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Your guide to taking magnesium with other vitamins and minerals
Written byAnnabel Francis
Reviewed byMadalena Vieira Costa
Thinking about adding magnesium to your routine? Here’s how much you need, when to take it and how to get the most from it
Summary
1How much magnesium do you need a day?
Most adults need around 270–300mg of magnesium daily, depending on age and sex, with slightly higher needs in some cases.
2When should you take magnesium?
Magnesium can be taken at any time of day, but many people use it before or after exercise, or in the evening, depending on their routine.
3What should you take with magnesium?
Magnesium works well alongside nutrients like vitamin D, calcium, zinc and vitamin B6, helping support key functions in the body.
Did you know some vitamins and minerals work better together? From vitamin C and iron to calcium and vitamin D, certain combinations can help your body absorb nutrients more effectively.1 Magnesium is one of those essential minerals that plays a key role in how your body functions day to day. “Magnesium is an essential mineral that helps your body stay healthy,” says Madalena Vieira Costa, our in-house nutritionist. “It plays many important roles, from balancing electrolytes and reducing fatigue, to supporting muscles and regulating blood pressure.”
Whether you’re staying active or simply looking to support your overall wellbeing, understanding how to take magnesium – and what to pair it with – can help you get more from your routine.
What is magnesium?
Magnesium is a mineral involved in more than 300 biochemical processes in the body. It helps play a role in:2,3
- turning food into energy
- regulating muscle and nerve function
- maintaining healthy bones
- supporting DNA synthesis
You can find magnesium naturally in foods like spinach, nuts, seeds, wholegrains and fortified breakfast cereals. But even with these food sources, some people still don’t get enough through diet alone. In fact, 10-30% of the population having a slight magnesium deficiency.2,24
How much magnesium do you need per day?
The NHS recommends around:4
- 300mg per day for men (19–64 years)
- 270mg per day for women (19–64 years)
Requirements may also increase slightly with age.2
If you’re active, training regularly or exercising outdoors in warmer weather, hydration and electrolyte balance become even more important. Magnesium is lost in small amounts through sweat and contributes to muscle and nerve function, but sodium is the primary electrolyte lost during exercise.2
When should you take magnesium?
There’s no single ‘perfect’ time to take magnesium – it depends on your routine and what works best for you.
- Morning: while it doesn’t provide an instant energy boost, magnesium supports energy production and helps reduce tiredness and fatigue
- Before exercise: may help support muscle function and electrolyte balance
- After exercise: can be taken post-workout as part of your routine
- Evening: some people prefer taking magnesium later in the day as part of their wind-down routine
Consistency is key – taking magnesium regularly is more important than the exact timing.
What vitamins and minerals should you take with magnesium?
Many vitamins and minerals interact with each other. Sometimes, these interactions are helpful, like when one micronutrient aids the absorption of another. Other times, one micronutrient can block your body’s absorption of another.1 Here’s how magnesium works alongside some key nutrients...
Vitamin D is essential for keeping our bones, teeth and muscles healthy, as well as supporting the normal function of the immune system.5 Magnesium plays an important role in helping your body activate and transport vitamin D, which is why the two are often taken together.15 This relationship means magnesium can support how effectively your body uses vitamin D. “It’s really important to have enough magnesium, calcium and vitamin D for bone health,” says Madalena.
We all know calcium is important for strong bones, but it doesn’t work alone. Magnesium and vitamin D are also part of the picture and together they help support bone health.6,7-10 Magnesium helps activate vitamin D, which in turn supports your body’s ability to absorb calcium.9,15 Getting the balance right between all three is key for maintaining healthy bones.
As Madalena explains, balance matters: “Calcium may compete with magnesium for intestinal absorption, so it’s important not to overdo it.” Taking both supplements can support bone health, but too much of either mineral can disrupt that balance.12 This is why taking them at different times of day may help your body make the most of both.13 Adults need around 700mg of calcium a day,17 and while many people get enough through their diet, some groups – including older adults, women going through menopause and vegans – may need to pay closer attention to their calcium intake.12
Magnesium and zinc are often taken together, as both play important roles in supporting overall health. Zinc contributes to immune function, normal vision, bone health and DNA synthesis.14 Magnesium supports energy and helps reduce tiredness, while zinc supports immune health, making them a complementary daily pairing.15
You can take both in a single supplement but it’s important to stay within recommended daily amounts (around 7-9.5mg of zinc for adults).4 High zinc intake may interfere with magnesium absorption, so it’s always worth checking the label.2,16
Vitamin B6, part of the B vitamin family, contributes to normal psychological function and is often linked to stress and energy levels.17-20 Some early research suggests that combining magnesium with vitamin B6 may help support mood and wellbeing. One study found that adults experiencing stress reported improvements when taking both together, although more research is needed to confirm these effects.21
A study found that combining the two could be worth exploring for PMS symptoms, with promising results found in one small human trial.22 However, as with many studies in this area, further research is needed. It’s also important to be mindful of dosage. Vitamin B6 has an upper limit of 200mg, so exceeding this over time may lead to unwanted side effects.23
Magnesium can be taken alongside a range of vitamins and minerals, so you don’t need to limit it to just one. Combinations like magnesium, calcium and vitamin D are often included together in supplements targeted for ‘bone health’. However, it’s still important to stick to recommended doses and to take higher-dose supplements separately to avoid absorption competition, particularly between calcium and magnesium.
Magnesium FAQs
Most adults need around 270–300mg per day, depending on age and sex.4 Always follow product guidance if taking supplements.
Magnesium can be taken either before or after exercise. Some people prefer taking it before, while others take it after as part of their recovery routine.
Yes, magnesium can be taken daily as long as you stay within recommended intake levels.4
The final say
Magnesium plays a key role in supporting muscle function and energy production, helping reduce tiredness and fatigue – making it a useful addition to an active lifestyle.2 While a balanced diet should always come first, supplements can be a helpful way to support your intake if you’re not getting enough through food alone. If you’re looking to add magnesium into your routine, choosing a format that fits your lifestyle – whether capsules, powders or drinks – can make it easier to stay consistent. Still curious about magnesium? Read our guide on magnesium and mental wellness: 5 ways it could help.
Disclaimer – This article provides informational advice and is not a substitute for medical care. Working with experts for accuracy, we take great care to ensure the information is up-to-date and relevant. However, you should always consult your GP or healthcare professional before using supplements or alternative products, particularly if you have medical conditions or are under supervision.
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2. National Institutes of Health. Office of Dietary Supplements - Magnesium [Internet]. [2016; cited 23 May 2024]. Available from: https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Magnesium-HealthProfessional/
3. Al Alawi, et al. Magnesium and human health: perspectives and research directions. International Journal of Endocrinology. 2018;2018(1):1–17. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5926493/.
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10. NHS. Calcium - Vitamins and minerals [Internet]. [2020; cited 23 May 2024]. Available from: https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vitamins-and-minerals/calcium/.
11. NHS. Food for healthy bones [Internet]. [2024; cited 23 May 2024]. Available from: https://www.nhs.uk/live-well/bone-health/food-for-strong-bones/.
12. Rosanoff A, et al. Essential nutrient interactions: does low or suboptimal magnesium status interact with vitamin D and/or calcium status? Advances in Nutrition. 2016;7(1):25–43. Available from: https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2161831323001394?via%3Dihub.
13. DiNicolantonio JJ, McCarty MF, O’Keefe JH. Decreased magnesium status may mediate the increased cardiovascular risk associated with calcium supplementation. Open Heart. 2017;4(1):e000617. doi:10.1136/openhrt-2017-000617
14. National Institutes of Health. Office of Dietary Supplements - Zinc [Internet]. [2022; cited 23 May 2024]. Available from: https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Zinc-Consumer/.
15. Hamedifard Z, et al. The effects of combined magnesium and zinc supplementation on metabolic status in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and coronary heart disease. Lipids in Health and Disease. 2020;19:112. Available from: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12944-020-01298-4.
16. Spencer H, et al. Inhibitory effects of zinc on magnesium balance and magnesium absorption in man. Journal of the American College of Nutrition. 1994;13(5):479–484. Available from: https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7836627/.
17. National Institutes of Health. Office of Dietary Supplements - Vitamin B6 [Internet]. [2023; cited 23 May 2024]. Available from: https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/VitaminB6-HealthProfessional/.
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19. Cuciureanu MD, et al. Magnesium and stress. In Vink R, Nechifor M, editors. Magnesium in the central nervous system. University of Adelaide Press; 2011. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK507250/. c
20. Pickering G, et al. Magnesium status and stress: the vicious circle concept revisited. Nutrients. 2020;12(12):3672. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7761127/.
21. Noah L, et al. Effect of magnesium and vitamin B6 supplementation on mental health and quality of life in stressed healthy adults: post‐hoc analysis of a randomised controlled trial. Stress and Health. 2021;37(5):1000–1009. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC9292249/.
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24. DiNicolantonio JJ, O’Keefe JH, Wilson W. Subclinical magnesium deficiency: a principal driver of cardiovascular disease and a public health crisis. Open Heart [Internet]. 2018;5(1):e000668. Available from: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5786912/
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