Key Takeaways
Magnesium is essential for many bodily processes, and not getting enough of it can negatively impact your health.People may take magnesium supplements for blood pressure, anxiety, and migraine prevention, but it isn’t a guaranteed way to treat any health conditions or worrisome symptoms.Before taking a magnesium supplement, you should talk to a healthcare provider to make sure it’s the best option for you.
Magnesium has recently been touted as a potential treatment for a wide range of health issues, from high blood pressure to migraine to anxiety. While it is an essential mineral, it can interact with certain medications, and you should check with a healthcare provider before starting a supplement.
What Does Magnesium Do for the Body?
“Magnesium is a co-factor for over 300 enzymatic reactions in the body,” said Amber Core, MDN, RD, a dietitian at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center.
These include:
Protein synthesisBlood pressure and blood glucose regulationMuscle and nerve functionDNA and RNA synthesisStructure of bones
What Magnesium Can—and Can’t—Help With
“Supplements can be helpful, although it’s best to review with a provider first,” Julia Zumpano, RD, a dietitian at Cleveland Clinic, told Verywell. She notes:
Blood pressure: Some studies have shown that magnesium supplementation can modestly reduce blood pressure, but more research is needed to confirm the benefit.
Anxiety and depression: Magnesium may also reduce symptoms of anxiety by balancing levels of cortisol, a hormone that affects your stress levels, Zumpano added. Preliminary research also suggests magnesium may help people with mild depression.
Migraine prevention: Some users on TikTok also claim that daily magnesium supplements can help prevent migraine, but research on this connection is inconclusive. “Some studies show benefit, and some do not,” Zumpano said.
Physical performance: While animal studies have suggested magnesium may impact physical performance—by boosting glucose availability in the brain, muscle, and blood—there’s not enough evidence to show the same benefit in humans.
What Happens When You Have Low Magnesium?
Many people don’t get enough magnesium, partly because so much of the food we eat is processed, said Marie van der Merwe, PhD, coordinator of the applied physiology and nutrition doctoral program at the University of Memphis College of Health Sciences.
If you’re low on magnesium, you may start feeling less than your best. “Having lower magnesium creates a negative feedback loop” in the body, van der Merwe said. “It’s like a domino effect,” she added.
Magnesium deficiency might be seen in people under a lot of stress, van der Merwe explained.
“Typically magnesium is inside your cells, but what happens when you’re under stress is the magnesium moves from inside the cell to outside the cell in your bloodstream, and it’s very easy to get excreted through your kidneys,” causing you to be low on magnesium.
When this happens, you may notice symptoms like headache or muscle spasms caused by your magnesium levels. This can make your stress even worse and create a vicious cycle.
How Much Magnesium Do You Need?
Women need 310 to 320 milligrams (mg) of magnesium a day, while men need 400 to 420 mg.
For reference:
1 ounce of dry roasted almonds contains 80 mg of magnesium1/2 cup of boiled spinach contains 78 mg2 tablespoons of smooth peanut butter contain 49 mg
If you’re experiencing symptoms of low magnesium, you should try to increase your magnesium through food.
“I approach nutrition with a ‘food first’ mentality, in that we should get as many nutrients as possible from our foods before adding in supplements as needed,” Core said. “The nutrients in foods are easier for our bodies to use and absorb, as opposed to their elemental form in supplements.”
Food Sources of Magnesium
Good sources of magnesium include:
Legumes
Nuts
Whole grains
Green leafy vegetables
Milk
Yogurt
When Should You Try a Magnesium Supplement?
Experts say that magnesium supplements shouldn’t be used as a cure-all in place of healthy lifestyle habits.
Before you try a supplement, you can try to manage your stress level, prioritize sleep and exercise, and reduce intake of alcohol, caffeine, and processed foods, Zumpano said.
“If you have covered all these bases but are still experiencing concerning [symptoms], that is where supplements can help,” Zumpano added.
If you’re dealing with anxiety, high blood pressure, or migraine, a healthcare provider may suggest medication in addition to—or in place of—supplements.
“While proper nutrition and a healthy lifestyle are key for preventing a myriad of conditions, you may require medication as a treatment,” Core said. “Supplements can help to improve health, but are not meant to cure any conditions.”
Ultimately, it’s worth talking to a provider before making any changes, no matter how harmless they seem. “Always discuss your concerns with your doctor,” Core said.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read our editorial process to learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements. Magnesium: fact sheet for health professionals.
Zhang X, Li Y, Del Gobbo LC, et al. Effects of magnesium supplementation on blood pressure: a meta-analysis of randomized double-blind placebo-controlled trials. Hypertension. 2016;68(2):324-333. doi:10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.116.07664
Pickering G, Mazur A, Trousselard M, et al. Magnesium status and stress: the vicious circle concept revisited. Nutrients. 2020;12(12):3672. doi:10.3390/nu12123672
Dolati S, Rikhtegar R, Mehdizadeh A, Yousefi M. The role of magnesium in pathophysiology and migraine treatment. Biol Trace Elem Res. 2020;196(2):375-383. doi:10.1007/s12011-019-01931-z
Teigen L, Boes CJ. An evidence-based review of oral magnesium supplementation in the preventive treatment of migraine. Cephalalgia. 2015;35(10):912-922. doi:10.1177/0333102414564891
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