Magnesium Supplements Crash Course (2026): Benefits and Side Effects

“It’s truly overlooked that magnesium tin assistance with menstrual rhythm irregularity successful presumption of making definite that you’re not having terrible cramping,” says Anderson-Haynes, who adds it whitethorn besides payment women successful perimenopause and menopause. Clinically, it whitethorn beryllium portion of the attraction for gestation complications similar preeclampsia and eclampsia.

Can You Take Too Much?

The recommended dietary allowance is 320 milligrams per time for women and 420 milligrams per time for men. These are amounts astir radical tin scope with a balanced diet; steadfast kidneys modulate magnesium levels, excreting excess erstwhile magnesium intake is precocious and conserving it erstwhile it’s low.

Daily supplements nether 350 milligrams are mostly considered harmless for steadfast adults. “If you instrumentality excessively overmuch magnesium, you’ll astir apt get diarrhea, due to the fact that it loosens the bowels,” Anderson-Haynes says. Other broadside effects see nausea, gastrointestinal discomfort, and, astatine precise precocious levels of magnesium (usually from overusing laxatives oregon antacids), debased humor pressure, musculus cramps, breathing problems, and, successful uncommon cases, cardiac arrest. People with kidney illness are astatine the highest hazard of toxicity.

Should You Supplement?

For astir steadfast U.S. adults, magnesium supplements aren’t essential. If you conflict with migraines, insomnia, oregon different conditions wherever probe suggests wellness benefits, they whitethorn beryllium worthy trying—but archetypal speech to a wellness attraction professional.

Otherwise, absorption connected magnesium-rich foods. These see but are not constricted to: legumes (beans, lentils, chickpeas), leafy greens (artichokes, kale, spinach), full grains (oats, barley, quinoa), nuts (almonds, cashews, peanuts), effect (bananas, avocado, dried apricots), and soy products (tofu, soy milk, edamame). Dark cocoa is besides a bully root of magnesium; 100 grams of 70-85 percent of cacao solids incorporate 228 milligrams of magnesium, which is much than fractional of the magnitude of magnesium recommended for regular intake.

If you bash determine to instrumentality immoderate dietary supplements, “look for a seal oregon certification that says GMP (Good Manufacturing Practices) oregon NSF,” says Anderson-Haynes, stressing the value of third-party tests and verifications, considering the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) doesn't modulate dietary supplements successful the US.

Our Favorite Magnesium Supplements

Pure Encapsulations was recommended to maine by my doctor, and it seems to beryllium the institution that wellness attraction professionals spot the most. I similar capsules implicit powders erstwhile it comes to magnesium glycinate due to the fact that I'm taking these close earlier furniture and usually can't tummy a liquid concoction. Each capsule contains 120 milligrams, and you tin instrumentality 1 to 4 capsules a time depending connected what your doc recommends.

While magnesium glycinate is often taken for slumber and a amended mood, it besides supports bosom health, cellular vigor production, and bony structure. It's besides little apt to person a laxative effect if you're usually delicate to magnesium supplements. Pure Encapsulations sells respective forms of magnesium, successful capsule, powder, and liquid form.

Thorne (NSF Certified for Sport) is 1 of the brands we spot the astir erstwhile it comes to dietary supplements, mostly due to the fact that they rigorously trial their products for potency, purity, and statement accuracy done each measurement of the process. They surface earthy materials for contaminants successful their in-house laboratories. They cheque the supplements, including the bottles and labels, for defects. Before hitting the shelves, they guarantee that nary microbiological contamination has occurred during the manufacturing process. Lastly, products acquisition stableness investigating to corroborate that they volition conscionable their statement claims up to the expiration date.

Thorne besides offers question packs, capsules, multivitamins that incorporate magnesium, and different forms of magnesium, including Magnesium CitraMate, which is simply a blend of magnesium citrate and di-magnesium malate.

Many wellness attraction providers person drilled into maine that you should get nutrients, similar magnesium, from nutrient arsenic opposed to supplements. Like astir people, I person occupation getting capable leafy greens and seeds successful my diet. Buoy’s Rainforest Activated Magnesium does the occupation (and adds a minty undertone to my greeting smoothies). This magnesium pulverization is formulated with plants sourced from the Australian rainforest, including anise myrtle, shiitake mushrooms, and pumpkin effect meal. Theoretically, these assistance successful amended absorption and marque the supplement much metabolically useful. I’m inactive pursuing the doctor’s orders of utilizing nutrient sources, and I slumber much profoundly erstwhile regularly utilizing it. —Julia Forbes

Meet the Experts

• Sue-Ellen Anderson-Haynes, MS, RDN, CDCES, is simply a spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics and laminitis of 360Girls&Women.

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