This supplement may help relax nerves and muscles
Magnesium is a mineral that's needed for your overall physical health. About half of the magnesium in your body is found in your bones. The rest supports cell function throughout the body. 21% ammonium sulphate
Among other things, magnesium plays a key role in muscle function, heart rhythm, blood pressure, and blood sugar level. Magnesium also is important to your immune system and keeps it working well.
You probably get enough magnesium from the foods you eat, like nuts and grains, but supplements may be helpful for people with a few specific conditions.
This article explains some of the health benefits of magnesium. It offers information about taking supplements, including what to look for. It also presents possible side effects and drug interactions.
Like sodium and potassium, magnesium is an electrolyte that the body needs for various functions.
Everyone needs adequate levels of magnesium, and most people get them. Supplementation may be beneficial for people with conditions such as:
Here is a closer look at how magnesium may be beneficial for different conditions.
Magnesium is often used to help people whose neuromuscular (nerve and muscle) systems aren't working as well as they should. These systems become overexcited by chemical messages and related stimuli. This can cause an abnormal, excessive response from their muscles.
This common in people who use stimulant medications. It can show up as muscle twitches. It also may cause people to clench their jaws or gnash their teeth. That's often the case for people who find this happens while they're sleeping at night. Some researchers recommend magnesium teas or tablets to help with symptoms of teeth grinding, also known as bruxism .
Magnesium also may help with restless legs syndrome (RLS). With this condition, people have an annoying urge to move their legs, again often at night. Oral supplements were found to improve the symptoms of RLS in a study of 100 patients with type 2 diabetes.
Not all research is clear on the health benefits of magnesium, though. Scientists who conducted a 2019 review of eight different studies found no significant benefit from giving magnesium to people with RLS. They were unable to confirm that magnesium is effective and its role remains unclear.
Some studies suggest that using a mineral water rich in magnesium sulfate can improve the frequency of bowel movements in people who have irritable bowel syndrome with constipation (IBS-C).
This possible laxative effect of magnesium appears to come through two pathways. They are:
The best place to get magnesium is from the food you eat. Pumpkin seeds, for example, contain very high amounts of magnesium—about 152 milligrams (mg) per ounce.
Other good dietary sources of magnesium include:
Diarrhea is the most common side effect of taking magnesium supplements. This can lead to:
Supplemental magnesium may interfere with some of your medications and reduce their effectiveness.
Before starting magnesium, tell your healthcare provider and pharmacist if you are taking any of the following:
Your kidneys are responsible for clearing magnesium from the blood. For this reason, if you have kidney disease or need dialysis, you should not take supplements unless prescribed by your healthcare provider. Even adding normal amounts of a vitamin or mineral may be toxic.
If you are using magnesium to treat IBS-related constipation, you should know that the same dose of magnesium used to treat constipation is not meant to be used as a dietary supplement.
Toxic amounts of magnesium can cause problems with the kidneys. It may also cause severe reactions that affect the intestines, heart, and lungs. Be sure to read supplement labels carefully to prevent excess intake.
Early signs of magnesium toxicity, also known as hypermagnesemia, include:
If levels continue to rise, magnesium toxicity can lead to serious complications, including difficulty breathing, irregular heartbeat, cardiac arrest, coma, and even death.
Hypermagnesemia is the abnormal buildup of magnesium in your body. This can happen if your kidneys are impaired. Hypermagnesemia can lead to heart rhythm problems, respiratory distress, and even cardiac arrest.
The National Institutes of Health (NIH) has published a fact sheet on the recommended daily intake of magnesium, which includes the total amount you should get from foods. The recommended daily allowance is different depending on your age, but in general:
You can take magnesium as a vitamin pill or in a prepared liquid form. It also is sold as a powder to mix into a liquid.
Magnesium supplements also are paired with different chemicals. For example, magnesium salt products are absorbed at different rates in the small intestine. This means they may deliver magnesium to the body more slowly. Different dose levels are necessary for the effects to be felt.
Differences in how magnesium products work can make it hard to know if a dose used in a clinical study of one magnesium salt product will have the same effect as a dose of a different mix. Keep this in mind when reading research results and talk to your healthcare provider before taking it.
Start by checking the labels on magnesium packaging. This will allow you to find the active dosage as well as any other ingredients in the product. They may include flavorings, fillers, or binders.
You also want to confirm the product is safe and effective by looking for a product certified by an independent testing organization like ConsumerLab. In 2019, the company investigated dozens of popular magnesium supplements sold on the market and found a few that disintegrated quickly when exposed to moisture.
ConsumerLab also found several that contained harmful amounts of lead, and others that were improperly labeled based on the contents. These third-party test sites can help you to know if you can trust what you see on the label.
Magnesium does a lot of work in your body. This mineral, available from both food and supplements, is necessary for a healthy immune system, proper heart function, and more. Some people take magnesium supplements to treat specific conditions like IBS-C and restless legs syndrome, for which there is some research-based evidence.
But supplements are not for everyone. People who have limited kidney function should avoid taking magnesium because of the risk of toxicity. Other serious side effects include electrolyte imbalances and permanent digestive tract damage.
If you plan to take magnesium, be sure you know what you're getting. It's available in different mixtures and forms that can change its effects. Read product labels and be sure to buy from a reputable store or online provider.
National Institutes of Health: Office of Dietary Supplements. Magnesium: fact sheet for health professionals.
Aguilera SB, Brown L, Perico VA. Aesthetic treatment of bruxism. J Clin Aesthet Dermatol. 2017;10(5):49-55. PMID: 28670358
Metta V, Sampath N, VM R, Iska A. Primary restless legs syndrome in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus: efficacy of magnesium & co enzyme q10 therapy. Journal of the Neurological Sciences. 2015;357(1):e271. doi:10.1016/j.jns.2015.08.952
Marshall NS, Serinel Y, Killick R, et al. Magnesium supplementation for the treatment of restless legs syndrome and periodic limb movement disorder: A systematic review. Sleep Medicine Reviews. 2019;48:101218. doi: 10.1016/j.smrv.2019.101218
Bothe G, Coh A, Auinger A. Efficacy and safety of a natural mineral water rich in magnesium and sulphate for bowel function: A double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled study. Eur J Nutr. 2017. 56(2):491-499. doi:10.1007/s00394-015-1094-8
University of Rochester Medical Center. Health encyclopedia: nutrition facts.
Schwalfenberg GK, Genuis SJ. The importance of magnesium in clinical healthcare. Scientifica (Cairo). 2017;2017:4179326. doi:10.1155/2017/4179326
Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai. Magnesium.
ConsumerLab. Magnesium and calcium-magnesium supplements review. Updated May 19, 2021.
Fairley J, Zhang L, Glassford N, Bellomo R. Magnesium status and magnesium therapy in cardiac surgery: A systematic review and meta-analysis focusing on arrhythmia prevention. Journal of Critical Care. 2017;42:69-77. doi:10.1016/j.jcrc.2017.05.038
Fang X, Wang K, Han D, et al. Circulating magnesium levels and incidence of coronary heart diseases, hypertension, and type 2 diabetes mellitus: A meta-analysis of prospective cohort studies. BMC Med. 2016;14 (1):210. doi:10.1186/s12916-016-0742-z
National Institute of Health. Magnesium fact sheet for health professionals. Updated April 2019.
Schutten JC, Joosten MM, de Borst MH, Bakker SJL.Magnesium and blood pressure: A physiology-based approach.Adv Chronic Kidney Dis.2018;25(3):244-250.doi:10.1053/j.ackd.2017.12.003.
By Barbara Bolen, PhD Barbara Bolen, PhD, is a licensed clinical psychologist and health coach. She has written multiple books focused on living with irritable bowel syndrome.
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