Are you no stranger to the throbbing pain of a headache? Do you find yourself constantly reaching for over-the-counter painkillers, hoping they’ll provide some relief? If so, you’re not alone. Headaches are one of the most common ailments, affecting people of all ages and backgrounds. While there can be several factors that contribute to headaches, including stress, dehydration, or even genetics, there is one mineral that has been gaining attention for its potential in alleviating this discomfort: magnesium. Let’s explore what magnesium is best for headaches and why it could be a game-changer in your quest for pain relief.
Do you know about the Health Benefits of Magnesium? This mighty mineral plays a critical role in keeping our bodies healthy and functioning properly. It helps regulate our heart rhythm, maintains strong bones, and helps our muscles contract and relax. Additionally, magnesium aids in controlling blood sugar levels and supports our immune system. Not only that, but magnesium also helps to calm our nerves and promote restful sleep. It’s clear that magnesium is crucial for our overall health and wellbeing. So, don’t forget to include magnesium-rich foods, like leafy green vegetables and nuts, in your diet to reap the many benefits of this essential mineral.
You may have heard about how various vitamins and supplements can help prevent headaches and migraines. Well, magnesium is one of those few nutrients that can effectively reduce the risk of migraines.
Like many other minerals, magnesium is the mineral you need to stay healthy. It is one of the most abundant minerals in our body, and it helps build muscles and bones. But you also need magnesium to control blood pressure, produce energy and perform other critical roles.
There are different types of magnesium which are used to treat different conditions. Magnesium oxide is the type of magnesium used to treat and prevent headaches.
Link Between Magnesium and Headache
It has been proven from various types of research that people who have low levels of magnesium tend to have more chances of having migraine as compared to those people with a good level of magnesium in their blood. It is because of the ability of magnesium to block certain brain chemicals related to pain.
In a study (Karimi, 2019) to evaluate the effectiveness of magnesium oxide as compared to valproate sodium in preventing migraine headaches, the intervention group was given 500mg of magnesium oxide and the control group was given 400mg of valproate sodium for 8 weeks. The results show that magnesium oxide is as effective as this medication in preventing headaches and migraine.
Experts also think that magnesium may help in preventing the wave of brain signalling, known as cortical spreading depression, which is considered to primarily cause headaches. Moreover, this nutrient not only helps with headaches or migraines but can also help reduce the risk of other diseases like heart disease, high blood pressure, and osteoporosis.
Where to Get Magnesium
Like other essential nutrients, magnesium can also be obtained from food. Dark green vegetables like spinach contain high amounts of magnesium. There are some other foods as well, including:
- Diary products like yogurt and milk
- Legumes, nuts and seeds
- Pollock fish, mackerel and tuna
- Avocado, figs and Almonds
- Dark chocolate and fortified cereals
You can incorporate these magnesium-dense foods into your diet to increase your lower magnesium level. However, the dose you need to prevent your headache can be obtained from dietary supplements.
You can easily find magnesium supplements. They are often combined with other minerals or vitamins in order to prevent headaches or migraines. Moreover, these combined nutrients also make it easier for the body to absorb magnesium.
So, if you are not the one to add more spinach to your diet, these magnesium dietary supplements are the best option for you. And these supplements can even provide a powerful boost in your blood magnesium levels compared to diet.
Magnesium is not only one of the healthy nutrients needed by our body, but a certain type of magnesium, like magnesium oxide, can be very helpful in preventing headaches. Low levels of magnesium can result in various health issues like low blood pressure, vomiting, abdominal cramping and diarrhoea. So try incorporating this nutrient into your diet through magnesium-rich foods or dietary supplements.