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Even if you follow a healthy diet, it can be difficult to get all of the nutrients you need from food alone.
Supplements are like an insurance plan for your body — but with so many varieties of vitamins and minerals on store shelves, finding one that you need can be a challenge.
This is the one fat-burning vitamin you should be having every morning to speed up your metabolism over 40, according to experts.
Before you begin any supplement regimen, it’s a good idea to talk to your doctor. Requesting comprehensive blood work will help pinpoint the areas in which you may be missing key nutrients. If you have been feeling sluggish, can’t sleep at night, or are having trouble losing weight and burning fat, the culprit could be a vitamin or mineral deficiency.
And this one vitamin is often lacking in diets, according to experts — and it could help make a big difference in your health.
Magnesium
There is a little-known connection between magnesium and weight loss — and it’s one worth thinking about.
This essential nutrient plays a role in helping to regulate blood sugar, blood pressure, and protein synthesis, according to Dr. Bindiya Gandhi, who spoke with Mind Body Green.
And if you are lacking magnesium, the symptoms can be very unpleasant.
Research, including a 2013 study in the Journal of Nutrition, has found that “magnesium helps improve insulin resistance and can help control blood sugar in patients with diabetes. High doses of magnesium will improve insulin production.”
No one supplement is going to instantly make you you lose 10 pounds and burn belly fat. But, as a supplement, magnesium improves bloating, water retention, and helps with healthier bowel movements, All of these factors contribute to better weight loss benefits.
Perhaps most importantly, magnesium can reduce cortisol levels — otherwise known as stress hormones — making you feel calmer and more relaxed. This can lead to better sleep patterns. Both a reduction in stress and more sleep equal up to a higher chance you’ll experience the weight loss outcomes you want.
Symptoms of a magnesium deficiency include fatigue, muscle cramps, high blood pressure, and osteoporosis.
If you are interested in taking a magnesium supplement, keep in mind that the NIH recommends never exceeding 350 mg. (better yet: contact your doctor prior to taking any supplement).
And you can always get magnesium from foods: spinach, soybeans, tofu, brown rice, and nuts are especially high in this nutrient.
