We looked into what the mineral can — and can’t — do for sleep, mental health and more.
Magnesium supplements are said to help with a long list of ailments: sleep problems, migraine headaches, depression, high blood pressure, muscle cramps, constipation. One wellness coach on TikTok went so far as to say that in order “to be a functioning member of society,” everyone should be taking them.
The premise that this essential mineral can treat such a wide range of issues rests on the idea that many people are deficient in it. But is that true? And will replenishing your body’s magnesium solve your health problems?
We asked experts if the claims hold up to scientific scrutiny.
How common is magnesium deficiency?
Most people in the United States do not have a serious magnesium deficiency, said Dr. Edward Saltzman, an associate professor at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University. If they did, he said, they’d have noticeable symptoms like nausea, vomiting, numbness, tingling, seizures and abnormal heart rhythms.
But national diet surveys do suggest that at least half of people in the United States aren’t meeting federal recommendations — at least 310 or 320 milligrams of magnesium per day for women who are not pregnant (depending on their age); and at least 400 or 420 milligrams for men (also depending on age).
Not consuming enough magnesium could have subtler, slower-burning consequences, Dr. Saltzman said. Researchers have found correlations, for instance, between consuming less magnesium and health conditions like Type 2 diabetes, stroke, cardiovascular disease, bone fractures, migraine headaches and poor sleep — though they haven’t proven causation.
Unfortunately there isn’t a simple way to tell if you are meeting federal guidelines. A blood test, for instance, won’t give you a very accurate assessment, said Katherine L. Tucker, a professor emerita of biomedical and nutritional sciences at UMass Lowell.