Magnesium during menopause: How to combat stress, bloating, fatigue & more

Linear and straightforward? That's not how life works – instead, it constantly surprises us with new things. Whether in childhood and puberty or later during menopause. The latter, in particular, fills most women with apprehension. No wonder, because everything changes once again. But don't worry: there are helpful things that can support you during this phase of life – for example, magnesium. In this article, we'll tell you why you should pay particular attention to magnesium during menopause and how it can help you combat bloating, fatigue, and other symptoms.

01. What your body needs magnesium for?

Why magnesium, you ask? This vital nutrient lives up to its name: small but powerful . This mineral is involved in over 300 bodily functions – making it essential for a number of organs and other components of your body. Want a few examples? You need magnesium so that…

• Your bones and teeth will remain strong
• your cells develop optimally
• your muscles and nerves can communicate perfectly
• your hormones are in balance
• Your metabolism is running smoothly
• Your heart functions smoothly
• your blood pressure is normal
• you have enough energy available
• you achieve peak athletic performance
• your body can relax
• your sleep is restful
• You are balanced and fears have no chance
• If your pregnancy goes well , you should expect a child

02. Why is magnesium so important during menopause?

Let's look at the details: During menopause , your body undergoes a major transformation – which often leads to feeling overwhelmed. Hot flashes, sleep disturbances, inner restlessness, stress, fatigue, cramps, tension, menstrual pain, or headaches. The list of symptoms is long. Many of these coincide with those of a magnesium deficiency. The reason: Women in menopause are prone to magnesium deficiency . Three factors play a role in this:

• Hormonal fluctuations: These put stress on your body. And when you're stressed, your need for magnesium increases significantly.
• Hot flashes: Women who sweat a lot now lose more nutrients than usual.
• Age: A one-sided diet leads to deficiencies in the long term, which is why you should pay closer attention to vitamins, minerals, etc. 

Conversely, a balanced magnesium level can not only improve your general well-being , but also have positive effects on menopausal symptoms .

The bottom line is: Make sure your body gets enough magnesium during this phase so it can get through it well. Here's how magnesium can support you during menopause:

• relieves muscle tension and cramps
• improves your sleep quality
• stabilizes your energy levels
• ensures continued strong bones and muscles
• supports your nervous system
• lifts your mood
• strengthens your mental and physical resilience

03. 7 common menopausal symptoms and how magnesium can help

We will take a closer look at seven of the most important menopausal symptoms and the role magnesium plays in them below:

1. Stress and Magnesium : As menopause approaches, many women are already going through a challenging phase: They not only care for children and often other family members, but also face professional demands. Stress is therefore almost inevitable. The result: Cortisol floods your body, creating a hormonal imbalance. Stress is also detrimental to your magnesium levels – it depletes your body of this vital nutrient. You're caught in a vicious cycle where stress and magnesium deficiency exacerbate each other. By giving your body an extra dose of magnesium, you break this cycle, your body breathes a sigh of relief, and your nervous system calms down.
2. Hot flashes and magnesium: Sudden sweating episodes are not uncommon during menopause. Often, your hormones are to blame – especially a drop or fluctuation in estrogen or progesterone levels. While magnesium can't prevent this, it does play a minor role in regulating your body temperature. Therefore, ensuring an adequate supply of this valuable nutrient is advisable in this case.
3. Headaches and magnesium: Hormonal imbalances during menopause often trigger headaches. Magnesium can also help in this case: The mineral calms and stabilizes your nervous system.
4. Muscle cramps and magnesium: If your body lacks magnesium, your muscles cannot function optimally. Tension and cramps then become commonplace. Magnesium can be very helpful here, as it can relieve tension.
5. Menstrual cramps and magnesium: During menstruation, your uterine muscles contract to shed the lining. For many women, this is painful. What can further intensify this pain? A magnesium deficiency. Because the uterus – like any other muscle – relies on magnesium. So support your uterus with magnesium during menopause.
6. Sleep problems and magnesium : Among the most common causes of sleep disturbances during menopause are stress, inner restlessness, but also leg cramps , hot flashes, or nausea. Magnesium not only helps alleviate these symptoms and thus positively influence sleep quality, but can also improve deep sleep phases.
7. Bloating and magnesium: Many women experience digestive problems during menstruation – whether it's diarrhea, constipation, or bloating. While it's not proven that magnesium can relieve bloating during menopause, an adequate supply of this valuable nutrient can help you generally get through menopause well – and your digestion will benefit from that.

04. How to recognize a magnesium deficiency during menopause?

Many of the typical symptoms that can indicate a magnesium deficiency coincide with those that become more pronounced during menopause. Therefore, pay particular attention to the following:

• Muscle cramps, tension, and twitching
• Headaches and migraines
• dizziness
• Sleep disorders
• Nausea, diarrhea and other stomach or intestinal problems
• Tingling or numbness in the hands and feet
• Heart rhythm disorders, circulatory disorders, shortness of breath
• Anxiety, nervousness, irritability, depressive moods
• Lack of motivation, fatigue
• Lack of concentration

05. Supplementing with magnesium during menopause: Support for your body

In addition, you can support your body with high-quality dietary supplements to meet your daily magnesium requirements. Experts recommend 310–320 mg per day for women.

Recommended Product:

👉 7-Salt Magnesium

Conclusion:

Many athletes have long sworn by magnesium to have enough power for every workout and simultaneously support their muscles in regeneration. But women going through menopause should also take a closer look at this vital nutrient. During this rollercoaster ride, in which the body gradually ceases the production of estrogen and progesterone , numerous symptoms can arise. Whether it's stress, sleep disturbances, or concentration problems – magnesium can help with many of these . So it's worth giving this mineral a try.

Sources:

Parazzini F, Di Martino M, Pellegrino P. Magnesium in the gynecological practice: a literature review. Magnes Res. 2017 Feb 1;30(1):1-7. English. doi: 10.1684/mrh.2017.0419. PMID: 28392498. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28392498/

McCabe D, Lisy K, Lockwood C, Colbeck M. The impact of essential fatty acid, B vitamins, vitamin C, magnesium and zinc supplementation on stress levels in women: a systematic review. JBI Database System Rev Implement Rep. 2017 Feb;15(2):402-453. doi: 10.11124/JBISRIR-2016-002965. PMID: 28178022. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/28178022/

Izmozherova NV, Popov AA, Fominykh MI, Andreev AN, Striukova OIu, Tagil'tseva NV, Gavrilova EI. [Magnesium deficiency in climacteric women]. Klin Med (Mosk). 2007;85(5):62-4. Russian. PMID: 17665608. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17665608/

Grili PPDF, Vidigal CV, Cruz GFD, Albergaria BH, Marques-Rocha JL, Pereira TSS, Guandalini VR. Nutrient Patterns and Risk of Osteopenia in Postmenopausal Women. Nutrients. 2023 Mar 29;15(7):1670. doi: 10.3390/nu15071670. PMID: 37049510; PMCID: PMC10096860. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/37049510/

Oldra CM, Benvegnú DM, Silva DRP, Wendt GW, Vieira AP. Relationships between depression and food intake in climacteric women. Climacteric. 2020 Oct;23(5):474-481. doi: 10.1080/13697137.2020.1736025. Epub 2020 Mar 17. PMID: 32180466. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32180466/

Rozenberg S, Vandromme J, Kroll M, Vasquez JB. Managing the climacteric. Int J Fertil Womens Med. 1999 Jan-Feb;44(1):12-8. PMID: 10206195. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/10206195/

Coleman PM. Depression during the female climacteric period. J Adv Nurs. 1993 Oct;18(10):1540-6. doi: 10.1046/j.1365-2648.1993.18101540.x. PMID: 8263243. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/8263243/