We turn to social media apps like TikTok for a lot of reasons. One topic trending these days is the health benefits of magnesium. It turns out, the experts agree with what you might be seeing, but with a few caveats.
For people who are just getting hip to magnesium and its benefits through viral TikTok videos dietician, Kimberly Snodgrass has some advice.
“If you really want an expert you should talk to a dietitian,” said Snodgrass. “You shouldn’t always listen to what you see on social media or hear on social media.”
She said magnesium is good for your body, benefits your heart, and even boosts your mood. You can find it in foods you might already be eating.
“So dark leafy greens are a really good source of magnesium: Nuts, seeds, dried beans, and whole grains,” said Snodgrass. “You can get it from a lot of food sources so you really don’t need to supplement it if you’re really eating a lot of foods.”
There is such a thing as not getting enough of the nutrient.
“Typically we see a magnesium deficiency in people with celiac disease, people with Crohn’s disease, people who have chronic alcoholism. You’ll know you’re deficient if you start feeling fatigue, nausea, vomiting,” Snodgrass said. “It gets really bad if you start to have numbness, tingling and seizures. As I said, also talk to your dietitian. She’s going to educate you or your doctor and will guide you.”
She also warned that too much magnesium is a concern too.
“If you consume too much, you’re going to have diarrhea, which no one wants, and you’re going to have cramping,” said Snodgrass. “For men, the supplementation upper limit is 400 mg and for women, it’s 300 mg.”