Benefits, Uses, Side Effects, and More

Magnesium is an essential mineral required for several critical processes in your body, such as regulating blood pressure and blood sugar, muscle contraction, and nerve function.

Although magnesium is concentrated in foods like vegetables, beans, and seeds, many people don’t consume enough magnesium-rich foods to meet their daily needs. Plus, magnesium levels are affected by factors like medications, blood sugar regulation, and digestive conditions. For these reasons, many people need to take supplemental magnesium to maintain optimal levels of this important nutrient. Taking magnesium supplements may also be helpful for health conditions like fibromyalgia and high blood pressure.

Fortunately, many magnesium supplements can boost your magnesium levels, including magnesium malate. Magnesium malate is a form of magnesium used in dietary supplements. It’s highly bioavailable to the body (meaning the body can use it easily) and may cause fewer gastrointestinal side effects than other forms of magnesium.

Magnesium malate is a type of magnesium created by combining magnesium with malic acid, a compound naturally found in certain vegetables and fruits. It has a high absorption rate and can help improve low magnesium levels. Some research suggests it could have pain-relieving properties and may also be effective in reducing blood pressure and blood sugar.

Here’s everything you need to know about magnesium malate, including its potential health benefits, side effects, safety, and more. Keep in mind that research on magnesium malate is limited, so the following benefits are mostly related to the benefits of magnesium supplements in general.

Magnesium malate may have pain-relieving properties. Older evidence suggests that supplementing with this form of magnesium may benefit those with pain disorders like fibromyalgia. Fibromyalgia is a chronic condition that causes widespread pain and tenderness as well as fatigue, memory issues, and trouble sleeping.

Some evidence suggests that low magnesium levels may play a role in the development of fibromyalgia as well as fibromyalgia symptoms such as pain, sleep issues, and anxiety. Low magnesium is associated with increased levels of a neurotransmitter called substance P, which plays a role in pain perception. This means that low magnesium levels could worsen pain intensity in people with fibromyalgia.

An older, small study of 15 people with fibromyalgia found that participants who were treated with a combination of 300-600 milligrams (mg) of magnesium and 1,200-2,400 mg of malic acid experienced improvements in their fibromyalgia symptoms, including pain and tenderness, compared to a placebo treatment.

Other studies have shown that various forms of magnesium may also help improve fibromyalgia symptoms like fatigue, anxiety, depression, pain, and low mood. However, in many of these studies, magnesium was administered alongside other supplements, like B vitamins and vitamin C, so more research is needed to understand how magnesium impacts people with fibromyalgia, especially when taken on its own.

You may want to consider taking a magnesium supplement if you have hypertension (high blood pressure). Magnesium helps support healthy blood pressure by promoting the release of a signaling molecule called nitric oxide, which relaxes blood vessels and keeps blood pressure at healthy levels.

Increasing your intake of magnesium-rich foods and supplemental magnesium could help you reach and maintain healthy blood pressure levels, thus reducing your risk of developing heart disease.

One 2017 review of 11 studies found that magnesium supplements in doses ranging from 365-450 mg per day taken over an average of 3.6 months significantly reduced blood pressure in people with medical conditions like insulin resistance and type 2 diabetes. The review found that magnesium interventions resulted in an average reduction of 4.18 and 2.27 millimeters of mercury (mmHg) in systolic and diastolic blood pressure, respectively.

If you’re interested in taking a magnesium supplement for high blood pressure, speak to your healthcare provider. They can recommend an effective form and dose of magnesium based on your blood pressure levels and overall health needs.

In addition to lowering blood pressure, magnesium supplements have also been shown to be effective in reducing high blood sugar levels in people with prediabetes and type 2 diabetes. Magnesium is essential for blood sugar regulation as it’s involved in carbohydrate metabolism and the secretion of insulin, a hormone that moves blood sugar into cells where it can be used for energy.

Unfortunately, people with high blood sugar levels are more at risk for developing low magnesium levels as high blood sugar increases urinary magnesium loss. Plus, studies show that certain medications used to control blood sugar in people with diabetes are associated with low magnesium levels. Some study findings suggest that over 60% of people taking the diabetes medication metformin have low blood magnesium levels.

Taking a magnesium supplement like magnesium malate can help increase magnesium levels and support blood sugar regulation. A 2023 review of 24 studies that included 1,325 people with type 2 diabetes found that magnesium supplements that provided 279-429 mg of magnesium significantly reduced fasting blood sugar and the long-term blood sugar control marker hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c).

Magnesium supplements are effective for reducing blood sugar in people with prediabetes. Low magnesium status is associated with poor blood sugar control in people with type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

Magnesium is concentrated in plant foods, such as and leafy greens, beans, and seeds.

Here are some of the best sources of magnesium you can eat:

• Spinach: 156 mg per cooked cup, or 37% of the Daily Value (DV)
• Pumpkin seeds: 156 mg per ounce, or 37% of the DV
• Dark chocolate (70-85% cacao solids): 129 mg per 2-ounce serving, or 31% of the DV 
• Chia seeds: 111 mg per ounce, or 29% of the DV
• Edamame: 100 mg per cup or 24% of the DV
• Black beans: 120 mg per cup, or 28% of the DV
• Brown rice: 84 mg or 20% of the DV
• Almonds: 80 mg per ounce, or 19% of the DV
• Roasted peanuts: 63 mg per 1/4 cup or 15% of the DV

In addition to the foods listed above, yogurt, bananas, soy milk, and peanut butter are also good sources of magnesium.

Though plant foods contain the most magnesium, some animal foods, like salmon, chicken, and beef, contain a decent amount of this mineral.

Magnesium supplements, like magnesium malate, come in a number of forms, such as capsules, powders, and liquids.

If you can’t tolerate swallowing pills, you may want to choose a liquid or chewable form of magnesium.

You can take magnesium at any time of day, with or without food. Magnesium malate can be taken in a single dose or split into multiple doses throughout the day.

Dosage

Magnesium dosing varies and some people need to take in higher doses of magnesium than others. For example, people taking magnesium malate for high blood pressure may require much higher doses of magnesium compared to people who are taking magnesium to support optimal magnesium status.

Adults over the age of 19 need to take 310-420mg of total magnesium per day, depending on sex and age. Keep in mind that these recommendations include the magnesium found in foods like beans and vegetables as well as magnesium from dietary supplements.

Supplements contain varying doses of magnesium. Generally speaking, magnesium-only supplements usually provide greater amounts of magnesium compared to multivitamins and multi-nutrient supplements. Most magnesium-only supplements provide between 100-200 mg of magnesium per serving. This means that you may have to take multiple doses of magnesium if you require a larger daily dose.

It should be noted that magnesium has a set Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL), which is the maximum daily intake of a nutrient unlikely to cause harm. The UL for magnesium is currently set at 350 mg per day. The UL only applies to the magnesium found in dietary supplements.

While the UL is set at 350 mg per day, studies show that supplements providing magnesium in doses much higher than the UL are safe for most people and aren’t associated with adverse side effects. However, it’s recommended to stick to magnesium doses under the current UL unless a higher dose is specifically recommended by a healthcare provider to treat a specific medical condition, like high blood pressure.

Magnesium supplements, including magnesium malate, are safe for most people are aren’t associated with adverse side effects when taken in appropriate doses.

Magnesium malate supplements can be safely used during pregnancy and breastfeeding and are also safe for children.

That said, taking in excessive amounts of any type of magnesium from dietary supplements can harm your health and lead to dangerous side effects such as irregular heartbeat and dangerously low blood pressure. Though these side effects are usually related to accidental overdose of magnesium-containing medications, like laxatives, it’s important to stick to recommended doses when using magnesium supplements like magnesium malate.

Potential Drug Interactions

Magnesium supplements, like magnesium malate, may decrease the absorption of certain medications. Also, because it has blood pressure-lowering properties, it may increase the risk of developing low blood pressure when taking blood pressure medications.

• Antibiotics: Magnesium supplements may decrease the absorption of certain antibiotics, such as ciprofloxacin and doxycycline. To ensure your antibiotic is properly absorbed, you should take your medication two hours before or at least four hours after taking a magnesium supplement.
• Blood pressure-lowering medications: Magnesium supplements may increase the effects of blood pressure-lowering medications. If you’re taking one or more blood pressure-lowering medications, check with your doctor before taking a magnesium malate supplement.
• Osteoporosis medications: Magnesium malate supplements may interfere with the body’s ability to absorb bisphosphonate medications like the osteoporosis medication Fosamax. Bisphosphonate medications should be taken at least two hours before or after taking a magnesium supplement.

It’s important to note that certain medications, such as the diabetes medication metformin, diuretics, and acid-suppressing medications can cause you to develop low magnesium levels.

If you’re taking one of these medications, your healthcare provider may recommend taking a magnesium supplement to help you maintain healthy magnesium levels and prevent deficiency.

What To Look For

When shopping for a magnesium malate supplement, it’s always best to purchase a product that’s undergone third-party testing to validate potency and purity. Some supplements are certified by third-party organizations like NSF International, USP, and UL, which set strict standards for supplement quality and manufacturing safety.

It’s also important to choose a magnesium malate supplement that’s appropriate for your specific health needs and that fits within your budget. Magnesium malate supplements are available in different forms and at different price points, so you may need to shop around to find the best product for you.

If you have any questions about magnesium malate supplements, such as dosing and available forms, ask a healthcare provider for advice.

Can You Take Too Much Magnesium Malate?

When taken in recommended doses, magnesium malate supplements are considered safe for most people. However, it’s possible to take in too much magnesium from dietary supplements, which can result in uncomfortable and even dangerous side effects.

Though magnesium malate is less likely to cause gastrointestinal side effects than other forms of magnesium, like magnesium oxide, taking in excessively high doses of any form of magnesium from supplements can lead to adverse side effects like diarrhea and abdominal cramping.

Magnesium can also reach toxic levels in the body. Although rare and mostly related to intentional or accidental ingestion of very high doses of magnesium-containing products like antacids or laxatives, taking in extremely large doses of magnesium supplements could lead to magnesium toxicity, which can be fatal.

People with kidney disease as well as older adults and young children are more susceptible to developing magnesium toxicity and should be especially careful when taking supplemental magnesium.

Some forms of magnesium, such as magnesium salts like magnesium oxide, are more likely to gastrointestinal side effects than other forms of magnesium, such as magnesium malate and magnesium glycinate.

That said, taking very high doses of magnesium malate may lead to the following side effects in some people:

If you experience digestive side effects after taking magnesium malate, your healthcare provider may recommend decreasing the dose or switching to another magnesium product.

Magnesium malate is an absorbable form of magnesium that may benefit health in several ways, such as improving symptoms of fibromyalgia and supporting healthy blood pressure and blood sugar levels.

If you’re interested in taking a magnesium malate supplement, consider running it by your healthcare provider. They can recommend an appropriate dose and answer any questions you may have about side effects and supplement safety.