Generally, it is not necessary to take any type of food supplement, neither magnesium nor other minerals or vitamins, as long as your diet is balanced and meets your individual needs. It is important to recognize that food supplements are not always safe, and can sometimes have harmful effects.
There are situations, such as sports, when your nutritional needs may be increased and, if your diet is not accurately monitored, deficiencies may occur. Nutritional deficiencies of vitamins and minerals can have negative health consequences. In case of a proven deficiency of any vitamin or mineral, it is recommended to take a vitamin-mineral supplement until the values are restored.
Food supplements should never be taken without professional advice. The best course of action is to have a health professional diagnose the deficit and recommend the appropriate supplement, its dosage, the duration of treatment, and the appropriate dietary corrections to restore the balance again.
What about magnesium?
If we focus on magnesium supplements, which are fashionable nowadays, we see a clear example of a great marketing job. Back in the 80's magnesium had a substantial impact, but soon lost relevance. Today, with more aggressive advertising and new communication channels, magnesium has re-emerged as a remedy for all ailments.
It is true that magnesium is a very important mineral for the human being, since it participates in more than 300 metabolic reactions. However, there is a large difference between participating in these reactions and being a cure-all.
There are many studies on the intake of magnesium and its impact on the human body. Based on these studies, scientific evidence has been established regarding the degree of recommendation or effectiveness of magnesium for treating different conditions.
According to MedlinePlus (a service of the U.S. National Library of Medicine), the scientific evidence for magnesium reads as follows:
Magnesium is effective for....
- Dyspepsia (heartburn or "sour stomach") as an antacid
- Prevention and treatment of magnesium deficiency, and some conditions related to magnesium deficiency
- Use as a laxative for constipation or bowel preparation for surgical or diagnostic procedures
Probably effective for...
- Preeclampsia or eclampsia during pregnancy, only when given by injection.
- A type of irregular heartbeat called torsade de pointe, only when given by injection
Possibly effective for...
- Premenstrual syndrome (PMS), including mood swings, bloating, and premenstrual migraines
- Osteoporosis
- Preventing type 2 diabetes in overweight middle-aged women, when obtained from their diet
- Heart valve diseases (mitral valve prolapse) in people with low levels of magnesium in their blood
- Elevated cholesterol
- Angina pectoris due to coronary artery disease
- Kidney stones
- Hearing loss in people who are exposed to loud noises
- Metabolic syndrome in people with low blood magnesium levels
- Prevention of stroke, when obtained from diet (there is no evidence that taking magnesium supplements has the same effect)
- Chronic fatigue syndrome (CFS), when given by injection
- Fibromyalgia pain, when used with malic acid
Possibly effective when given intravenously (IV) for....
- Cluster headaches
- Migraine headaches
- Irregular heartbeat (arrhythmias)
- Asthma attacks
- Nerve pain due to cancer
- Pain after a hysterectomy
- A lung disease called chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
Possibly ineffective for....
- Helping to restart heart function
- Improve energy and physical endurance during athletic activities
- Cerebral palsy, when injected into the vein of premature infants
- Heart attack
Insufficient evidence exists to determine magnesium's effect on....
- Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
- Anxiety
- Restless legs syndrome
- High blood pressure (hypertension)
- Pregnancy-related leg cramps
- Hay fever
- Lyme disease
- Multiple sclerosis (MS)
- Premature labor and delivery
- Other conditions
When taking magnesium, be advised:
Taking magnesium is probably safe for most people when taken by mouth or injected, when following a prescription.
In some people, magnesium may cause an upset stomach, nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and other side effects.
Doses of less than 350 mg per day are safe for most adults. When taken in large amounts, magnesium is possibly unsafe.
High doses may lead to a buildup of magnesium in the body, producing serious side effects including cardiac arrhythmias, low blood pressure, confusion, slowed breathing, coma, and death.
Exercise special caution during pregnancy and lactation; if you have heart block or kidney problems, such as kidney failure; if you are taking drugs such as some antibiotics (aminoglycoside, quinolone or tetracycline antibiotics), bisphosphonates, calcium channel blockers, potassium-sparing diuretics or muscle relaxants; or if you are taking herbs and supplements such as boron, calcium, vitamin D or zinc.
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