Magnesium: Magnificent

on

Magnesium: Magnificent

Magnesium & The Menstrual Cycle

Magnesium & it's Symptom Targets
Magnesium is a wonderful mineral for our menstrual cycle! Research show magnesium can reduce common menstrual cycle symptoms by targeting three key areas:

  • Water Retention: Bloating, swelling, and sore breasts? Magnesium helps regulate fluid balance, so you can feel lighter and more comfortable.
  • Aches & Pains: Cramps to headaches, back pain, and joint aches? magnesium has muscle-relaxing effects.
  • Menstrual Migraine: By supporting blood vessel function and regulating neuronal excitability, magnesium reduces headaches.

What The Research Says

A study of 38 women found that after two months of daily magnesium supplementation, symptom of PMS-related water retention, such as weight gain, bloating, swollen extremities, and tender breasts significantly decreased compared to a placebo1. Interestingly, these benefits appeared in the second month of use. No effect was observed in the first month.

Magnesium is an electrolyte, so it helps to regulate the body's fluid balance2-3.

Another study with 150 women investigated the effects of magnesium, magnesium combined with vitamin B6, or a placebo over two menstrual cycles4. Magnesium significantly improved symptoms of depression, water retention, anxiety, and physical changes (such as cold feelings, nausea, back pain, headaches, acne, joint pain, and muscle pain) compared to the placebo. Interestingly, the combination of magnesium and vitamin B6 was even more effective than magnesium alone.

DITTO’s menstrual cycle supplement includes both magnesium and vitamin B6, ensuring you receive the most benefit!

For those with painful cramps, another study involving 60 women found that magnesium reduced moderate to severe cramps, headache, back pain, foot pain, abdominal pain, depression and irritability compared to a placebo, after two menstrual cycles5.

Magnesium helps to relax the smooth muscle of the uterus. It’s shown to reduce the frequency of muscle cell "depolarisation" by modulating calcium within those cells (calcium triggers contractions). This process ultimately helps to inhibit uterine contractions, easing cramps and discomfort6-7.

An early study also investigated magnesium and menstrual migraine8. The number of days with headache was reduced in those who took a magnesium supplement, compared to those who took a placebo. This finding aligns with a growing body of research that suggests magnesium plays a key role in alleviating migraines in general9.

Further research on 61 women with menstrual migraines found a high incidence magnesium deficiency linked to menstrual migraine attacks, suggesting a possible role for magnesium deficiency in their development10. The reason behind this could be magnesium’s ability relax blood vessels and prevent their constriction, as well as its impact on the nervous system. Magnesium helps regulate neuronal excitability by blocking NMDA receptors, which plays a crucial role in migraine prevention11.

Choosing the Best Magnesium Supplement

Not all forms of magnesium are the same, so choosing the right one can make a BIG difference to how well it works. Magnesium oxide, for example (avoid this!), is commonly sold by supplement companies as it’s cheap to produce, but it has poor bioavailability, with only 4-30% of it actually being absorbed12. Plus, it has laxative effect, which is not ideal if you’ve already got a sensitive stomach.

Magnesium bisglycinate is the best option. It has one of the highest bioavailabilities, meaning your body absorbs more (around 70% of it)12. Plus, it’s gentle on your stomach. This is because it’s “chelated”, meaning bound, to the amino acid glycine which helps it pass more easily through the gut wall.

  1. Walker AF, De Souza MC, Vickers MF, Abeyasekera S, Collins ML, Trinca LA. Magnesium supplementation alleviates premenstrual symptoms of fluid retention. J Womens Health. 1998;7(9):1157-1165.
  2. Ahmed F, Mohammed A. Magnesium: The Forgotten Electrolyte-A Review on Hypomagnesemia. Med Sci (Basel). 2019;7(4):56.
  3. European Food Safety Authority (EFSA). Scientific Opinion on the substantiation of health claims related to magnesium. EFSA journal. https://www.efsa.europa.eu/en/efsajournal/pub/1216
  4. Fathizadeh N, Ebrahimi E, Valiani M, Tavakoli N, Yar MH. Evaluating the effect of magnesium and magnesium plus vitamin B6 supplement on the severity of premenstrual syndrome. Iran J Nurs Midwifery Res. 2010;15(Suppl 1):401-405.
  5. Yaralizadeh M,  Nezamivand-Chegini D , Najar S , Namjoyan F , Abedi .  Effectiveness of magnesium on menstrual symptoms among dysmenorrheal college students: A randomized controlled trial. International Journal of Women's Health & Reproduction Sciences. 2024. 12(2).
  6. Kantas E, Cetin A, Kaya T, Cetin M. Effect of magnesium sulfate, isradipine, and ritodrine on contractions of myometrium: pregnant human and rat. Acta Obstet Gynecol Scand. 2002;81(9):825-830.
  7. Na, H. S., Ryu, J. H., & Do, S. H. (2011). The role of magnesium in pain. In R. Vink & M. Nechifor (Eds.), Magnesium in the Central Nervous System [Internet]. University of Adelaide Press.
  8. Facchinetti F, Sances G, Borella P, Genazzani AR, Nappi G. Magnesium prophylaxis of menstrual migraine: effects on intracellular magnesium. Headache. 1991;31(5):298-301. doi:10.1111/j.1526-4610.1991.hed3105298.x
  9. Chiu HY, Yeh TH, Huang YC, Chen PY. Effects of Intravenous and Oral Magnesium on Reducing Migraine: A Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Pain Physician. 2016;19(1):E97-E112.
  10. Mauskop A, Altura BT, Altura BM. Serum ionized magnesium levels and serum ionized calcium/ionized magnesium ratios in women with menstrual migraine. Headache. 2002;42:242–8
  11. Yablon, L. A., & Mauskop, A. (2011). Magnesium in headache. In R. Vink & M. Nechifor (Eds.), Magnesium in the Central Nervous System [Internet]. University of Adelaide Press.
  12. Vynckier A, Vanheule G, Vervaet C, & Van Den Driessche, M. Type of magnesium salt and formulation solubility determines bioavailability of magnesium food supplements. Journal of Nutrition & Food Sciences. 2020. 12(4)
Back to blog