Health Benefits of Magnesium oxide

Studies have shown that magnesium oxide has the benefit of reducing headache symptoms, reducing stress and anxiety, helping to treat constipation, lowering blood pressure and blood sugar levels.

May help treat headaches

Magnesium is necessary for the proper functioning of nerve cells. Therefore, a deficiency of this mineral can lead to migraines. Studies have shown that magnesium oxide can reduce headache symptoms. It may even be as effective as some migraine medications. For example, a 2021 randomised, controlled, double-blind study of 63 migraine sufferers found that taking 500mg of magnesium oxide per day reduced the frequency of migraines as effectively as a migraine medication called sodium valproate. Earlier studies have also shown that magnesium oxide can reduce migraines in children.

May reduce stress and anxiety

Research suggests that supplementing with magnesium may help reduce stress and anxiety levels in certain populations. a 2017 review of 18 studies found that magnesium oxide reduced stress and anxiety in women with premenstrual syndrome, but only when combined with vitamin B6. However, the researchers said that the available research on the subject is scarce, and that continued research is needed.

Helps treat constipation

One of the most common uses of magnesium oxide supplements is to treat constipation. The supplement is osmotic, which means it draws water into the intestines in order to induce a laxative effect that helps relieve constipation in children and adults. In a small, randomised, double-blind, controlled study in 2019, 34 women with mild to moderate constipation were treated with 1.5 grams of magnesium oxide or placebo daily for 4 weeks, and many of the women in the magnesium group experienced significant improvements in frequency of bowel movements, faecal form, colonic transit time, and quality of life compared to the placebo group. In fact, more than 70 per cent of the magnesium oxide-treated group reported an improvement in overall symptoms, compared to 25 per cent of the placebo group.

Magnesium oxide has also been shown to prevent post-surgical constipation, treat opioid-induced constipation, and improve functional constipation in children. However, it should be used with caution in people with renal insufficiency and the elderly, as it may lead to high magnesium levels and serious side effects.

May lower blood pressure

Magnesium oxide supplements may help reduce elevated blood pressure levels.A 2018 study of 48 patients with high blood pressure found that treatment with 300 mg of magnesium oxide per day for 1 month significantly reduced systolic (the highest number) and diastolic (the lowest number) blood pressure. Researchers hypothesised that the supplement could lower blood pressure by lowering cellular calcium levels to relax smooth muscle cells and dilate blood vessels.

May lower blood sugar levels

Magnesium supplements may lower blood sugar levels in people with diabetes. For example, supplements containing magnesium oxide and zinc have been shown to lower blood sugar levels in people with type 1 diabetes, type 2 diabetes, and gestational diabetes, which is diabetes that can occur during pregnancy. In a 2015 study, 70 women with gestational diabetes supplemented with either 250 mg of magnesium oxide or a placebo daily for 6 weeks. Magnesium oxide supplements have also been shown to improve blood sugar management in Egyptian children with type 1 diabetes and Iranian adults with type 2 diabetes.

References:

[1] HIDEKI MORI; Hidekazu S; Jan Tack. Magnesium Oxide in Constipation.[J]. Nutrients, 2021. DOI:10.3390/nu13020421.

[2] J J HO; G R. Magnesium sulfate for persistent pulmonary hypertension of the newborn.[J]. Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, 2007: CD005588. DOI:10.1002/14651858.CD005588.pub2.

[3] HORNAK J. Synthesis, Properties, and Selected Technical Applications of Magnesium Oxide Nanoparticles: A Review.[J]. International Journal of Molecular Sciences, 2021, 22 23. DOI:10.3390/ijms222312752.