About Magnesium Supplements

Magnesium is an essential mineral in the body required for the normal function of numerous body organs and systems including the skeletal, cardiovascular and nervous systems. The typical American diet does not provide enough magnesium through whole, healthy foods. You can increase your magnesium intake and protect your health through the use of magnesium supplements.

Significance

• Recent surveys demonstrate that many Americans do not obtain the recommended daily amount of magnesium in their diets. While this deficiency is not severe enough to cause clearly recognizable symptoms, inadequate magnesium in our diets does affect our potential for optimal health and increases the risk of health conditions, including heart disease and osteoporosis.

Function

• Magnesium is an important part of many metabolic reactions in the body. Magnesium helps the body to break down and use carbohydrates, fats, proteins and several minerals including calcium, zinc and copper. Magnesium relaxes blood vessels and helps to lower blood pressure. It can help prevent arrhythmias (abnormal heart rhythms) and reduce the incidence of migraines. Magnesium is absolutely essential for bone health, and deficiency can lead to osteoporosis. Magnesium is also important for muscle function, and inadequate levels of magnesium can cause muscle cramps.

Types

• Magnesium is found in green leafy vegetables, beans, whole grains and nuts, but only about one third of magnesium from your diet is absorbed by your body. Magnesium can be found in several different forms in dietary supplements, including oxide and citrate. Magnesium oxide is only 35 to 40 percent bio-available for use by the body. Magnesium citrate is more soluble than the oxide form and more bio-available.

Prevention/Solution

• To ensure you are obtaining adequate levels of magnesium from your food, eat a healthy diet with high levels of green leafy vegetables like spinach and kale, cold-water fish like halibut and salmon and a variety of whole grains and nuts. In addition, supplement with 250 mg of magnesium either as part of a daily multivitamin-mineral formula or in a separate magnesium supplement. Look for supplements that provide magnesium in the form of magnesium citrate or aspartate for best availability.

Considerations

• The recommended daily allowance (RDA) of magnesium for men age 19 to 30 is 400 mg daily; 420 mg for men over age 31; 310 mg for women age 19 to 30; 320 mg for women over 31; 350 mg for pregnant women age 19 to 30 and 360 mg for pregnant women over the age of 31. However, the RDA provides for only sufficient magnesium to meet basic dietary need, not achieve optimal health. Supplementation with extra magnesium is important to ensure that you are obtaining enough of this vital nutrient.

Warning

• Magnesium supplements in high doses (more than 350 mg daily) can cause diarrhea. Certain medications--antibiotics like gentamicin and diuretics like furosemide used to treat heart failure or kidney disorders--can deplete magnesium levels in the body. Magnesium can interfere with absorption of some medications, including anti-malarial drugs. Talk to your doctor before taking magnesium if you are taking any prescription medications or if you are being monitored for any health condition.