The Dr. Josh Axe Show

Episode: The #1 Mineral for Sleep That 48% of People Lack
Date: February 16, 2026
Host: Dr. Josh Axe

Episode Overview

In this engaging solo episode, Dr. Josh Axe explores the critical role of magnesium—the "lifeblood of plants"—in overall health and especially in sleep quality, a topic relevant to nearly half of Americans who are believed to be deficient. Dr. Axe breaks down the science behind magnesium, explains symptoms of deficiency, discusses accurate testing methods, evaluates various forms of magnesium supplements, and recommends practical dietary and lifestyle strategies to boost magnesium levels naturally. Throughout, he places strong emphasis on eating "real food" and synergistic nutrients that maximize magnesium’s impact.

Key Discussion Points & Insights

The Widespread Magnesium Deficiency

• Prevalence:
  "48% of Americans aren't getting enough magnesium, which means if you're listening right now, there's about a 50% chance this episode is for you." (01:19)
• Modern Diet Impact:
  The shift toward ultra-processed food has led to "calorie excess and mineral scarcity," making magnesium one of the top deficient minerals despite modern dietary abundance.

Why the Deficiency Exists

• Agricultural Practices:
  "Even if you're getting whole real foods today, oftentimes you're getting less minerals like iron and magnesium and zinc because of modern farming practices... When we put three nutrients back in the soil, well, there's probably 80 plus that should be put back there." (03:20)
• Food Depletion:
  Foods like broccoli and spinach contain significantly less magnesium than a century ago due to soil depletion.

Magnesium’s Critical Role in the Body & Nature

• Biological Analogy:
  "Iron is the center of animal blood. Magnesium is at the center of plant blood or chlorophyll." (06:00)
• Cellular Importance:
  "Magnesium is involved in over 300 enzymatic reactions in the body. It calms nerve signaling, it allows muscles to relax after contraction. It stabilizes our heart rhythm. It helps convert food into usable energy, and it signals the brain that it's safe to rest." (08:27)
• Energy Production:
  "Your body doesn't actually run on ATP very much. It runs on magnesium activated ATP." (10:15)

Ten Signs of Magnesium Deficiency

If you have two or more, pay attention!

• Muscle tightness, cramps, and spasms
• Fatigue and weakness
• Digestive issues (nausea, morning sickness)
• Loss of appetite
• Tingling/numbness in hands and feet
• Irregular heartbeats
• Mood changes (anxiety/depression)
• High blood pressure
• Weak bones (risk of osteoporosis)
• Trouble sleeping (insomnia)

Memorable Quote:
"Magnesium has a calming effect on the nervous system. And low levels can interfere with your ability to fall asleep or stay asleep." (12:30)

Accurate Magnesium Testing

• Limitations of Standard Tests:
  "Serum magnesium is a weak way to measure true magnesium status because only about 1% of the body's magnesium is found outside of the cell..." (14:36)
• Best Practice:
  "The best type of blood test for magnesium is known as an RBC magnesium test... It measures magnesium inside your red blood cells, which gives you a closer reflection of the amount of magnesium inside your cell, not what's just floating in your blood at the moment." (15:20)

The Seven Most Useful Forms of Magnesium

1. Magnesium Glycinate

   • Best for sleep and anxiety due to its calming partner, glycine.
   • "If your main goal is getting better quality sleep at night and to reduce anxiety, magnesium glycinate is your best option." (19:08)

2. Magnesium Citrate

   • Best for short-term constipation and muscle cramps.
   • "Magnesium citrate tends to be the best for short term constipation... It's highly absorbable and often used as a natural laxative." (21:20)

3. Magnesium Threonate

   • Best for brain health, memory, and neuroprotection—crosses the blood-brain barrier.
   • "It's the ideal for mental clarity, for learning, for neuroprotection, for brain fog." (22:15)

4. Magnesium Malate

   • Best for energy production, athletic recovery, and fibromyalgia.
   • "Excellent for boosting energy... if you're an athlete and you've got muscle soreness and want to improve recovery." (24:00)

5. Magnesium Carbonate

   • Traditionally used for indigestion/acid reflux, mild laxative.

6. Topical Magnesium (Epsom Salts)

   • Best absorbed via skin, great for muscle recovery and relaxation
   • Dr. Axe recommends Epsom salt baths for stress and muscle relaxation.

7. Multi-Amino Magnesium Complex

   • Most "food-like," made from mineral-rich sources like spirulina, highly bioavailable and gentle.
   • "It’s not going to be as powerful as the one thing, but it’s going to be generally good at everything." (27:30)
   • Dr. Axe’s personal favorite for overall, everyday support.

Synergy: Nutrients That Enhance Magnesium’s Power

• Vitamin D
  • "Vitamin D and magnesium, they work like teammates... If your vitamin D is low, magnesium often doesn't work as well." (31:45)
• Calcium
  • Needs balance with magnesium for bone health. Never supplement calcium alone.
• Vitamin B6
  • Amplifies magnesium absorption, crucial for women (morning sickness, pregnancy).
  • "B6 and magnesium act together to calm the nervous system and reduce these symptoms." (34:00)
• Prebiotics
  • "Prebiotic fibers can measurably increase magnesium absorption... Remember this, you aren't what you eat, you are what you absorb." (36:10)
  • Top prebiotic sources: artichokes, oatmeal, lentils, apples, avocado.

Memorable Advice:
“The magnesium hack isn’t always more milligrams. Oftentimes, it’s coupling it with more things like vitamin D and calcium and B6 and prebiotics… which will support absorption.” (37:03)

Dr. Axe's Top Magnesium-Rich Foods

• Pumpkin Seeds
  • "Pumpkin seeds are the highest food in magnesium, by the way. They're also incredibly high in zinc." (38:20)
  • Advocates for sprouted pumpkin seed butter for absorption, especially for prostate support.
• Spinach (cooked)
• Almonds & Cashews
• Dark Chocolate
• Black Beans & Lentils
• Chia Seeds
• Oily Fish (Mackerel, Tuna)
• Avocados & Quinoa
• Herbs: Holy Basil (Tulsi) is noted as a high-magnesium, stress-reducing herb.

Sample Magnesium-Rich Meals

• Grass-fed beef bowl with spinach, black beans, avocado, olive oil
• Wild-caught salmon with quinoa, sauteed greens, dark chocolate dessert
• Tuna salad with arugula, spinach, beans, avocado, pumpkin seeds, and olive oil

Lifestyle Strategies & Final Takeaways

• Manage Stress and Get Sleep
  • "Stress, sort of like a sponge, pulls magnesium and B vitamins out of your body if you're stressed out." (42:05)
  • Epsom salt baths recommended for relaxation and mineral replenishment.
• Magnesium as a Daily Essential
  • Dr. Axe personally takes magnesium daily, mostly food-based or glycinate forms, for sleep and overall longevity.
• Testing & Individualization
  • Advocates for deeper testing (RBC magnesium) and individualized supplement choices based on personal health goals.

Notable Quotes & Memorable Moments

"If iron sits at the center of oxygen, our oxygen-carrying system, magnesium sits at the center of the plant’s energy-capturing system." (08:16)

"Magnesium is a crucial mineral that affects almost every function of the body. Everything from your nerve health to your brain health, to your energy production to your sleep, to your mood, to muscle health." (43:55)

"Magnesium may be the most important mineral to our entire body. Remember, it’s the lifeblood of plants, and it can be life for us as well.” (44:50)

Timestamps for Key Segments

• Overview & Stats: 01:19
• Real Food Movement & Modern Deficiency: 02:45–05:30
• How Magnesium Works in Nature & Humans: 05:30–09:15
• Signs of Deficiency: 09:25–12:30
• How to Test (RBC magnesium): 14:36–16:00
• Forms of Magnesium Explained: 19:08–28:00
• Synergistic Nutrients: 31:45–37:03
• Food Sources & Sample Meals: 38:20–41:30
• Lifestyle and Closing: 42:05–44:50

Summary Tone

Dr. Axe’s tone is educational and enthusiastic, mixing practical advice, approachable metaphors, and direct recommendations. Listeners are encouraged to take actionable steps, focusing on food-based strategies first, with supplemental forms tailored to individual needs.

Recommended Actions for Listeners

• Assess your own magnesium status, especially if you experience multiple deficiency symptoms.
• Prioritize magnesium-rich, “real” foods and consider food-based supplements.
• Pair magnesium with vitamin D, B6, calcium (in balance), and prebiotics for maximum benefit.
• Use RBC magnesium testing for true cellular status if possible.
• Consider targeted forms of magnesium (glycinate for sleep/anxiety, threonate for brain, etc.) according to specific health needs.
• Manage stress and aim for restorative sleep to conserve magnesium.

For further exploration: Dr. Axe recommends ongoing education on nutrient synergy and functional nutrition to optimize health and well-being.