Magnesium

Studies in people

• Open question

  Supplement health claims²

  Magnesium supplements are advertised for many health claims, but scientists say more good studies are needed.

• Open question

  Ageing and mineral levels³

  Older people often get too little magnesium from food, and scientists do not yet know how much this matters.

• Open question

  Prementrual anxiety⁴

  Magnesium with vitamin B6 eased premenstrual anxiety in women, but magnesium alone did not.

• Benefit

  Blood pressure⁵

  Magnesium supplements lowered blood pressure in people with high blood pressure, but not in people with normal blood pressure.

• Benefit

  Mineral water serving size⁷

  Drinking magnesium-rich mineral water in small servings through the day helped the body absorb more magnesium than large servings.

• Benefit

  Blood sugar and blood pressure⁸

  In nine mild type 2 diabetic patients, drinking magnesium-rich water daily lowered insulin and triglycerides, and blood pressure in those with hypertension.

How it’s made and used

• How much the body absorbs⁶

  Magnesium tablets and solutions all raised how much magnesium left in urine about the same.

The signal at the top counts the findings in people and in animal and lab studies. A concern in studies of people outranks animal and lab studies, and “No concerns” needs at least one finding in people. When most findings in people point one way, the page leans that way (“Mostly”), and every finding is still shown. Findings whose study type is not stated are shown but not counted. This page is a reference, not medical advice. It describes what regulators and published research say. Talk to a doctor or dietitian about your own diet.