Magnesium is a micronutrient with many beneficial effects. It participates in more than 600 enzymatic pathways, playing a vital role in metabolism. Therefore its adequate intake is essential during pregnancy and can aid proper fetal growth and health1.
Magnesium requirements are higher in pregnancy. However, studies show that majority of non-pregnant women are not getting enough magnesium through diet. There is an even greater need for increased magnesium intake during the pregnancy.
Magnesium is the fourth most abundant mineral in the human body after calcium, potassium, and sodium. This shows how vital it is for body functions.
Studies estimate that the human body has about 25 g of total magnesium. Therefore, women need more than 300 mg of magnesium a day to stay healthy and prevent magnesium deficiency. This requirement is slightly higher in pregnancy2.
Magnesium is entirely safe for pregnant women, as it is a micronutrient, quite like various vitamins.
However, what is impressive about this mineral is that it can exert strong therapeutic action at higher dosages. Many people do not know that this simple mineral can even be a lifesaving medicine in certain situations.
For example, doctors may use intravenous magnesium to prolong pregnancy, counter preeclampsia (severe pregnancy-related complications), and even manage seizures in pregnant women. Doctors prefer magnesium in pregnancy, as they know it is completely safe and good for pregnant women and fetal health3.
All this means that pregnant women can and should supplement magnesium during pregnancy. It is not just safe but has many health benefits. It can even improve pregnancy outcomes.
However, many pregnant women do not want to take pills, as they are already taking prenatal vitamins and other medications. Additionally, pregnancy results in mood swings, changes in sensations, and emotional issues.
So, what about using topical magnesium spray for getting a daily dose of this vital micronutrient.
This article will dive deeper into the various benefits of using magnesium spray in pregnancy and its impact on fetal health. All these facts are well-supported by science.
Moreover, the excellent thing about the topical spray is that it cannot result in magnesium overdose and has almost zero risk in pregnancy. This is because the body will only absorb small amounts of magnesium through the transdermal route consistently. Thus, it will provide all the benefits of magnesium, minus the risk.
Magnesium health benefits & pregnancy
Magnesium is essential for many critical body functions. For example, nerves cannot conduct properly without it, and the body cannot regulate energy and glucose metabolism.
It plays a vital role in blood pressure regulation. This may be especially vital in many cases as many pregnant women are living with hypertension, but they cannot continue using some of their regular medications. Additionally, many women are prone to swings in blood pressure due to pregnancy-related toxicity. In such cases, magnesium could be a treatment of choice.
In the olden days, when other medications were not available, even doctors prescribed magnesium for regulating blood pressure and calming nerves in pregnancy.
Additionally, many women may develop insulin resistance or so-called gestational diabetes. It is diabetes that is identified in women after 24 weeks of pregnancy. These are relatively healthy women, and researchers are unclear why some temporarily develop diabetes in pregnancy. Studies show that magnesium is a wonderful way of improving insulin sensitivity.
Headaches are pretty common even in non-pregnant women. However, things differ in pregnancy. In pregnancy, headaches may get worse in many. In some women, the first severe episodes of headache occur only in pregnancy. While in others, the quality and intensity of headaches change in pregnancy4.
However, pregnancy poses specific challenges. Women cannot even use commonly available OTC drugs for pain relief. Even experts say non-pharmacological means are the best way to manage pregnancy headaches.
There is strong evidence from many studies that magnesium may help prevent and abort headache attacks. Thus, it is not just a nutrient and may act as a medication in many instances.
Regularly using magnesium spray topically may be quite a pleasant, simple, and safe way to prevent and manage headaches in pregnancy. Some women may even like to use it for gentle massage, quite like balms for headache relief.
One common and yet less discussed problem during pregnancy is leg cramps. Magnesium deficiency during pregnancy is one of the primary reasons for severe leg cramps in many women. Thus, using topical magnesium spray may have multiple benefits in such cases. It can be used to massage the legs.
Magnesium and pregnancy outcomes
Generally, taking high-dose oral magnesium supplements is not an option for pregnant women, despite studies showing that magnesium is good. It is because pills, capsules, and various oral formulations contain magnesium and preservatives, and excipients.
But, magnesium spray is altogether a different thing. Magnesium spray by Meo Body contains magnesium diluted in distilled water. It means no risk of overdose or toxicity. It will not only help prevent magnesium deficiency, boost metabolism. Moreover, now researchers say that adequate magnesium in the body has a positive impact on pregnancy outcomes.
Magnesium in small dosages reduces the risk of preterm birth. It helps pregnant women counter various ill effects of hormonal changes. It helps them stay calm, which ultimately positively influences the pregnancy outcomes.
Magnesium has a relaxing effect on mood and even on muscles. It helps reduce blood pressure, prevent pregnancy-related hypertension crises. In addition, it is one of the treatments of preeclampsia, a severe complication of pregnancy. Thus, in many women, adequate magnesium intake or supplementation may help preserve the pregnancy.
It would be wrong to focus too much on the benefits of magnesium for physical health and forget about the significant emotional issues faced by pregnant women.
Pregnancy is a difficult time, and women may become more sensitive to even minor problems. They need something to stay calm and confident. However, medications are not an option. Even most of the commonly used natural supplements may pose a risk. However, topical magnesium spray could be just a perfect thing in such instances.
Magnesium also plays a vital role in preserving pregnancy. For example, many pregnancies end up with miscarriage in the first trimester. Magnesium, along with vitamins, could be a safe way to prevent early miscarriage5.
At present, there are insufficient studies to say to what degree magnesium can help. Nevertheless, there is no risk in using it, so why not regularly use magnesium spray from the first days of pregnancy.
When it comes to the role of preventing miscarriage in later stages or preventing preterm birth, there is a piece of strong evidence in favor of using magnesium. Of course, in the case of emergency, doctors would use intravenous and high dose magnesium to calm down hyperactive uterine. However, adequate magnesium intake and regular use of magnesium spray may help avert such situations altogether.6
Magnesium for fetal health
Since magnesium plays a vital role in the energy production and synthesis of DNA and RNA, its adequate intake is necessary for fetal development. Moreover, magnesium is also needed for the transportation of calcium, the most abundant and vital mineral for growing organism2.
Well, that sounds good, but that is not enough. Now the researchers are proposing that magnesium during pregnancy may even help in fetal programming. It means that if a mother is consuming enough magnesium during pregnancy, it may boost fetal health and even prevent early childhood diseases. What is impressive is that it may reduce the risk of diseases even during adulthood.
In short, researchers are proposing that adequate magnesium intake may ensure that a child may grow into a healthier adult. Thus, adequate magnesium intake or use of magnesium spray by mothers may have long-term consequences for a child's health, which may go much beyond fetal health or healthy child birth1.
For example, studies are emerging that low maternal magnesium intake is associated with a greater risk of metabolic diseases for a child in later life. It is quite likely that many adults have diabetes due to their mothers' low magnesium intake during pregnancy.
Another benefit of adequate magnesium intake by pregnant women could be fetal neuroprotection by magnesium. It may have a role in preventing certain brain disorders in children and ensuring that the child grows into a healthy adult. Some studies even suggest that maternal magnesium intake reduces the risk of cerebral palsy in children1.
One more possible benefit of adequate magnesium intake by pregnant women is that it may help reduce the risk of asthma in a child later in life. These days, most cases of asthma are diagnosed quite early in childhood, and experts believe that maternal magnesium deficiency is one of the reasons for the problem1.
Benefits of using magnesium spray
There are many reasons to believe that topical magnesium is the best way to prevent magnesium deficiency in pregnancy. It is the safest magnesium supplement. Magnesium may only get absorbed through the transdermal route in small amounts. There is almost no risk of overdose or magnesium toxicity.
It is worth knowing that despite the increasing popularity of magnesium sprays and other transdermal supplements, very little research has been done regarding its bioavailability. However, things are changing fast, and new studies show that it is the right way to supplement magnesium.
New studies confirm the bioavailability of transdermal magnesium. These studies also demonstrate that spray applied to the skin could be a better, safer, and faster way of managing magnesium deficiency7.
Here it is vital to understand that although magnesium transdermal spray starts acting from day one, but optimal benefit from such a spray occurs only on prolonged and regular use. Thus, one should start using it even when planning a pregnancy and continue its use throughout the pregnancy.
There are no contraindications of magnesium spray in pregnancy, and it cannot cause any adverse effects on fetal health. It is because the skin only absorbs a small amount of magnesium through each application. Moreover, the spray is free from any toxins, chemical preservatives, or heavy metals.
Final thoughts
Magnesium is one of the vital micronutrients for good health. However, it differs from other micronutrients in that it may even exert therapeutic effects at higher dosages. It may help abort headache attacks, improve glucose metabolism, reduce anxiety, help improve sleep.
Magnesium is also suitable for reducing the risk of pregnancy-associated complications. In addition, it is good for preventing mood swings, changes in blood pressure and may even have a role in reducing the risk of preeclampsia.
Magnesium also has a role in preventing preterm births and lowers the risk of miscarriage.
Additionally, new studies show that it has some fantastic benefits for fetal health and may help reduce the risk of inborn errors. Moreover, recent studies show that magnesium even has a role in fetal programming, resulting in incredible benefits like lower risk of childhood illnesses and even reduced risk of metabolic disorders during adulthood.
Transdermal magnesium is the safest option for pregnant women. Moreover, one may even continue using it after childbirth. It may help reduce the risk of postpartum anxiety and depression.
References
- Fanni D, Gerosa C, Nurchi VM, et al. The Role of Magnesium in Pregnancy and in Fetal Programming of Adult Diseases. Biol Trace Elem Res. 2021;199(10):3647-3657. doi:10.1007/s12011-020-02513-0
- Office of Dietary Supplements - Magnesium. Accessed February 14, 2022. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Magnesium-HealthProfessional/
- Lu JF, Nightingale CH. Magnesium sulfate in eclampsia and preeclampsia: pharmacokinetic principles. Clin Pharmacokinet. 2000;38(4):305-314. doi:10.2165/00003088-200038040-00002
- Negro A, Delaruelle Z, Ivanova TA, et al. Headache and pregnancy: a systematic review. J Headache Pain. 2017;18(1):106. doi:10.1186/s10194-017-0816-0
- Balogun OO, da Silva Lopes K, Ota E, et al. Vitamin supplementation for preventing miscarriage. Cochrane Database Syst Rev. 2016;2016(5):CD004073. doi:10.1002/14651858.CD004073.pub4
- Hutchinson HT, Nichols MM, Kuhn CR, Vasicka A. Effects of magnesium sulfate on uterine contractility, intrauterine fetus, and infant. American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology. 1964;88(6):747-758. doi:10.1016/0002-9378(64)90608-8
- Kass L, Rosanoff A, Tanner A, Sullivan K, McAuley W, Plesset M. Effect of transdermal magnesium cream on serum and urinary magnesium levels in humans: A pilot study. PLOS ONE. 2017;12(4):e0174817. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0174817