Curious about magnesium for women’s hormones and the effect it can have on your lady hormones? This is just the post for you. Here, you’ll learn about magnesium, other trace minerals, their role in hormones and why we need them… Especially during times like now! I dig deep into the basics of magnesium and its functions in this post.

Minerals for Women’s Hormones

Minerals – like magnesium, potassium, calcium, zinc, etc – are linked to ovulation. One of the ways they promote ovulation is by acting as antioxidants in controlling oxidative stress in the body (less stress = higher chance of ovulation!). Of course, hormonal imbalance leads to an uprise in ovulatory conditions and infertility.

For example, elevated Copper, Zinc, Manganese and Calcium are measured in women with PCOS. Another example is the inverse association between Iron intake and ovulatory infertility (1). Another study showed when subjects had inadequate levels of sodium (hello unrefined salt!), they had higher levels of FSH, lower levels of LH, lower levels of progesterone and in increased risk of sporadic anovulation.

• inadequate levels of selenium = increase in sporadic anovulation
• low levels of manganese = increase in sporadic anovulation
• low levels of magnesium = imbalance of testosterone and SHBG (sex hormone binding globulin) + increase in estrogen levels

There is clearly a hormone tie with minerals!

Magnesium for Women’s Hormones

As I mentioned above, inadequate levels of magnesium lead to an imbalance in testosterone, SHBG and estrogen. Another interesting note is that the testosterone affected by magnesium is the bioavailable testosterone we need durning our reproductive age. Yeah ladies, we need testosterone, it’s not the “man hormone”! Minerals like magnesium for women’s hormones are crucial!

My 1:1 nutrition clients see a complete 180 transformation with their hormonal imbalances like PCOS, endometriosis and thyroid dysfunction. They graduate from me, that’s what’s important! I would love for you to apply to work 1:1 with me.

In addition, magnesium is essential for regulating our thyroid hormones. We need it to convert T4 to T3 (less active to the more active). If we don’t have magnesium, our phase II detoxication is impaired. This is the detox that allows our bodies to escort out excess estrogen.

All About Progesterone

Did you know magnesium is pivotal in the product of progesterone?Progesterone – one of our sex hormones – is majorly important because it’s needed for implantation and to maintain early pregnancy. This is why many women have miscarriages; progesterone levels aren’t adequate. Additionally, low levels of progesterone means elevated estrogen because they are in a symbiotic relationship and need each other to chill the other out.

Progesterone is also needed for our bodies to use fat as energy, to regulate blood sugar levels and to facilitate thyroid hormone action. Do you see how magnesium for women’s hormones is so so so important?

Another cool fact is that progesterone production by the luteal cells is dependent on circulating cholesterol (2).. whoa, you heard it here… but we’ll cover that in another post.

Symptoms of low progesterone levels:

• depression
• headache
• fatigue
• irregular period
• weight gain
• hot flash
• mood swings
• PMS
• bloating
• low libido

Deficiency Is The Problem

• Back in the 1900s, we were getting around 500 mg / day of magnesium through our diet
• Now, we are MAYBE getting 175-225 mg / day and that’s for people who are really really trying!

Then, we have to look at the issue of the RDA (recommended daily allowance). It’s an extremely low number and I never look at the RDA for anything because it was set by a skewed agency with skewed numbers, per usual. Instead, I look for the optimal daily intake. For example, the optimal daily intake of magnesium is 500-750 mg daily, nearly double the RDA.

If you’re unsure of how to test, what to eat or how to cut back on stress to avoid further depletion of these important minerals, I highly recommend you apply to work with me as a 1:1 nutrition client. I focus on mineral and hormone balance and you do the rest! It’s amazing to see the transformation my clients experience from PCOS to pregnant. Apply here.

Minerals Are No Longer In Our Food or Soil

Our modern intensive agriculture practices have done a number on our soils… depleting about every mineral from the soil that used to grow highly nutritious food. Hello, if there are no minerals in the soil, there are no minerals in the food we grow in that soil. Think about that.

“They studied U.S. Department of Agriculture nutritional data from both 1950 and 1999 for 43 different vegetables and fruits, finding “reliable declines” in the amount of protein, calcium, phosphorus, iron, riboflavin (vitamin B2) and vitamin C over the past half century.” (Scientific America).

Agricultural practices are obsessed with size, growth and pest resistance which means we pay for it by getting less and less nutrients with our carrot. So, what can we do? Alternate seasonal crops, ditch the pesticides and heavy toxins and support organic farms; always.

Yet another study concluded that one would have to eat eight oranges today to derive the same amount of Vitamin A as our grandparents would have gotten from one.

British Food Journal

My Favorite Magnesium Supplements ( + other minerals)

Magnesium is one of the supplements I never run out of. It’s stocked in our pantry at all times and we constantly gift it to family and friends along the way. I use Nutrigold Magnesium Gold and take between 400-800 mg daily. My code SIMPL will save you 15% when you order.

They have other minerals like zinc and selenium but just like with any nutrient, you need to get tested before you start supplementing anything. Just because it works for me, doesn’t mean it will work for you. Magnesium for women’s hormones can be important but you have to know you! Remember, run your own labs done so you can know – for sure – what is going on inside.

Now, your turn! Take this information and implement in into your life! Lastly, you can support your hormones further when you purchase my Wild Woman’s Hormones Ebook. It’s a deep dive into women’s hormones and how to balance them with the earths free medicine.

Resources

(1) – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6019139/
(2) – https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4436586/
(3) – https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/soil-depletion-aND-NUTRITION-LOSS/