Magnesium

Featured study

Oral magnesium supplementation for insomnia in older adults: a Systematic Review & Meta-Analysis ↗
BMC complementary medicine and therapies · 2021 · PMID 33865376

Who was studied

151 older adults with insomnia in three randomized placebo-controlled trials from three countries.

How

Systematic review and meta-analysis with formal risk-of-bias and GRADE quality ratings.

What it found

People taking magnesium fell asleep about 17 minutes faster than with placebo. Total sleep time rose by about 16 minutes, but that difference was not statistically significant.

Limits

All three trials had moderate-to-high risk of bias, and the authors rated the evidence low to very low quality. The results may not apply to younger adults or to people without insomnia.

Safety & what remains unknown

Magnesium supplements commonly cause loose stools. People with kidney disease should avoid them unless a clinician advises otherwise, and magnesium can interfere with absorption of some antibiotics and other medicines.

Talk to a clinician before starting a supplement, especially if you are pregnant, take prescription medicines or have a medical condition.

Where to find it

Search results and listings are not quality-checked or endorsed by PepsRadar. Look for third-party testing (for example USP or NSF marks) and check with a clinician about interactions.