Magnesium and the Nervous System

Magnesium is an essential mineral involved in hundreds of metabolic processes in the human body, including the functioning and connectivity of the billions of nerves that determine our sensations, thoughts, and actions. It is now undeniable that sufficient magnesium is necessary for the proper functioning of the nervous system.

What does magnesium do for our nervous system? Find out in this blog.

A magnesium deficiency increases the risk of various ailments and disorders caused by faulty nerve connections. This includes neurological conditions such as epilepsy, dementia, and Parkinson’s disease. The nervous system also plays a role in experiences like pain perception, heart rate, or simple actions like scratching your head. But how does this work, and what is the role of magnesium in our nervous system? Let’s explore. The Role of Magnesium in Information Transmission and Energy in the Nervous System

The human nervous system is generally divided into three parts:

The Central Nervous System: the brain and spinal cord.
The Peripheral Nervous System: spread throughout the body, responsible for sensation and movement.
The Autonomic Nervous System: regulates functions like digestion, breathing, and heart rate.

Quick View

Zechsal magnesium bodycream

Quick View

Magnesium Gel

€13,95

Quick View

Magnesium drops

Quick View

Magnesium Oil in handy spray bottle

€12,95

Sometimes the somatic nervous system, the sensory connection between the outside world and the inner person, is also named as a separate part. Although these parts are interconnected, a significant difference is that nerves in the peripheral and autonomic nervous systems can heal after damage, while nerve damage in the brain and spinal cord is irreversible. [i]

The keyword for both the central and peripheral nervous systems is information provision. In the central nervous system, information from the senses about our body and environment is connected with brain parts like memory. This information is then used to control (peripherally) our muscles and organs. These constant information flows between the estimated over 80 billion nerve cells in our body require a tremendous amount of energy. In theory, the amount of energy used daily in one human body could power a thousand households.

The substance responsible for the production of energy in our cells is adenosine triphosphate, abbreviated ATP. Each ATP molecule is like a small battery that stores energy and then releases it for all activities required by your (nerve) cells. Magnesium is essential for the production of ATP. Without magnesium, no ATP, and without ATP, no energy and information transmission via nerve cells. [ii]Nerve Disorders and Magnesium

Malfunctions in the central nervous system can cause severe disorders. Extra magnesium cannot prevent or cure these disorders such as Parkinson’s or dementia. However, since people with a chronic magnesium deficiency have an increased risk of these disorders, it is certainly advisable to get enough magnesium. [iii] Keep in mind that the effective use of magnesium in our bodies decreases as we age, and factors such as medication use and stress play a role.

For conditions related to disruptions in the peripheral nervous system, it is also wise to consider your magnesium intake. The collective term for this nerve pain or nerve disorders is neuropathy. The causes of this often chronic pain in parts of the peripheral nervous system vary:

Type 2 Diabetes
Chemotherapy
Shingles
After surgery
Hernia complaints or Carpal Tunnel Syndrome

Regardless of the cause, it is estimated that 1 in 3 to 5 people suffer from chronic pain [iv], with 1 in 10 being hindered in their daily activities due to it. [v]

Quick View

Magnesium drops

Quick View

Zechsal foot bath

Magnesium for Nerve Pain

There are various treatment options for nerve pain that, depending on the type of complaint, are also used in combination:

Medication: discuss with your doctor what the best medication is.
Physiotherapy: often aimed at reducing stiffness and strengthening muscles.
Talk therapy
Yoga and meditation
TENS treatment: electrical impulses promote the release of (endogenous) pain-relieving substances.
Medical intervention: this ranges from anesthetic injections to surgical procedures.

The treatment or combination of treatments has no standard and varies from country to country and within that from practitioner to practitioner. [vi] New treatments such as the use of cannabinoids and biomedical stem cell or gene therapies are gaining ground but are still controversial. [vii]

Additionally, there are general guidelines for people with nerve pain: exercise a lot and relax. Extra magnesium can be supportive here, for example in the form of gels, foot baths, or magnesium drops.

The Autopilot, Stress, and Magnesium

The autonomic nervous system, our autopilot, is divided into the sympathetic and parasympathetic nervous systems. The sympathetic system responds when the body needs to act suddenly, known as the fight-or-flight response. The parasympathetic part deals with less urgent matters like digestion, saliva production, tears, and sexual arousal.

Disruptions in the autonomic nervous system can be temporary but no less annoying. They can cause tics, constipation, sweating, high blood pressure, relaxation issues, and anxiety. A major cause of these disruptions is stress. Stress consumes a lot of magnesium, and a magnesium deficiency causes (even more) stress. This negative spiral has been investigated and demonstrated multiple times in scientific literature. [viii]

Using extra magnesium as a cure is not the solution. Magnesium is not a medicine but a natural mineral essential for many bodily functions, including the functioning of the nervous system. Therefore, make sure you get enough magnesium, adjust your diet, and take additional oral and/or transdermal magnesium supplements if necessary.

References:

[i] Bryson, B. ‘The body a Guide for Occupants’. London 2019.

[ii] NCBI PMC Article on Magnesium and ATP

[iii] NCBI PMC Article on Magnesium and Neurological Health%20%5B1%2C2%5D) DOI

[iv] UMCG Article on Chronic Pain

[v] CBS Report on Pain and Daily Activities

[vi] SAGE Journals Article on Pain Management

[vii] Physiology Article on New Treatments

[viii] NCBI PMC Article on Stress and Magnesium