Magnesium for Healthy Skin

Magnesium fosters good health and prevents our body from chronic diseases by helping treat insomnia, migraine and fights depression, supports healthy weight loss, reduces inflammation and prevents heart diseases, strengthens bones and prevents diabetes to name a few.

It is an essential mineral and support over 300 metabolic reactions. It is the fourth most abundant mineral found in the body with half of it found in bones, a percent in blood and the rest in cells.

However with the rise in magnesium deficiency, due to our food choices and soil depleting in minerals causing our food sources to become lower in supplying the required nutrients, we need to look for more potent ways to meet the requirement.


Therefore more and more experts are suggesting magnesium supplements as the convenient and dependable way to meet the recommended daily value.



Magnesium deficiency not only affects your health but also plays havoc on your skin. It reduces the fatty acids levels of the skin, resulting in reduced elasticity and moisture. Read about the health benefits, side-effects, interactions of magnesium from here.

Beauty Benefits of Magnesium

Reduces wrinkles
Magnesium works as an antioxidant to flush out toxins and support enzymes that regulate DNA replication and repair. Magnesium deficiency can result in appearance of wrinkles and fine lines that are caused due to free radical damage and inflammation.

Prevents acne and promotes clear skin
According to a research published in 2007 in the "American Journal of Clinical Nutrition", magnesium was found to be beneficial in reducing inflammation caused by increased levels of C-reactive protein and E-selectin. Skin produces E-selectin when it fights any injury including breakout-causing bacteria. E-selectin caused increased acne inflammation which can be treated and prevented by anti-inflammation effects of magnesium supplementation.

Helps treat skin allergies
Skin problems like dry, flaky, redness, rashes, eczema, and psoriasis are all signs of a bigger deficiency than just a dermal problem. Magnesium deficiency causes the body to produce histamines resulting in itchy dry skin with red rashes.  They are caused when the blood vessels swell and fluid leaks into the skin and tissues causing eczema. Epsom salt baths, which are rich in magnesium sulfate, is a great way to improve the magnesium levels through skin easily. The anti-microbial and anti-inflammatory effect of Epsom salts, make it potent against pathogens of edema and eczema on skin and help heal better.

Enhances skin hydration
A study published by the National Institute of Health, says that magnesium salts prevalent in Dead Sea water enhance skin hydration. It moisturizes the skin as the hydrated form of magnesium salts readily absorb moisture from the environment and keep the skin well hydrated.

Food sources of Magnesium
Bathing in magnesium salts, taking supplementation orally and applying magnesium oils can help boost the intake of mineral. But the best way to meet your daily recommended value is through natural sources which also supply overall nutrients in a balanced way.

Magnesium is found in a wide variety of healthy whole foods and vegetables foods, including:

• leafy green vegetables,
  
• legumes like peas and beans,
  
• nuts and seeds like brazil nuts and sunflower seeds,
  
• unrefined whole grains,
  
• potatoes with skin,
  
• long-grained brown rice,
  
• avocados,
  
• fruits like apricots, bananas and watermelons,
  
• milk and yogurt,
  
• halibut and
  
• hard tap water
  

As you opt to include more magnesium-rich foods in your diet, remember that over-heating can reduce the magnesium vitality of foods. So it is best to sauté or eat these foods raw.

(Contributed by Namrata)