Overview
- Officials say most healthy adults can meet magnesium needs through food such as nuts, seeds, legumes, leafy greens and whole grains.
- The DGE sets total daily needs at about 300–350 mg for adults, and the BfR advises keeping supplemental doses near 200 mg a day and splitting them across the day.
- Supplementing above recommended amounts often triggers diarrhea because magnesium draws water into the gut.
- People with digestive diseases, heavy sweating, alcohol dependence or those taking diuretics or proton pump inhibitors may need testing and tailored dosing.
- Magnesium can block absorption of some antibiotics, so spacing by at least two hours is advised, and experts say the benefits of pairing it with vitamin D are uncertain and can vary by compound.