Magnesium citrate and arterial stiffness in overweight people over 24 weeks
What it found
Taking magnesium citrate, magnesium oxide, or magnesium sulfate for 24 weeks did not change artery stiffness or blood pressure in overweight people.
All three forms raised magnesium levels in the blood.
What they found
Studies in people
Artery stiffness unchanged
None of the three magnesium types changed how stiff the arteries were after 24 weeks. The researchers measured this using pulse wave velocity, which is the standard test for artery stiffness.
Blood pressure unchanged
Taking any of the magnesium supplements made no difference to blood pressure compared with the dummy pill over the 24 weeks.
Blood magnesium rose
Magnesium citrate raised magnesium levels in the blood by 0.04 mmol/L compared with the dummy pill. The other two magnesium types had similar effects on blood levels.
Urine magnesium differences
Magnesium citrate led to more magnesium leaving the body in urine than magnesium oxide or magnesium sulfate did. Urine magnesium rose by 3.12 mmol per 24 hours compared with the dummy pill.
One serious event reported
One serious health problem was reported during the trial. The researchers judged it was not linked to the study treatment.
What the authors conclude
- They found that taking magnesium citrate by mouth for 24 weeks did not change artery stiffness or blood pressure.
- They note that magnesium oxide and magnesium sulfate showed the same lack of effect.
How it was done
Scientists wanted to know if magnesium supplements affect how stiff arteries are. No one had directly compared different types of magnesium for this purpose before.
They gave 164 overweight or slightly obese adults a daily dose of 450 mg of magnesium as citrate, oxide, sulfate, or a dummy pill. The participants were on average 63.2 years old, and 104 were women. They took part for 24 weeks.
What it can’t tell you
- We summarised it from the abstract only.
- This trial only looked at overweight and slightly obese older adults. It cannot show what happens in younger people or those of normal weight.
- The trial lasted 24 weeks. It cannot show whether longer use would have different effects.
The paper
- Title
- Effects of Magnesium Citrate, Magnesium Oxide, and Magnesium Sulfate Supplementation on Arterial Stiffness: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Intervention Trial
- Type
- Randomised controlled trial
- Evidence
- Studies in people
- Summarised from
- Abstract only
- Cite
- Schutten JC, Joris PJ, Groendijk I, et al (2022). Effects of Magnesium Citrate, Magnesium Oxide, and Magnesium Sulfate Supplementation on Arterial Stiffness: A Randomized, Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled Intervention Trial. Journal of the American Heart Association. doi:10.1161/JAHA.121.021783PubMed 35253448DOI
Summary written 1 Oct 2026. Check it against the paper before it changes what you eat. How we summarise papers · Report an error