Wake up, babe, a new cure-all just dropped: Inside TikTok’s magnesium craze
Good morning. It’s Thursday, March 7. Here’s what you need to know to start your day.
- Magnesium craze sweeps social media, but does it work?
- How Trump propelled Schiff to the general election
- Ahsoka, Andor and the Mandalorian are coming to Disneyland’s Star Tours
- And here’s today’s e-newspaper
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Inside TikTok’s magnesium craze
The nation’s tense and divided political landscape may leave many with a postelection headache this week, but a magical cure-all has arrived that promises to leave you rested and relaxed — at least, that’s what TikTok wants you to believe.
In a trend so quintessentially Californian that it almost sounds made-up, the source of sweet relief isn’t a newly patented molecule or ancient herbal extract but rather one of the most widely available elements on Earth: magnesium.
Best sleep of your life? Magnesium.
Relieve constipation? Magnesium.
Stress reliever? You guessed it … magnesium.
The supplement has healthcare professionals fielding a steady stream of questions from patients curious about what the mineral can do for them.
As The Times’ Adam Markovitz discovered, more than you might think, but less than you might hope.
Magnesium’s time to shine
The once humble and almost anonymous mineral supplement found on store shelves has taken the wellness community by storm in the last year, becoming the star of thousands of TikTok posts singing the metal’s praises.
Google searches for “magnesium sleep” have more than doubled since the viral video of the Sleepy Girl Mocktail (tart cherry juice and magnesium powder) debuted online. Analytics show that mentions of magnesium on various social media platforms have surged by 87%.
Financially, magnesium is as good as gold, with experts projecting total supplement sales to surpass $1.5 billion in 2024, and there are no indications of a slowdown.
Businesses in L.A., the epicenter of outlandish alternative medicine, are capitalizing on the magical magnesium craze.
Items such as Magnesium Reset Spray for misting tense muscles, “Lypo-Spheric” magnesium gel to add to a morning latte and a $250 supercharged massage with “heat activated” magnesium oil at the Conrad Hotel downtown are promoted citywide.
Angelenos’ beloved high-priced supermarket chain reported a sales increase of over 50% for the supplement compared with last year.
The chain sells more than 30 forms of magnesium, claiming various benefits: magnesium carbonate, magnesium bisglycinate, ozonated magnesium and magnesium L-threonate — to name just a few.
What it can do
Biologically, our bodies require magnesium to function. Most people have about 25 grams of it, primarily stored in their bones, unless they suffer from a severe chronic illness.
Magnesium is crucial for muscle relaxation, neurotransmitter engagement and essential components of all cell types, said Dr. Zhaoping Li, director of UCLA’s Center for Human Nutrition. A deficiency could lead to adverse health effects.
Deficiency isn’t common in otherwise healthy people, as many don’t need to take magnesium supplements. However, less than half of Americans meet their daily recommended magnesium intake from food, according to the USDA.
While the scientific evidence supporting its effectiveness in relieving stress and insomnia isn’t strong, an association between magnesium intake and improvements in depression, anxiety and migraine headaches is evident, according to experts.
Proceed with caution
Before you follow TikTok’s advice of infusing magnesium into every aspect of your life, healthcare professionals caution that magnesium isn’t the cure-all social media influencers and herbalists in Venice Beach will tout.
Consultation with healthcare professionals is vital before consuming excessive amounts of supplements, especially magnesium, to avoid adverse effects or potential interactions. Excessive doses of magnesium can be dangerous for people living with kidney impairment, as excess magnesium is flushed out in the urine.
Sufficient doses of magnesium are almost certain to relieve bowel issues. Avoid chugging a full bottle of magnesium citrate, often used before colonoscopies to relieve constipation, no matter what someone from a viral TikTok with 27.8 million views and counting suggests.
Experts say it will work, and you’ll find out the hard way.
Today’s top stories
Politics
- How Trump propelled Schiff to the general election — and likely a Senate seat.
- What will Biden say on immigration? A border agent and ‘Dreamers’ are expected at State of the Union.
Climate and environment
- Global hot streak continues: February was Earth’s warmest on record.
- Microplastics may be a new risk factor for cardiovascular disease, researchers say.
Crime and courts
- LAPD warns homeowners about a simple trick burglars use to disable home security systems.
- LAPD’s ‘less-lethal’ projectile launchers are leading to deadly encounters, a report finds.
- ‘Rust’ shooting: Hannah Gutierrez has been found guilty of involuntary manslaughter.
More big stories
- Sorry, bucket-listers. The National Park Service has closed Lake Manly to further boating adventures by visitors to Death Valley National Park.
- After landslides, limited train service resumes along troubled Orange County rail line.
- UC applications rise for fall 2024, with gains in diversity and transfer applicants.
- The Church of England aims to raise more than $1 billion to address its links to slavery.
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Commentary and opinions
- Editorial: The legacy of California’s three-strikes law is 30 years of wasted spending and ruined lives.
- Mark Z. Barabak: A land of flaming liberalism? Senate results contradict California stereotype.
- George Skelton: Schiff cheapened himself with his cynical effort to help Garvey in Senate race.
- Michael Hiltzik: Something for Biden to brag about — his IRS funding more than pays for itself.
- Jackie Calmes: It’s State of the Union time. Will Biden blow it?
- Gustavo Arellano: ‘You cannot get close to’ Kevin de León at his surreal, high-security election party.
Today’s great reads
Native Americans and the movies: A long-forgotten history of Hollywood and my family. A writer researching his great-great-uncles, all three born on a Chickasaw reservation, discovers they were major moviemakers in the early days of Hollywood.
Other great reads
- He protested in a clown suit outside a restaurateur’s home. The owner pulled a gun on him.
- What should win at the Oscars? A critic submits a purely personal ballot.
How can we make this newsletter more useful? Send comments to essentialcalifornia@latimes.com.
For your downtime
Going out
- 🍾 Once the beating heart of the region, downtown Los Angeles has survived multiple eras of ups and downs, and remains a place in constant transformation.
- 🌌 Ahsoka, Andor and the Mandalorian are coming to Disneyland’s Star Tours.
Staying in
- 📚🐦⬛ Four must-read books on birding (and 2 bonus picks).
- 🦀 Here’s a recipe for a spring crab sandwich.
- ✏️ Get our free daily crossword puzzle, sudoku, word search and arcade games.
And finally ... from our archives
On March 7, 1965, Alabama state troopers blocked civil rights demonstrators who had just crossed the Edmund Pettus Bridge in Selma. The troopers attacked the marchers in events that became known as “Bloody Sunday.”
Have a great day, from the Essential California team
Anthony De Leon, reporting fellow
Kevinisha Walker, multiplatform editor
Stephanie Chavez, deputy Metro editor
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