Search Articles

clear search terms

Yes, Magnesium! And here’s Why and How

September 23, 2025 | 86 Comments | SAFM Team

Tightness, tension, spasm…  Throughout the body, these symptoms are often a sign of insufficient magnesium.   Magnesium functions as a bit of a “master” electrolyte in this case because it directly controls the pump that allows potassium to flow into the cell (where benefits can actually be experienced).  Especially because it is increasingly less prevalent in farm soil, dietary magnesium insufficiency is common.

All of your patients potentially have insufficient levels of magnesium.  Be a detective; look for those symptoms!  Look for the interconnectedness you can see.  Functional medicine pioneer Dr. Mark Hyman has published an excellent blog article about the symptoms of magnesium deficiency which you may read here . Because it is generally a safe supplement to explore*, consider prioritizing this topic with patients who may gain rapid relief from magnesium support.

While anyone you work with should be considered for this opportunity, there are three (big!) groups of patients who are more likely to struggle with insufficient magnesium.  That is, those who:

  • Have Type 2 Diabetes (or are on the spectrum of developing it e.g. prediabetes, insulin resistance, abdominal obesity).  These clients are statistically more likely to have magnesium deficiency – and not suprisingly there is an epigenetic component of this deficiency as well (this other article is a great summary of similar research).  The hormone insulin mediates healthy functioning of both sugar and magnesium uptake into cells, so insulin resistance can impair both of these.  Fasting insulin – or even better C peptide – is perhaps the best lab marker (of those that are readily available) for assessing insulin resistance in its early stages – that is before there is any increase in fasting glucose.  In fact, in the worsening progression of insulin resistance, it is more likely that a patient will first experience a period of inappropriately low blood sugar given their diet as a result of increasingly higher levels of fasting insulin (before pancreatic dysfunction progresses to drive blood sugar upward).
  • Regularly take Proton Pump Inhibitor medications (e.g. Protonix, Prilosec, Nexium), usually prescribed for acid reflux.  The FDA’s warning about this connection might be inspiring to your clients to make lifestyle change to get away from needing these drugs.  By purposefully creating hypochlorhydria (reducing stomach acid), this drug impairs our ability to separate minerals which are typically food-bound to amino acids in proteins.  Other posts on our site here give pearls about addressing the root causes of chronic acid reflux.
  • Use diuretic medications, especially for hypertension.  These drugs promote urination, typically to increase water and sodium elimination and reduce the edema caused by other hypertension drugs (e.g. beta blockers).  However, these drugs also cause loss of other electrolytes via the increased urination.  Ironically enough, this includes potassium and magnesium, two minerals which are vital to maintaining healthy blood pressure in the first place.

If your clients wish to have their physician assess their actual magnesium level, encourage them to request “RBC magnesium” and specifically to be sure that the (standard default) “serum magnesium” is not measured instead, wherever possible.  RBC mineral levels are not a perfect measure, but they do offer a more accurate reflection both of ongoing intake in the typical diet (2-3 months in RBCs vs. feedback on only a day or two in the serum level) and also one’s cellular absorption of the nutrient.  Remember it’s not enough to get nutrients into the bloodstream; we need to be able to absorb them well into our cells in order to make a difference in our functioning.

There are many different forms of magnesium available on the market.  Avoid the carbonate form, as it is poorly absorbed at the typical pH of human digestive processes (but inexpensive and  commonly available).    Instead…

  • Specifically for constipation, consider magnesium citrate.  Start with 200-400mg taken with dinner to help with early AM bowel movement the next day.  It may take a few days to build up full efficacy.  And clients may need appreciably more.   Both capsule and loose powder options are available.
  • For muscular spasm, tension, tightness, including headache, consider magnesium glycinate or malate.  These chelate forms of magnesium typically do not affect the GI tract much and won’t overly-stimulate an already-healthy bowel movement habit.
  • For attention deficit, anxiety, panic, and those who are easily startled, consider magnesium threonate as it penetrates the blood-brain barrier particularly well and provides threonine, an amino acid particularly calming to the nervous system (e.g. Jarrow’s “MagMind”).  Consider beginning with ~150mg magnesium in this form and build up as needed (start dosage to target key needs e.g. first morning for daytime anxiety and evening for RLS, trouble going to sleep, or ruminating thoughts that prevent deep sleep).
  • For cardiovascular disease and related concerns (e.g. atrial fibrillation), consider magnesium taurate.  The amino acid chelate in this case (taurine) functions as a calming neurotransmitter and a critical building block for optimal bile production in the liver, and it has been shown to be effective in countering a variety of arrhythmias (especially when combined with citrulline).

*Magnesium supplementation should be done cautiously in those with kidney dysfunction or disease and always in active partnership with the attending physician for the kidney ailments.  Supplementation may still be warranted but in small doses at once that are actively monitored to ensure filtration function is not harmed.

Get savvy about working with magnesium!  It can be a simple and powerful tool to help your clients and patients to find the Rapid Relief that will help them to stay engaged and enthusiastic about their journey with you.

Thank you for the opportunity to support you!

 

 

 

 

 

P.S.  If you are passionate about transforming healthcare through the power of functional medicine, we encourage you to learn more about SAFM’s practitioner training programs. Enrollment for our next cohort is now open!

To receive weekly clinical tips for practitioners – like this one – right to your inbox, register here.

Follow us on Facebook and/or on Youtube to gain more rich clinical content.

86 Questions for “Yes, Magnesium! And here’s Why and How”

navigate comments 1 2 3
  1. 40
    Alessandra Henderson says:
    November 21, 2023 at 5:45 pm

    Can Magnesium citrate and magnesium threonate be administered at the same time to address concerns of constipation and Axiety/ ADHD?
    Or will Mg magnesium threonate help with constipation? Thank you!

    Reply
    • 40.1
      SAFM Team says:
      November 22, 2023 at 5:26 am

      We recommend using both forms at separate times during the day. The body can absorb only so much magnesium at once and it is prudent to divide the doses and use various forms to maximize absorption. These articles could be of interest to you:
      https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Magnesium-HealthProfessional/
      https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5652077/
      One could start with just magnesium threonate and see if this is sufficient for easier bowel movements and try the other form only when needed.
      The overarching question would be why is this person lacking magnesium and address the drivers. If it is a digestive issue rather than the question of intake then this should be addressed before or along with magnesium supplementation.

      Reply
  2. 39
    Rose says:
    December 14, 2022 at 12:15 pm

    My twin brother has absolutely terrible Tinnitus. Do you think Magnesium would help him, and if so, which type of Magnesium?

    Reply
  3. 38
    SAFM Team says:
    September 7, 2022 at 5:26 am

    It states in the article “The hormone insulin mediates healthy functioning of both sugar and magnesium uptake into cells, so insulin resistance can impair both of these causing low Mg level.” In this case, I would think there would be elevated serum Mg levels because it is not taken up into cells with insulin resistance. Can you please explain further?

    Reply
    • 38.1
      SAFM Team says:
      September 7, 2022 at 5:33 am

      It is not as black & white as it seems. The serum magnesium levels may be elevated, normal, or low depending on the consumption level in the diet, the body’s ongoing requirement, and on the level of insulin resistance. That is why the RBC levels or organic acid test would more accurately assess magnesium levels sufficiency. Please remember that those are not all-or-nothing effects; insulin tolerance/resistance is a spectrum. Even though insulin resistance may impair magnesium absorption into the cells, there will always be some absorption level. Please make sure to explore the linked article on this topic: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12537988/

      Reply
  4. 37
    SAFM Team says:
    February 20, 2022 at 1:12 pm

    Request for more research papers was submitted:
    “I was wondering if there was particular research around the different effects of the different forms of Magnesium for calming/anxiety effects – threonate and taurate in particular. A patient actually told her doctor about it and now the doc wants the research! I’m excited to educate – but at a loss. Thank you!”

    Reply
    • 37.1
      SAFM Team says:
      February 20, 2022 at 1:17 pm

      What an amazing opportunity for education and collaboration with this progressive-thinking doctor!
      Here’s a resource about the efficacy of boosting magnesium, in general, to help with anxiety and stress:
      https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5452159/
      and with neurological diseases:
      https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6024559/

      If you are interested in references specific to magnesium threonate and taurate, here’s a comprehensive citations list that we have found.

      Magnesium threonate:
      Neuron. 2010;65(2):165-77.
      Nutr Rev. 2012;70(3):153-64.
      Magnes Res. 2009;22(4):235-46.
      J Alzheimers Dis. 2016;49(4):971-90.
      Mol Brain. 2014;7:65.
      Expert Opin Ther Targets. 2014;18(10):1121-30.

      And magnesium taurate:
      J Bone Miner Res. 1998 Apr;13(4):749-58.
      Am J Clin Nutr 1987;45:1305-12.
      Clinica Chimica Acta 2000;294:1-26.
      Ann Pharmacother. 2002 Feb;36(2):255-60.
      Br J Sports Med. 2006 Sep;40(9):773-8.
      Congest Heart Fail. 2006 Jan-Feb;12(1):9-13
      Clin Neurosci. 1998;5(1):24-7.
      Angiology. 1994 Jul;45(7):637-45.
      Magnes Res. 2006 Jun;19(2):113-22.
      Nutr Rev. 1995 Sep;53(9 Pt 2):S23-S27.
      J Clin Endocrinol Metab. 1998 Aug;83(8):2742-8.
      J Nutr. 2003 Sep;133(9):2879-82.
      J Hypertens. 2008 Jan;26(1):44-52.
      Magnes Res. 2007 Sep;20(3):196-9.
      Magnes Res. 2007 Jun;20(2):107-29.
      Curr Opin Lipidol. 2008 Feb;19(1):50-6.References

      Reply
  5. 36
    SAFM Team says:
    February 20, 2022 at 12:55 pm

    A question was asked, “What is the difference between Magnesium Taurate and Magnesium ACETYL-Taurate?”

    Reply
  6. 35
    SAFM Team says:
    February 20, 2022 at 12:50 pm

    A question was asked:
    “I’m wondering if you’ve heard of patients not being able to take magnesium threonate due to vivid dreams? A client mentioned that her ND recommended NOW Magtein to help with insomnia but she wasn’t able to continue with it because she would have extremely vivid dreams that disrupted her sleep throughout the night. She reports never being able to dream (or remember her dreams) until she takes magnesium threonate. She also said that the dreams are so vivid, not only do they wake her up but she also talks and moves around so much that she wakes her husband up as well.”

    Reply
    • 35.1
      SAFM Team says:
      February 20, 2022 at 12:53 pm

      There is evidence that magnesium supplementation in the evening increases levels of melatonin and lowers levels of cortisol e.g. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3703169/ . For one who is not used to dreaming, keep in mind that “normal” dreaming can be disconcerting and uncomfortable. Any medication or supplementation she might be taking (esp. in the evening) that is designed to boost serotonin/melatonin (e.g. Wellbutrin, SSRIs, B6, tryptophan, 5-HTP) may also now be excessive in combination with the mag threonate. If she is not using anything of this nature, then I would consider cutting back the dose of mag threonate by half to see if this strikes a better balance of not dreaming vs. disturbing dreaming. More generally, keep in mind that magnesium overtly increases REM sleep, which is indeed when we dream, which is healthy for brain healing. The threonate chelate of magnesium crosses the blood-brain barrier more than other forms, so it has enhanced effects on the brain. This form of magnesium also increases brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF), which enhances neuronal development and function. You may find this of interest – https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fncel.2019.00363/full. Dreaming is when we store important memories and things we’ve learned. Since magnesium threonate improves learning and memory in general there may be a connection. You may find this of interest as well – https://www.cell.com/neuron/fulltext/S0896-6273(09)01044-7.

      Reply
  7. 34
    Tina says:
    October 6, 2021 at 5:55 am

    I was taking 288 mg magnesium threonate (with 200 mg l theanine) at night due to severe insomnia that developed after chronic stress related to ear infection / major ear surgery / resultant Tinnitus. I could fall asleep well with that mixture. But then I woke consistently for weeks after 2 hours. So I increased the magnesium to 3 x 144 (this is life extension Neuro mag). That helped me sleep first 4 hours then 5 hours. I’m a 51 year old female with no other health issues. Could I increase another pill to sleep even longer?

    Reply
    • 34.1
      SAFM Team says:
      October 12, 2021 at 9:21 am

      There is no reason why you couldn’t experiment with more magnesium to see if this is going to improve your sleep further. One needs to keep in mind that we all can have different needs for various micronutrients and varying sensitivity to specific magnesium forms and personal experimentation oftentimes gives the best information.

      Reply
  8. 33
    Ashley Tebay says:
    August 5, 2021 at 1:28 pm

    How do you choose a magnesium if they have say headache, anxiety, muscle twitching and PVCs. What type then would you recommend.

    Reply
    • 33.1
      SAFM Team says:
      August 7, 2021 at 10:20 am

      When there are many symptoms for which a magnesium would be helpful you will need to experiment a little to find which form brings the most relief as this can be greatly bio-individual and depending on other drivers of these types of dis-ease. Magnesium glycinate is a good place to start. Also, don’t forget to ask the question why a client has such a high need for magnesium – too little magnesium-rich foods? poor digestion/absorption?

      Reply
  9. 32
    Melaina Marion says:
    May 28, 2021 at 7:52 am

    I do believe in the many powers of magnesium! However, I was recently challenged by a physician about there being zero clinical research/studies supporting the idea that magnesium is helpful for muscle cramping. While there are plenty of articles on this matter, written by reputable people, it appears he’s correct about studies not supporting magnesium and muscle cramping. Any suggestions about how to continue this conversation without studies to support it? TIA!

    Reply
  10. 31
    Anna w says:
    May 2, 2021 at 9:32 pm

    I suffer from chronic migraines as well as sand anxiety. Which form would be most beneficial? Or can I take 2 different ones together?

    Reply
    • 31.1
      SAFM Team says:
      May 3, 2021 at 4:01 pm

      Thanks for your question! Magnesium glycinate or magnesium taurate may be one of the best forms for countering migraine, but the best answer to your question requires understanding all the details of your case. This is a key principle fo the functional medicine lens – moving away from a generalized solution and instead honing in on what a unique case requires when you consider All contributing factors that would affect the answer to this question (e.g. diarrhea, constipation, diuretic drug use, other hypertension drug use, insulin resistance or T2D). Yes, some individuals certainly find that a couple of different forms together best meets their particular needs. In other cases, the combinations are not well-tolerated. We recommend you work with a practitioner who can assess all the details of your unique case and advise you responsibly. We are unable to give case-specific recommendations in this limited context and platform. You might be interested in taking a look at our AMFM-certified practitioner directory: https://afmccertification.com/

      Reply
  11. 30
    Lisa Jones Clark says:
    December 3, 2020 at 1:39 pm

    What if magnesium carbonate is in a product which is a combination with magnesium citrate and they are chelated? Would it then be able to be utilized?

    Reply
  12. 29
    Erin Roskos says:
    September 11, 2020 at 7:13 pm

    What is the best overall magnesium form? I have a patient whom I think would really benefit from magnesium supplementation. He suffers from HTN, type 2 DM, GERD, anxiety and panic attacks, and also gets frequent headaches. He also will have premature ventricular contractions occasionally; he will have a lot in one day and then go days or weeks without them. According to the above article, his conditions fall into all of the categories for the different forms of magnesium. What would be the best overall magnesium to recommend that would help him with his various conditions?

    Reply
    • 29.1
      SAFM Team says:
      September 16, 2020 at 5:50 am

      Magnesium glycinate or another chelate form would be a good overall form of magnesium in a supplement to potentially address general magnesium need. Keep in mind that supplements are only part of the healing process and one needs to consider the whole network of body systems interconnectedness. If you see such overt magnesium need, you will always want to ask, why is this happening – is it the issue of lack of magnesium in the diet; issues with absorption, or another factor that contributes to magnesium/mineral loss.

      Reply
  13. 28
    Magdalena Hjalmarsson says:
    April 22, 2020 at 6:35 pm

    I am considering using Thorne’s Magnesium Biglycinate Powder since there are fewer additives and my client does experience muscle tightness, achy joints, and headaches.
    I have done some research to understand how glycine influences glutamate receptors and I would greatly appreciate a second opinion.
    From my review, the research is supporting the idea that glycine has a possible anticonvulsant and neuroinhibitory effects, however, the fact that it is a glutamate co-agonist at NMDA receptors seems slightly concerning. Can you help me understand this clearly?

    Thank you.

    Reply
    • 28.1
      SAFM Team says:
      May 1, 2020 at 7:25 am

      This is indeed a fascinating subject and the binding of glycine and glutamate to the NMDR receptors has been relatively recently (2018) elucidated:
      https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6031449/
      Yes, glycine (or serine) is necessary to activate the NMDA receptors and for the glutamate to exert its excitatory function, thus excess glycine could potentially uncover a pre-existing glutamate sensitivity, but it is not likely to be stimulatory if the glutamate balance is not an issue in the body.

      Reply
  14. 27
    Karen E Digby says:
    April 20, 2020 at 2:30 pm

    Could Magnesium Citrate be used to treat mood dysfunction or only Magnesium Thoenate?

    Reply
    • 27.1
      SAFM Team says:
      April 20, 2020 at 3:05 pm

      In principle, it might helpful somewhat. However, magnesium citrate is primarily quite stimulatory to the bowels, so I wouldn’t use mag citrate with someone who didn’t also have some degree of constipation. For addressing mood imbalance, I would more highly recommend magnesium glycinate for general use. Magnesium taurate and Magnesium threonate are more esoteric alternatives as well.

      Reply
  15. 26
    Magdalena Hjalmarsson says:
    April 20, 2020 at 12:35 am

    What form of magnesium would be most effective for a child with epilepsy (Druvet’s Syndrome)?

    I want to ensure the amino acid the MG is chelated to will not effect glutamate / GABA balance. Magnesium glycinate seems like a good option to not distress the GI tract however Magnesium threonate may be more effective at crossing the blood brain barrier as well as calming to the nervous system. Another factor is when dealing with a child liquid or powder magnesium would be most appropriate.

    Thank you!

    Reply
    • 26.1
      SAFM Team says:
      April 20, 2020 at 3:08 pm

      You will need to do some research to ensure there is no contraindication of supplementing a threonate chelate with her diagnosis – and also whatever medications she might be taking. In principle, however, I agree that the magnesium threonate formula would be a good fit for these types of dis-ease dynamics. There are indeed powdered options e.g. Life Extension’s Neuro-Mag is a flavored powder that dissolves well in water.

      Reply
  16. 25
    Brandy Grantham says:
    March 28, 2020 at 2:12 am

    Looking for insight on elevated magnesium level on lab work. We also talk about suboptimal magnesium, can you tell me when we might see elevated levels?

    Reply
    • 25.1
      SAFM Team says:
      April 19, 2020 at 8:54 am

      In our experience, high levels of plasma magnesium are quite rare and typically only seen in people with decreased renal function, after administration of a magnesium load large enough to exceed the kidneys’ ability to excrete it, or a combination of the two. This is a dated but still very relevant publication on this topic:
      https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/8264509

      Reply
  17. 24
    Georgia Griscom says:
    January 14, 2020 at 2:49 pm

    Can magnesium threonate and magnesium taurate be taken together?
    Thank you!

    Reply
    • 24.1
      SAFM Team says:
      January 20, 2020 at 4:12 pm

      In principle, there shouldn’t be an issue with taking these two together. However, it is certainly worth introducing these supplements sequentially over a two/three-week period to see how the body overall responds to these particular amino acid conjugate forms of magnesium supplement. We have seen these formulas work quite well systemically in some cases. If you wish to try something else, you might consider one of the many “tri-magnesium” options available e.g. Rhythm’s “Triple Calm Magnesium” which includes taurate, malate, and glycinate forms. We are not aware of a tri-form that includes threonate specifically; thus suggesting another option that would specifically target anxiety (that is, taurate) as well as the other concerns.

      Reply
  18. 23
    Lori Taylor says:
    December 2, 2019 at 1:44 pm

    Will magnesium taurate help with SVT? If so, what dose of magnesium taurate is recommended?
    Thank you!

    Reply
  19. 22
    Sarah Campbell says:
    November 10, 2019 at 10:06 pm

    What are your thoughts on “oxy powder” – ozonated magnesium?

    Reply
    • 22.1
      SAFM Team says:
      November 24, 2019 at 6:43 pm

      The supplements industry, like any other industry, keeps coming up with the ‘new and better’ solutions. But the question is, do we really need all these new forms when we have so many very well working ones? Magnesium oxide is highly stimulatory to the bowels, way more than the citrate form, and it may be way too strong for some people. Also, we wouldn’t recommend this form to address the systemic needs of magnesium repletion. Instead, choose from various magnesium forms to address specific needs for more targeted support.

      Reply
  20. 21
    Karen Snyder says:
    March 21, 2019 at 2:25 pm

    Would magnesium taurate help someone with Prinzmetal Angina? If so, what dosage? Would arginine and/or citrulline also help? If so, what dosage for that as well? I know magnesium will help with hypertension as well (along with potassium).

    Also for those with heart arrhythmias, what dosage for Mg taurate, arginine and/or citrulline? Same for atrial fibrillation?

    Thanks!

    Reply
    • 21.1
      SAFM Team says:
      April 4, 2019 at 5:13 pm

      Prinzmetal Angina, unlike typical angina that’s caused by vascular obstruction, is caused by spasms of the smooth muscles in the artery wall, even when someone is asleep. For this reason, addressing the magnesium balance and the nitric oxide production could be helpful. As for dosages, starting low and slow and allowing the body time to adjust to the new level of relaxation substances is always a good idea, and in general, people need to consult their physician for their specific needs and dosages.
      This article may be helpful to you as well:
      https://ndnr.com/cardiopulmonary-medicine/calming-atrial-fibrillation/

      Reply
navigate comments 1 2 3

Ask a Question

Practitioner clarification questions are welcome! Please do not post personal case inquiries.

Explore the Gut’s role in complex chronic conditions

Register Here
X