What is magnesium good for?
Few supplements are more buzzed about than magnesium. It's frequently touted in health and beauty magazines, is one of only seven supplements recommended by Consumer Reports and is among the most suggested by health influencers. Even Taylor Swift has opened up about her love of the supplement, commenting for Elle magazine that she takes magnesium "for muscle health and energy."
All that attention has given magnesium a serious leg up over other health supplements as evidenced by the global magnesium supplement market being valued at nearly $13 billion.
Here's what this popular mineral is, why it's so good for you and how much you should be getting daily for optimal health.
What is magnesium?
Magnesium is an essential mineral for human health. It's considered essential because the body needs it but does not produce it, so getting it requires diet or supplementation. "Magnesium is a key player in over 300 processes in the body," explains Annabel Johnston, an Australia-based registered dietitian and sports nutritionist who specializes in gut health.
The U.S. National Institutes of Health (NIH) Office of Dietary Supplements notes that magnesium is "abundant" in the body and is a mineral few people are deficient in. This is because it's naturally present in a host of common foods such as spinach, cereal, beans, potatoes, oatmeal, milk, bread, chicken, beef, salmon, rice and lots of vegetables and fruits. But the best food sources of magnesium are nuts and seeds. Cashews and almonds, for instance, contain about 20% of your recommended intake in a single ounce—and you'll reach nearly half your daily magnesium needs from only a small handful of pumpkin seeds.
Magnesium is also available as a dietary supplement in pill, powder or liquid form, and can be found in several medications such as antacids and laxatives.
Is magnesium good for you?
Magnesium has a lot of important functions in the body and affects numerous systems including the cardiovascular system, the nervous system and the musculoskeletal system. Because it has so many functions, "consuming adequate magnesium can benefit overall health, energy levels, stress levels, sleep patterns and help to prevent chronic disease such as hypertension and osteoporosis," says Erin Palinski-Wade, a New Jersey-based registered dietitian and author of "2-Day Diabetes Diet."
It provides such benefits, Palinski-Wade explains, because magnesium helps to regulate blood pressure, improves bone formation and density as we age and improves blood sugar levels and insulin sensitivity. "This is why research indicates that people with higher magnesium intake have a lower risk of developing type 2 diabetes," she says.
It also improves sleep quality and anxiety levels by regulating neurotransmitters in the nervous system, Johnston says, which can also help boost your mood. And magnesium helps with muscle recovery and nerve function, Palinski-Wade notes. Research shows it can reduce migraines and cardiovascular disease risk as well.
How much magnesium do you need each day?
The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements recommends adult men ages 19 to 51+ years old to get between 400 to 420 milligrams of magnesium daily and 310 to 320 milligrams daily for adult women.
The tolerable upper intake level of magnesium is set for supplement consumption only, and should not exceed 350 milligrams daily. Getting extra magnesium from food sources, however, is considered safe because the kidneys eliminate excess magnesium in the urine. Getting too much magnesium from supplements can cause cramping, diarrhea and nausea, cautions Johnston.
While the majority of people are not deficient in magnesium and usually reach recommended intake levels as part of a healthy diet, "those most at risk of deficiency include older adults, heavy drinkers and people with certain gut conditions like untreated celiac disease," says Johnston.
If you think magnesium supplementation is needed for you, you should first "be aware that different forms of supplemental magnesium can serve different purposes such as for anxiety, sleep, mood and digestion," says Palinski-Wade, "so you should always discuss with your healthcare provider about which form of the supplement is right for you."