What kind of magnesium is best for constipation

The most common way to evaluate magnesium levels is to order a serum blood magnesium test. However, this does not give us an accurate picture of your whole magnesium status, because only an estimated 1 percent of magnesium in the body is found in the blood 4.

Additionally, the body tightly regulates magnesium levels in the blood by pulling from stores in your bones and other tissues when dietary intake of magnesium is inadequate. This means that your blood levels will be the last place to show a deficiency. By this point, your symptoms could be very serious. Subclinical magnesium deficiency, however, may be more common, affecting up to 30 percent of people 5.

Subclinical means that your blood magnesium levels may appear to be normal even though you have an underlying magnesium deficiency 4. A more accurate way to test magnesium status and the method we prefer at Root Functional Medicine is to look at the amount of magnesium in your red blood cells.

This way, we can evaluate the levels of magnesium in your cells and identify subclinical magnesium deficiency before your blood values even begin to drop.

A normal range for RBC magnesium is 4. There are many different forms of magnesium supplements. The most common type of magnesium used in conventional medicine is called magnesium oxide found in Milk of Magnesia.

Unfortunately, magnesium oxide is not well absorbed and can have a strong laxative effect leading to uncomfortable bloating and diarrhea. In fact, only about 5 percent of magnesium oxide is absorbed and used by the body 6. Magnesium citrate is one of our top choices for magnesium supplementation.

Read the product labels carefully to prevent excessive magnesium intake. Supplemental magnesium may interfere with the effectiveness of some prescription medications.

Before starting magnesium, tell your healthcare provider and pharmacist if you are taking any of the following:. In some cases, you can minimize a drug interaction by separating magnesium from the co-prescribed drug by four to six hours.

In others, your healthcare provider may need to either substitute or adjust the dose of the co-prescribed drug. Your kidneys are directly responsible for clearing magnesium from the blood, so you should not take vitamin and mineral supplements unless prescribed by your healthcare provider if you have kidney disease or if you need dialysis, as even normal amounts may produce toxicity.

If you are using magnesium to treat your constipation from IBS-C, you should be aware that the dose of magnesium used to treat constipation is not intended to be used as a dietary supplement.

If your kidneys are impaired, the excessive intake of magnesium can lead to an abnormal accumulation referred to as hypermagnesemia. This, in turn, can lead to heart rhythm problems, respiratory distress, and even cardiac arrest. The amount recommended varies by age, and different guidelines are offered for women who are pregnant or breastfeeding. This is the total amount, which includes magnesium intake from foods, too.

You can take magnesium as a vitamin pill, in a prepared liquid form, or as a powder mixed into a liquid. Magnesium supplements come in a variety of forms, each paired with a different chemical. These magnesium salt combinations are absorbed at different rates by the small intestine.

As a result, each supplement differs in the speed at which it can meet the need for magnesium and therefore has a different dose threshold necessary for the effects to be felt. This makes it challenging to know whether a lower dose used in a clinical study of one salt formulation will be effective for someone attempting to replicate the effects with a different formulation.

If the dose used in both studies is sufficient to meet the need for magnesium, the effects will likely be comparable. Keep this in mind when interpreting this research and consult with your healthcare provider before starting any treatment regimens. Checking the Supplement Facts label on the back of the magnesium packaging will allow you to check the active dose per serving as well as any other ingredients that may be included, such as flavorings, fillers, or binders.

Third-party testing organization ConsumerLab investigated 40 popular magnesium supplements on the market and found several that disintegrated quickly when exposed to moisture, several that contained harmful amounts of lead, and several that were improperly labeled based on the contents.

It can be good to check up on a specific manufacturer through one of these third-party testing sites in order to be sure you can trust what you see on the label. One of the most challenging aspects of having IBS is trying to figure out what's safe to eat. Our recipe guide makes it easier.

By Gretchen Lidicker. Magnesium can help health woes ranging from cramps and headaches to anxiety and constipation. You can get magnesium through certain foods , or you can take a magnesium supplement. There are dozens of different brands and you can find magnesium in a capsule, powder, liquid, or gummy form.

As far as affordability goes, this falls somewhere in the average realm. Ingredients: This maximum delivery supplement provides potent, high-quality magnesium glycinate in an easy format for digestion and absorption and offers potent results. Zhou Nutrition takes care to use only natural ingredients and adheres to strict quality standards.

Dose: Each potent tablet contains mg of magnesium as magnesium glycinate and oxide. Each bottle contains tablets. The gelatin often used in capsules is made from animal products, making many supplements unfriendly to vegans or vegetarians. It also contains a minor amount of potassium. Each bottle contains capsules.

Ingredients: Klaire Labs has spent decades researching the best, all-natural ingredients for its long line of supplements and health products, and the difference is immediately obvious.

This magnesium supplement contains magnesium glycinate for easy absorption and better efficiency. The recommended serving size is one capsule. The Magazine Shop. Login Register Stay Curious Subscribe. Newsletter Sign up for our email newsletter for the latest science news.

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