Health Benefits of Magnesium Citrate
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Medically reviewed by Jamie Johnson, RDN
Your body requires a steady supply of the mineral magnesium in order to perform vital functions such as regulating blood pressure and blood sugar levels, producing energy, and maintaining nerve and muscle function.
Magnesium is naturally concentrated in foods such as seeds, beans, and vegetables and can also be taken as a dietary supplement. Some people require magnesium supplements to maintain optimal levels of this important nutrient. There are several forms of magnesium used in dietary supplements, including magnesium citrate, which is one of the most common types of magnesium found in multivitamins and magnesium-only products.
Magnesium citrate is an absorbable form of magnesium that’s been shown to benefit health in several ways, including improving certain aspects of heart health and promoting blood sugar regulation.
Magnesium citrate is composed of magnesium and citrate ions. This readily absorbed type of magnesium is effective for increasing magnesium levels and is one of the most popular forms of magnesium used in dietary supplements.
Here’s everything you need to know about magnesium citrate supplements, including their potential health benefits, side effects, and safety.
May Improve Heart Health
Magnesium is needed for blood pressure regulation, artery health, and muscle function, which is why maintaining optimal magnesium levels is so important for heart health.
Studies show that taking magnesium citrate supplements could help improve arterial stiffness. Arterial stiffness is linked to high blood pressure and can significantly increase the risk for heart disease and heart-related events, such as heart attacks.
A 2016 study that included 52 people considered overweight or with obesity found that those who were supplemented with 350 milligrams (mg) of magnesium citrate per day for 24 weeks had significantly reduced arterial stiffness compared to those who took a placebo treatment.
Taking magnesium citrate may also reduce heart disease risk factors like high blood pressure and blood sugar levels. A 2021 study that included 24 people with metabolic syndrome, a cluster of symptoms that increases heart disease risk, found that the participants who took 400 mg of magnesium citrate per day for 12 weeks experienced reductions in their systolic and diastolic blood pressure levels and significant reductions in their levels of the long-term blood sugar control marker hemoglobin A1c levels (HbA1c) .
Many studies have also found that people with higher dietary magnesium intake have a lower risk of developing heart disease. Some evidence suggests that each 200-mg per day increment in magnesium intake may reduce the risk of heart disease by as much as 22%.
Could Promote Healthy Blood Sugar Levels
Magnesium is needed for blood sugar regulation and having low or deficient magnesium levels can negatively impact blood sugar control.
Taking in extra magnesium from dietary supplements, like magnesium citrate supplements, could support healthy blood sugar control and may help improve blood sugar management in people with diabetes and prediabetes.
A 2022 review that included data from 24 studies found that people with diabetes who took magnesium supplements, including magnesium citrate supplements, had significant reductions in fasting blood sugar and the long-term blood sugar control marker HbA1c, compared to control treatments.
Additionally, taking magnesium citrate supplements can improve other aspects of health in people with diabetes, such as lowering heart disease risk factors like high blood pressure.
Unfortunately, people with high blood sugar levels are more at risk for developing low magnesium levels compared to people with normal blood sugar levels. High blood sugar increases magnesium loss in the urine. What’s more, certain diabetes medications can also contribute to low magnesium levels.
A 2021 study that included 300 people with type 2 diabetes found that those with higher HbA1c levels, which indicates poorer blood sugar control, had significantly lower magnesium levels compared to people with good glycemic control. The study found that 65.8% of the participants with HbA1c levels exceeding 7% had low magnesium levels compared to 50.8% in people with HbA1c levels under 7%. These findings suggest that maintaining adequate magnesium levels is important for supporting healthy blood sugar control in people with diabetes.
May Reduce Stress and Improve Anxiety and Depressive Symptoms
Magnesium can impact your stress levels and mental health. Magnesium helps your body handle and adapt to stress and is important for brain function. Numerous studies have linked low magnesium status to mood changes, increased stress levels, anxiety, and depression.
For example, in a 2020 review that included 18 articles investigating the effects of magnesium on depression, seven of the studies showed a significant correlation between low blood magnesium levels and depression severity. Taking magnesium citrate supplements can boost blood levels of magnesium, which may improve depressive symptoms.
Additionally, a 2017 review of 18 studies found that magnesium supplements, including magnesium citrate supplements, had a beneficial effect on subjective anxiety symptoms.
If you’re interested in taking a magnesium supplement to improve symptoms of a mental health condition like anxiety or depression, it’s best to consult a qualified healthcare provider to ensure it’s a safe choice for your specific health needs. This is especially important if you’re taking one or more psychiatric medications.
May Improve Sleep
If you have a hard time falling or staying asleep, taking a magnesium citrate supplement may help improve your sleep quality.
Magnesium reduces the excitability of the nervous system and promotes muscle relaxation, helping you fall and stay asleep. Studies show that people with higher magnesium intake, including magnesium from foods and supplements, tend to get better quality sleep compared to people with lower magnesium intake.
A 2021 study of 3,964 people found that those who had the highest dietary magnesium intake, including magnesium from supplements and food, were more likely to report better sleep quality and longer sleep duration compared to people with lower magnesium intake levels.
If you have sleeping issues, you could try taking a magnesium supplement, like a magnesium citrate supplement, before bed to support restful sleep.
Good Sources of Magnesium
Magnesium is naturally found in many foods, such as beans, nuts, seeds, dark chocolate, and leafy greens. This mineral is mostly concentrated in plant foods, but can also be found in a few animal-based proteins such as salmon and chicken breast.
Here are a few of the best sources of magnesium you can eat:
Spinach: 156 mg per cooked cup, or 37% of the Daily Value (DV)
Pumpkin seeds: 156 mg per ounce, or 37% of the DV
Dark chocolate (70-85% cacao solids): 129 mg per 2-ounce serving, or 31% of the DV
Chia seeds: 111 mg per ounce, or 29% of the DV
Edamame: 100 mg per cup or 24% of the DV
Black beans: 120 mg per cup, or 28% of the DV
Brown rice: 84 mg or 20% of the DV
Almonds: 80 mg per ounce, or 19% of the DV
Cashews: 74 mg or 18% of the DV
Yogurt, plain: 42 mg or 10% of the DV
Other sources of magnesium include milk, bananas, potatoes, whole wheat bread, halibut, kidney beans, peanut butter, and avocados.
How to Take Magnesium Citrate
Magnesium supplements, including magnesium citrate, can be taken at any time of day or night, with or without food. Because magnesium supplements may help improve sleep quality, some people prefer to take their magnesium supplements at night before bed.
Magnesium can be found in multinutrient supplements, like multivitamins, as well as magnesium-only supplements, so it’s important to follow product-specific dosing recommendations.
Depending on the dose, magnesium citrate supplements can be taken in a single dose or split into multiple doses throughout the day.
Magnesium citrate is available in several forms, such as capsules, gummies, liquids, and powders, so it’s easy to find a magnesium product that best suits your preferences and needs.
Dosage
The amount of magnesium found in magnesium citrate supplements varies, but most supplements provide between 100 mg to 200 mg of magnesium per dose. Generally speaking, magnesium-only supplements tend to provide more magnesium than multivitamin supplements, but it’s best to read dietary supplement labels to learn exactly how much magnesium is provided per dose.
Adults require between 310 mg and 420 mg of total magnesium per day, which includes magnesium found naturally in food and magnesium from dietary supplements. Taking a daily magnesium supplement can make it easier to hit these recommendations, especially if your current diet is low in magnesium-rich foods.
Keep in mind that magnesium supplements have a set Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL), which is the maximum daily intake of a nutrient unlikely to cause harm. The UL for magnesium supplements is currently set at 350 mg per day. Keep in mind that the UL only applies to supplemental magnesium, which is why it’s lower than the recommended magnesium intake for some age groups.
Though the UL is meant to protect people from taking excessively high levels of supplemental magnesium that may harm health, it’s important to note that it’s safe to take magnesium in doses higher than the UL as long as it’s recommended and monitored by a healthcare provider. For example, people taking magnesium supplements to treat specific health conditions, such as high blood pressure and high blood sugar, may require supplemental magnesium in doses higher than the current UL.
Is Magnesium Citrate Safe?
Magnesium supplements are safe for most people to take and aren’t associated with dangerous side effects when taken in recommended doses.
Magnesium citrate can safely be taken by adults, children, and those who are pregnant and breastfeeding.
That said, it’s possible to take in too much magnesium from dietary supplements, which can lead to dangerous side effects, so it’s important to stick to recommended doses and only take high-dose magnesium supplements if recommended and monitored by a healthcare provider to treat a specific medical condition.
Potential Drug Interactions
Magnesium citrate supplements are generally considered safe but they may reduce the absorption of certain medications and increase the effects of others.
If you’re taking one or more of the following medications, you should consult your healthcare provider before taking magnesium supplements:
Blood pressure-lowering medications: Magnesium supplements may lower blood pressure and increase the effects of blood pressure-lowering medications. If you’re taking one or more blood pressure-lowering medications, you should check with your doctor before taking magnesium supplements like magnesium citrate, especially in high doses.
Antibiotics: Magnesium citrate supplements may decrease the absorption of certain antibiotics, such as the quinolone antibiotic ciprofloxacin and the tetracycline antibiotic doxycycline. Antibiotics should be taken two hours before or at least four hours after taking a magnesium citrate supplement.
Osteoporosis medications: Magnesium supplements like magnesium citrate may decrease the absorption of bisphosphonate medications, such as the osteoporosis medication Fosamax. Fosamax should be taken at least two hours before or after taking a magnesium supplement.
People taking certain medications, such as the diabetes medication metformin and acid-suppressing medications like Nexium, are at an increased risk of developing low magnesium levels. These medications may contribute to low magnesium levels by increasing magnesium loss through the urine and reducing the absorption of magnesium in the digestive tract.
If you’re taking these medications, your doctor may recommend a magnesium supplement to help you maintain healthy magnesium levels.
What to Look For
Before shopping for a magnesium citrate supplement, there are a few things to consider.
First, it’s always best to choose a high-quality magnesium supplement from reputable companies. Whenever possible, it’s recommended to buy magnesium supplements that have undergone third-party testing from independent laboratories. Choosing a supplement certified by organizations like UL, USP, and NSF International ensures that the product has undergone testing to assess purity, potency, and overall safety.
You should also choose your magnesium supplement based on factors such as form, price, and dose. Some people may require larger doses of magnesium than others, so it’s important to read supplement labels until you find one that supplies a dose that is right for you. If you’re not sure how much magnesium you should be taking per day, ask a healthcare provider for advice.
Magnesium citrate supplements are available in different forms and at different price points, so you may need to shop around until you find a magnesium supplement that suits your preferences, health needs, and budget.
Can You Take Too Much Magnesium?
When taken in appropriate doses, magnesium citrate is safe for most people. That said, taking excessively high doses of magnesium can lead to adverse side effects and can even cause life-threatening symptoms in rare cases.
Taking in excessively high doses of supplemental magnesium could increase blood levels of magnesium to dangerous or toxic levels, which can be fatal. Magnesium toxicity, which occurs when blood magnesium levels reach 1.74–2.61 millimoles per liter (mmol/L), can cause symptoms such as irregular heartbeat, breathing difficulties, and extremely low blood pressure, which can be fatal.
Keep in mind that magnesium toxicity is rare and usually caused by accidental overdose of magnesium-containing products like antacids or laxatives. That said, it is possible to ingest toxic levels of magnesium citrate from supplements, so it’s important to stick with recommended dosing guidelines when taking magnesium supplements and magnesium-based medications.
Side Effects of Magnesium
Magnesium salts, like magnesium citrate, are more likely to cause stomach issues than other forms of magnesium, like magnesium glycinate, especially when taken in high doses.
Some people may experience the following symptoms when taking magnesium citrate:
Gas
Nausea
Mild abdominal pain
These symptoms are more likely to occur with higher doses of magnesium citrate.
If you experience digestive symptoms after taking a magnesium citrate supplement, lowering your dose may help. If the symptoms don’t resolve, you might need to switch to a different form of magnesium that’s less likely to cause gastrointestinal symptoms, such as magnesium glycinate.
A Quick Review
Magnesium citrate is one of the most common forms of magnesium used in dietary supplements. It’s efficiently absorbed by your body and is effective for increasing magnesium levels.
In addition to helping you maintain healthy levels of magnesium, magnesium citrate supplements have been shown to reduce blood sugar and blood pressure levels and improve certain aspects of heart health. Taking magnesium citrate may also support restful sleep and benefit mental health by easing symptoms of anxiety and depression.
If you’re interested in taking a magnesium citrate supplement there are many high-quality products to choose from, including those that suit different budgets and dietary needs.
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