Everything You Need To Know About Magnesium Bicarbonate Water

Disclaimer: you know I have to say this...NONE of this information is medical advice and should not replace the advice of a healthcare professional. The information provided in this article is simply for educational & inspirational purposes.

Wait...what even is Magnesium & why is everyone always going on about it?

Well to illustrate its importance as quickly as possible, lets look at a list of conditions that are associated with a magnesium deficiency:

Yep...sounds like pretty much every mental & physical health condition that exists today right?

That's because magnesium is our 'spark of life', its the 2nd most abundant element inside of your cells and 4th most abundant inside of your body.

Your cells go through 8 steps to make energy and 6 of those 8 steps require magnesium. 

Magnesium is needed as a cofactor for hundreds of processes within the body to function optimally.

Now I don't want to sit here and tell you that you're magnesium deficient and need to buy the magnesium supplement I sell...no that would be unethical & against my values. 

I just want to educate you on this magic mineral and everything I learnt which helped me heal. After all, knowledge is power, it's how you take your life & your health back into your hands. 

As it turns out, the majority of people are estimated to be magnesium deficient. How can this be the case?

Simply put, we should be getting most of our magnesium needs from water, not pills or food. 

Water is the favourable transporting medium for minerals & electrolytes like magnesium.

Of course we can meet some of our magnesium needs from food but considering the amount you would need to eat to meet your bodys optimal requirement, it would be very inefficient.

So what are your bodys requirements? I'm not here to make generalisations but if you resonate with the symptoms/conditions on that list, then it could be worth trying to prioritise your magnesium needs.

Another important point to note...the more stressed you are, the more magnesium you need. 

This is another huge reason many people in the modern fast-paced world are likely magnesium deficient. 

The first nutrient your body uses up when stressed is magnesium, in the same respect, the more magnesium you have in your body & in your tissues, the more stress resilient you will feel.

This is a surprisingly brief overview of magnesium, it is such a vital ingredient to achieving optimal mental & physical health that this blog post could go on for days!

BUT hopefully it's given you enough of an insight to consider whether it is something that could benefit you.

NOTE: there is no magic pill or supplement that will solve all your problems, thats a dangerous mindset you definitely want to escape from. It's important to prioritise other things on your healing journey: syncing to your circadian rhythm, passion, purpose & play, nutrition & minerals, balanced blood sugar, being some of the most important.

Now let's cover the next most important point:

Why bother going through the effort of making magnesium bicarbonate water at home when you can just take a supplement?

Because magnesium bicarbonate is the most natural & bioavailable form of magnesium to humans, in fact the water you drink used to be full of magnesium bicarbonate thousands of years ago.

How?

In nature, magnesium hydroxide is found in the mineral brucite via rocks & stones.

Magnesium hydroxide would then make its way into water systems (local springs) and react with atmospheric carbon dioxide (CO2) to create this powerful drink...hence the need for bubbles!

This is why we always use sparkling water, not regular water, we need the CO2 from the bubbles.

Fun Fact

Only a couple of decades ago, researchers found that animals in a small region in Australia were living 30-50% longer than their neighbours because their local springs had high levels of magnesium bicarbonate. 

Check out my 5 minute video on 'what form of magnesium should you take?' here.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs):

Do I have to use sparkling water, can I use normal water? 

Yes! You need carbon dioxide to create magnesium bicarbonate, hence the need for bubbles. Once the drink has been made however, you can mix your daily amount with normal drinking water. E.g. mix 200ml of magnesium bicarbonate water with 400-600ml of regular water. That's how I like to drink mine. <3

How do I make it? 

Magnesium bicarbonate is made through combining magnesium hydroxide powder and CO₂, hence the need for bubbles!

It is so easy to make and provides a potent source of this essential mineral. You can make it by simply using store bought sparkling water or a soda maker, if you have one at home.

As per the instructions, just put 1/2 tsp of the powder in carbonated water, shake the bottle well (for 1 minute) and refrigerate it.

If you have a soda maker, you may also put the powder in the water before carbonation. It will be ready once the powder has been absorbed, typically in 2 to 4 hours.

Pro tip is to shake it again in between! If there is a little residue left at the bottom, that is normal, just don't drink those bits. The drink is ready once the powder has fully dissolved (bar a tiny bit of residue at the bottom in some cases).

Another pro tip, if you have a sieve, use it when putting the 1/2 tsp in the water, it will help it dissolve much faster!

How much should I drink everyday?

That's entirely up to you! Most people do well drinking between 100ml to 300ml a day. Always start slow and work your way up to what feels good for you! 

You do not need to drink 1L a day, I would try to keep it under 500ml max a day, if you really like sparkling water then use less powder when making the drink, so its not as strong.

How much powder and sparkling water should I use?

1L of sparkling water: 1/4 to 1/2 a kitchen teaspoon
2L of sparkling water: 1/2 to 1 kitchen teaspoon 

How long will one pack last me?

The original version (green pack) has 300 servings, amounting to 300 litres of magnesium bicarbonate water and the new version (blue pack), with 100 servings (or 100L) you can imagine both can last you quite a while.

It depends how many people will be drinking it, if it's just you, it could last months!

To me, it is very clear that magnesium bicarbonate water is not only the most effective but also the most affordable form of magnesium.

Yes it takes 2 minutes of prep and few hours of sitting in the fridge, but then you have your magnesium fix for the week...& who said good health was supposed to come easy?

What if there is some residue left in the bottle?

 That is normal, just don't drink those bits. If there is a lot of powder floating around it will either be because you didn't shake the bottle enough or you didn't wait long enough. If you are carbonating your own water it could also be because the water needs more carbonation.

Don't worry, after making it a couple of times, you will get the hang of it, it's like being a scientist in your own home!

Where is it sourced from?

The ingredients are sourced from a UK supplier where quality is of the utmost importance, as it is to us. Although it is made through chemical processes instead of extraction from the ocean, reducing the risk of heavy metals, it is still tested for heavy metals in the UK.

Whats the difference between the Original (green) and Plus (blue) version?

The original has one ingredient: magnesium hydroxide powder. Shop here.

The plus version has three ingredients: magnesium hydroxide powder, sodium bicarbonate & potassium bicarbonate. Shop here.

Here's why:

Sodium bicarbonate (baking soda) has been used for centuries for its various health benefits.

It increases oxygen flow to cells, has strong anti-inflammatory properties, promotes detoxification by helping the body eliminate toxins and waste more efficiently, supports digestion, neutralises acid and much more.

You also get the added benefit of sodium, which along with potassium bicarbonate makes the water a more balanced electrolyte drink. The pH balancing effects of these additional ingredients also help increase the absorption of magnesium.

'The greatest limiting factor for neutralizing acidic waste in the human body is the availability of bicarbonates. Magnesium bicarbonate water is a therapeutic form of water that supplies bicarbonates along with necessary magnesium.'

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