Penn Herb Wellness Guide
MagnesiumFind Products
Also indexed as:Magnesium Oxide
Magnesium is an essential mineral to the human body. It is needed for bone, protein, and fatty acid formation, making new cells, activating B vitamins, relaxing muscles, clotting blood, and forming adenosine triphosphate (ATP), which is the energy the body runs on. The secretion and action of insulin also require magnesium.
- Reliable and relatively consistent scientific data showing a substantial health benefit.
- Contradictory, insufficient, or preliminary studies suggesting a health benefit or minimal health benefit.
- For an herb, supported by traditional use but minimal or no scientific evidence. For a supplement,little scientific support.
Our proprietary “Star-Rating” system was developed to help you easily understand the amount of scientific support behind each supplement in relation to a specific health condition. While there is no way to predict whether a vitamin, mineral, or herb will successfully treat or prevent associated health conditions, our unique ratings tell you how well these supplements are understood by the medical community, and whether studies have found them to be effective for other people.
For over a decade, our team has combed through thousands of research articles published in reputable journals. To help you make educated decisions, and to better understand controversial or confusing supplements, our medical experts have digested the science into these three easy-to-follow ratings. We hope this provides you with a helpful resource to make informed decisions towards your health and well-being.
This supplement has been used in connection with the following health conditions:
| Used for | Amount | Why |
|---|---|---|
Cardiac Arrhythmia | 384 mg daily |  [3 stars] Supplementing with magnesium may help reduce the number of arrhythmic episodes. |
Congestive Heart Failure | 300 mg daily with a doctor's supervision | [3 stars] Supplementing with this essential mineral can prevent a deficiency that can lead to heart arrhythmias. |
Dysmenorrhea | 360 mg daily | [3 stars] Supplementing with magnesium may help keep uterine muscles relaxed. |
Gestational Hypertension | 300 mg daily | [3 stars] Taking magnesium may prevent gestational hypertension or reduce its severity. |
Hypertension | 350 to 500 mg daily | [3 stars] Taking magnesium is effective for lowering blood pressure and has a greater impact in those with higher baseline blood pressure. |
Kidney Stones and Abdominal Pain | 1,600 mg daily potassium as citrate and 500 mg daily of magnesium as citrate | as Magnesium Citrate and Potassium Citrate[3 stars] Supplementing with a combination of potassium citrate and magnesium citrate may reduce the recurrence rate of kidney stones. |
Migraine Headache | 360 to 600 mg daily | [3 stars] Compared with healthy people, migraine sufferers have been found to have lower magnesium levels. Supplementing with magnesium may reduce migraine frequency and relieve symptoms. |
Mitral Valve Prolapse | If deficient: 500 mg daily | [3 stars] Magnesium deficiency may be one cause of the symptoms that occur in association with MVP. In one study, people taking magnesium experienced a significant reduction in weakness, chest pain, anxiety, shortness of breath, and palpitations. |
Neuropathy | 200 to 600 mg daily | [3 stars] Supplementing with magnesium may reverse poor magnesium status and improve diabetic peripheral neuropathy, but does not appear to be helpful for preventing or treating chemotherapy-induced neuropathy. |
Type 1 Diabetes | 200 to 600 mg daily | [3 stars] People with type 1 diabetes tend to have low magnesium levels and supplementing with magnesium may reduce the risk of deficiency-related problems, such as eye damage and neuropathy. |
Type 2 Diabetes | 200 to 600 mg of elemental magnesium daily | [3 stars] People with type 2 diabetes tend to have low magnesium levels. Supplementing with magnesium may improve glucose metabolism and help prevent diabetes-related cardiovascular disease. |
Urinary Incontinence (urge incontinence ) | 150 mg twice daily | [3 stars] In a double blind study, women with urge incontinence reported improvement after supplementing with magnesium.
|
Angina | 365 mg twice per day |  [2 stars] Taking magnesium may reduce the risk of exercise-induced chest pain. |
Asthma | 300 to 400 mg daily | [2 stars] People with asthma frequently have low magnesium levels. Supplementing with the mineral might help prevent asthma attacks because magnesium can prevent bronchial spasms.
|
Attention DeficitHyperactivity Disorder | If deficient: 200 mg daily | [2 stars] Some children with ADHD have low magnesium levels. In one trial, children with ADHD and low magnesium status who were given magnesium had a significant decrease in hyperactive behavior. |
Celiac Disease | Consult a qualified healthcare practitioner | [2 stars] The malabsorption that occurs in celiac disease can lead to multiple nutritional deficiencies. Supplementing with magnesium may correct a deficiency. |
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (Potassium) | 1 gram of aspartates is taken twice per day | [2 stars] Potassium-magnesium aspartate has shown benefits for chronically fatigued people in some trials. |
Chronic Fatigue Syndrome | Refer to label instructions | [2 stars] Some researchers have reported that magnesium deficiency is common in people with chronic fatigue syndrome. Supplementing can help make up for a deficiency. |
Epilepsy | 252 mg one to four times per day | [2 stars] In a retrospective chart review of patients with epilepsy, magnesium supplementation reduced seizure frequency by an average of 49% during follow-up periods of 3 to 12 months. |
Heart Attack | Consult a qualified healthcare practitioner | as Magnesium Intravenous[2 stars] Magnesium given intravenously after a heart attack has been shown to decrease death and complications from heart attacks. |
Metabolic Syndrome | 300 mg daily | [2 stars] People with metabolic syndrome often have low magnesium status and benefit from magnesium supplementation. |
Osteoporosis | Adults: 250 mg up to 750 mg daily; for girls: 150 mg daily | [2 stars] Supplementing with magnesium has been shown to stop bone loss or increased bone mass in people with osteoporosis. |
Pregnancy and Postpartum Support (Leg cramps) | 100 mg of magnesium three times per day for four weeks | [2 stars] Some, though not all, research suggests that supplementing with magnesium may improve pregnancy-induced leg cramps. |
Premenstrual Syndrome | 200 to 400 mg daily | [2 stars] Supplementing with magnesium may help reduce the risk of mood swings, bloating, breast tenderness, headaches, and other symptoms. |
Thalassemia | 7.2 mg per 2.2 lbs (1 kg) of body weight daily | [2 stars] Magnesium has been reported to be low in thalassemia patients. One study reported that magnesium supplements improved some red blood cell abnormalities in thalassemia patients. |
Alcohol Withdrawal | Refer to label instructions |  [1 star] Alcoholics are sometimes deficient in magnesium, and some researchers believe that symptoms of withdrawal may result in part from this deficiency. |