I'm a 66-year-old doctor and wish I knew what I do now in my 30s and 40s
Dr Mark Burhenne, a family dentist and creator of the online series Ask the Dentist, recently shared that taking magnesium was his essential daily health tip.
The medical expert, who specialises in functional dentistry and preventative healthcare, made his magnesium declaration on Instagram, sharing the message to his 849,000 followers.
According to Australian government health website HealthDirect, 'magnesium is a mineral that is essential for healthy muscles, nerves, bones and blood sugar levels'.
'Magnesium is needed for many processes in the body,' the Australian national health advice service explains.
'Magnesium is important for muscles and nerves to work properly, to keep blood sugar and blood pressure at the right level [and] to make proteins, bone and DNA (genetic material).'
'I am 66 years old. Something I wish I knew in my 30s and 40s… daily magnesium is one of your highest ROI habits for your brain, heart, muscles, sleep, and yes… even your smile,' Dr Burhenne said.
The dentist's championing of magnesium was further explained in an extended caption accompanying the video.
In the caption, the doctor offered five key explanations for why our bodies required additional magnesium - starting with the claim that 'modern life is basically a magnesium thief'.
To this point, Dr Burhenne explained that processed food, stress, coffee, alcohol and even particular workouts deplete our bodies magnesium levels.
'Translation: most of us are walking around subclinically deficient, even if we're eating 'well',' he wrote.
The next argument offered by The 8-Hour Sleep Paradox author was that 'your sleep depends on it'.
'Magnesium helps your brain make melatonin and keeps your nervous system from staying in 'fight-or-flight' mode,' he said.
As a dentist, Dr Burhenne added that this was something that he'd noticed in the oral health of his patients.
'I've seen patients go from restless, jaw-clenching, grinding-insomniacs to 'I slept through the night for the first time in years' - just from getting magnesium right,' he claimed.
Dr Burhenne's next point related to the potential benefits of the mineral for the 'heart and blood vessels'.
'Magnesium keeps blood pressure in check and prevents arterial stiffness,' he wrote.
'The heart is a muscle, and magnesium is the mineral that makes muscles relax after they contract. If calcium is the 'gas pedal', magnesium is the "brake". You need both - but most people are way over on the calcium side.'
His fourth argument in favour of magnesium saw the dentist once again return to the potential benefits for 'teeth and gums'.
'Magnesium helps regulate calcium placement - which means it helps keep calcium in your bones and teeth and out of soft tissues like arteries,' he wrote.
'It's also essential for activating vitamin D (which in turn affects enamel remineralisation and immune defence in the mouth).'
Dr Burhenne's final point was that 'magnesium is basically the body's 'calm-down' mineral.'
'You need it for over 300 enzymatic reactions - and many of those are about relaxation: relaxing muscles, calming nerves, stabilizing mood, even helping your heart maintain a steady rhythm,' he wrote.
'If you're low on it, you're more prone to anxiety, poor sleep, muscle cramps, and stress overload.
'I never rely on food for getting optimal amounts of magnesium - not with depleted soil, modern environment and modern lifestyle,' the doctor concluded.
HealthDirect explains that the amount of magnesium your body needs depends on your age, sex and stage of life.
A table on their website suggests 31 to 50-year-old men require 420 milligrams, while women in the same age group require 320 milligrams.
Foods that are naturally high in magnesium include green leafy vegetables, legumes, nuts and seeds and wholegrains.
Dr Burhenne's thoughts on magnesium echoed those of another American doctor, Dr Myro Figura.
In June 2025, the California-based anaesthesiologist espoused the anxiety-busting and sleep-inducing benefits of a special type of magnesium called magnesium glycinate, heralding it as the possible answer to sleepless nights.
In an Instagram video viewed over 942,000 times, Dr Figura claimed that not only does magnesium glycinate improve sleep, but it could enhance vitamin D absorption, which is beneficial for bone health.
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