Our body needs magnesium for many different functions. The alloy with the Mg symbol is responsible for strong bone production, healthy teeth and well-developed muscles. Magnesium also plays a decisive role in energy metabolism and stimulus transmission. However, more and more people suffer from low magnesium levels. Around 25 percent of all men and almost 30 percent of all women are affected by this. Since the body cannot produce magnesium itself, a stable and sustainable intake is of crucial importance for health and general well-being.
Magnesium is a mineral that is vital for human beings and without which a lot of things would not work in our body. Therefore, it must be adequately nourished via the intake of food. In nature, we come into contact with minerals mainly via the earth’s crust, salt water and as a building block of the green leaf pigment, chlorophyll.
If magnesium is considered more closely, it can be seen that the light metal is a true all-rounder. Its most important tasks in the body include the following areas:
Approximately 20–30 g magnesium are found in the human body. The majority is in our bones (around 60%) – and not without reason! Like calcium, magnesium is also involved in the formation of bones and teeth and ensures the necessary stability in these structures.
Magnesium also provides stability at the cell level and regulates both the stability and the permeability of the cell. Magnesium is also involved in cell division.
Tense... relax... – without magnesium, that’s impossible. The light metal not only causes the contraction and slackening of our muscles, it is also indispensable for the smooth forwarding of nerve stimuli. But magnesium is also a mood-maker, because it is involved in the production of the happiness hormone serotonin.
Magnesium is a key element not only for muscles and nerves, but also for energy metabolism. Finally, it is essential for all the functions in our body that are related to energy creation and provision. For this reason, magnesium also works like an energy booster, contributing to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue.
| Population group | Reference values for daily magnesium intake |
| Adult men | approx. 350 mg |
| Adult women | approx. 350 mg |
| Breastfeeding women | approx. 350 mg |
| Pregnant women | approx. 350 mg |
| Boys aged 15 to under 19 years | approx. 350 mg |
| Girls aged 15 to under 19 years | approx. 350 mg |
| Children | aged-dependent between 170 and 280 mg |
Table 2: Daily requirement of magnesium
In particular, adolescents and people over the age of 50 can suffer from an insufficient supply of magnesium. Particularly in these phases of life, it is important to maintain the required quantities through a sensible diet and, if necessary, by taking supplements. Children and senior citizens who eat little food should eat foods with a particularly high magnesium content.
Everyday life situations can also have an influence on magnesium requirements. The following in particular create a need for magnesium:
In these situations it can make a lot of sense to increase your magnesium intake on a preventive basis. Once your magnesium deficiency has taken hold, it can often be extremely difficult to refill your supplies. The most promising strategy in the event of a deficit is the regular ingestion of a suitable magnesium preparation over several weeks or months together with a balanced diet.
The effects of magnesium deficiency are clearly noticeable in many cases. The problem is to recognise whether the symptoms that occur are actually due to magnesium deficiency. These are typical signs:
Living without stress is no longer conceivable in our days. Stress can affect us in a variety of ways: as a heavy burden in everyday work, as a fear of exams, as demands in school or training or simply through noise pollution.
All these influences are constantly gnawing at mental well-being and often lead to worries and fears. And this in turn leads to an increased outflow of magnesium from the body, caused by the increased release of stress hormones such as adrenaline.
Fundamentally, stress hormones are extremely useful. They put the body in escape mode – a reflex that ensured survival for early humans in prehistoric times. Adrenaline and the other stress hormones provide the body with additional energy reserves that are required for escape from wild beasts.
Nowadays, however, flight is no longer the right reaction to stressful situations. The consequence? The excess of stress hormones remains unused in the body. To get rid of them again, magnesium is required, as it removes the hormones from the body.
Short-term stress phases can generally be dealt with by natural methods. However, if the stress and the associated psychological stress persist on an ongoing basis, there is a sustained deficit of magnesium in the body. The effect works in two ways. Stress causes the increased elimination of magnesium, and the resulting under-supply leads to stress no longer being properly compensated. A vicious circle that can only be broken through by increased magnesium intake.
Fundamentally, magnesium can be taken at any time of day, preferably not at mealtimes or in the evening. A high dose of magnesium can act as a laxative. However, this is not serious and can be prevented by dividing up the intake over the course of the day. The body simply excretes any excess magnesium.
If taken in sensible doses, magnesium can be taken every day. Particularly if you are suffering from a magnesium deficiency, supplements should be taken on a regular basis in order to restock your reserves. Also in phases when you need more of this nutrient, taking magnesium on a daily basis can make sense in order to prevent your magnesium levels from getting depleted.
Ideally consult your doctor about a magnesium dose that is right for you. Your local GP can identify your individual status by means of a special laboratory diagnostic analysis and determine your magnesium dose based on this.
Magnesium is available in various dosage forms. Products that are produced according to the pure substance principle (mostly capsule products) achieve the best tolerability here. This is because only they guarantee that unnecessary excipients and additives have been dispensed with in the specific magnesium preparation. This "less-is-more principle" is also helpful when it comes to the bioavailability (= absorbency) of the mineral, because additives can hinder the intake of magnesium.
Tablets, capsules, powder, drops. If you are looking for magnesium supplements online, you will come across an incredibly wide variety of products. But what are the different dosage forms? And which one is best?
Magnesium tablets usually contain not only magnesium, but also more or less unwanted additives that are needed in order to achieve the capsule shape. For this reason, this dosage form is usually not so recommended.
With magnesium powder preparations, it is worth keeping a vigilant eye on the ingredients. While there are products that contain only active ingredients, there are also some “black sheep” that are simply bursting with additives.
There are also good and bad liquid magnesium preparations, which is why the composition of the product should be given special attention. Products that proclaim their naturalness (e.g. no dyes, no sugar, no synthetic flavors) are optimal.
Capsules have the great advantage that additives can generally be easily dispensed with in this pharmaceutical form – if, as with BIOGENA, importance is placed on how the item is manufactured. For this reason, many micronutrient experts prefer magnesium in the form of high-quality capsule products, which are produced according to the pure substance principle. Nevertheless, it is also important to take the time to cast a critical eye over the label. After all, trust is good, but checking is better.
Magnesium is a very responsive element that is always found in its bound form in nature thanks to its readiness to bond. Depending on the chemical composition, magnesium compounds can be divided into organic and inorganic magnesium salts.
Important organic magnesium compounds include: |
Important inorganic magnesium compounds are: |
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It is often stated or written that organic magnesium compounds are better than inorganic forms. This claim can be traced back to the better usability of organic magnesium compounds. But should organic minerals generally be given priority and inorganic minerals ideally avoided? To throw some light on this question some background knowledge is essential.
When it comes to selecting a suitable magnesium compound, two basic aspects play a role: On the one hand, the solubility (= usability) of the compound, on the other hand its magnesium content.
How well a magnesium compound is usable depends on its solubility. This is because our intestine cannot absorb magnesium until it has been released from its binding – ideally when it is already in the stomach. However, if magnesium remains bound to its binding partner, it continues to migrate into the large intestine and is ultimately excreted unused. Thanks to various series of tests, we now know more about the different solubility behaviour of various magnesium compounds (Fig. 1). Whilst organic magnesium compounds generally become soluble more easily – even in less acidic environments – inorganic magnesium salts require a significantly acidic pH value to “break up” the compound, such as found only in a healthy natural gastric environment.
More detailed explanation of Figure 1:
Different pH levels are present in our digestive tract, from the stomach to the large intestine. The higher the pH value, the worse the solubility of the magnesium compound and thus its bioavailability.
A series of investigations by the BIOGENA Scientific Team in collaboration with GANZIMMUN
It would, however, be nearsighted to "vilify" inorganic magnesium forms due to their poorer solubility, since these compounds also have their “sweet sides.” For example, inorganic magnesium compounds have a significantly higher magnesium content compared to organic representatives (Tab. 1). In a confined space, such as a capsule, more magnesium can be provided by using inorganic compounds.
|
Magnesium compound |
Magnesium content |
|
Approx. 15% elemental magnesium |
|
|
Magnesium oxide |
Approx. 63% elemental magnesium |
|
Magnesium gluconate |
Approx. 5% elemental magnesium |
|
Magnesium carbonate |
Approx. 32% elemental magnesium |
|
Magnesium malate |
Approx. 15% elemental magnesium |
|
Magnesium glycerophosphate |
Approx. 12% elemental magnesium |
|
Magnesium glycinate |
Approx. 12% elemental magnesium |
Table. 1: The magnesium content of different magnesium compounds
If magnesium is considered more closely, it can be seen that the light metal is a true all-rounder. Its most important tasks in the body include the following areas:
Approximately 20–30 g magnesium are found in the human body. The majority is in our bones (around 60%) – and not without reason! Like calcium, magnesium is also involved in the formation of bones and teeth and ensures the necessary stability in these structures.
Magnesium also provides stability at the cell level and regulates both the stability and the permeability of the cell. Magnesium is also involved in cell division.
Tense... relax... – without magnesium, that’s impossible. The light metal not only causes the contraction and slackening of our muscles, it is also indispensable for the smooth forwarding of nerve stimuli. But magnesium is also a mood-maker, because it is involved in the production of the happiness hormone serotonin.
Magnesium is a key element not only for muscles and nerves, but also for energy metabolism. Finally, it is essential for all the functions in our body that are related to energy creation and provision. For this reason, magnesium also works like an energy booster, contributing to the reduction of tiredness and fatigue.
Which magnesium is “best” cannot be given a blanket answer. More to the point, any “perfect magnesium” depends on a person’s individual needs. For example, the particularly well-tolerated magnesium bisglycinate is ideal for people with a sensitive digestion, while magnesium citrate provides good magnesium even with little stomach acid. For athletes, on the other hand, it may be beneficial to absorb magnesium together with its physiological partner potassium.
Experienced magnesium experts, such as the BIOGENA product development team, are skilled at using the characteristic properties of different types of magnesium. With a lot of sensitivity and know-how, they create unique magnesium blends that deliver magnesium at its best thanks to the clever selection.
If you are looking for a different product – discover the diversity of our range:
Whether hiking, football or marathons, magnesium is the perfect training companion. After all, this mineral is not only crucial to providing energy, but also contributes to mental strength and smooth muscle and nerve functions. Because sweaty sports in particular lead to magnesium losses, active exercisers should always keep an eye on their magnesium supply.
Magnesium is essential for maintaining general health and well-being. Since the body cannot produce magnesium itself, external intake is of great importance to compensate for the deficits that arise. If a full supply via food cannot be established, magnesium supplements are recommended, especially in special situations such as high physical requirements, stress or illness.
According to the recommendations of the DGE (German Nutrition Society), men should consume approx. 350mg magnesium and women approx. 300mg magnesium per day. However, under certain circumstances, such as stress, regular sport or pregnancy, the magnesium requirement increases.
Further reading:
(1) Schmidbauer, C., Hofstätter, G. et al. 2022. Biogena Mikronährstoffcoach. 4. Auflage.
(2) ELDerawi W.A. et al. 2018. The Effects of Oral Magnesium Supplementation on Glycemic Response among Type 2 Diabetes Patients. Nutrients. 2018 Dec 26;11(1):44.
(3) Veronese, N. et al. 2020. Magnesium and health outcomes: an umbrella review of systematic reviews and meta-analyses of observational and intervention studies. Eur J Nutr. 2020 Feb;59(1):263-272.
(4) Volpe, S. L. 2013. Magnesium in disease prevention and overall health. Adv. Nutr. 4(3):378S–83S.
(5) Rylander, R. 2014. Bioavailability of Magnesium Salts – A Review. J Pharm Nutr Sci. 4:57–9.
(6) Witkowski, M. et al. 2011. Methods of assessment of magnesium status in humans: a systematic review. Magnes Res. 24(4):163–80.
(7) Maggio, M. et al. 2014. The Interplay between Magnesium and Testosterone in Modulating Physical Function in Men. Int J Endocrinol. 2014:525249.
(8) Kupetsky-Rincon, E. A., Uitto, J. 2012. Magnesium: novel applications in cardiovascular disease – a review of the literature. Ann Nutr Metab.
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(10)Moslehi, N. et al. 2013. Does magnesium supplementation improve body composition and muscle strength in middle-aged overweight women? A doubleblind, placebo-controlled, randomized clinical trial. Biol Trace Elem Res. 153(1–3):111–8.
(11)Veronese, N. et al. 2014. Effect of oral magnesium supplementation on physical performance in healthy elderly women involved in a weekly exercise program: a randomized controlled trial. Am J Clin Nutr. 100(3):974–81.
(12)Santos, D. A. et al. 2011. Magnesium intake is associated with strength performance in elite basketball, handball and volleyball players. Magnes Res. 24(4):215–9.
(13)Serefko, A. et al. 2013. Magnesium in depression. Pharmacol Rep. 65(3):547–54. (10) Eby III, G. A. et al. 2011. Kapitel 23: Magnesium and major depression. In: Magnesium in the Central Nervous System. University of Adelaide Press, South Australia. S. 313-330.
(14)Yary, T. et al. 2013. Dietary intake of magnesium may modulate depression. Biol Trace Elem Res. 151(3):324–9.
(15)Kass, L. et al. 2012. Effect of magnesium supplementation on blood pressure: a meta-analysis. Eur J Clin Nutr. 66(4):411–8.
(16)Švagždienė, M. et al. 2015. Correlation of magnesium deficiency with C-reactive protein in elective cardiac surgery with cardiopulmonary bypass for ischemic heart disease. Medicina (Kaunas). 51(2):100–6.
(17)Fang, X. et al. 2016. Dose-response relationship between dietary magnesium intake and cardiovascular mortality: A systematic review and dose-based metaregression analysis of prospective studies. J Trace Elem Med Biol. 38:64–73.
(18)Sarrafzadegan, N. et al. 2016. Magnesium status and the metabolic syndrome: A systematic review and meta-analysis. Nutrition. 32(4):409–17.
(19)Rodríguez-Moran, M., Guerrero-Romero, F. 2014. Oral magnesium supplementation improves the metabolic profile of metabolically obese, normalweight individuals: a randomized double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Arch Med Res. 45(5):388–93.
(20)Chiu, H. Y. et al. 2016. Effects of Intravenous and Oral Magnesium on Reducing Migraine: A Meta-analysis of Randomized Controlled Trials. Pain Physician. 19(1):E97–112.
(21)Samaie, A. et al. 2012. Blood Magnesium levels in migraineurs within and between the headache attacks: a case control study. Pan Afr Med J. 11:46.
(22)Ahmad, A. A. et al. 2015. Assessment of serum magnesium level in patients with bronchial asthma. Egypt J Chest Dis Tuberc. 64(3):535–9.
(23)Rylander, R. 2014. Magnesium in pregnancy blood pressure and pre-eclampsia – A review. Pregnancy Hypertens. 4(2):146–9.
(24)De Sousa Rocha, V. et al. 2015. Association between magnesium status, oxidative stress and inflammation in preeclampsia: A case-control study. Clin Nutr. 34(6):1166–71.
(25)Wienecke E., Nolden C.: Langzeit-HRV-Analyse zeigt Stressreduktion durch Magnesiumzufuhr. In: MMW – Fortschritte der Medizin, Volume 156, 2016; S. 12-16.
(26)Deutsche Gesellschaft für Ernährung e.V.: https://www.dge.de/wissenschaft/referenzwerte/magnesium/, Access:
