The effect on the endocrine system is profound: “Examinations of the sleep -electroencephalogram (EEG) and of endocrine systems point to the involvement of the limbic-hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenocortical axis as magnesium affects all elements of this system. Magnesium has the property to suppress hippocampal kindling, to reduce the release of adrenocorticotrophic hormone (ACTH) and to affect adrenocortical sensitivity to ACTH. “ (Murck, 2002)
Magnesium is also essential for the synthesis of cholesterol (Rayssiguier, Gueux, & Weiser, 1981), which is used to make DHEA – the head of the cascade of hormones from which estrogen, progesterone, testosterone and other hormones are made.
Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is a hormone produced by the body's adrenal glands. DHEA levels peak at about age 25, then go down steadily with age. DHEA levels drop to only 10 to 20% those in young adults by 70-80 years of age. It’s common to get adrenal fatigue and hypothyroidism after chronic stress. Magnesium acts like an antioxidant that helps us to recover from stress, so it’s important to replace what is lost under stress.
When magnesium and DHEA levels drop and if the thyroid is struggling and adrenals are overworked, premature aging sets in. Perimenopause can come too early, or menopause can have disastrous symptoms which manifest as restless legs, sleep disorders, excessive stress reactions and oversensitivity, hot flashes and profuse sweating, heart arrhythmia and dryness in various places, including the vagina, bowel and skin. Bones also become dryer and more brittle and prone to breakage.
Magnesium is involved with production of melatonin (another hormone and powerful antioxidant) via the pineal gland, which regulates circadian rhythm and sleep cycle. The older we get, the more plagued we become with sleep disorders. A good sleep is absolutely essential for the brain to detoxify itself, as the melatonin produced by the pineal gland during deep sleep is a powerful antioxidant. It cleans out the cobwebs overnight!
“Magnesium influences body temperature through its central sedative effect on the hypothalamus and downstream endocrine system, as well as via its effect of reducing neuro muscular excitability.” (Fawcett et al., 1999)
This presents a double whammy because if you have magnesium deficiency you are more likely to have excessive bouts of perspiration and hot flashes. The more stressed you get from the hot flashes, lack of sleep and perspiration, the lower the magnesium levels get: A ‘Catch-22’ situation because Magnesium is lowered during hyperthermia (excessive body temperature) due to stress, sweating and magnesium diuresis (kidney excretion).
Higher body temperatures lead to dehydration (unless you are keeping up by drinking enough water). Dehydration leads to further stress and magnesium loss. And down it keeps going.
What can we do to mitigate the effects of menopause? To increase our youthfulness and stave off the effects of aging? The answer is simply good nutrition and plenty of fresh air, sunshine and exercise.
Magnesium-rich foods include seaweed, coconut, cacao, green vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes and bone broth. Grains used to have much more magnesium than they do now and they have become very difficult to digest, leaving the body to turn them into unwanted fat.
So they are best to avoid unless you can get hold of high protein traditional grains, and to ferment or sprout them for enhanced digestibility.
It’s not easy to get enough quantity of magnesium without overeating these foods in cases of high magnesium deficiency.
The auto-immune Paleo Diet is exceptionally good to manage gut disorders and a good place to start. (click on the link to find out more)
Magnesium is easier to absorb from the bowel in the presence of fermented vegetables.
“It is concluded that sc-FOS feeding resulted in a significant increase in intestinal Mg absorption in postmenopausal women.” (Tahiri et al., 2001)