Magnesium

The information on this page compiled by
Beth Burch N.D.
Index
(click on the keywords)

Function

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Forms

• Magnesium oxide, sulfate, or chloride- inorganic, may cause diarrhea
• Magnesium chelates- citrate, aspartate, malate, succinate- organic, better absorbed, don’t cause diarrhea

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Food Sources

• Magnesium is high in kelp, wheat bran & germ, nuts, molasses, nutritional yeast, whole grains and tofu. Green leafy vegetables, legumes, seeds and dried fruits are good sources

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Dosage

• Recommended Daily Allowance (RDA)
• Infants- 40-60 mg
• Children (ages 1-10)- 80-170 mg
• Adults- 270-400 mg
• Pregnancy- 320 mg
• Lactation- 280 mg

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Optimal Supplementation

• 250-350 mg daily, or 3 mg per pound of body weight

Treatment of Health Conditions

• 500-700 mg daily, or 6 mg per pound of body weight

Conditions used for

• Asthma ⁽¹⁾
• Menstrual cramps (3, 4, 5)
• High blood pressure ^{(7, 11, 12, 13)}
• Glucose intolerance- diabetes and hypoglycemia ^{(2, 6, 7)}
• Fatigue ⁽⁹⁾
• Fibromyalgia ⁽¹⁰⁾
• Prevention of hearing loss
• Kidney stones ^{(14, 15, 16)}
• Leg cramps ⁽⁸⁾
• Migraine ^{(17,18, 19, 20)}
• Osteoporosis ^{(21, 22, 23, 24)}
• PMS ^{(24, 25)}

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Side effects

• Diarrhea especially with inorganic magnesium

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Contraindications

• Kidney disease, severe heart disease

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Interactions with other nutrients

• Calcium, potassium, zinc decrease magnesium absorption
• Vitamin B-6 works together with magnesium

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Interactions with medications and herbs

• Magnesium may increase the central nervous system depressant effects of alcohol, antidepressants, narcotics, anti-anxiety medications, barbiturates, sleeping medications, anti-psychotics and general anesthetics.
• Magnesium and calcium with digitalis can cause heart block

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References

1. Dominguez LJ et al, Bronchial reactivity and intracellular magnesium: a possible mechanism for the bronchodilating effects of magnesium in asthma, Clin Sci (Colch) 1998;95(2):137-42
2. de Valk HW et al, Magnesium in diabetes mellitus, Neth J Med 1999;54(4):139-46
3. Ludwig H et al, Dysmenorrhea, Ther Umsch 1996;53(6):431-41
4. Benassi L et al, Effectiveness of magnesium pidolate in the prophylactic treatment of primary dysmenorrhea, Clin Exp Obstet Gynecol 1992;19(3):176-9
5. Seifert B et al, Magnesium--a new therapeutic alternative in primary dysmenorrhea, Zentralbl Gynakol 1989;111(11):755-60
6. Kao WH et al, Serum and dietary magnesium and the risk for type 2 diabetes mellitus: the atherosclerosis risk in communities study, Arch Intern Med 1999;159(18):2151-9
7. Paolisso G et al, Hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and insulin resistance: the role of intracellular magnesium, Am J Hypertens 1997;10(3):346-55
8. Worwag M et al, Prevalence of magnesium and zinc deficiencies in nursing home residents in Germany, Magnes Res 1999;12(3):181-9
9. Tanabe K et al, Efficacy of oral magnesium administration on decreased exercise tolerance in a state of chronic sleep deprivation, Jpn Circ J 1998;62(5):341-6
10. Russell IJ et al, Treatment of fibromyalgia syndrome with Super Malic: a randomized, double blind, placebo controlled, crossover pilot study, J Rheumatol 1995;22(5):953-8
11. Yang CY et al, Calcium and magnesium in drinking water and the risk of death from hypertension, Am J Hypertens 1999;12(9 Pt 1):894-9
12. Kawano Y et al, Effects of magnesium supplementation in hypertensive patients: assessment by office, home, and ambulatory blood pressures, Hypertension 1998;32(2):260-5
13. Kawasaki T et al, Reduction in blood pressure with a sodium-reduced, potassium- and magnesium-enriched mineral salt in subjects with mild essential hypertension, Hypertens Res 1998;21(4):235-43
14. Rodgers AL et al, Effect of mineral water containing calcium and magnesium on calcium oxalate urolithiasis risk factors, Urol Int 1997;58(2):93-9
15. de Swart PM et al, The interrelationship of calcium and magnesium absorption in idiopathic hypercalciuria and renal calcium stone disease, J Urol 1998;159(3):669-72
16. Ettinger B et al, Potassium-magnesium citrate is an effective prophylaxis against recurrent calcium oxalate nephrolithiasis, J Urol 1997;158(6):2069-73
17. Schuck P et al, Migraine and prevention of migraine: the value of magnesium, Schweiz Med Wochenschr 1999;129(3):63-70
18. Mauskop A et al, Role of magnesium in the pathogenesis and treatment of migraines, Clin Neurosci 1998;5(1):24-7
19. Pfaffenrath V et al, Magnesium in the prophylaxis of migraine--a double-blind placebo-controlled study, Cephalalgia 1996;16(6):436-40
20. Peikert A et al, Prophylaxis of migraine with oral magnesium: results from a prospective, multi-center, placebo-controlled and double-blind randomized study, Cephalalgia 1996;16(4):257-63
21. Tucker KL et al, Potassium, magnesium, and fruit and vegetable intakes are associated with greater bone mineral density in elderly men and women, Am J Clin Nutr 1999;69(4):727-36
22. Dimai HP et al, Daily oral magnesium supplementation suppresses bone turnover in young adult males, J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1998;83(8):2742-8
23. Sojka JE et al, Magnesium supplementation and osteoporosis, Nutr Rev 1995;53(3):71-4
24. Stewart A et al, Clinical and biochemical effects of nutritional supplementation on the premenstrual syndrome, J Reprod Med 1987;32(6):435-41
25. Walker AF et al, Magnesium supplementation alleviates premenstrual symptoms of fluid retention, J Womens Health 1998;7(9):1157-65

* The information presented in this web site is intended to inform and educate. It is not intended replace a qualified medical practitioner to diagnose or treat medical conditions.