The best magnesium supplements are natural painkillers, sleep aids and muscle relaxants all in one. You don’t even have to swallow them to get the benefit. Magnesium is absorbed really easily through your skin, so some of the most powerful magnesium supplements are oils and body lotions that you can massage into cramping muscles and restless legs for immediate relief. If you don’t fancy swallowing pills, no problem: slather on this body lotion, and all the magnesium you need will absorb directly through your skin. Made by magnesium supplement specialists BetterYou, this soft lotion contains 150mg of high-quality magnesium chloride per 5ml teaspoon, so all you need is a dollop per day. The lotion also contains lavender and chamomile essential oils for a lovely fragrance. Research indicates that those who suffer from migraines are also more likely to have magnesium deficiencies. Also in a study on isolated human cadaver skin, no significant difference could be found for the skin penetration of magnesium from solutions containing magnesium chloride (MgCl 2). The purpose of this study was to compare the passive permeation of magnesium across human skin from pharmaceutical grade MgCl 2 formulated in cream to that of pharmaceutical grade MgCl 2 in solution. The transdermal permeation efficiency of magnesium from MgCl 2 cream I and MgCl 2 cream II was studied across skin compared to the positive control MgCl 2 solution and the negative control phosphate buffer solution. The cream or MgCl 2 solution equivalent to 2.76 mg of magnesium was applied per 2.52 cm 2 of skin and mounted on diffusion cell. Samples were collected after 1, 2, 3, 4, 5 and 24 h and analyzed using atomic absorption spectroscopy at 285 nm. The experiments were performed in triplicates. The results were analyzed using unpaired t-test. The cumulative magnesium permeation from magnesium cream I, magnesium cream II, MgCl 2 solution, and phosphate buffer across human skin after 24 h were found to be 29.79 ± 13.92, 24.53 ± 9.98, 6.18 ± 1.36, and 5.62 ± 1.83 μg respectively. This study showed that a magnesium cream leads to statistically significant ( p< 0.05) magnesium permeation compared with the two control solutions; Magnesium cream I showed greater magnesium permeation than magnesium cream II, but the difference was not statistically significant. The MgCl 2 solution showed a similar result to that of phosphate buffer. A formulated magnesium cream was able to successfully deliver the magnesium of pharmaceutical grade MgCl 2 across human skin. Transdermal magnesium may play an important role treating symptoms of sub-optimal magnesium status. However, further in vitro and animal studies are warranted to establish the efficacy of formulations [ 21]. Watkins K, Josling PD. A pilot study to determine the impact of transdermal magnesium treatment on serum levels and whole body CaMg ratios. The Nutrition Practioner. 2010;14:1-7.

A 2013 review of seven randomized trials of magnesium for leg cramps found that magnesium therapy doesn’t appear to be effective for the general population. The review noted that it may have a small positive effect for pregnant women. Magnesium is a nutrient that the body needs to stay healthy. ‘The mineral is required for energy production, muscle recovery and bone development,’ explains nutritionist Kim Pearson. ‘It protects us from oxidative damage, which is increased as a result of the energy produced when we run.' Katzberg HD, et al. (2017). Assessment: Symptomatic treatment for muscle cramps (an evidence-based review): Report of the Therapeutics and Technology Assessment Subcommittee of the American Academy of Neurology. If symptoms are due to a magnesium deficiency, supplements are best taken with food to optimise absorption. Magnesium absorption is also decreased by excess dietary fat, salt, alcohol, phosphoric acid (found in canned fizzy drinks) and coffee.

Types of magnesium supplements

https://n.neurology.org/content/assessment-symptomatic-treatment-muscle-cramps-evidence-based-review-0

Extensive studies of the Israel army with a magnesium-containing skin protectant lotion (IB1) showed that magnesium is not absorbed through the skin, as tested in preclinical animal studies in pigs in contrast to the lipophilic nature of sulfur mustard and VX, potent chemical warfare agents that penetrate rapidly through the skin, causing severe prolonged injuries and sometimes death [ 19]. Additionally, a pilot study released in 2017 showed that participants, athletes, and non-athletes who used 56 milligrams of a transdermal magnesium cream on their skin every day for two weeks saw slight increases in the magnesium levels in their blood. For the non-athletes, there was a significant rise in the magnesium in their blood. (Because regular exercise depletes magnesium levels, the athletes didn’t see as large of an increase.) Where to Spray Magnesium Oil Bowel preparation. Taking magnesium by mouth is helpful for preparing the bowel for medical procedures. KassL, et al. (2017). Effect of transdermal magnesium cream on serum and urinarymagnesium levels in humans: a pilot study. DOI: Researchers have also discovered that magnesium plays an important role in maintaining the action of the 'pumps' that live on cell membranes and allow electrical messages to be passed between cells. This is particularly important for controlling calcium entry into the cells of the heart, to trigger a regular heartbeat.

The magnesium oil that's used in magnesium sprays is made from a concentration of magnesium chloride dissolved in water. Zechstein magnesium chloride is sourced from 1600 meters below the sea bed, and it provides your body with a pure and natural magnesium solution that is free of manmade pollutants. A lung disease that makes it harder to breathe (chronic obstructive pulmonary disease or COPD). Administering magnesium intravenously (by IV) seems to help sudden COPD symptoms. Also, taking magnesium using an inhaler, along with the drug salbutamol, seems to reduce sudden COPD symptoms better than salbutamol alone.

Much of the research done on magnesium supplementation and these conditions has centered on dietary magnesium in food and oral supplementation. While the benefits of magnesium supplementation appear to be significant, little research has been done to date on magnesium oil, which is delivered through the skin instead of orally. Eight normal subjects were immersed in Bath spa water for two hours and the renal, haematological, and cardiovascular responses were compared with those in the control periods before and after immersion. Immersion in Bath spa water resulted in highly significant diuresis compared with the control state before immersion ( p< 0.01). The mean (SEM) total excess volume of water excreted as a result of immersion over the 2-h period was 510 (85) ml. A twofold increase in sodium excretion resulted from immersion (the rate before immersion was 86 (15) pmol/min and 170-8 (29) pmol/min during the second hour) ( p< 0.01). A significant increase in potassium excretion was also observed on immersion and was of the same amount as the sodium excretion (from 78-6 (19) pmol/min before immersion to 156-2 (28) pmol/min by the second hour) ( p< 0.01). A mean loss of weight of 0-53 (0–14) kg occurred. This corresponds with the losses of water from diuresis and also some loss from sweating. No significant change was seen in creatinine clearance throughout immersion, which ranged from mean values of 109 to 121 ml/min. As a sign that an uptake of magnesium by the healthy human skin while bathing is not possible or if so, only very limited no change occurred in the plasma concentrations of electrolytes, calcium, phosphate, or magnesium after 2 h bathing (35 °C). A significant fall in plasma albumin concentration was observed (from 44-5 to 41-5 g/L) ( p< 0.001) [ 16]. That’s where this article comes in. It features a list of 10 of our best-selling magnesium supplements, as voted for by our customers, and is designed to help you answer the all-important question, ‘What is the best magnesium supplement UK? SummaryMagnesium capsules: a great alternative to traditional tablets for those who still want to take magnesium this way but don’t like the texture Medical News Today has strict sourcing guidelines and draws only from peer-reviewed studies, academic research institutions, and medical journals and associations. We avoid using tertiary references. We link primary sources — including studies, scientific references, and statistics — within each article and also list them in the resources section at the bottom of our articles. You can learn more about how we ensure our content is accurate and current by reading our editorial policy. Magnesium is vital to hundreds of your body’s processes. A decent night’s sleep is the best-known beneficiary of daily magnesium supplements, but it also soothes muscle cramps, period pains and PMS; supports healthy immune and cardiovascular systems; keeps your bones and teeth healthy; and converts your food into energy (read more via the NHS). A recent study has even shown that magnesium supplements “significantly” reduce blood pressure and boost circulation.