Is Magnesium Good for You? Here's What Science Has to Say

Our lives are busy: juggling family, work, daily physical activity, nutrition, and health changes as we age can be a lot to handle at once. When your days are full, one of the first things you try to do is simplify, looking for convenient, easy ways to add support to your daily routine. Supplements are a convenient way to help bridge possible nutrient gaps, giving you peace of mind to focus on other things.

Magnesium is one supplement that may be of interest. Just like how you can do many things, magnesium is part of over 300 enzymatic reactions in the body. This essential mineral can be found in dietary sources, multivitamins, and mineral supplements. So, is magnesium good for you? Let's see what the science has to say.^†

What Is Magnesium and What Does It Do in the Body?

Magnesium is an essential mineral that our body needs for its daily functions. What functions does magnesium help support? There are quite a few magnesium benefits for women and men: it helps support muscle relaxation, nerve health, and cardiovascular function.^†

Because magnesium is a mineral, it's not produced by the body, so we need to get it from outside sources. We get most of our magnesium from food sources, but dietary supplements can provide a convenient way to increase your magnesium intake.

Science Team Insight: Magnesium is an abundant mineral that is a cofactor in over 300 enzyme systems, regulating diverse biochemical reactions in the body.^[2] These wide-ranging reactions play a part in many of the body's daily functions, which makes magnesium particularly foundational to daily health and wellness.^†

Why is Magnesium Good For You?

So, why is magnesium good for you? What exactly does it do? Let's get into some of the most prominent magnesium benefits.

1. Supports Muscle Relaxation^†

Magnesium supports muscle relaxation. How does it work? Your muscle cells have receptors that can bind with either calcium or magnesium. When these receptors bind with calcium, they tense up. Magnesium competes with calcium for these receptors, allowing muscle cells to relax.^[1]†

Long days don't just challenge your mind—they leave your body feeling it, too. Muscles naturally tense up when you're on your feet at work, crushing a strength training session, or simply managing the physical demands of daily life. Supplying your body with a daily source of magnesium can help your body and support your muscle relaxation when taken consistently.^†

2. Helps Support Essential Nerve Function^†

Your nerves play a role in almost everything you do during the day, so your nervous system needs support, too. Another benefit of magnesium is that it supports essential nerve function. Our nervous system is how our body communicates. Impulses travel along our nerves to send commands and receive information from the outside world.^†

Magnesium plays a key role in the conduction of those nerve impulses by supporting the active transport of calcium and potassium ions across cell membranes.^[2] Consistent magnesium supports the smooth transmission of signals between your brain and your body.^†

3. Helps Support a Healthy Heart^†

Near, far, wherever we are, we all know that our hearts must go on, which is why heart health is essential. Whether you're hiking trails, running errands, or chasing bigger goals, magnesium helps support healthy heart function, an integral part of daily wellness.^†

Magnesium is essential in maintaining vascular, metabolic, and electrical homeostasis, which are all key to supporting cardiovascular health.^[3] Magnesium also helps support healthy blood pressure which already within a normal range.^†

Inconsistent and inconclusive scientific evidence suggests that diets with adequate magnesium may reduce the risk of high blood pressure (hypertension), a condition associated with many factors.

4. Helps Support Bone and Teeth Health^†

You'll find most of the magnesium in your body in your bones and teeth. You might not think about your bones too much, but they support you in everything you do. From spontaneous weekend adventures to everyday moments like lifting a suitcase or helping a friend move, strong bones and teeth make life's physical demands easier to handle.

Magnesium works alongside other minerals to help maintain healthy bones and teeth. Magnesium is also needed to help the body produce vitamin D, which helps the body absorb more calcium and magnesium from food sources.^[4]†

Are You Getting Enough Magnesium?

Are you getting enough magnesium in your daily diet? Magnesium is found in whole grains like brown rice, oat bran, whole wheat, and dark green leafy vegetables, nuts, and beans. One of the best ways to help determine if you're getting magnesium in your diet is by looking at how many plant foods you consume daily. Though magnesium is present in many foods, over 50% of US adults don't get enough in their daily diet.^[5]

Supplements can help to bridge possible nutrient gaps if your diet does not include enough daily sources of magnesium. It's essential to consult a healthcare provider before beginning a daily supplement routine. They can guide you with personalized advice to help you achieve your specific health goals.

So—Is Magnesium Good for You?

Is magnesium good for you? Yes, magnesium is an essential mineral that helps support several vital systems in our bodies, including our muscle, heart, bone, and nerve health. All of these systems play an essential role in our overall daily wellness.^†

Explore the different types of magnesium, like Magnesium Citrate, Magnesium Glycinate, and Magnesium L-Threonate with Nature Made® Magnesium Supplements. We offer magnesium in softgel, capsule, chews, and tasty gummy forms, so you can get daily magnesium supplement benefits in a form you prefer.

† These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.

References

1. Potter JD, Robertson SP, Johnson JD. Magnesium and the regulation of muscle contraction. Fed Proc. 1981;40(12):2653-2656.
2. National Institutes of Health. Magnesium. National Institutes of Health. Published 2022. https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Magnesium-HealthProfessional/
3. Siddiqui RW, Nishat SMH, Alzaabi AA, et al. The Connection Between Magnesium and Heart Health: Understanding Its Impact on Cardiovascular Wellness. Cureus. 2024;16(10):e72302. Published 2024 Oct 24. doi:10.7759/cureus.72302
4. Rondanelli M, Faliva MA, Tartara A, et al. An update on magnesium and bone health. Biometals. 2021;34(4):715-736. doi:10.1007/s10534-021-00305-0
5. Reider CA, Chung RY, Devarshi PP, Grant RW, Hazels Mitmesser S. Inadequacy of Immune Health Nutrients: Intakes in US Adults, the 2005-2016 NHANES. Nutrients. 2020;12(6):1735. Published 2020 Jun 10. doi:10.3390/nu12061735 https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/32531972/