Most of the patients in our practice take a magnesium supplement to support everything from regular bowel movements and constipation relief to better sleep and focus. Magnesium is one of the most abundant minerals in the body and plays a crucial role in overall health.
Here’s a not-so-fun fact: 50% of the U.S. population doesn’t get enough magnesium! Hard to believe, right?
Using a Magnesium Supplement for Constipation
Unless you just need to get your child’s bowels moving over the course of a few days to a couple weeks, I would not recommend using a magnesium supplement found at a drug or grocery store.
Typically, drug store magnesium supplements are in the form of magnesium citrate or magnesium oxide (think milk of magnesia). These can help with constipation but tend to remain in the GI tract, preventing absorption into the bloodstream. If taken for prolonged periods of time, they may irritate the lining of the gut.
The HKHM Magnesium we use in our practice is gentle and well absorbed. It contains some magnesium citrate, along with magnesium glycinate and is available in two forms–powder and capsules.
Therefore, it helps not only with constipation, but also other bodily systems that require magnesium.
In addition to constipation, other signs of magnesium depletion include loss of appetite, nausea, fatigue, asthma, trouble sleeping, headaches, muscle cramps, high blood pressure, heart palpitations, ADHD, and anxiety.
Because magnesium is critical to overall health, I include it in my strategic supplement strategy, along with other supplements like probiotics.
Combining magnesium with a probiotic is a great combination when dealing with constipation. Check out this short clip of how the powerful one-two combo of magnesium and a probiotic, like HKHM Plantadophilus, helped both this mom and her son attain and maintain regular bowel movements.
Download my Integrative Supplement Guide for more specific dosing and instructions by age.
