Can You Take Ashwagandha and Magnesium Together?
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Medically reviewed by Lindsay Cook, PharmD
Ashwagandha, an adaptogen with ancient roots in traditional medicine, offers anti-inflammatory benefits, aiding in sleep and stress management. Magnesium is a mineral that plays a vital role in many bodily functions; magnesium supplementation can address a spectrum of conditions.
While combining these supplements is generally safe, understanding their intended purposes, proper usage, and potential side effects is important.
Benefits of Ashwagandha
Ashwagandha, scientifically known as Withania somnifera, is an evergreen shrub found in tropical and subtropical areas. It's commonly used in Ayurveda and other traditional medicine systems as an adaptogen, which is a substance that may help the body resist physical and mental stress.
Ashwagandha is used in traditional medicine to treat conditions such as arthritis, asthma, goiter (enlarged thyroid gland), ulcers, anxiety, insomnia, and neurological disorders.
Clinical studies suggest that ashwagandha supplementation may offer the following health benefits:
Reduction in stress markers and symptoms
Reduction in anxiety levels, demonstrated by changes in anxiety scores
Decrease in depression symptoms, evidenced by significant decreases in depression scores
Improvement in various measures of insomnia, including sleep quality, mental alertness upon waking, sleep latency (transition time from full wakefulness to sleep), and total sleep time
Enhancement of exercise performance, indicated by effects on strength and power, cardiorespiratory fitness, and fatigue and recovery
Increase in Dehydroepiandrosterone sulfate (DHEA-S) (a male sex hormone) and testosterone levels
Regulation of hormones
Delivery of antioxidants and anti-inflammatory effects
Benefits of Magnesium
Magnesium plays a vital role in over 300 bodily processes, including blood sugar and blood pressure control, nerve and muscle function, energy production, and bone development.
Despite its presence in various foods such as animal products, legumes, and leafy greens, nearly half of Americans have inadequate dietary magnesium intake.
Certain medical conditions like type 2 diabetes, gastrointestinal diseases, and alcoholism can increase the risk of magnesium deficiency. Additionally, specific medications, such as loop diuretics and proton pump inhibitors, can lead to magnesium depletion, further heightening the risk of deficiency in susceptible individuals.
In cases of low magnesium levels or risk for deficiency, healthcare providers may suggest magnesium supplementation. In addition to treating magnesium deficiency, these supplements can offer several health benefits, including:
Lower blood pressure, aiding hypertension
Improve blood sugar levels and insulin sensitivity, particularly for people with diabetes
Support bone health by increasing mineral density and reducing fracture risk
Improve mental well-being by reducing depression and anxiety
Relieve constipation as a natural laxative, facilitating softer stool passage
Enhance sleep quality and sleep duration
Benefits of Taking Ashwagandha and Magnesium Together
It remains unclear whether combining ashwagandha and magnesium yields additional benefits beyond their individual effects, as there is a lack of clinical research addressing this specific combination.
Both ashwagandha and magnesium can be beneficial for overall health. Ashwagandha has been used in traditional medicine, offers antioxidants, and fights inflammation, while magnesium plays a role in numerous bodily processes. Both can help with depression, anxiety, and sleep.
Ashwagandha and magnesium both have positive effects on mental health and sleep through various mechanisms.
Ashwagandha helps by lowering stress hormones, reducing inflammation, and influencing serotonin levels. Meanwhile, magnesium is important for many bodily functions, including mood regulation. It can also calm the nervous system, relax muscles, and lower cortisol levels, which can help promote better sleep and overall relaxation.
Combining ashwagandha and magnesium might enhance their effects on sleep and mental health. This is noteworthy as many adults suffer from inadequate sleep and mental health issues. Improved sleep quality is closely tied to better mental well-being, making it important to address both for overall health.
How To Take a Combination of Ashwagandha and Magnesium
Ashwagandha and magnesium are available as oral supplements in various forms, including pills, gummies, powders, and liquids. Magnesium supplements are also available in various combinations prepared with other salts, such as magnesium oxide and magnesium citrate.
Some supplements combine ashwagandha and magnesium, such as magnesium with ashwagandha or multivitamins containing both.
Unlike medications, dietary supplements are not closely monitored by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA). Therefore, seek supplements that have been independently tested for purity and potency. Look for stamps from reputable third-party organizations such as USP or NSF on the packaging, indicating that the product has undergone rigorous testing.
Your healthcare provider can help you decide which form and preparation is best for your preferences and needs.
Dosage
There is no recommended combination dose for ashwagandha and magnesium. Whether you're taking ashwagandha and magnesium separately or in a combined supplement, it's important to follow the instructions on the product label.
Ashwagandha can be effective at specific doses depending on the intended benefit, as supported by research. For instance:
Ashwagandha root extract at doses ranging from 300-600 milligrams (mg) daily, standardized to 5% withanolides (a plant compound), may alleviate generalized anxiety.
Taking ashwagandha root extract at doses of 250-600 mg daily could help manage insomnia.
Consuming ashwagandha at doses of 240-1000 mg daily for 8-12 weeks may improve stress levels.
As a nutrient, magnesium has an established recommended intake or recommended dietary allowance (RDA). Following the RDA can prevent deficiency. The RDA for nutrients is typically the total intake from all sources—food, supplements, and medications. For magnesium, the RDA for adults ranges from 310-420 mg, depending on age, sex, pregnancy, and lactation status.
Magnesium supplement dosage may depend on your blood magnesium level. Factors such as medical condition, age, and sex can also influence how much of the supplement you need to take.
Consult with your healthcare provider to determine the appropriate supplement dosages for your specific requirements.
Is It Safe To Take Ashwagandha and Magnesium Together?
It's generally safe to take ashwagandha and magnesium together. However, it's always best to consult with a healthcare provider before starting any new supplement regimen, especially if you have any health conditions or are taking medications.
It's also important to consider the safety of each of these supplements. For instance, individuals with impaired kidney function should be cautious with magnesium supplements and seek guidance from a healthcare provider. Reduced kidney function can impair magnesium regulation and elevate blood magnesium levels, posing potential risks.
Research suggests ashwagandha is generally safe for short-term use, typically up to three months. The adaptogen is possibly safe to take in doses of up to 1,250 mg for up to six months. However, there's limited evidence regarding its long-term safety. Consult with a healthcare provider for personalized guidance on the duration of supplement use.
Potential Drug Interactions
Ashwagandha may interact with certain medications and supplements, including:
Diabetes medications: Ashwagandha may help lower blood sugar levels, so combining it with medications meant to lower blood sugar could lead to excessively low blood sugar levels.
Blood pressure medications: Ashwagandha may help lower blood pressure, so taking it alongside hypertension medications or supplements that also lower blood pressure may cause blood pressure to drop too low.
Immunosuppressant medications: Ashwagandha may strengthen the immune system, so it could diminish the effectiveness of immunosuppressant medications.
Sedatives: Since ashwagandha has sleep-promoting properties, using it alongside sedative medications like Benzodiazepines or other supplements with sedative effects could result in breathing difficulties or excessive drowsiness.
Thyroid medications: Ashwagandha has the potential to increase thyroid hormone production, so taking it with thyroid hormone pills may lead to excessive thyroid hormone levels.
Magnesium may interact with some medications, such as:
Bisphosphonates: These medications prevent bone density loss. Magnesium supplements can decrease the absorption of oral bisphosphonates like alendronate (Binosto).
Antibiotics: Certain antibiotics, such as tetracyclines and quinolones, may interact with magnesium supplements. It's best to avoid taking the supplement and medication and the same time and instead space them a few hours apart.
Diuretics: Also known as water pills, diuretics help eliminate excess fluid from the body. Some diuretics, particularly potassium-sparing ones like Midamor (amiloride) and Aldactone (spironolactone), reduce the amount of magnesium excreted in the urine. When combined with magnesium supplements, this can lead to elevated magnesium levels.
Can You Have Too Much Ashwagandha or Magnesium?
Too much of either ashwagandha or magnesium supplements could pose health risks. Excessive doses of ashwagandha may lead to stomach discomfort, diarrhea, and vomiting. In rare cases, it could result in liver issues, such as severe liver failure requiring transplantation.
Magnesium from food is generally not a health concern. However, consuming excessive magnesium supplements may cause side effects or in some cases, magnesium toxicity.
The maximum daily safe amount of magnesium supplementation for adults is 350 mg. High doses of magnesium supplementation often cause gastrointestinal symptoms such as diarrhea and nausea. Very large doses of magnesium supplementation (over 5,000 mg daily) are linked to magnesium toxicity. Symptoms of toxicity can include:
Nausea
Vomiting
Lethargy
It can progress to difficulty breathing and cardiac arrest
Side Effects of Taking a Combination of Ashwagandha and Magnesium
Ashwagandha and magnesium supplementation can lead to various side effects. Common adverse effects of ashwagandha supplementation may include diarrhea, gastrointestinal upset, nausea, and vomiting. However, these side effects typically don't occur with standard doses.
Magnesium supplements are usually well-tolerated. Common side effects of magnesium supplementation include diarrhea, gastrointestinal upset, nausea, and vomiting.
Since both ashwagandha and magnesium can cause stomach upset and digestive issues, taking them together may increase these side effects.
A Quick Review
Ashwagandha, an adaptogen with a long history in traditional medicine, has been clinically demonstrated to possess antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties and help with stress management, among other benefits. Magnesium is involved in numerous bodily functions, and supplements can address a wide range of conditions.
Both ashwagandha and magnesium are available in a range of oral supplement forms and can support mental health and sleep. Taking both supplements together is generally safe and may enhance their effects. However, it's always a good idea to consult a healthcare provider for personalized guidance, including what dosage of each to take and how to avoid medication interactions and side effects.
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