How Magnesium Supports Mental Clarity and Focus

The Importance of Magnesium for Brain Health

Magnesium is an essential nutrient for brain health because it plays various roles in the nervous system and in normal brain function. For instance, magnesium has been observed to reduce inflammation in the spinal cord and brain.*

Inflammation in the brain and nervous system can lead to painful symptoms and hinder your focus.*

Magnesium is also important for the relaying of synapses. This has an effect on how your brain sends signals to your skeletal system and affects mobility.

Lastly, magnesium has also been suggested to be important for the generation of new neurons in the brain.*

Healthy, new neurons help the brain adapt to stress, improve learning capability, and promote a good outlook.*

How Magnesium Affects Cognitive Function

Cognitive function refers to how your brain carries out everyday processes like memory recall, learning, and focus.

Magnesium benefits general cognitive function by nourishing neurons and promoting the generation of new brain cells.*

Having a healthy level of magnesium may also allow you to focus more intently which is a big help when you are studying or are at work.* Magnesium has also been known to help combat brain fog.*

Top Magnesium-Rich Foods to Boost Focus

Now that you have an idea of how important magnesium is to brain function, let’s take a look at some magnesium-rich foods you can add to your diet:

• Avocados - A single avocado can provide you with up to 14% of your daily recommended intake of magnesium. Avocados are also packed with vitamins that can support skin health and good digestion.*
• Tofu - Magnesium and mental clarity are intrinsically linked which is why tofu, a source of about 8% of your daily recommended intake of magnesium, is a good food to add to your diet.*
• Nuts - If you are looking to get more magnesium for cognitive function, nuts are a great place to start. Explore the benefits of magnesium by incorporating almonds and cashews into your diet, as they can account for about 20% of your daily recommended intake of magnesium.* These tasty snacks not only provide a good dose of magnesium but also offer healthy fats that support overall brain health and cognitive performance.*
• Fish - If you want to avoid magnesium deficiency and brain fog, try adding more fatty fish to your diet. Fish like salmon and tuna can provide you with about 7% of your daily recommended intake of magnesium.*

The Science Behind Magnesium and Mental Performance

Luckily, there is some good science behind the mental health benefits of magnesium.* The National Institutes of Health put together a comprehensive report about how magnesium affects the brain. In it, they state that:

“From a neurological standpoint, magnesium plays an essential role in nerve transmission and neuromuscular conduction.

It also functions in a protective role against excessive excitation that can lead to neuronal cell death (excitotoxicity), and has been implicated in multiple neurological disorders.”

As we can see from the following quote, magnesium may be essential for warding off serious issues regarding cognitive decline.* Therefore it may be important for maintaining good cognitive health as you age.*

There have also been scientific studies that suggest that magnesium is important in the mental performance arenas of learning and memory.*

Some of these studies point out that magnesium supplementation resulted in marked improvements in learning and memory recall for test subjects.*

Another one of the cognitive benefits of magnesium is that it helps protect neurons from inflammation and damage. The Frontiers staff writes:

“By restraining calcium influx into neurons, magnesium helps prevent events that could otherwise lead to intensified inflammation and neuronal injury.

Whereas low levels of this mineral are associated with chronic inflammation, restoring magnesium balance has been shown to potentially counteract this condition.”

How Magnesium Supplements Enhance Cognitive Focus

Apart from eating foods that are naturally magnesium-rich, certain supplements may be able to up your magnesium levels and help you avoid deficiency.*

For instance, some supplements can supply you with as much as half of your daily recommended intake of magnesium.*

Magnesium supplements for focus may also help you concentrate for long periods of time with less distraction.*

Supplements may also have pure magnesium in high concentration which may negate the need for eating multiple kinds of foods every day.*

Signs You May Need More Magnesium for Better Concentration

The bad news is that there are a lot of people who are magnesium deficient and don’t even know it.* The good news is that there are plenty of ways to check if you are magnesium deficient.*

One of the most effective ways is to simply look out for the signs of magnesium deficiency which include:

• Chronic headaches
• Heart palpitations
• Leg cramps at night
• Constipation
• Nausea
• Physical fatigue
• Tremors
• Tingling or numbness in the legs

Of course, it’s always a good idea to talk to a doctor if you suspect that you are magnesium deficient.

Magnesium's Role in Reducing Brain Fog

Brain fog is characterized by a compromised ability to focus, not being able to think clearly, and moderate short-term memory loss.* Unfortunately there are a lot of things that can cause brain fog like lack of sleep and poor nervous system health.*

Another potential cause is general fatigue caused by a lack of nutrition in your diet.* Magnesium can help energize your brain cells so that you experience brain fog less frequently.*

Magnesium may also be key for good sleep hygiene so it may be able to help combat brain fog by improving your sleep quality.*

How to Incorporate Magnesium into Your Daily Routine

The best way to incorporate more magnesium into your diet is to eat magnesium-rich foods which include spinach, legumes, seeds, nuts, quinoa, and even dark chocolate.*

However, if it’s too much of a hassle to change your diet, you should look into taking a magnesium supplement.

Magnesium and neuroprotection go hand-in-hand so it’s important that you find a way to incorporate more magnesium into your diet that works for you.*