logo
episode-header-image
Mar 2024
1h 17m

#087 The Science of Magnesium and Its Ro...

RHONDA PATRICK, PH.D.
About this episode

Download the 9-Page "Cognitive Enhancement Blueprint"

Discover my premium podcast, The Aliquot

Join over 300,000 people and sign up for my newsletter

Become a FoundMyFitness premium member to get access to exclusive episodes, emails, live Q+A’s with Rhonda and more

In this solo episode, I'm taking an in-depth look at magnesium – a critical yet frequently underestimated mineral in our health. Magnesium stands tall among vital nutrients for its significant role in multiple aspects of human physiology. During this podcast, we'll delve into the widespread negative health effects caused by a lack of magnesium and discuss why increasing your magnesium intake might be key to achieving optimal health.

In this episode, I discuss:

  • (00:00) Introduction
  • (04:27) Why the effects of magnesium are far-reaching
  • (06:47) Why athletes need at least 10-20% more magnesium than the RDA
  • (10:54) Why magnesium deficiency & insufficiency are common
  • (12:19) How to determine if you're getting enough magnesium
  • (15:14) Magnesium supplements
  • (18:17) Is magnesium threonate better at crossing the blood-brain barrier?
  • (25:08) Why magnesium threonate shouldn't count toward your RDA goal
  • (26:04) What magnesium supplement do I take?
  • (26:36) The effect of stress on magnesium balance
  • (30:15) Why the energy demands of workouts affect magnesium balance
  • (32:56) Does magnesium supplementation improve sleep?
  • (34:04) Why trials in the field of nutrition are often misleading
  • (37:26) Does higher magnesium intake improve cognition?
  • (39:07) Does magnesium have a role in preventing Alzheimer's disease?
  • (42:09) The effect of creatine on the brain (and its relationship to magnesium)
  • (42:42) Why magnesium may prevent excitotoxicity in the brain
  • (43:32) Magnesium's potential for managing migraines
  • (46:41) The role of magnesium in aging
  • (47:39) Why magnesium deficiency impairs DNA repair
  • (49:13) Magnesium's role in cancer prevention
  • (51:14) Why magnesium is intertwined in genomic stability
  • (54:04) Why we shouldn't disregard observational data in nutrition
  • (54:52) How magnesium intake affects mortality risk and cancer
  • (57:49) Magnesium in osteoporosis prevention
  • (59:21) Why magnesium intake in early life affects bone accretion
  • (1:01:06) The effect of magnesium on vitamin D metabolism
  • (1:06:36) Does magnesium treat high blood pressure?
  • (1:10:12) Does magnesium help manage muscle cramps?
  • (1:12:41) Is transdermal absorption of magnesium effective?

Watch this episode on YouTube

Show notes are available by clicking here

Up next
Oct 2
#107 How To Cure Insomnia & Fall Asleep Fast | Dr. Michael Grandner
<p><a href= "https://www.foundmyfitness.com/ask-me-anything?utm_campaign=michael_grandner_podcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=podcast_description"> Get access to <strong>more than 70 Ask Me Anything episodes</strong> with Dr. Rhonda Patrick when you sign up as a FoundMyFitness ... Show More
3h 44m
Sep 5
#106 How To Increase Your Testosterone Levels Naturally | Derek from MPMD
<p dir="ltr"><a href= "https://www.foundmyfitness.com/ask-me-anything?utm_campaign=derek_mpmd_podcast&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=podcast_description"> Get access to <strong>more than 70 Ask Me Anything episodes</strong> with Dr. Rhonda Patrick when you sign up as a FoundMyFitn ... Show More
3h 16m
Aug 5
#105 Exogenous ketones, my coffee protocol, and supplements for blood sugar regulation (Premium Member Q&A July 2025)
<p data-start="106" data-end="767"><a href= "https://www.foundmyfitness.com/crowdsponsor?utm_campaign=qa_72_public&utm_medium=podcast&utm_source=podcast_description"> <strong data-start="106" data-end="274">Become a FoundMyFitness Premium Member to access the full episode</strong ... Show More
33m 5s
Recommended Episodes
Jan 2024
How Magnesium Deficiency Impacts Your Health | Know Your Numbers
View the Show Notes For This Episode Get Free Weekly Health Tips from Dr. Hyman Sign Up for Dr. Hyman’s Weekly Longevity Journal Get Ad-free Episodes & Dr. Hyman+ Audio Exclusives Magnesium is a critical mineral that is responsible for more than 600 enzyme reactions in the body, ... Show More
31m 51s
Sep 2022
How To Know If You're Magnesium Deficient And What To Do About It
This episode is sponsored by ButcherBox and Athletic Greens. Think of magnesium as the relaxation mineral. Anything that is tight, irritable, crampy, and stiff—whether it is a body part or even a mood—can be a sign of magnesium deficiency. This critical mineral is actually respon ... Show More
15m 34s
Dec 2023
#282 - AMA #54: Magnesium: risks of deficiency, how to correct it, supplement options, potential cognitive and sleep benefits, and more
<p><a href= "https://www.google.com/url?q=https://peterattiamd.com/ama54/?utm_source%3Dpodcast-feed%26utm_medium%3Dreferral%26utm_campaign%3D231211-pod-ama54%26utm_content%3D231211-pod-ama54-podfeed&source=gmail-html&ust=1702070761815000&usg=AOvVaw1soUkkxKXKcAwYYCjuwSBe" target=" ... Show More
20m 33s
May 2024
57% Of People Have This Problem!!
<p>In this podcast, we’re going to talk about the most dangerous symptom of magnesium deficiency. Magnesium is involved in over 300 biochemical reactions. It’s important for energy production, and the transmission of nerve impulses, and it allows your muscles to relax. </p> <p><b ... Show More
3m 44s
May 2024
Is This Why You’re Stressed or Not Sleeping?
<p>Today, I’m going to tell you how to reverse magnesium deficiency. It’s very difficult to test for magnesium deficiency. Around 60% of your magnesium is in your bones, 39% in your soft tissue, and only 1% in your blood. A blood test is not a reliable way to determine if you hav ... Show More
6m 47s
May 2022
Will magnesium help you sleep better?
Magnesium is a key mineral that is essential for muscle contractions and nerve transmission while also keeping your heart beating steadily and your immune system strong. Of the many health conditions linked to magnesium, it is poor sleep quality that often comes up as a reason to ... Show More
9m 39s
Oct 2023
The Unique Benefits of Magnesium Glycinate: How It's Different
<p> Let’s talk about the unique benefits of magnesium glycinate. Magnesium is involved in over 300 different enzymes and comes in a lot of different forms. Magnesium glycinate is a combination of magnesium and the amino acid glycine. This combination increases absorption in the ... Show More
8m 26s
Feb 2023
Magnesium - Ask a Nutritionist
<p>Citrate? Glycinate? Threonate? Magnesium comes in many different forms. It's an important mineral in many different bodily functions. Unfortunately most people don't get as much magnesium as they should. The good news is that magnesium is found in many foods as well as conveni ... Show More
11m 35s
Mar 2024
First Sign of a Magnesium Deficiency NEVER to Ignore
<p>Today, I’m going to share 22 signs of a magnesium deficiency. Sixty percent of magnesium is in the bone, 20% is in the muscle, 19% is in the soft tissue, and 1% is in the blood.</p> <p> </p> <p>Magnesium deficiency is the most overlooked deficiency because it cannot be detecte ... Show More
6m 8s
Sep 2022
The Poorly-Understood Role of Copper in Anemia - Discussion Between Morley Robbins & Dr. Mercola
<p>Morley Robbins, MBA, CHC, a repeat guest, is the founder of the Magnesium Advocacy Group. He's best known as the Magnesium Man, and is the author of "<a href= "https://www.amazon.com/Cu-RE-Your-Fatigue-Root-Cause/dp/1662910282" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Cu-RE Your Fatigue ... Show More
2h 13m