Magnesium and Migraines

Magnesium is a macro mineral necessary for several functions throughout the body. It helps build bones, along with calcium. It helps breakdown the calcium for proper absorption which can help prevent kidney stones and spurs traveling through the body. It converts food into energy, Magnesium  is responsible for enabling the nerves and muscles to function properly. For the many migraine sufferers out there… this is the function you want to pay attention to!

The more you learn about migraines you will notice there are several types of triggers that can bring them on. This can be a difficult task to narrow down when you’re in the midst of migraine pain. The one thing all migraine headaches definitely have in common is that they all involve the nerves. The pain can be absolutely excruciating and can keep a person from going about their daily routine. So it is very important we keep our nerves as calm as possible. This is where magnesium plays such a large part in migraine pain management.

What Role Does Magnesium Play

Magnesium has several beneficial properties to help fight migraine headaches. It is

a natural alternative to prescription drugs and has little to no side effects.

Magnesium helps reduce inflammation among the nerves and muscular tissue.

It calms the muscles and keeps them from going into spasm.

Magnesium can be used as soon as you feel the migraine coming on. Taking magnesium at the onset of migraine symptoms can help reduce the pain level as well as the duration of a migraine. If taken daily it has been proven to prevent migraines completely or lower the frequency in which they occur.

Where to Find Magnesium

Magnesium can be purchased in herbal supplement shops. You can make sure you are getting the proper daily dosage by adding in supplements. This will help you keep better track of the precise dosage to find the amount that works best with your treatment plan. If you are going to take supplements to prevent migraines you should  start out gradually. Prevention dosages should be 360 mg to 400mg daily. There have been reports of magnesium having a laxative effect on those who take higher doses so keep a journal! You can gradually work your way up to 600mg a day if your stomach handles it well and your migraines have not responded to lower dosages. We are all individuals and our bodies act as so. Track the intensity, frequency and duration of migraines over the course of at least a month to help better understand if magnesium is working for you.

Don’t Like Pills

Magnesium is also available in topical form through lotions, oils, and sprays. Having topical magnesium on hand for the onset of an acute migraine will prove to be handy. A recent study reported an 80 percent removal rate of the migraine headache within 15 minutes of receiving 1 gram of magnesium intravenously. While we are not able to use intravenous treatments at home, a topical solution will do just fine. Topical magnesium can be absorbed much quicker than the oral magnesium. It also does not have the laxative effect that some people experience with the oral supplements.

Magnesium in Food

If you wish to get started right away or are not able to get magnesium supplements, remember magnesium can be found right in the foods available to us at the local grocery store. There are tons of foods that have what you are looking for. Here is a list of everyday foods that are rich in magnesium content:

• Black beans-1 cup cooked=120mg
• Soybeans-1cup cooked=56.4mg
• Lima beans-1cup cooked=80.9mg
• Pinto beans- ½  cup cooked =43mg
• Pumpkin seeds-1cup=168mg
• Sunflower seeds-1cup=221mg
• Quinoa-uncooked-1 cup=335mg
• Brown rice- ½  cup cooked = 40mg
• Black eyed peas- ½  cup= 43 mg
• Swiss chard-cooked ½ cup=75mg
• Spinach- ½ cup cooked =75mg
• Halibut-3oz. cooked=90mg
• Almonds 1oz.=75mg
• Peanuts-1 oz =50mg
• Cashews-1oz. =75mg
• Raisans-1 cup of packed seedless=52.8 mg
• Banana-1 medium raw=32mg
• Yogurt low fat fruit 1cup=32mg
• Shredded wheat cereal 2 biscuits=60mg

This is just a small list of the foods that are high in magnesium. You can see we have almost covered pretty much every food group here. Making healthier choices everyday can drastically change the way your body is responding to everyday stress. By eating healthier and adding the proper supplements you can bring your body chemistry back into balance the way nature intended it to be and make migraines of thing of the past!.

Tags: blurred vision, dizziness, head pain, lightheadedness, Magnesium, Migraine Support Formula, migraine symptoms, migraine treatment, Migraines, natural migraine treatment, nausea, vomiting