To boost magnesium absorption, take easily-absorbed forms like citrate or glycinate, pair it with Vitamin D & B vitamins, eat magnesium-rich foods with protein, maintain good gut health, stay hydrated, and avoid excessive zinc, caffeine, or alcohol. Taking magnesium with meals and supporting gut health with fiber/probiotics also significantly improves uptake.
To promote optimal absorption, it's important to be mindful of what you eat and drink alongside magnesium supplements. Foods and drinks high in fiber, phytic acid, phosphoric acid, alcohol, and caffeine can interfere with how well your body uses magnesium.
Magnesium and vitamin D
One important function and benefit of vitamin D is that it helps the body absorb calcium, which in turn plays a part in how your body absorbs magnesium.
Foods high in magnesium are leafy greens, legumes, nuts, seeds and whole grains. A doctor can check your magnesium levels by a blood or urine (pee) test. If you have low magnesium levels, your doctor may recommend taking a supplement.
Vitamin K plays a crucial role in blood clotting and bone health, and when combined with magnesium, it can enhance the absorption and utilization of both nutrients. This powerful duo can help support cardiovascular health and promote strong, healthy bones.
Vitamin D
"The body absorbs magnesium better when paired with certain nutrients," said Lynne Romancia, MS, RDN, a dietitian at Providence St. Jude Medical Center. Vitamin D, particularly vitamin D3, helps the gut better absorb magnesium, she added.
Your body needs magnesium to function normally. Symptoms of magnesium deficiency include low appetite, nausea or vomiting, muscle spasms or tremors and abnormal heart rhythms. A blood test or urine test can be used to diagnose magnesium deficiency.
Avocados: One whole avocado = 58 mg of magnesium. Bananas: One medium banana = 32 mg of magnesium. Papaya: One small papaya = 33 mg of magnesium. Blackberries: 1 cup = 29 mg of magnesium.
Causes of Hypomagnesemia
Usually, the magnesium level becomes low because people consume less (most often, because of starvation) or because the intestine cannot absorb nutrients normally (called malabsorption). But sometimes hypomagnesemia develops because the kidneys or intestine excrete too much magnesium.
In fact, research suggests that vitamin C may actually enhance overall mineral uptake by reducing inflammation in the gut lining, making magnesium absorption more efficient.
Because vitamin B12 and magnesium don't compete for absorption, supplementing the two doesn't come with any absorption risks. Maintaining healthy levels of both magnesium and vitamin B12 is crucial for good health.
You should not mix magnesium with certain antibiotics (tetracyclines, fluoroquinolones), bisphosphonates, diuretics, proton pump inhibitors, some blood pressure drugs, and diabetes medications, as it can block absorption or alter effects, requiring spacing or avoidance. Also, separate magnesium from high doses of zinc, iron, calcium, and high-fiber/phytate/oxalate foods to prevent interference with absorption.
When taken in doses greater than 350 mg daily, magnesium is possibly unsafe. Large doses might cause too much magnesium to build up in the body, causing serious side effects including an irregular heartbeat, low blood pressure, confusion, slowed breathing, coma, and death.
Common causes of low magnesium include:
And taking vitamin D in large doses can also deplete magnesium, leading to a magnesium deficiency — or making an existing one worse.
Chronic magnesium deficiency is often associated with normal serum magnesium despite deficiency in cells and in bone; the response to oral supplementation is slow and may take up to 40 weeks to reach a steady state.
Good sources of magnesium include green leafy vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, whole grains, and certain beverages. Magnesium may also be added to some breakfast cereals and other fortified foods. In general, approximately 30% to 40% of the magnesium obtained from food and beverages is absorbed by the body.
For drinks high in magnesium, opt for mineral waters, fruit juices (especially orange, cherry, watermelon), plant-based milks (soy, almond), and homemade concoctions using raw cacao, coconut milk, or magnesium powders mixed with water or smoothies, with hot chocolate (made with raw cacao) and herbal teas (like nettle) also being good choices.
The causes of magnesium deficiency include: Chronic diarrhea. Frequent vomiting. Malabsorption, due to a digestive condition, such as inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), or a procedure that removes part of the small intestine, namely weight loss surgery.
Achieving 100% of the daily recommended magnesium intake can be accomplished by eating foods rich in magnesium, such as:
They contain large amounts of vitamin B6, magnesium, potassium, copper, and manganese. They also contain smaller amounts of calcium, iron, zinc, and selenium. Dates are also packed with antioxidants, which can help protect cells from damage caused by free radicals.
Is Coffee High in Magnesium? Surprisingly, yes, coffee contains a small amount of magnesium. On average, a cup provides around 7 mg of magnesium, but considering your daily needs range from 300–400 mg, it's not enough to offset the loss.
Altered magnesium levels have been linked to inflammatory skin conditions, including atopic dermatitis (AD), psoriasis, and acne vulgaris (AV).
For women especially, magnesium is important because it plays a role in hundreds of different functions involved in hormone regulation. Thankfully, increasing dietary magnesium intake and taking a daily supplement can reverse symptoms and optimize blood sugar levels, mood, sleep and menstrual cycles.
The cerascreen® Mineral Test is a sample-taking mail-in kit that determines the levels of magnesium, zinc and selenium in your blood. Take the sample conveniently and easily at home! The sample of human capillary blood will then be analysed in vitro in one of our certified medical partner laboratories.