Are you magnesium deficient?<\/p>\n
People at greatest risk of magnesium deficiency<\/a> include older adults, women, those who consume alcohol regularly and those who take certain medications. Medications that can raise your risk of magnesium deficiency include proton pump inhibitors (PPIs) like omeprazole that decrease stomach acid and diuretics that are often prescribed for high blood pressure.<\/p>\n What you eat also plays a role. \u201cA person who has the standard American diet, which is generally made up of convenience and ultra processed<\/a> foods, is at risk for magnesium deficiency,\u201d says Denise M. Millstine, M.D., assistant professor of medicine and director of integrative medicine and health at Mayo Clinic in Arizona. \u201cA person eating the Mediterranean or other plant-forward diet is probably getting a good amount of magnesium.\u201d That\u2019s because healthier foods that are high in fiber, such as beans, whole grains, nuts and some vegetables, are also high in magnesium<\/a>, Dr. Millstine says.<\/p>\n If you\u2019re concerned about magnesium deficiency, you can talk with your healthcare professional about it. However, Dr. Millstine says that definitively diagnosing a magnesium deficiency requires expensive testing that may not be covered by insurance. For people who have healthy kidneys, she often recommends those at risk or concerned about magnesium levels try a supplement.<\/p>\n \u201cMagnesium supplementation is generally quite safe for people with normal kidney function,\u201d Dr. Millstine says. \u201cBut if you have kidney disease, your magnesium should be managed by your healthcare team.\u201d<\/p>\n Types of magnesium supplements<\/p>\n There are many types of magnesium supplements, and they come with different names \u2014 like magnesium citrate, magnesium glycinate<\/a> or magnesium oxide. The variations on the names refer to specific salts formed when magnesium is combined with other substances. These \u201cpartner\u201d substances may affect how well your body absorbs magnesium and how it affects your body.<\/p>\n With so many magnesium supplements on the market, choosing the right one can feel overwhelming. Dr. Millstine urges people not to overthink it. \u201cOften, too much emphasis is placed on the type of magnesium in your supplement,\u201d she says.<\/p>\n There are a couple of distinctions to keep in mind, though. One is whether you want \u2014 or want to avoid \u2014 certain gastrointestinal effects. For example, magnesium citrate is commonly used for its laxative effect. \u201cIf you\u2019re prone to constipation, this might be a benefit,\u201d Dr. Millstine says.<\/p>\n Magnesium glycinate, on the other hand, may be a better choice for those who already have regular bowel movements or those with sensitive stomachs. It is less likely to cause diarrhea than magnesium citrate.<\/p>\n Other differences may lie in absorption, availability and cost. Chelated magnesium \u2014 magnesium that\u2019s bonded to amino acids \u2014 is thought to be more easily absorbed than other forms. Magnesium oxide is less expensive and widely available, but it is absorbed less efficiently.<\/p>\n Ultimately, cost, availability and tolerance can guide the choice that\u2019s right for you. \u201cI encourage patients to choose the magnesium supplement they can obtain, tolerate and afford,\u201d Dr. Millstine says. She cautions against picking a supplement based on prominent marketing. Just because a specific product or form like magnesium glycinate gets a lot of attention online and in social media doesn\u2019t mean it\u2019s best for everyone.<\/p>\n How much magnesium do you need?<\/p>\n For most adults with healthy kidney function, a daily dose of 250 to 500 milligrams (mg) of magnesium is considered safe. However, it\u2019s important to count magnesium from all sources, including multivitamins or supplements for stress.<\/p>\n \u201cPeople need to be careful not to exceed that total dose, especially if they\u2019re taking multiple products that include magnesium,\u201d Dr. Millstine says. Magnesium supplements are available in capsules and powders. Watch out for additives like artificial colors or sweeteners, especially in flavored powders.<\/p>\n Will magnesium supplements help me?<\/p>\n While magnesium offers a wide range of potential health benefits, people who have magnesium deficiency are the ones most likely to see a benefit from taking a supplement. \u201cIf you\u2019re healthy and already getting enough magnesium through food, adding a supplement might not move the needle much,\u201d Dr. Millstine says.<\/p>\n However, she offers some practical examples where there may be benefits. \u201cLet\u2019s say you have high blood pressure<\/a> and take a diuretic<\/a>, but it\u2019s suddenly less effective. Maybe your magnesium has dropped. Or you\u2019ve been told you have prediabetes<\/a>, and your diet hasn\u2019t been great. Improving your diet and possibly adding magnesium could help,\u201d Dr. Millstine says. It may be an easy and affordable step toward better health.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t Relevant reading<\/p>\n Mayo Clinic Diet and Cook Smart, Eat Well Bundle<\/p>\n This revised edition of the #1\u00a0New York Times\u00a0bestselling book offers a simple, time-tested, no-nonsense approach to losing weight and keeping it off. The Mayo Clinic Diet by Donald D. Hensrud, M.D., isn\u2019t a fad diet \u2013 it\u2019s an approach that draws on years of research from thousands of individuals seeking\u2026<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Magnesium is an essential mineral that\u2019s involved in hundreds of bodily functions as diverse as muscle activity, energy…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":43357,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[45],"tags":[102,6636,56,54,55],"class_list":{"0":"post-43356","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nutrition","8":"tag-health","9":"tag-nutrition","10":"tag-uk","11":"tag-united-kingdom","12":"tag-unitedkingdom"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43356","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=43356"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/43356\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/43357"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=43356"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=43356"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=43356"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/08\/MCDJ_CS_Gray_background_1400x1400.png\")
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