Magnesium: the mineral most people quietly miss

It runs hundreds of reactions in the body, and modern life depletes it faster than we replace it.

Magnesium rarely makes headlines, which is a shame, because it’s involved in more than three hundred reactions in the body: muscle and nerve function, energy production, blood sugar control and the wind-down chemistry that lets you relax.

The trouble is that modern diets are often short on it, and stress, caffeine and hard training drain it further. The result is a low-grade shortfall that shows up as poor sleep, cramps, or a wired-but-tired restlessness that’s easy to attribute to something else.

Form matters more than the headline number. The bisglycinate and glycinate forms are highly absorbed and gentle on digestion, unlike the cheap oxide that causes the loose-stool effect magnesium is unfairly known for.