Magnesium for Chronic Constipation

Magnesium is a crucial mineral for optimal health and can be used as part of a healthy approach to chronic constipation relief.

Why is magnesium becoming deficient in the modern diet?

Simply put, we eat less of magnesium rich foods (like nuts, seeds, and green, leafy vegetables) than we used to and even those foods which used to contain high levels of magnesium now contain lower amounts. This is because the soil of large industrial farms has been over utilized and has a lower mineral content each passing year. Additionally, this soil has been treated with fertilizers high in potassium that counteract magnesium content in the soil.

In addition to food having lower mineral content in general, the average human consumption of processed sugar, alcohol, and caffeine is the highest it’s been in history. This is important because all of these products increase the amount of magnesium that is excreted through the urine. As a result, the USDA estimates that between 50-70% of the population doesn’t get enough magnesium from food sources alone.

So why does this deficiency in magnesium lead to chronic constipation and what can be done about it?

One must first have a basic understanding of the autonomic nervous system to understand the role of magnesium in chronic constipation. The autonomic nervous system is split into two subdivisions: the sympathetic nervous system and the parasympathetic nervous system.

The sympathetic nervous system activates when the body is under stress and does things like stimulate the heartbeat, raise blood pressure, inhibit peristalsis (muscle contraction) in the intestinal tract and prevent contraction of the bladder. It does this to conserve energy for emergencies. When the parasympathetic system activates, on the other hand, the heartbeat slows, the blood pressure goes down, and the body is able to digest and move food through the intestines normally.

How does magnesium affect the nervous system?

The problem with magnesium deficiency is that magnesium is a key mineral in blocking the sympathetic nervous system and without it the sympathetic nervous system can become so active that one ends up in a “sympathetic dominant” body state. While in this state, most blood is sent to the muscles for “fight or flight” survival mode and little energy is directed towards digestion, immune function, and proper sleep regulation.

A natural result of this sympathetic dominance is constipation. Chronic sympathetic dominance can be alleviated with magnesium supplementation, which helps activate the parasympathetic nervous system and reduces feelings of stress, allows for higher immune function, and frees up energy for the body to put towards creating normal bowel movements. This is one of the few constipation remedies that addresses the underlying problem in the nervous system to cure constipation.

What can you do for constipation relief?

If this problem sounds familiar, it might be worth checking out a natural constipation remedy. StayRegular is a specially formulated, natural dietary supplement that acts as a constipation remedy by addressing several of the body’s needs. One of those needs is high quality magnesium to help balance the nervous system and allow for healthy colon movement. The ingredients in the quad action formula of StayRegular can act as occasional and constipation treatment by addressing three other common reasons for constipation. It uses osmotic properties to draw water into the bowels, innovative fiber to move waste through the colon, and probiotics to feed the colon and allow for optimal functioning.