Magnesium and the Mind: How This Mineral May Slow Brain Aging

I’m always looking for ways to help out my brain. I was part of the generation that was told we have a limited amount of brain cells and once they die we can’t make more. Maybe that’s why when the data came out about us being able to regenerate more I was all about finding ways to make more and supporting my brain health.
When I stumbled on the data behind magnesium I was all about diving more into it.

You’ve probably never heard someone rave about magnesium at a dinner party (if you’ve been to a dinner party, for me it’s more like my cousins’ child’s first birthday party). It doesn’t have the trendiness of collagen, the splashy press of turmeric, or the buzz of adaptogens, but it’s quietly powerful.

It’s the mineral that hums beneath the surface of thought, memory, and focus, and now, new research shows it may do something even more profound by slowing the aging of your brain.

The Study That Started the Buzz

A recent study published in the journal European Journal of Nutrition found that a 41% increase in dietary magnesium intake was associated with less age-related brain shrinkage, and participants with higher magnesium intake showed improved cognitive performance. The results held strongest for women (which I am, so it definitely caught my interest)…but men showed benefits too.

So, it turns out, magnesium isn’t just for your muscle cramps (although it works for those too!).
It might be your brain’s best-kept secret weapon.

Okay, so it turns out that magnesium plays a role in neurotransmitter function (helping brain cells communicate), also in synaptic plasticity (how the brain learns and adapts), regulating inflammation (which contributes to cognitive decline and a ton of other bad things in your body), and even some energy metabolism in brain cells.

And as if that’s not enough, most importantly it supports the hippocampus, the brain’s memory hub.
The same region affected early in Alzheimer’s disease.

Magnesium protects the hippocampus like a soft little shield.

Why Most People Aren’t Getting Enough

So despite its importance and all the things I just listed about what magnesium does, nearly half of Americans don’t meet the recommended daily intake of magnesium.

Well, soil depletion means fewer minerals in our food, ultra-processed diets lack essential nutrients, stress, caffeine, and alcohol all deplete magnesium stores, and few multivitamins offer bioavailable forms that our bodies actually absorb.

In other words, our modern lifestyle burns magnesium faster than we replenish it.

Beyond just preserving brain volume, magnesium is also linked to better short-term memory, improved learning capacity, faster reaction times, and decreased risk of depression and anxiety.

One study even showed that raising brain magnesium levels with magnesium L-threonate improved learning abilities in aged rats by almost 100%.

If that holds true for humans, we're talking about a mineral that might slow, stall, or even reverse aspects of age-related decline.

In my post about elephant cancer resistance, we explored how nature hides protective traits in plain sight. Magnesium feels like that. It’s a natural defense, a nice little quiet enhancement, a mineral that doesn't ask for attention but offers it back to your thoughts, where you need it most.

And just like the piece on time’s acceleration, magnesium helps slow time, not by bending clocks, but by improving the vividness of our perception.

Not All Magnesium Is Created Equal

Here’s where things get tricky and more complicated, because of course it does, there are seven common forms of magnesium, and each has different strengths.

1. Magnesium citrate — Great for digestion and relieving constipation, but yes, it can have a laxative effect if overused, so don’t take too much or you’ll regret it.

2. Magnesium oxide — The cheapest and least bioavailable form; your body absorbs very little of it, but it’s pretty often found in multivitamins.

3. Magnesium glycinate — Gentle, calming, and highly absorbable. Excellent for anxiety, muscle relaxation, and sleep.

4. Magnesium L-threonate — The form used in brain studies. It’s the only one proven to cross the blood-brain barrier, supporting memory and cognitive function.

5. Magnesium malate — Best for energy production and muscle pain. Often recommended for people with fatigue or fibromyalgia.

6. Magnesium taurate — Super heart-healthy, as it pairs magnesium with taurine, an amino acid that supports cardiovascular and nervous system balance.

7. Magnesium sulfate (Epsom salt) — The one you soak in in your bathtub. Helps with sore muscles and inflammation, and can also help your sleep when absorbed through the skin.

If you're interested in cognitive support, L-threonate is the form to look for.

And this Magnesium L-Threonate supplement on Amazon is one of the few third-party tested options.

Signs You May Be Low in Magnesium

It’s often called an “invisible deficiency” because symptoms are vague.

Look for brain fog, irritability, muscle twitches, insomnia, any kind of heightened stress responses, or a poopy mood you can’t seem to shake.

If you're feeling “off” and can’t put your finger on why…magnesium might just be your missing link.

How to Get More Magnesium (Beyond Pills)

I don’t blame you if you read all of that and were like ugh I hate pills. Same, I really prefer getting my nutrients via food, so you can try to eat some dark leafy greens (spinach, kale), pumpkin seeds, avocados, almonds, black beans, bananas, or even some dark chocolate (yes, really!!) to get more magnesium into your body.

Pair magnesium-rich foods with vitamin D and healthy fats for even better absorption. If you're looking for non-pill methods, consider magnesium bath soaks or even transdermal sprays. Sometimes your skin drinks in what your gut doesn’t feel like digesting.

Magnesium also helps to calm the nervous system, lowers cortisol, boosts melatonin production, and helps you fall asleep and stay asleep. I don’t know about you, but I could use a ton more of all of the above in my life.

And sleep, is when the brain cleans house, literally washing itself with cerebrospinal fluid to remove toxins. So magnesium doesn’t just help you think better during the day, it helps you repair at night.

Your thoughts become clearer not just because of the mineral, but because you’re finally getting rest deep enough to remember who you are for once.

Magnesium for Women: A Special Note

Women may need magnesium even more than men.

It supports hormone balance, premenstrual symptoms, perimenopause transitions, and remember that mood regulation I mentioned earlier? Yup, that again.

Pairing it with B6 and taurine could help modulate mood and nervous system resilience, especially during hormonal shifts, which I think we need.

Start low. Increase gradually.

If you’re buying a supplement, look for third-party testing, bioavailable forms like L-threonate or glycinate, and minimal additives or fillers. Supplements are sometimes tricky, which is why I listed the foods above.

Some people experience digestive discomfort at high doses (things get poopy fast), while others notice deeper sleep, calmer moods, and sharper clarity within a week.

Give it time, and give your body the benefit of consistency.

Magnesium isn’t cool like a lot of the other supplements my husband tries, but it does have a ton of proven benefits that might outweigh a lot of other things.

Let magnesium do what it does best and whisper some of that wellness back into your brain.

Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional. This article is for informational purposes only and should not replace advice from a licensed healthcare provider.