If you’re a woman with PCOS, you know you need all the help you can get. Living with the symptoms of polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS) is far from easy. Luckily, though, there are lots of ways to naturally relieve your symptoms and start feeling WAY BETTER.
One of the best ways Cysters can support their bodies is to take the right supplements. And, how easy is that? Once or twice a day, you take a few supplements and your body suddenly has sufficient nutrients to ditch some of these annoying and difficult symptoms.
There are thousands of supplements out there, and I am definitely not advocating you just start popping pills before consulting with your doctor, but one of the best supplements you can take as a woman with PCOS is magnesium!
Here’s why magnesium is great for Cysters:
Is Magnesium Good for PCOS?
As I said in the intro, YES! Magnesium is great for women with PCOS and the human race in general. Studies show that 70% of people have a magnesium deficiency, and other research shows that women with PCOS have even lower levels of serum magnesium than the average person.
So . . . you probably have a magnesium deficiency. Why does that matter? Magnesium is an ESSENTIAL mineral that supports almost every system of the body in some way. That means having low magnesium can make you feel bad all over, from tummy troubles to mood swings. This is why it’s important to talk to your doctor about getting on a magnesium supplement.
What Type of Magnesium is Best For PCOS?
Did you know there are multiple forms of magnesium supplements? There are actually 8! (But, you’ll see 3 used regularly in supplements.) The best types for PCOS are magnesium oxide and citrate, which is what I use in the Ovafit MetaMulti.
Magnesium citrate is the most bioactive of all the types of magnesium, which means it’s the best absorbed in the body. When combined with citric acid, it’s most beneficial for easing pain, reducing inflammation, strengthening bones, improving sleep, relieving digestive issues, releasing muscle tension, and more! (Basically covers all your symptoms, doesn’t it?)
Magnesium oxide is formed with ions of oxygen. It’s less bioactive, but it’s made to be the most helpful for relieving headaches, stress, constipation, high blood pressure, and high blood sugar. All these things are great for supporting a PCOS body. Of course, magnesium alone won’t fix all these problems, but it can ease your symptoms and help you find healing when combined with other lifestyle changes.
What is the best magnesium dosage for PCOS?
The recommended daily dosage for magnesium is 320 milligrams. That’s sort of the status quo, but like I mentioned earlier, different types of magnesium are absorbed differently in the body.
The average intake of magnesium for females of reproductive age through food is between 256 mg-282 mg. With that in mind, I included 100 mg of magnesium in the Ovafit MetaMulti. As always, consult a doctor about safe magnesium supplementation dosage before starting anything new.
Benefits of Magnesium for Women with PCOS
Helps with anxiety, stress, and depression.
It’s normal for Cysters to have lots of emotional struggles due to PCOS. Whether it’s because of nutrient deficiencies, hormonal imbalances, or PCOS comorbidities, Cysters are up to 2.5 times more likely to experience anxiety and depression than those without PCOS. So, we need all the support we can get.
One of the main benefits of magnesium for PCOS is its ability to calm an overactive nervous system to help bring relief to mood issues like stress and anxiety. Individuals report improved insomnia, rapid pulse, nervousness, apathy, and heart palpitations when taking a magnesium supplement. This is great for Cysters struggling to feel like themselves with PCOS!
Relieves inflammation.
Chronic inflammation is also common in women with certain types of PCOS. Inflammation happens when your immune system activates to attack and kill bacteria and other toxins that have entered the body. (Like when you get sick.)
However, chronic inflammation has your immune system attacking healthy cells and overtime that can raise insulin resistant testosterone levels, and worsen other PCOS symptoms like pain and migraines. Magnesium has been shown in many studies to reduce inflammation by lowering certain proteins’ reactivity and increasing your body’s nitric oxide levels. This can relieve a lot of pain and discomfort from your day to day!
Improves sleep.
Sleep is essential for health. I don’t need to tell you this! Not only does it keep you energized, but sleep actually helps us regulate hormones, maintain good mental health, avoid getting sick, and reduce insulin resistance. However, women with PCOS are 1.5 times more likely to experience sleep disturbances than other women.
Studies suggest that magnesium is an important mineral for good sleep. Researchers believe magnesium does this in a few ways. First, magnesium helps with sleep by regulating two neurotransmitters (GABA and NMDA) that calm the nervous and musculoskeletal system. Second, magnesium improves sleep by supporting the balances of melatonin and cortisol. If you want a good night’s sleep, you need magnesium!
Increases insulin sensitivity.
Insulin resistance is when your body can’t properly process glucose. Instead of transferring glucose (AKA sugar) into energy, it absorbs into the body. This raises your blood sugar levels and increases your risk of type 2 diabetes. It’s super common with PCOS and it’s the reason you struggle to lose weight with PCOS. (See, it’s not your fault!)
There are lots of ways to improve insulin resistance, but magnesium supplementation can be a great help too! Studies show it does this by increasing the insulin receptors on the surface of the cells, making them bond better to molecules, and improving cellular communication. I know that was a lot, but all you really need to know is that magnesium helps your body do what it’s supposed to with sugar instead of converting it to stubborn belly fat and constant fatigue.
Improves blood pressure.
Since heart disease is a common long-term complication of PCOS (because of the prominence of high blood pressure and blood sugar) it’s a good idea to keep a really close eye on your cardiovascular health. Magnesium can give you extra support by dilating blood vessels and regulating the mineral content of your blood, which can help everything flow smoothly through the body!
Eases body pain.
A lot of the effects of magnesium that I’ve already covered can actually have a beneficial effect on pain as well. The muscle relaxing effect of magnesium’s nervous system support can help relieve tension and therefore, help with your body pain, too.
Reducing inflammation can also help with pain, since inflammation goes hand-in-hand with joint pain. Plus, magnesium can help prevent calcium ions from entering the cells, which is how antinociceptive pain relievers work! Natural pain reliever? Yes, please!
Helps with migraines.
Magnesium can have incredible results for Cysters struggling with migraines! Studies suggest that by positively impacting nitric oxide synthesis and release, serotonin receptor function, NMDA receptor functioning, and other receptor functioning, magnesium can relieve chronic and acute migraine symptoms. This can be totally game-changing for Cysters who are constantly trying to balance life with sudden and debilitating migraines.
Best Magnesium Supplement For Women With PCOS
The best magnesium supplement for women is the Ovafit MetaMulti. Why? Well, first, it’s a multivitamin with magnesium that’s specifically designed for women with PCOS by a registered dietitian (me) who had polycystic ovarian syndrome just like you. I use only the highest quality ingredients and processes, which is proven by Ovafit’s third-party NSF-certification!
The Ovafit MetaMulti is packed with other essential vitamins and minerals for PCOS, and my website makes it easy to set up regular deliveries of your supplements! You can set it and forget it, and just focus on your natural healing, side-effect free! While exploring the MetaMulti, don’t forget to check out my other PCOS essential supplements, which include Ovasitol, curcumin, CoQ10, and Omega-3. You can bundle them all for a discount!
Magnesium is an essential supplement for women with PCOS!
The PCOS healing process can be intimidating especially when faced with all the side effects of medications along with the doom and gloom of doctor diagnosis. It’s true that if you have PCOS . . . you have PCOS, but you can manage your symptoms. With the right support from natural supplements and other healthy lifestyle choices, you can become symptom-free, lose weight, and live your absolute best life despite your diagnosis. Take back control of your body today with Ovafit!
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