Magensium and hormones
Magnesium is a foundational micronutrient that can affect estrogen while it has been shown to help with hormone pathways and neurotransmitter regulation.
The science & wonderful powers of magnesium cannot be overlooked. Women who suffer from endometriosis, PCOS, hormonal migraines, fibroids, fibrocystic breasts etc. have issues relating to poor hormone metabolism.
This means that estrogen is not getting used or removed properly and this contributes to a build up. This is commonly referred to as estrogen dominance. Estrogen clearance is the body’s ability to break down estrogens and remove them from the body. It is critically important as estrogens that are not properly metabolized and cleared by the liver remain in the body and become highly toxic. Adding in a bit of magnesium and we can support healthy estrogen clearance.
Magensium and your hormones
Magnesium is really key for your hormones
- Supports Thyroid: Magnesium is essential for the production of thyroid hormone. It also helps to convert the less active T4 thyroid hormone to the more active T3. Furthermore, it’s anti-inflammatory nature helps to quiet the autoimmune inflammation that underlies most thyroid disease.
- Support hormone response: Magnesium helps in the manufacturing of steroid hormones which include progesterone, estrogen & testosterone. It also helps to normalize the action of progesterone on the central nervous system deeming it helpful in PMS, migraines and menopause.⠀⠀⠀
- Regulates cortisol: Magnesium helps to calm your nervous system and reduces your production of cortisol. When your hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis functions well, your other hormones will function well too
- Reduces blood sugars: Magnesium is often referred to as “natural metformin” because it’s so effective at improving insulin sensitivity. When we have healthy insulin sensitivity, we have fewer sugar cravings & is helpful for weight loss and PCOS.⠀⠀⠀
- Drives cellular energy: Without magnesium there is no cellular energy. Hormonal tissue has a very high metabolic rate & requires even more cellular energy & more magnesium than any other tissue.⠀⠀⠀
- Helps with sleep: Magnesium is amazing for promoting sleep and “sleep” is crucial for hormone production. During sleep is when we get a beneficial surge of anabolic hormones such as DHEA & growth hormone.⠀⠀⠀
- Telemores: Magnesium prevents telomeres from shortening, reduces oxidative stress (which play havoc on your hormones) and enhances the production of glutathione (antioxidant that helps reduce oxidative stress and so much more).⠀⠀⠀
Magnesium supports COMT
The COMT gene is responsible for making an enzyme, known as Cachetol-O-MethylTransferase, and this wordy enzyme has a similarly singular responsibility: Deactivate those Catecholamines. By breaking down those stress neurotransmitters and hormones, the COMT gene is directly responsible for bringing your heartbeat down to normal levels and restoring a sense of balance both to your physiological and your psychological self. In other words: It helps you ride the wave.
Magnesium helps support COMT. And by supporting the COMT enzyme in the liver, magnesium promotes the healthy excretion of estrogen thereby reducing the risk of estrogen excess conditions. This enzyme neutralizes the estrogen that is made in phase 1 detox thereby making it water soluble so that you can poop or pee it out! So if you’re constipated and not having daily bowel movements this becomes a problem. And what do you know magnesium can help you in that department too! Some forms of magnesium encourage you to poop more and this helps get the estrogen out.⠀
Magnesium supports progesterone
As we have arleady discussed, high levels of estrogen and lower levels of progesterone may lead to negative symptoms
It’s been reported that up to 40-45% of women in developed countries are living with a magnesium deficiency. That’s not good when it comes to wanting optimal progesterone levels. Magnesium plays a very important role in hormone regulation and is therefore one of the key nutrients that can boost progesterone levels. Magnesium helps to regulate the pituitary gland. A poorly functioning pituitary gland won’t produce enough follicle-stimulating hormone (FSH), luteinizing (LH), or thyroid-stimulating (TSH) hormones to ensure healthy ovulation, without ovulation, your body will likely produce less progesterone than is normal.
