Better together: calcium and magnesium

The nervous system is your body’s intricate communication network, connecting your control centre – the brain – with the nerves that carry messages around your body to control various bodily actions and functions, from reflexes and movement to organ function and complex thoughts and emotions. 

Your nervous system gathers information from inside and outside your body through sensory receptors, sending impulses to your brain and spinal cord for processing and integration. 

They integrate the sensory information, using it to feel sensations, think, perceive and experience the world around you, make decisions, and coordinate responses. This involves complex processes like learning, memory, and decision-making.

Your nervous system also sends signals to muscles and glands, triggering actions like movement and regulating balance, hormone secretion, digestion and changes in heart rate and breathing.

With such a complex and vital role in everyday life, supporting your nervous system with the right nutrients is critical for optimal function, performance, overall health and well-being.

Magnesium and calcium are two critical minerals needed for nerve function and nervous system health.

Magnesium plays a crucial role in nerve transmission¹ and is involved in the control and release of neurotransmitters², the chemical messengers that transmit signals between nerve cells. 

For instance, magnesium helps maintain the balance of neurotransmitters like glutamate and GABA, which are essential for proper brain function. 

In addition, magnesium has a protective effect on nerves. Through its anti-inflammatory properties³, magnesium can help reduce inflammation in the nervous system, promote nerve health, and support the production of the myelin sheath⁴, a protective covering around nerve fibres that ensures efficient signal transmission.

Magnesium also works synergistically with calcium to support nerve function. Calcium needs magnesium for effect absorption and utilisation while magnesium helps regulate calcium channels to ensure proper nerve signalling and prevent excessive calcium influx, which can lead to cell death⁵.

Like magnesium, calcium also plays a crucial role in nerve signalling⁶, allowing nerve cells to communicate effectively, and helps regulate the release of neurotransmitters⁷.

The best way to get all the magnesium and calcium your body needs is through a balanced diet that includes a variety of natural whole foods, like leafy green vegetables, nuts, seeds, whole grains, legumes, dairy products and fish with bones. 

A combined calcium and magnesium supplement, like Biogen Calmag Max can help meet your nutritional needs, especially if you have a deficiency, offering several potential benefits for optimal nerve function and overall nervous system health.

By supporting nerve signalling and neurotransmitter balance, a calmag supplement may contribute to improved overall nerve health and function.

Taking a combined supplement can also help ensure you’re getting adequate levels of both minerals, reducing the risk of deficiency-related nerve problems. 

If you believe you suffer from a nutritional deficiency or nervous system issue, consult with a healthcare professional for personalised advice. 

1. Kirkland AE, Sarlo GL, Holton KF. The Role of Magnesium in Neurological Disorders. Nutrients. 2018 Jun 6;10(6):730. doi: 10.3390/nu10060730. PMID: 29882776; PMCID: PMC6024559.
2. Maier JAM, Locatelli L, Fedele G, Cazzaniga A, Mazur A. Magnesium and the Brain: A Focus on Neuroinflammation and Neurodegeneration. Int J Mol Sci. 2022 Dec 23;24(1):223. doi: 10.3390/ijms24010223. PMID: 36613667; PMCID: PMC9820677.
3. Moslehi N, Vafa M, Rahimi-Foroushani A, Golestan B. Effects of oral magnesium supplementation on inflammatory markers in middle-aged overweight women. J Res Med Sci. 2012 Jul;17(7):607-14. PMID: 23798918; PMCID: PMC3685774.
4. Zhang J, Zhang B, Zhang J, Lin W, Zhang S. Magnesium Promotes the Regeneration of the Peripheral Nerve. Front Cell Dev Biol. 2021 Aug 11;9:717854. doi: 10.3389/fcell.2021.717854. PMID: 34458271; PMCID: PMC8385315.
5. Benjamin J. Behers, Brett M. Behers, et al. Magnesium and Potassium Supplementation for Systolic Blood Pressure Reduction in the General Normotensive Population: A Systematic Review and Subgroup Meta-Analysis for Optimal Dosage and Treatment Length, Nutrients, 16, 21, (3617), (2024).https://doi.org/10.3390/nu16213617. 
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7. Südhof TC. Calcium control of neurotransmitter release. Cold Spring Harb Perspect Biol. 2012 Jan 1;4(1):a011353. doi: 10.1101/cshperspect.a011353. PMID: 22068972; PMCID: PMC3249630.