Magnesium is crucial for your brain and body. It has many benefits, including for your heart, blood sugar levels, and mood. It’s found in a variety of foods ranging from leafy greens to nuts, seeds, and beans.

From regulating blood sugar levels to boosting athletic performance, magnesium is crucial for your brain and body.

Yet, although it’s found in a variety of foods ranging from leafy greens to nuts, seeds, and beans, many people don’t get enough in their diet. Here are 12 evidence-based health benefits of magnesium, along with some simple ways to increase your intake.

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1. Involved in hundreds of biochemical reactions in your body

Magnesium is found throughout your body. In fact, every cell in your body contains this mineral and needs it to function.

About 60% of the magnesium in your body occurs in bone, while the rest is in muscles, soft tissues, and fluids, including blood (1Trusted Source).
 

One of its main roles is to act as a cofactor — a helper molecule — in the biochemical reactions continuously performed by enzymes. It’s involved in more than 600 reactions in your body, including (2Trusted Source):
 

• Energy creation: converting food into energy

• Protein formation: creating new proteins from amino acids

• Gene maintenance: helping create and repair DNA and RNA

• Muscle movements: aiding in muscle contraction and relaxation

• Nervous system regulation: regulating neurotransmitters, which send messages throughout your brain and nervous system
   

Nonetheless, studies suggest that approximately 50% of U.S. adults get less than the recommended daily amount of magnesium (1Trusted Source, 3Trusted Source).

 

2. May boost exercise performance

During exercise, you need more magnesium than when you’re resting, depending on the activity (4). Magnesium helps move blood sugar into your muscles and dispose of lactate, which can build up during exercise and cause fatigue (5Trusted Source). Studies show that magnesium supplements may be particularly beneficial for improving exercise performance in older adults and those with a deficiency in this nutrient (6Trusted Source). One study in 2,570 women associated higher magnesium intake with increased muscle mass and power (7Trusted Source). In an older study, volleyball players who took 250 mg of magnesium per day experienced improvements in jumping and arm movements (8Trusted Source). What’s more, one study suggested that magnesium supplements protect against certain markers of muscle damage in professional cyclists (9Trusted Source). However, more studies are needed, as some research suggests that supplementing doesn’t help athletes or active people with normal magnesium levels (6Trusted Source).

 

3. May combat depression

Magnesium plays a critical role in brain function and mood, and low levels are linked to an increased risk of depression (10Trusted Source). In fact, an analysis of data from more than 8,800 people found that those under age 65 with the lowest magnesium intake had a 22% greater risk of depression (10Trusted Source). What’s more, supplementing with this mineral may help reduce symptoms of depression (11Trusted Source, 12Trusted Source). In one small 8-week study, taking 500 mg of magnesium daily led to significant improvements in symptoms of depression in people with a deficiency in this mineral (12Trusted Source). Plus, a 6-week study in 126 people showed that taking 248 mg of magnesium per day decreased symptoms of depression and anxiety, regardless of magnesium status (11Trusted Source).

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4. May support healthy blood sugar levels

Studies suggest that about 48% of people with type 2 diabetes have low blood levels of magnesium, which may impair the body’s ability to regulate blood sugar levels effectively (1Trusted Source, 13Trusted Source). Additionally, research indicates that people who consume more magnesium have a lower risk of type 2 diabetes (14Trusted Source, 15Trusted Source, 16Trusted Source). According to one review, magnesium supplements help enhance insulin sensitivity, a key factor involved in blood sugar control (17Trusted Source). Another review reported that magnesium supplements improved blood sugar levels and insulin sensitivity in people at risk for type 2 diabetes (18Trusted Source). However, these effects may depend on how much magnesium you’re getting from food. For example, one older study found that supplements didn’t improve blood sugar or insulin levels in people who weren’t deficient (19Trusted Source).

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5. May promote heart health

Magnesium plays an important role in keeping your heart healthy and strong. In fact, studies show that magnesium supplements can help lower high blood pressure levels, which may be a risk factor for heart disease (20Trusted Source).

Another review linked high magnesium intake to a lower risk of heart disease, stroke, and high blood pressure (21Trusted Source). What’s more, one review found that magnesium supplements improved multiple risk factors for heart disease, including triglyceride, LDL (bad) cholesterol, HDL (good) cholesterol, and systolic blood pressure levels, especially in people with a magnesium deficiency (22Trusted Source). However, more research is needed, as other research has found no effect of magnesium on cholesterol or triglyceride levels (23Trusted Source).

6. Boasts anti-inflammatory benefits

Low magnesium intake is linked to increased levels of inflammation, which plays a key role in aging and chronic disease (24Trusted Source, 25Trusted Source). One review of 11 studies concluded that magnesium supplements decreased levels of C-reactive protein (CRP), a marker of inflammation, in people with chronic inflammation (26Trusted Source).

Other studies report similar findings, showing that magnesium supplements may reduce CRP and other markers of inflammation, such as interleukin-6 (27Trusted Source, 28Trusted Source). Furthermore, some research ties magnesium deficiency to increased oxidative stress, which is related to inflammation (29Trusted Source).

7. May help prevent migraine attacks

Migraine headaches can be painful and often cause symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, and sensitivity to light and noise (30Trusted Source).Some researchers believe that people with migraine are more likely than others to have a magnesium deficiency (31Trusted Source). In fact, several studies suggest that magnesium supplements may even prevent and treat migraine headaches (32Trusted Source, 33Trusted Source). In one study, supplementing with 1 gram of magnesium provided relief from acute migraine attacks more quickly and effectively than a common medication (34Trusted Source). Additionally, eating more magnesium-rich foods may help reduce migraine symptoms (35Trusted Source).

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8. May improve PMS symptoms

Premenstrual syndrome (PMS) is one of the most common conditions in female-bodied people of childbearing age. It often causes symptoms such as water retention, abdominal cramps, tiredness, and irritability (36Trusted Source).

Some research suggests that magnesium supplements help relieve PMS symptoms, as well as other conditions such as menstrual cramps and migraine attacks (37Trusted Source). This may be because magnesium levels fluctuate throughout the menstrual cycle, which may worsen PMS symptoms in those who have a deficiency. As such, supplements may help reduce the severity of symptoms, including menstrual migraine attacks (38). In fact, one older study found that taking 250 mg of magnesium per day helped decrease bloating, depression, and anxiety in 126 women with PMS compared with a control group (39Trusted Source). Still, more recent, high quality studies are needed to determine whether this mineral can improve symptoms regardless of your magnesium levels.

9. May promote bone health

Magnesium is crucial for maintaining bone health and protecting against bone loss. In fact, 50–60% of your body’s magnesium is found in your bones (40Trusted Source). Some studies associate lower levels of this mineral with a higher risk of osteoporosis, a condition that causes bones to become brittle and weak (41Trusted Source). A 3-year study in 358 people undergoing hemodialysis — a treatment to help remove waste and water from the blood — showed that those who consumed the least magnesium experienced 3 times more fractures than those with the highest intake (42Trusted Source).

What’s more, one recent review of 12 studies linked high magnesium intake to increased bone mineral density in the hip and femoral neck, both areas that are susceptible to fracture (43Trusted Source).

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10. May support better sleep

Magnesium supplements are often used as a natural remedy for sleep issues such as insomnia. This is because magnesium regulates several neurotransmitters involved in sleep, such as gamma aminobutyric acid (44Trusted Source). One review in older adults with insomnia found that magnesium supplements lowered the amount of time it took people to fall asleep by an average of 17 minutes (45Trusted Source). Another study in nearly 4,000 adults linked increased intake of this mineral to improvements in sleep quality and duration (46Trusted Source). Furthermore, another study associated higher magnesium intake in women with a reduced likelihood of falling asleep during the daytime (47Trusted Source).

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11. May help reduce anxiety symptoms

Some research suggests that magnesium helps treat and prevent anxiety (48Trusted Source). For example, one study in 3,172 adults associated increased magnesium intake with a lower risk of depression and anxiety (49Trusted Source). Similarly, a small 6-week study found that taking 248 mg of magnesium per day significantly reduced symptoms of anxiety (11Trusted Source). Other research suggests that magnesium deficiency may increase your body’s susceptibility to stress, which may amplify symptoms of anxiety (50Trusted Source). One review concluded that magnesium supplements may help reduce mild to moderate anxiety but noted that research is conflicting — and that the effects of supplements haven’t been studied beyond 3 months (51).
 

12. Safe and widely available

Magnesium is essential for many aspects of health. The recommended daily intake is 400–420 mg per day for men and 310–320 mg per day for women (40Trusted Source).

 

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