In 2015, the Dietary Guidelines Advisory Committee concluded that Americans were underconsuming magnesium and deemed it a “nutrient of concern.” Shortly after, the Food and Nutrition Board quickly recommended that Americans increase their magnesium intake.

Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA) of Magnesium:

Ages 19-30
Age: 31-50
Men: 400 mg
Women: 310 mg
Men: 420 mg
Women: 320 mg

Magnesium deficiency symptoms may include:

  • Agitation and anxiety
  • Restless legs syndrome
  • Sleep disorders
  • Irritability
  • Nausea and vomiting
  • Abnormal heart rhythms
  • Low blood pressure
  • Confusion
  • Muscle spasm and weakness
  • Hyperventilation
  • Poor nail growth
  • Seizures

The Role of Magnesium

Magnesium is the fourth most abundant mineral in the body and a cofactor in more than 300 enzyme systems that regulate diverse biochemical reactions. Here are just some of the ways the body uses magnesium:

  • Protein synthesis*
  • Muscle and nerve function*
  • Healthy blood glucose maintenance*
  • Healthy blood pressure maintenance*
  • Energy production*
  • Structural development of bone*
  • Antioxidant glutathione synthesis*
  • Synaptic plasticity*
  • Learning and memory function*
  • Oxidative phosphorylation*

 

Studies Show Magnesium L-Threonate (also known as MMFS-01, L-TAMS, and Magtein™) Provides Cognitive/Memory Support and May Allow for Adaptive Control of “Fear Extinction”*

  • Administration of magnesium L-threonate was found to augment structural and functional synapse density, thereby enhancing learning and memory in young rats and preventing memory decline in aging rats.[1]
  • n rodents, magnesium L-threonate improved synaptic plasticity and learning and significantly reduced freezing behavior in studies of conditioned fear response. The latter finding suggests possible adaptive control of fear extinction.[2]
  • In a human clinical trial, magnesium L-threonate supported the global cognitive abilities of older adults.[3]

References

  1. Sun Q, Weinger JG, Mao F et al. Regulation of structural and functional synapse density by L-threonate through modulation of intraneuronal magnesium concentration. Neuropharmacology. 2016 Sep;108:428-39. [PMID: 27178134]
  2. Abumaria N, Yin B, Zhang L, et al. Effects of elevation of brain magnesium on fear conditioning, fear extinction, and synaptic plasticity in the infralimbic prefrontal cortex and lateral amygdala. J Neurosci. 2011 Oct 19;31(42):14871-81. [PMID: 22016520]
  3. Liu G, Weinger JG, Lu ZL, et al. Efficacy and safety of mmfs-01, a synapse density enhancer, for treating cognitive impairment in older adults: a randomized, double-blind, placebocontrolled trial. J Alzheimers Dis. 2015 Oct 27;49(4):971-90. [PMID: 26519439]