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Magnesium is having a bit of a moment right now. Muscle recovery sprays formulated with magnesium claim to soothe post-workout soreness. While “sleepy girl mocktails” mixed with the mineral promise to help you unlock deeper levels of sleep. Some proponents of magnesium argue that it aids digestion and relieves anxiety. The internet is abuzz with the potential benefits of this small-yet-mighty supplement that can seemingly do it all. Can it help with weight loss too?
Experts say that magnesium can, in fact, help you lose weight, but not for the reasons you’d think. Weight loss is complicated and using magnesium on your weight loss journey isn’t a one-size-fits-all process. In fact, it’s only helpful in very specific situations.
Here’s how to determine if you might be in one of those situations, per experts.
Meet the experts: Kunal Shah, MD, is an assistant professor in the division of endocrinology at the Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical Center. Amber Core, RD, is a registered dietitian at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. Keri Gans, RD, is the author of The Small Change Diet.
What is magnesium, exactly?
Magnesium is an essential micronutrient and abundant mineral in your body, according to the National Institutes of Health. It supports multiple important processes in the body, like building good bone structure, regulating your heart rhythm, and aiding muscle and nerve function.
Most people get enough of it through their diet, says Keri Gans, RD, author of The Small Change Diet. You can find it in foods like nuts, seeds, legumes, whole grains, bananas, dark green leafy vegetables, and soy, she says.
Pumpkin seeds, shia seeds, almonds, cooked spinach, peanut butter, black beans, soy milk, and yogurt are also among some of the other most magnesium-rich foods to incorporate into your diet, per the NIH.
As a supplement, magnesium comes in several forms, including magnesium citrate, malate, oxide, and glycinate, with each type offering varied benefits. Magnesium citrate is the most common, says Amber Core, RD, a registered dietitian at The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center. It’s more easily absorbed into the body and typically used to help with constipation. Meanwhile, magnesium glycinate is best known for its ability to help you achieve a more restful sleep. (There’s some evidence to back this up, like this 2022 study published in Sleep. However, researchers recommended larger randomized control trials be performed to establish a clearer link.) You should talk with your doctor before taking any supplement—magnesium included—and they can help you determine which is right for you.
Can magnesium help with weight loss?
Yes, magnesium can potentially help with weight loss—but it’s complicated, says Kunal Shah, MD, an assistant professor in the division of endocrinology at the Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical Center.
“Magnesium helps with weight loss if you have a deficiency,” Dr. Shah says. That’s mostly because too little magnesium is also linked with insulin resistance, which is when cells in your muscles, fat, and liver don’t respond well to insulin—a hormone that controls your blood sugar—and can’t easily take up glucose from your blood, he says.
“There is also some thought that a magnesium deficiency can lead to a more pro-inflammatory state,” Dr. Shah says. “That pro-inflammatory state and insulin resistance can cause weight gain—but that’s if you have a magnesium deficiency.”
Ultimately, magnesium’s impact on weight is likely to be more indirect than direct, Core says. “Magnesium is known to have calming effects,” she says. That can raise the odds you’ll have more restful sleep, which can reduce the level of ghrelin, the hunger hormone, in your body, Core says.
“When we don’t get enough sleep at night, the body looks for increased energy from foods, and increases ghrelin to tell us to eat,” Core says. “By eating less during the day, we may lose some weight over time.”
As for what the research says: magnesium-rich diets have been associated with lower body fat in people with prediabetes, according to a 2023 study in Frontiers in Nutrition. And, people who have obesity are also more likely to be deficient in magnesium, according to a 2021 study published in Nutrients. However, Core points out that there’s no strong evidence that taking magnesium will directly cause weight loss. But, if you do have a magnesium deficiency, “you could definitely argue that supplementing with magnesium could help,” Dr. Shah says.
Magnesium may indirectly aid weight loss by:
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Correcting a magnesium deficiency. Magnesium deficiency has been associated with insulin resistance and pro-inflammatory states, both of which contribute to weight gain.
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Achieving more restful sleep. Magnesium’s calming effects could help you reach deeper levels of sleep, which reduces the amount of hunger hormones in the body. If you’re eating a little less during the day, you might gradually lose some weight.
How To Know If You Have A Magnesium Deficiency
According to the NIH, half of Americans don’t have enough magnesium in their diets. The recommended daily allowance (RDA) for magnesium is 310 to 320 milligrams for most adult women and 400 to 420 milligrams for most adult men.
That said, magnesium deficiency can be hard to detect. Early signs of deficiency include loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, and weakness, per the NIH—and certain conditions like type 2 diabetes, chronic alcoholism, or taking certain medications may contribute. You may also see symptoms like muscle cramping or twitching, Gans adds.
If you suspect you have a magnesium deficiency, talk to your doctor. They may want to do a blood test to see where your levels are, Dr. Shah says. From there, your doctor may recommend that you eat more magnesium-rich foods or take a supplement, although the supplement amount would depend on your level of deficiency.
Tried-And-True Weight Loss Strategies
Although magnesium may be helpful in some cases, experts stress that the key to weight loss isn’t as simple as increasing the amount of magnesium in your diet or taking a magnesium supplement.
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Eat a nutritious diet full of whole foods. “Diet is going to be the most important for weight loss,” Dr. Shah says. He recommends avoiding things that can cause insulin spikes—like processed foods and refined carbohydrates—and focusing on eating a good mix of protein, vegetables, fruits, and unprocessed carbohydrates like oats and brown rice.
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Use a meal-tracking app. Core suggests tracking your food intake, too. “We often eat 50 to 100 percent more calories per day than we realize,” she says. “Keeping track of our food intake is key to making sustainable success.”
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Up your protein intake. Core recommends adding one high-protein food with each meal, too, like chicken breast or Greek yogurt. “More protein will help to keep you feeling full and support building and maintaining muscle mass,” she says.
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Drink more water. “Staying hydrated is important to avoid over-eating,” Core says. “Our brains often confuse hunger and thirst, so try reaching for a bottle of water before opening the pantry door.”
It’s also important to do your best to get a good night’s sleep, lower your stress levels, and move daily, Gans says.
If you’re trying to lose weight and are concerned that you aren’t making progress, check in with a doctor or registered dietitian. They should be able to help make personalized recommendations to get you on a path to success.
Frequently Asked Questions About Magnesium For Weight Loss
How much magnesium should I take?
It depends. Again, the RDA for magnesium is 310 to 320 milligrams for most adult women and 400 to 420 milligrams for most adult men. And how much you should be taking really comes down to what your doctor recommends. Keep this in mind: You shouldn’t take more than 350 milligrams of magnesium unless your doctor explicitly recommends it, Core says.
What are the risks of taking too much magnesium?
Dr. Shah says it’s “difficult” to overdose on magnesium. However, taking too much can lead to gastrointestinal issues like nausea, diarrhea, and stomach cramps, he says. “If you take a really high dose, you can feel super tired and potentially have cardiac issues,” Dr. Shah says.
Ultimately, magnesium may be a tool to help with weight loss if you have a deficiency—but magnesium alone won’t cause you to lose weight. If you’re concerned about your magnesium levels or weight loss journey, talk to your healthcare provider for personalized guidance.
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