5 Benefits of Magnesium for Perimenopause 

Perimenopause marks the phase leading up to menopause, characterized by hormonal fluctuations that signify the end of a woman’s reproductive years.  

These shifting hormone levels can lead to changes in menstrual cycle regularity and numerous symptoms that can range from mildly irritating to ruin-your-day frustrating. Hot flashes and night sweats, mood changes, sleep issues, muscle and joint discomfort, and persistent fatigue are among the frustrations you may experience during this transition.¹ 

The proper nutritional support can help navigate the complex and often intense symptoms of perimenopause, with magnesium being particularly important in this phase of life. The multitasking mineral can help ease perimenopausal symptoms, support your body’s adaptation to hormonal changes, and elevate your quality of life during this phase.² 

Why Is Magnesium So Important During Perimenopause? 

During perimenopause, your body experiences big hormonal shifts that can cause various physical and emotional symptoms. Estrogen and progesterone levels fluctuate, with estrogen sometimes surging or plummeting, and progesterone gradually decreasing.³ 

Magnesium can ease perimenopause symptoms and support a smoother transition. It plays a role in producing and regulating hormones like estrogen and progesterone, helping to keep them balanced during this time of hormonal change.⁴ 

Magnesium also improves the performance of hormone receptors, making hormones more effective. It supports enzymes that break down hormones as well, ensuring they’re processed and eliminated from the body properly.⁵ As a result, magnesium can help stabilize hormone levels during perimenopause. A deficiency can impair these important processes, leading to hormone imbalance, more intense perimenopausal symptoms, and increased discomfort.⁶ 

Magnesium deficiency can also impact how the body absorbs other nutrients like vitamin D. This is particularly important during perimenopause when women are at an increased risk for bone loss, as vitamin D is critical for keeping bones strong. Research shows optimal magnesium levels can improve the effectiveness of vitamin D.⁷ 

Many women don’t meet the Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) for magnesium, which is 320 milligrams (mg) per day for perimenopausal women.⁸ In fact, 48-60% of adults fall short of their daily magnesium needs.⁹ 

Magnesium deficiency can cause serious trouble during perimenopause: 

• Decreased bone density, escalating the risk of developing osteoporosis¹⁰ 
• Muscle weakness, cramps, and spasms¹¹  
• Poor blood-sugar management, eventually contributing to insulin resistance¹² 
• Low energy levels, making it harder to manage the demands of daily life¹³ 

These and other issues affect your physical health and can disrupt hormone balance further, exacerbating perimenopausal symptoms like mood swings and hot flashes.  

5 Ways Magnesium Helps Relieve Perimenopause Symptoms 

1. Magnesium Helps Reduce Hot Flashes and Night Sweats 

Magnesium plays a critical role in helping mitigate some of the most common and uncomfortable symptoms associated with perimenopause: hot flashes and night sweats.  

Magnesium helps regulate your body’s temperature control, reducing the frequency and intensity of hot flashes.¹⁴ It’s essential for balancing hormones during this time of fluctuation, which can trigger these sudden and uncomfortable sensations.¹⁵ 

Additionally, magnesium widens blood vessels, improving blood flow and helping manage heat distribution, which reduces the occurrence of night sweats and promotes better sleep.¹⁶  

2. Magnesium Can Improve Mood Stability and Emotional Well-Being 

Magnesium is important for mood stability and emotional well-being, particularly during perimenopause. It supports neurotransmitters, which are chemicals in the brain that help nerve cells communicate, and helps increase serotonin levels, which can improve mood and reduce feelings of sadness or depression.¹⁷ 

Optimal levels of magnesium can also help alleviate symptoms of anxiety and irritability, which are common during perimenopause due to hormonal fluctuations. This calming effect on the nervous system improves emotional well-being and contributes to a more balanced and stable mood.¹⁸ 

3. Magnesium Can Help You Sleep Better and Reduce the Risk of Insomnia 

Magnesium is crucial for improving sleep, especially during perimenopause when sleep disturbances are more common. It helps manage hot flashes that can disrupt sleep and regulates melatonin, the hormone that controls sleep cycles.¹⁹  

If you struggle with sleep problems during perimenopause, magnesium can help reduce insomnia symptoms, allowing you to fall asleep faster and have better, more rejuvenating sleep.²⁰ 

4. Magnesium Can Alleviate Muscle Cramps and Joint Pain 

Magnesium is key for regulating muscle contractions and nerve signals. Deficiencies can cause muscle cramps and spasms, which can get worse during perimenopause due to hormonal changes.²¹ 

Magnesium can help by relaxing muscles and reducing inflammation, easing muscle cramps and joint pain.²² This relief improves physical comfort and enhances overall quality of life, allowing for more regular activity and restful sleep. 

5. Magnesium Can Boost Energy Levels and Reduce Fatigue 

Perimenopause sometimes involves increased fatigue and a noticeable drop in energy levels. Magnesium is fundamental to the body’s energy production processes. It helps make adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which is the main energy source for your cells.²³ This boost in energy can make a big difference in managing daily tasks and staying active, helping to fight off the tiredness often felt during this time.

 

Foods Rich in Magnesium for Perimenopausal Support 

To get the benefits of magnesium during perimenopause, try adding these magnesium-rich foods to your meals: 

• Spinach, cooked: 157 mg per 1 cup 
• Swiss chard, cooked: 150 mg per 1 cup 
• Black beans, cooked: 120 mg per 1 cup 
• Pumpkin seeds: 150 mg per 1 oz 
• Chia seeds: 111 mg per 1 oz 
• Almonds: 80 mg per 1 oz 
• Avocado: 58 mg per whole avocado 
• Quinoa, cooked: 50 mg per ½ cup 

Getting Therapeutic Amounts of Magnesium  

Even with a well-planned diet, many women don’t get enough magnesium, especially during perimenopause when deficiencies can worsen.²⁵ Modern diets often lack nutrient density, farming practices have changed, and the body’s increased need for magnesium during perimenopause all contribute to these deficiencies.²⁶  

This can make it difficult to manage hormonal fluctuations, mood swings, sleep problems, muscle cramps, and the increased risk of bone loss. 

Taking magnesium supplements can help fill this gap, but not all supplements are the same.²⁷ Some, like magnesium oxide, may not absorb well and can cause stomach discomfort. Magnesium glycinate and magnesium citrate are better options. They’re more easily absorbed and less likely to cause stomach issues. These forms of magnesium are particularly helpful for meeting the increased magnesium needs of women going through perimenopause.” 

To help manage perimenopausal symptoms like mood swings, sleep problems, and muscle tension, you’ll want a quality supplement like Magnesium Body Calm. Each serving contains 300 mg of chelated magnesium, which is easy for your body to absorb. You get all the benefits of magnesium without the digestive discomfort often caused by other supplements.* 

Order Magnesium Body Calm here. 

References: 

1. Mayo Clinic: Perimenopause – Symptoms and causes 

2. Healthline: Can Magnesium Help Relieve Menopause Symptoms? 

3. John Hopkins Medicine: Introduction to Menopause 

4. Womens Health Network: Best supplements and vitamins to balance hormones 

5. Vázquez-Lorente H, Herrera-Quintana L, Molina-López J, Gamarra-Morales Y, López-González B, Miralles-Adell C, Planells E. Response of Vitamin D after Magnesium Intervention in a Postmenopausal Population from the Province of Granada, Spain. Nutrients. 2020 Jul 30;12(8):2283. doi: 10.3390/nu12082283. PMID: 32751522; PMCID: PMC7468838. 

6. Healthline: Can Magnesium Help Relieve Menopause Symptoms? 

7. Swaminathan R. Magnesium metabolism and its disorders. Clin Biochem Rev. 2003 May;24(2):47-66. PMID: 18568054; PMCID: PMC1855626. 

8. Harvard: Magnesium | The Nutrition Source 

9. Orlova S, Dikke G, Pickering G, Yaltseva N, Konchits S, Starostin K, Bevz A. Risk factors and comorbidities associated with magnesium deficiency in pregnant women and women with hormone-related conditions: analysis of a large real-world dataset. BMC Pregnancy Childbirth. 2021 Jan 22;21(1):76. doi: 10.1186/s12884-021-03558-2. PMID: 33482760; PMCID: PMC7821493. 

10. Castiglioni S, Cazzaniga A, Albisetti W, Maier JA. Magnesium and osteoporosis: current state of knowledge and future research directions. Nutrients. 2013 Jul 31;5(8):3022-33. doi: 10.3390/nu5083022. PMID: 23912329; PMCID: PMC3775240. 

11. Healthline: 7 Signs and Symptoms of Magnesium Deficiency 

12. Healthline: 7 Signs and Symptoms of Magnesium Deficiency 

13. Kostov K. Effects of Magnesium Deficiency on Mechanisms of Insulin Resistance in Type 2 Diabetes: Focusing on the Processes of Insulin Secretion and Signaling. Int J Mol Sci. 2019 Mar 18;20(6):1351. doi: 10.3390/ijms20061351. PMID: 30889804; PMCID: PMC6470576. 

14. Michigan State University: Regulating your body temperature during summer heat 

15. Healthline: Can Magnesium Help Relieve Menopause Symptoms? 

16. Murata T, Dietrich HH, Horiuchi T, Hongo K, Dacey RG Jr. Mechanisms of magnesium-induced vasodilation in cerebral penetrating arterioles. Neurosci Res. 2016 Jun;107:57-62. doi: 10.1016/j.neures.2015.12.005. Epub 2015 Dec 19. PMID: 26712324; PMCID: PMC4884497. 

17. Cuciureanu MD, Vink R. Magnesium and stress. In: Vink R, Nechifor M, editors. Magnesium in the Central Nervous System [Internet]. Adelaide (AU): University of Adelaide Press; 2011. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK507250/ 

18. Healthdirect: Can magnesium help to reduce anxiety 

19. Medical News Today: Magnesium for sleep: Benefits and how to take it 

20. Abbasi B, Kimiagar M, Sadeghniiat K, Shirazi MM, Hedayati M, Rashidkhani B. The effect of magnesium supplementation on primary insomnia in elderly: A double-blind placebo-controlled clinical trial. J Res Med Sci. 2012 Dec;17(12):1161-9. PMID: 23853635; PMCID: PMC3703169. 

21. Healthline: What to Know About Magnesium and Your Leg Cramps 

22. Healthline: Can Magnesium Help Relieve Menopause Symptoms? 

23. ScienceDirect: Adenosine Triphosphate Magnesium – an overview 

24. Cleveland Clinic: 25 Magnesium-Rich Foods You Should Be Eating 

25. ScienceDirect: Effect of magnesium supplementation on women’s health and wellbeing 

26. MDPI: The Importance of Nutrition in Menopause and Perimenopause—A Review 

27. Harvard: Magnesium   

*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food & Drug Administration. Products mentioned are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease. The views in this blog by JJ Virgin should never be used as a substitute for professional medical advice. Please work with a healthcare practitioner concerning any medical problem or concern.