Continuing our hydration science series, here's a quick discussion on how Magnesium is involved in fast, effective rehydration.
What is Magnesium?
Magnesium is an Alkaline Earth Metal, and is one of the most abundant elements in the Earth’s crust. Cool. But what does that mean for hydration? Well, not much when it’s stuck in the crust. But over years of weather and erosion, Magnesium has made its way into our daily diets.
With that all too general and quick brush over the evolution of elements on Earth, let’s dive deep into why Magnesium matters.
In our bodies, Magnesium exists not as a solid metal, but in its ionic, or charged form. As a cation (an ion with a positive charge), the Magnesium ion plays an essential role in many of our natural processes. There are hundreds of these, so we’ll just call out a few key ones:
- Energy production
- Structural development of bone
- Muscle contraction
Where is Magnesium Found?
Nuts and beans are a great source of Magnesium. One ounce of almonds contains roughly 80 mg of Magnesium! As a point of comparison, there are 30 mg of Magnesium in a single packet of Hydrant.
In Hydrant, Magnesium is found as a citrate salt. See our blog post about Potassium for a quick explanation of why we choose citric acids. As with the other salts chosen for their crucial roles in effective hydration, Magnesium Citrate dissolves in water. The Magnesium ions separate from the Citrate anion (an ion with a negative charge), and are free within the solution. When you drink Hydrant, these “free” Magnesium ions are now in their ideal and most absorbable form, allowing quick uptake by your body.
When it comes to nutrition, it’s not always the total amount of matter that matters, but the form in which it is ingested. Before food-based Magnesium can be absorbed, it must first be digested. You can think of dissolving Hydrant in water as a quick work-around to your body’s lengthy process of digestion.
Are you concerned about your own hydration levels? Take the quiz below to find the best Hydrant for your hydration routine.
Is Magnesium Healthy?
The short answer: yes!
As with anything, moderation is key. Too much Magnesium may lead to diarrhea (this is unlikely, you’d have to ingest an abnormally high amount of Magnesium supplements for this to happen). Your kidneys are fabulous filters, and will work to remove excess Magnesium in the bloodstream via the urine before this happens.
Your kidneys, however, will not discharge all Magnesium ions carte blanche. Your body will naturally retain and recycle a supply of Magnesium, so it’s hard to become really Magnesium deficient.
How is Magnesium Relevant to Hydration?
Where other Hydrant ingredients have an active, direct role in effective hydration, Magnesium plays a secondary—but no less important—role. As your body loses water, it also loses essential minerals, namely through sweating, excessive urinating (read: after consuming alcohol), and through symptoms associated with the stomach flu.
Summary
Magnesium is a natural mineral essential to health and hydration. Although it’s not as directly important to hydration as Sodium and Potassium, it still plays an important role.
That’s why we make sure to put Magnesium at optimal levels in Hydrant, our potent hydration mix.
References
This link is where we sourced the information in this article. It's from the Office of Dietary Supplements at the National Institutes of Health. They’re a good source of science-backed health information, and this article covers all the bases: https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Magnesium-HealthProfessional/
This piece was written up by chemistry guru Lizzy Trelstad of Beaker.
