, ginger, and frequent yoga are also known to help ease symptoms and frequency.

At the end of the day, you’ll need to start taking care of your body if you want to regain your quality of life eventually. Migraines will do whatever they can to ruin your day, but that won’t happen if you know how to contain and maintain the migraine properly.

Outside of migraines, magnesium is known to help a variety of conditions. In fact, it acts as a cofactor in over 300 enzyme systems and is essential to a wide range of processes and functions in the human body.

It’s responsible for protein synthesis, blood glucose control, the function of nerves, and regulating blood pressure. It’s also required to produce energy in the body, oxidative phosphorylation, and glycolysis.

If that’s not enough to get you excited for magnesium, it will improve bone structure, synthesis of DNA and RNA, and production of glutathione - one of the body’s most important antioxidants.

Also Read: Super B Complex and Treatment to MTHFR

Migraines affect people all over the world and they can easily lead to a lower quality of life in almost anyone. They come and go as they please and you never truly know how severe they’ll be until they arrive.

At Methyl-Life®, we understand how frustrating this can be and that’s why we’re committed and dedicated to helping others find a solution to their condition.

We provide our customers with a quality magnesium supplement that utilizes Sucrosomial magnesium - which is essentially magnesium oxide coated with a liposomal-like structure making it fast and easy to absorb. Remember, magnesium oxide is the best form for treating migraines, but often it’s not a high-absorption form of magnesium, however, with our sucrosomial coating, you’ll find this makes a powerful supplement for your condition.

In addition to the magnesium, the supplement will also contain Inositol - which is a type of sugar that influences insulin resistance, as well as neurotransmitters and hormones in the brain.

Methyl-Life® also provides a powder supplement that contains Magnesium L-Threonate to help you think clearer while reducing the effects of the migraine.

Finally, you can take your supplement journey a little further if you want some help with the MTHFR mutation as well. We have a Beginner’s Bundle that contains 2.5mg of methylfolate, a non-methylated multivitamin, an active B12 supplement (hydroxocobalamin), as well as the superior Sucrosomial Magnesium capsule.

We have unique and specialized supplements available and we can sit here all day talking about them. If you have any questions regarding any of our products or want to learn a little bit more about how they work, feel free to contact us today! We have a team of wonderful professionals ready to answer your questions and keep you healthy!

Also Read: Prescription Products