Magnesium For Keto

Why Everyone on the Keto Diet Should Consider Magnesium Supplementation

You just started a keto diet, and you’re feeling a way that can only be described as somewhere between “a tad under the weather” and “circling the drain into darkness,” – anyone who has forced their body into a state of ketosis knows the feelings, the “keto flu,” heart arrhythmias, low blood pressure, dizziness, mood swings, cramps, and a general feeling of “malaise” – discomfort or uneasiness.  What most people doing keto don’t know is what they’re really suffering from isn’t some arcane and untreatable “carb addiction,” and that they shouldn’t assume the effects fade as they “detox,” but what these symptoms really are a simple magnesium deficiency, and can be treated easily with a magnesium supplement.

What does Magnesium For Keto do and why do I need it?

Magnesium’s exact role in the body is myriad, from energy production and DNA and RNA synthesis to transporting calcium and potassium ions across cell membranes, helping our nerves to transmit their impulses. More efficient impulses mean better muscle contraction and relaxation and a more regular pulse rhythm. The daily recommended intake for magnesium is 300-400 milligrams a day, but factors affecting it include gender, activity level, and weight, with heavier men needing slightly more.

Magnesium supplementation is ideal for folks on the ketogenic diet because an easy source of the mineral is found in starchy carbohydrates, like beans, whole grains, and bananas, all of which are off the table for those on the diet.

How to Choose the Right Magnesium For Keto Supplement

Here is where things get a little more interesting and a bit more personal, down to your needs as an individual. The tricky thing about magnesium is that it never comes unbound, it needs to be hooked on to another molecule to stabilize it for supplementation, unfortunately swallowing whole chunks of raw magnesium ore is not a possibility in this reality, though it would admittedly simplify things a fair bit. This is where the matter of supplementation gets tricky – you can pick up any $3 bottle from your local Megamart, but depending on what it is bound to, you may not be getting everything you’re paying for. When the compound it’s bound to is less bioavailable than other types of supplements, you’re not getting the nutrition your body needs.

What Type of Supplement Do I Pick?

This all depends on which flavor of the keto flu you have.

If you’re suffering from excessive muscle pain, try magnesium glycinate, which is one of the most bioavailable forms, or a topically applied solution, such as a spray or cream onto the irritated tissue, or magnesium-infused Epsom salt bath.

If you’re experiencing digestive issues, such as constipation or low acid production, magnesium chloride, and magnesium citrate may be right for you. The “chloride” part of magnesium chloride can be repurposed into stomach acid. Citrate is known to be a mild laxative, as well as much cheaper than other forms.

For other symptoms, such as fatigue, arrhythmia, and brain fog, magnesium malate or taurate would be ideal. Malate is an acid that can be used in the Krebs cycle, and if any of us remember biochemistry, that is an important part of supplying energy to your body. Magnesium taurate packs a double punch, helping ease cognition and aid in cardiovascular health.