Magnesium is probably one of the most overlooked mineral nutrients when it comes to human nutrition and awareness. And yet the volume of people who likely have a deficiency is surprisingly high by most estimates. This simple mineral has a multitude of uses in the human body, and there are several processes that are greatly hampered that are vital to not only overall health and wellness, but also to mental health.

Nerve and Muscle Function, Regulation

One of the most important first line functions of magnesium is as an important electrolyte and regulating mechanism for nerves and muscles. Magnesium helps to relax muscles and acts as a sedative for the nervous system. 

We all know that when we feel anxious, it feels like your nerves just won’t stop working overtime. Think of how you feel when you’re stressed out. You have a hard time regulating your heart rate and breathing, and it feels like your mind is racing a mile a minute.

Magnesium helps to calm and regulate these bodily functions, and has great therapeutic use as a means to reduce anxiety. This the same reason it is also used as a calming agent before bed time. Do you have muscle cramping or restless leg syndrome? Magnesium is hugely helpful for both of these issues. 

Many swear by its effectiveness at helping them not only get to sleep at night, but also stay asleep through the night. As we all know, good sleep is paramount to mental health stability. When you can’t sleep, it just exacerbates issues with anxiety and lack of focus.

Magnesium is a great, non-drug remedy to help those with sleeplessness and anxiety to reduce these bothersome maladies. Its role in nerve and muscle function is really it’s primary and most obviously observed and immediately enjoyed benefit. But we’re just getting started, because magnesium has a wide range of functions that include some you wouldn’t have even thought about. Related: Magnesium - Why This Mineral Is Important

Magnesium Oil as a Deodorant?!

Yes! Magnesium oil has some measure of success as a natural underarm deodorant. If you’re looking for a drying component on top of deodorization, it won’t do that for you. However, there are plenty of people who swear by it as a natural deodorant. Related: Why Sunlight Exposure Makes Us Feel So Good

Simply spray 3-4 squirts on each underarm. This may not work for ultra-high stress or high activity days, but hey if you’re just working from home or having a fairly relaxed day then it really can come in handy as a deodorant alternative.

The only caution is that for those who shave their underarms, it’s not wise to spray immediately after they are freshly shaved as it can cause burning and irritation. It’s best to wait a bit after shaving to apply this natural deodorizing agent. And hey, you’re not only getting deodorizing protection, you’re also getting all those extra benefits that magnesium has to offer when it enters the bloodstream.

Carbohydrate Utilization

Through a complicated complimentary process that also involves calcium, magnesium plays a huge role in the metabolism of carbohydrates. This indirectly impacts blood sugar stability.

Magnesium supplementation becomes more important as we age and our metabolic processes become less efficient. The first I read about magnesium supplementation is actually something that indirectly brought me to its other benefits.

What initially piqued my interest in magnesium is actually that I happened across an article that addressed how people of a certain age stop being able to lose weight as they did when they were younger. The article cited magnesium deficiency as one of the reasons this inability exists as we age.

Magnesium Oil and Epsom Salt Soaks

This got me interested in everything else magnesium played a role in, and from there I learned that magnesium oil was one of the most efficient delivery mechanisms to get this important nutrient into the body.

Another delivery mechanism if Epsom salt soaks. Epsom salts are nothing more than a form of magnesium Epsom salt soaks are known for their relaxing effects and are an excellent way, combined with the calming of the warm water, to wind down for the night and ensure a restful night’s sleep. Related : Passionflower for Anxiety

Magnesium’s Role in Glutathione Production

Lastly, although we could go on a lot more about magnesium, is that it plays a very important role in glutathione production. Glutathione is often thought of as a “youth hormone”. It drops dramatically as we age, and is of vital importance in keeping our organs youthful and in working order.

This is because it is crucial for healthy DNA synthesis and repair. Obviously, this can have huge implications when it comes to all types of degenerative diseases including cancer and aging in general.