Invisible yet Sublime
Why supplement, after all ?
"The most sublime things are invisible to the eye yet illuminate the soul." - Adrienne Chaplin
Our well-being partly hinges on elusive substances traced in our diets. These agents participate in myriad reactions within our wonderful microscopic cellular machinery.
In the era of neon lycra and fitness classes, a burgeoning industry capitalized on the notion that more is better. Though we once scoffed at Americans and their pill containers, the supplement business flourishes. Is there a solid rationale, or is it sheer madness?
"No need for supplements, I eat well !"
Our dietary habits define us—individually, as families, as societies. Suggesting a diet lacks nutrients is to critique a culture and identity—an uncomfortable proposition.
Everyone has their definition of "eating well." A definitive answer remains elusive due to the impracticality and cost of long-term dietary monitoring; any results would be specific to the studied population and fraught with biases. Nutrition epidemiology, the basis for these recommendations, is a soft science.
The current dietary gold standard promotes a diet rich in fibers, fruits, and vegetables of every hue, legumes, whole grains, and minimal red meat—a touch of Mediterranean and Okinawan diets 🍱 , There is a sort of "cargo cult" mentality at play here, as neither you nor I were born in Okinawa ( and a special thanks to the unique Japanese reader who might refrain from commenting on this ).
Yet, there's consensus on one thing : our diets must be nutrient-rich.
We've seen how our recent dietary history has transformed macronutrients—sugars, fats, proteins.
Now, welcome to the unseen and exquisite world of micronutrients.
Triage Theory: Evolution's Priorities
Throughout evolution, humans frequently lacked access to sufficient micronutrients, forcing natural selection to find a solution : sacrifice the future to survive the present.
To prioritize survival and reproduction at the expense of long-term health.
“Invisible metabolic damage occurs even with minor micronutrient deficiencies, increasing the risk of cancer, cardiovascular diseases, cognitive decline, and other aging-related illnesses.” - Dr. Bruce Ames, Triage Theory
In essence, chronic micronutrient deficiencies gradually cause unseen damage, accelerating aging and chronic disease.
This theory has been validated for certain micronutrients like vitamin K and selenium, as their roles involve only a few proteins. However, it is harder to prove for Vitamin D and magnesium, as they affect multiple processes at once.
How much exactly ? Let’s focus on Magnesium.
Unlike iron, for which we have ample data, there is no simple test to assess magnesium reserves. Research into this essential mineral remains underdeveloped.
Current recommended intake levels are imprecise and poorly supported. These needs are individual (depending on sex, size, and activity levels) and situational (growth, breastfeeding, aging).
We know the minimum required to avoid death, but do we know the amount needed for a long, healthy life ?
The 15 essential minerals are divided into two groups: calcium, phosphorus, magnesium, sodium, chloride, potassium, and sulfur ( macrominerals ), and iron, copper, zinc, selenium, iodine, chromium, manganese, and molybdenum ( trace elements ).
The table below highlights a longstanding problem recognized since the 1930s: industrial farming depletes the soil.
This rapid and severe decline affects even those who regularly consume these vegetables. If your diet primarily consists of "empty calories," you’re even more vulnerable. Processed foods inhibit proper magnesium absorption, as do certain medications like proton-pump inhibitors ending in -prazol.
You also lose more magnesium through urination if you take certain hypertension medications ( diuretics ) or are diabetic.
Between 45 % and 60 % of American adults are magnesium deficient. Deficiency sets in below 250 mg per day ( 3.6 mg/kg ) over long periods, though optimal intake levels remain unknown and may be significantly higher.
Supplementation as Insurance
Benefits and Risks of Magnesium Supplementation
The potential benefits are many, though not immediately visible: magnesium supports 80% of metabolic pathways. It’s like oiling a machine to keep it running smoothly and efficiently over time. This “oil” is stored within our cells and must be continuously replenished. Hence the idea of "cures" to restore these stores.
The risks are minimal: digestive discomfort due to accelerated transit.
As with insurance, the cost is low, and the gain significant if the risk is common and severe (hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, cancer, and dementia check both boxes).
This new piece of the puzzle helps explain this unbelievable epidemic.
💡 Common micronutrient deficiencies, especially magnesium, likely contribute to the prevalence of chronic diseases.We deserve better :
We deserve to ask the difficult question: How, in such a wealthy civilization, has our food become so nutritionally impoverished ?
We deserve to focus not just on one micronutrient but to understand the deep interconnections at the heart of life itself.
We deserve to consider supplementation when we cannot directly monitor the entire production chain. Here’s a fun line for your next grocery trip: " Hello, do you know the molybdenum content of your tomatoes ?" 😜
Notes :
The supplement industry complicates the discussion with intense sponsorship. People naturally distrust supplement sellers, even if their reasoning is sound and their intentions virtuous.
I personally take 350 mg of magnesium daily, almost continuously. I’m not recommending it—you’re grown up enough to decide for yourselves. Magnesium malate, glycinate, citrate, and lactate are well absorbed, unlike oxide and carbonate (PDF).
Other common deficiencies deserve their own post: sunlight (“Vitamin D”) and essential fatty acids (Omega 3/Omega 6 ratio).
Resources :
Here’s the data on magnesium levels.
To close with a musical note, let’s bid farewell to the Empress, with images crafted by Roxane Lumeret.