A change in diet is one of the main steps for anyone who’s on a weight loss journey or looking to improve their quality of life. There’s always a point in our lives when we look back and wonder how certain circumstances would be if we had done something different, with questions such as: What if I had stuck to this workout? Or what if I had started dieting at a younger age? All we can do is take matters into our own hands in the present and do something to improve our lifestyle and achieve weight loss.
When looking for a new diet, we have to make sure that we don’t fall for fad diets, which are diets that have become increasingly popular in a short amount of time. These diets promise quick weight loss results and health improvements with almost zero effort required. However, their unsustainable nature and lack of scientific evidence make them medically unsuitable for most people, especially if they don’t consult a dietitian or doctor first. Sometimes, these types of diets promote supplements that may not be suited for everyone and instead of helping them with weight loss, they start experiencing other side effects.
We’re willing to bet that, while browsing on the Internet, you’ve come across multiple posts or articles that swear by a product and that by taking it, you will automatically achieve weight loss. While we’re not here to disprove or expose the individuals who predicate these statements, we do want to ensure that the information provided on the LIMARP® website is factual and trustworthy.
At our Tijuana clinic, we help the patients that walk through our doors to achieve their weight loss goals, either by determining if they’re eligible for bariatric surgery or by providing a diet plan that improves their lifestyle while ensuring successful weight loss. Our medical team at LIMARP®, led by Dr. Liza María Pompa González, counts with expert nutritionists that provide specialized diets according to the needs of each patient. These plans range from patient to patient, meaning that some may include an increased consumption of certain foods or supplements. For example, they may include more magnesium or meals rich in magnesium to patients who are on a weight loss program.
Having mentioned magnesium, the topic of this article is magnesium for weight loss and if it’s truly effective. We’ll also cover which are the best supplements for weight loss and confirm if magnesium actually helps to reduce belly fat.
As always, we’d like to remind you that information presented in this article may not apply to every case, given that each patient is different and their bodies may react differently to magnesium.
If you’re interested in weight loss and believe that consuming magnesium may be the right choice for you, make sure to contact your doctor first so that they can determine the amount you should ingest. Be mindful of your body and remember that any drastic change to your diet should be supervised by a health professional, especially if you’re embarking on a weight loss journey.
Magnesium: What is it
Before delving into whether magnesium can help with weight loss, we’d like to provide some information on what it is and its health benefits. Magnesium is an important mineral that the body needs in order to function because it produces energy, regulates blood sugar, and causes necessary chemical reactions in the body[1].
Magnesium also helps[2] the body conduct nerve impulses, muscle contraction, and normal heart rhythm by playing a role in the transport of calcium and potassium. The heart, muscles, and kidneys all need magnesium to work properly.
Also, it acts as a cofactor in the biochemical reactions continuously performed by enzymes and it’s involved in more than 600 reactions[3] in your body, including:
- Energy creation, which means converting food into energy.
- Protein formation, thus creating new proteins from amino acids.
- Gene maintenance that helps create and repair DNA and RNA.
- Muscle movements and aiding in muscle contraction and relaxation.
- Nervous system regulation, such as neurotransmitters that send messages throughout your brain and nervous system.
Magnesium for Weight Loss: Does it work?
There are several studies that have established that almost half the population of the United States don’t consume enough magnesium, and when the levels are extremely low, it can cause inflammation; also, another study[4] found that magnesium deficiency is more prevalent in people with obesity. It’s also important to highlight that a study, published in the European Journal of Nutrition, found “inverse associations between magnesium intake with obesity incidence and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels (both of which are inflammation markers in the body)”[5].
So what does this mean for weight loss?
Well, the higher the magnesium levels, the lower the obesity incidence and possibly less inflammation, which is an unwelcome stressor and irritant for your body that interferes with weight loss. Magnesium has also proven to be effective in other areas, such as having the possibility of lowering the risk of type 2 diabetes., a prevalent disease in people who have high BMIs.
In fact, magnesium could help manage blood glucose levels by helping the body use insulin properly or become more insulin sensitive, which can counteract insulin resistance, a “condition that makes it hard for your body’s insulin to utilize glucose and can lead to excess body fat”, according to a 2022 review[6]. So to make weight loss more attainable, magnesium may be an option to keep blood sugars balanced and insulin functioning optimally.
What type of magnesium helps with weight loss?
Now, let’s establish that there are different types of magnesium and that if weight loss is the objective, it’s important to know what to take. When it comes to weight loss, you want to focus on adding magnesium citrate, which primarily improves gut health, increases bowel movement, and alleviates constipation. This type of magnesium also “aids in weight loss by allowing the stool to soak, causing it to become softer and travel more swiftly through the body”[7]. However, we’d be remiss if we didn’t make clear that, while magnesium citrate does facilitate weight loss, it does not reduce belly fat or burn body mass.
If you’re interested in reducing belly fat, talk to your doctor to see which options are best for you. Sure, weight loss is important to achieve your dream body, but there are other lifestyle changes that must be applied to get the wanted results.
Other Supplements for Weight Loss
Now that we’ve covered how magnesium can help achieve weight loss, we want to close this article with a list of other supplements[8] that can also work. Keep in mind that the opinion on the use of these supplements for weight loss is mixed, and that if you do intend on taking them, make sure to talk to your doctor first to avoid mixing them up or avoid any future complications.
- Chitosan to block fats and cholesterol from getting absorbed by the body.
- Chromium picolinate to lower the appetite, help burn more calories, cut your body fat, and boost muscle mass.
- Conjugated Linoleic Acid (CLA) to curb body fat and boost muscle.
Contact Us to Learn More
If you want to learn more about magnesium for weight loss, schedule an appointment with one of our doctors. We can help determine the right treatment for you. Contact us online anytime or give us a call at (619) 373-0229.
References
- [1] “How to Use Magnesium Supplements for Weight Loss”. https://www.healthline.com/health/food-nutrition/magnesium-for-weight-loss (Accessed July 24, 2023).
- [2] “Magnesium”. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Magnesium-HealthProfessional/ (Accessed July 24, 2023).
- [3] de Baaij JH, Hoenderop JG, Bindels RJ. Magnesium in man: implications for health and disease. Physiol Rev. 2015 Jan;95(1):1-46. doi: 10.1152/physrev.00012.2014. PMID: 25540137.
- [4] Piuri G, Zocchi M, Della Porta M, Ficara V, Manoni M, Zuccotti GV, Pinotti L, Maier JA, Cazzola R. Magnesium in Obesity, Metabolic Syndrome, and type 2 diabetes.. Nutrients. 2021 Jan 22;13(2):320. doi: 10.3390/nu13020320. PMID: 33499378; PMCID: PMC7912442.
- [5] Lu L, Chen C, Yang K, Zhu J, Xun P, Shikany JM, He K. Magnesium intake is inversely associated with risk of obesity in a 30-year prospective follow-up study among American young adults. Eur J Nutr. 2020 Dec;59(8):3745-3753. doi: 10.1007/s00394-020-02206-3. Epub 2020 Feb 24. PMID: 32095867; PMCID: PMC7483156.
- [6] Freeman AM, Pennings N. Insulin Resistance. 2022 Sep 20. In: StatPearls [Internet]. Treasure Island (FL): StatPearls Publishing; 2023 Jan–. PMID: 29939616.
- [7] “Best Magnesium Supplements 2023: Top 5 Magnesium Supplements For Sleep, Anxiety, Weight Loss & Muscles”. https://www.outlookindia.com/outlook-spotlight/best-magnesium-supplements-2023-top-5-magnesium-supplements-for-sleep-anxiety-weight-loss-muscles-news-255109 (Accessed July 24, 2023).
- [8] “Supplements for Weight Loss”. https://www.webmd.com/vitamins-and-supplements/herbal-remedies (Accessed July 24, 2023).