Magnesium As A Dietary Supplement

Too much magnesium from foods isn t a concern for healthy adults.

Magnesium as a dietary supplement. This form of magnesium can be used as an antacid for heartburn relief as a short term laxative or as a dietary supplement when you re not taking in enough magnesium from food. Category recommended dietary allowance rda. Magnesium is naturally present in a variety of foods available as a supplement and an ingredient in antacids and laxatives.

The recommended dietary allowance rda includes the magnesium you get from both the food you eat and any supplements you take. High doses of magnesium from supplements or medications can cause nausea abdominal cramping and diarrhea. The mineral plays an important role in assisting more than 300 enzymes to carry out various chemical reactions in the body such as building proteins and strong bones and regulating blood sugar blood pressure and muscle and nerve functions.

However the same can t be said for supplements. In addition the magnesium in supplements can interact with some types of antibiotics and other medicines. Forms of magnesium in dietary supplements that are more easily absorbed by the body are magnesium aspartate magnesium citrate magnesium lactate and magnesium chloride.

A diet high in magnesium includes healthy whole foods like whole grains nuts seeds and legumes.