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Should You Take Magnesium And Vitamin D Together?

Social media has leaned into the idea that magnesium and vitamin D should be taken together to get the most benefits of both, when it comes to things like reducing fatigue, maintaining insulin resistance, and supporting immune health.

Is there truth behind the buzz?

Some experts say that if you take both magnesium and vitamin D supplements, it may be most helpful to take magnesium before or with vitamin D, rather than after. (More on the specific benefits of each below.)

"This is because getting enough magnesium may maximize the effect of vitamin D and reduce the potential adverse effects of vitamin D," says Qi Dai, MD, PhD, a professor of medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center who researches vitamin D.

In other words, you might boost vitamin D absorption with magnesium, but you need adequate magnesium first.

In one trial with 180 adults, those with low baseline vitamin D levels saw an increase in this nutrient after taking a magnesium supplement.

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Other research suggests that higher levels of vitamin D are associated with a lower risk of mortality from heart disease and colon cancer, but only among those with adequate magnesium levels.

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Choosing supplements that combine magnesium and vitamin D in the same capsule can help you remember to take them. "These supplements don't compete with each other for absorption, so it is fine to take in the same pill," says Bethany Doerfler, RD, a registered dietitian at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago.

What Happens To Women When There Is Magnesium Deficiency In The Body

Magnesium is one of the most important minerals that the human body requires. It supports innumerable functions and is instrumental in the smooth functioning of the body. The essential mineral also plays a pivotal role in maintaining the health and well being of women.A study published in Frontiers in Nutrition journal in August 2024 found a negative correlation between magnesium intake and pelvic inflammatory disease. Top Picks For You

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Researchers have found that magnesium supplementation helps in improving hyperandrogenism, hirsutism, and sleep quality in women with polycystic ovary syndrome. The study was published in 2023 in the Health Science Reports journal.Dietary Magnesium was associated with larger brain volumes in both men and women as per a 2023 study published in Springer Link.These studies are among all those studies that have examined the impact of magnesium minerals on the health of women so far. This necessitates understanding why magnesium is important for women, and how magnesium deficiency affects them.What is the right time to consume magnesium?Magnesium is a basic mineral in the human body that forms part of more than 300 biochemical reactions, making it very important for general health. Since it serves as a cofactor for enzymes, it has involvement in all energy, from processes of protein synthesis to muscular functions. Magnesium, therefore, ensures that food can be converted into energy when helping to produce adenosine triphosphate, often regarded as the currency that cells spend, using it to run activities.

Magnesium deficiency affects women's health in stealthy ways. An adult woman needs close to 350 mg of magnesium on a daily basis to perform basic biological functioning. It is a crucial mineral for women because more than 50% of the magnesium is concentrated in the bones and the lack of this mineral affects the bones first; maybe this is why the requirement of magnesium for a woman's body increases during pregnancy and lactation.

Why is magnesium so important for women? As a nutrient, magnesium impacts nearly every aspect of women's health, from regulating hormones to the condition of bones. Its effect extends to women in all stages of life - during menstruation, pregnancy, and menopause.

One of the major benefits magnesium is believed to offer women is hormonal balance. Magnesium has been proven to have an effect on hormones and is, therefore, very essential to women with a condition of PMS. Most women share a common incident of mood swings, bloating, and cramps during their period, and in most cases, these are caused by the estrogen and progesterone hormone levels fluctuation. It regulates these hormones; therefore, many of the symptoms that define PMS are reduced. Also, research studies have proven that magnesium supplement, particularly in combination with vitamin B6, diminishes irritability, anxiety, and physical discomfort of PMS largely.Magnesium rich foods you must haveBone health concerns many females. During the transition to the menopause cycle, the risk of osteoporosis aggravates. Magnesium helps promote adequate calcium intake to maintain healthy bones. It converts vitamin D into its active form, hence ensures calcium metabolism and supports bone density. Women suffering with low magnesium intake are likely to have lower bone mineral density. They may suffer from fractures and osteoporosis due to increased vulnerability.

Magnesium is also of great importance in proper muscle functioning, which includes the uterus; it helps prevent premature contractions and preterm labor. It also reduces the risk of some complications associated with pregnancy, such as gestational hypertension and preeclampsia.Apart from these, magnesium plays a beneficial role in ensuring the proper development of the fetal nervous system and helps maintain normal blood sugar levels, thereby acting as a protective effect against gestational diabetes. It is of great importance both to pregnant women's health and to the proper development of their baby.

Magnesium has been coined the "relaxation mineral" due to its relaxing effect on the nervous system. It maintains neurotransmitters that regulate the mood, such as serotonin and GABA. It soothes the nervous system and modulates melatonin, hence promoting sleep and reducing anxiety.

Magnesium also plays a crucial role in ensuring cardiovascular health, which may be very important to a woman, particularly during the postmenopausal years as the risk for heart disease heightens. It keeps the blood pressure normal and maintains a normal heart rate while preventing the formation of plaques within the arteries. Research studies have also proved that magnesium can help reduce the likelihood of high blood pressure among females as well as enhance their heart condition, especially during older ages over 50 years old.

What's causing magnesium deficiency in women these days? Magnesium deficiency in women has become increasingly widespread due to the several aspects of modern lifestyles. Firstly, most consume processed foods, which contain very few or no essential nutrients, including magnesium. Second, excessive diets full of refined sugars and unhealthy fats displace magnesium-rich whole foods such as leafy greens, nuts, and seeds.

Of course, there is also the issue of higher stress levels. The body tends to consume more magnesium when experiencing periods of anxiety or tension, and this can deplete the body's overall supplies of magnesium.

Another factor that enhances the influence of magnesium levels is hormonal fluctuation, especially during menstruation, pregnancy, or menopause. It usually raises the magnesium requirement and causes potential deficiency in these women due to failure to meet the increased needs.

In addition, some health conditions, including gastrointestinal disorders, may interfere with proper absorption of magnesium in the body.

How to identify magnesium deficiency? Magnesium deficiency is characterized by disorders in different biochemical processes. Some of the first symptoms may be muscle cramps, spasms, caused by an inability to relax muscles. The mineral participates in many biochemical processes-over 300-thus affecting the process of muscle contraction and relaxation. When the content of this mineral is low, muscles may contract without proper relaxation, with the patient feeling pain and aching.

The central nervous disorder is mostly caused by deficiency in magnesium. Patients suffering from magnesium deficiency disorders present symptoms of irritability, fatigue, and anxiety. This increases stress at times and impairs sleep, making it more difficult for the body to rest and rejuvenate. In more severe cases, magnesium deficiency is known to contribute to neurological problems like numbness and tingling in some limbs and even seizures.

Magnesium deficiency in the cardiovascular system contributes to irregular heartbeats, higher blood pressure, and an increased risk for heart diseases. Magnesium is necessary for stabilizing the rhythmic beating of the heart and keeping blood pressure stable; therefore, reduced levels compromise heart health.Magnesium deficiency can contribute to weakened bones due to impaired absorption of calcium, increased chances of osteoporosis over time, leading to blood sugar regulatory disorders and enhanced insulin resistance, increasing the risk for type 2 diabetes.

Can magnesium deficiency kill you? In itself, magnesium deficiency is rarely fatal but a very grave and extended deficiency can cause life-threatening conditions. Magnesium contributes to normal functioning in muscles, heart rhythms, and nerves. A deficit causes cramping of muscles and produces fatigue and irregular heartbeats; sometimes severe conditions such as seizures or cardiac arrhythmias or respiratory problems are developed. If those conditions are not addressed in time, then they become life-threatening conditions. Individuals who have certain medical conditions, such as gastrointestinal disorders, chronic alcoholism or malnutrition, should receive health care if the mild magnesium deficiency becomes severe.

Can you get magnesium overdose? Yes, magnesium overdose, also called hypermagnesemia, can occur, usually from excessive supplementation or impaired kidney function. While the body typically excretes excess magnesium through urine, high doses can overwhelm this process. Symptoms of overdose include nausea, vomiting, low blood pressure, muscle weakness, lethargy, and irregular heart rhythms. In severe cases, it may lead to respiratory paralysis, cardiac arrest, or coma. Individuals with healthy kidneys are unlikely to experience overdose from dietary sources, but those with kidney issues or who take high doses of magnesium supplements are at higher risk. Always consult a doctor before taking large doses of supplements.

Natural sources of magnesium Magnesium is an essential mineral that supports muscle function, energy production, and heart health. Many foods are naturally rich in magnesium.

Dark green leafy vegetables like spinach (palak), fenugreek leaves (methi), and amaranth (chaulai) are excellent sources of magnesium. Commonly used dals like moong dal, urad dal, and chickpeas (chana) are also high in magnesium. Including dals in your diet, whether in dal fry, sambar, or chana masala, is an easy way to boost magnesium intake.Almonds, cashews, and pumpkin seeds are packed with magnesium. A handful of these nuts or sprinkling seeds over your dishes can add crunch while improving your magnesium levels.Indian staples like brown rice, bajra (pearl millet), and jowar (sorghum) contain magnesium. Opt for these over refined grains to enhance both nutrition and flavor in your meals.Including these foods in your daily diet can help maintain optimal magnesium levels, promoting overall health.

Can A Magnesium Supplement Really Help You Sleep? Here's What The Science Says

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Popping the occasional magnesium supplement for better sleep may have once been a habit reserved for niche wellness circles. But we're now living in the era of Big Sleep, where the promise of a hand-to-mouth insomnia fix looms big, and people are sucking down the "sleepy girl mocktail"—a concoction of tart cherry juice, magnesium powder, and sparkling water that went TikTok-viral in 2023—with every hope that it'll live up to its name. And you can't blame 'em: It only makes sense that a supplement with so much street cred for good shuteye should have at least some science behind it…right?

Broadly speaking, magnesium is a mineral that helps facilitate a bunch of chemical reactions in your body, allowing for everyday muscle movements and nerve function, regulating your blood pressure and sugar level, and contributing to the development of protein, bone, and DNA. It's also something your body can't make itself, so you have to get your supply from outside sources—ideally, from whole foods like leafy greens, nuts, legumes, and fish. The daily recommended amounts are 310 to 320 milligrams for women and 400 to 420 milligrams for men, but it can be challenging to hit that number with diet alone: An estimated 48% of Americans fall short of consuming that much magnesium from food. It doesn't help that commercial food-processing practices have likely stripped some magnesium out of produce that would naturally contain more of it, Sasikanth Gorantla, MD, a neurologist and sleep medicine specialist at the University of California Davis, tells SELF.

There's a bit of research to suggest that being chronically deficient in magnesium can, in fact, raise your risk of poor sleep or a sleep disorder (like insomnia or excessive daytime sleepiness), perhaps by interfering with your circadian rhythm (a.K.A. Your 24-hour body clock). Because the mineral plays a role in energy production, being super low on the stuff could leave you fatigued throughout the day—and though it sounds counterintuitive, constant daytime tiredness could lead to insomnia by weakening the link in your brain between nighttime and sleepiness, Brian Chen, MD, a sleep medicine physician at the Cleveland Clinic, tells SELF.

But even if you're not regularly hitting your recommended amount of magnesium with food, it's unlikely for your body to become so deficient that you experience symptoms, Dennis Auckley, MD, a professor of medicine at Case Western Reserve University and director of the Center for Sleep Medicine at MetroHealth Medical Center, in Cleveland, tells SELF. That's because most people's kidneys will account for a lower intake by holding onto more magnesium when it's in short supply. (The main exceptions are folks with GI conditions that affect their absorption of magnesium, and people with type 2 diabetes or alcohol dependence, both of which can prompt the kidneys to excrete too much of it.)

So if you're not experiencing symptoms of magnesium deficiency, can ramping up your intake have any effect on your ability to doze off easily or snooze soundly? Here, experts break down the potential connection between magnesium and sleep, and what you need to know if you're considering adding this supplement to your pre-bed ritual.

Magnesium has a couple effects on the body that may indirectly impact your sleep.

All the hype around guzzling magnesium for sleep likely comes from a few things we know about how the mineral functions in the brain. For starters, magnesium essentially tells your NMDA receptors—which are involved in anxiety and excitability—to chill out, which may help calm you down. And it also has the opposite effect on GABA receptors, which promote sleepiness, by binding to them and boosting their activity, Dr. Auckley says. This is similar to how sleeping pills like benzodiazepines (e.G. Valium and Xanax) and "Z" drugs (e.G. Ambien, Sonata, and Lunesta) work, he explains. Together, these properties of magnesium may produce an anti-anxiety effect and promote relaxation, making sleep more likely to happen.

At the same time, when you have enough magnesium blocking up those NMDA receptors, calcium won't be able to flow into and build up inside your muscle cells, Dr. Gorantla says, where it could otherwise trigger cramps and spasms. So having sufficient magnesium in your body may create a muscle-relaxing effect, which could theoretically help you fall asleep more easily. That link is mostly relevant to folks who deal with nighttime leg cramps or restless leg syndrome (RLS), which is a condition involving an irresistible urge to move your legs in bed that can leave you struggling to doze off. Building on a 2022 study finding that magnesium supplementation improved sleep quality in people with RLS (based on questionnaires they completed), Dr. Gorantla conducted research to additionally assess if the supplement could reduce self-reported discomfort and periodic leg movements (as measured with a device). He found that it did—which is promising—but notes that these results should be replicated in a larger, placebo-controlled study.

There isn't solid research to show that taking a magnesium supplement can directly improve sleep.

All of the above shows how ingesting ample magnesium may theoretically make you sleepier, but we still don't know "the magnitude of these impacts and how clinically relevant they are," Dr. Auckley says. Which is to say, it's not clear whether a magnesium supplement—or even a bunch of magnesium-rich foods, for that matter—can really act like a chill pill in your body (especially if you weren't measurably low on the mineral to begin with), and if it can, whether it would be enough to knock you out. (If you feel sleepier after taking magnesium, it also may be psychological: Taking any pill that you think will help you doze can put you at ease—which could then help you drift off.)

The magnesium research on sleep, specifically, consists mostly of small studies investigating specific demographics, many of them observational in nature, Dr. Auckley says, meaning scientists just looked for sleep benefits in folks who were taking magnesium by choice at home. In a 2023 review, researchers found that, overall, these less-definitive studies do show a link between magnesium intake and better sleep quality. But crucially, they didn't find any significant connection when they analyzed the few randomized controlled trials done in this arena (in which scientists assigned folks randomly to the placebo or experiment group and controlled for other variables in a lab setting). Ultimately, they concluded that we just don't have enough high-quality data yet to clarify the association between magnesium and sleep.

Another factor that muddies the water? Magnesium supplements are not all created equal. There are a bunch of different types out there (magnesium citrate, glycinate, and oxide, to name a few), and they vary in their potential effects and bioavailability (a.K.A. How easy it is for your gut to absorb). Not to mention the broad issue that comes into play with any supplement: There's no guarantee that you're getting exactly what's on the label—and nothing that isn't—because the industry doesn't receive the same oversight by the Food & Drug Administration as OTC and prescription meds do, Dr. Auckley says.

Bottom line: You'll see more benefits by addressing the root cause of your sleep issues than from popping a supplement.

A magnesium supplement is generally low-risk to take, given the mineral is something we can (and should) consume plenty of via food. That said, it's always a good idea to clear the supplement with your doctor first, particularly if you have (or once had) a heart condition, because electrolytes like magnesium can influence cardiac function, Sam Kashani, MD, a board-certified sleep medicine specialist at UCLA Health, tells SELF. You're also at increased risk for complications if you have kidney problems, which may make it tougher for your kidneys to regulate your levels of the mineral. Separately, a magnesium supplement could mess with the function of some meds, for instance, reducing the efficacy of common antibiotics or increasing your absorption of certain diabetes drugs.

Otherwise, taking magnesium within the recommended dosage (no more than 350 mg daily in supplement form) is unlikely to cause any major side effects. The main thing you might experience is some GI upset or diarrhea, Dr. Gorantla says. Magnesium citrate, in particular, "absorbs water and can function as a laxative," he says, which may help with constipation (but probably isn't what you want when you're trying to get a full night's rest).

But the truth is, relying on any substance to sleep, no matter how low-risk it might be, is a Band-Aid at best, rather than a long-term solution for the underlying cause of your sleep difficulties, Dr. Auckley says. Addressing the latter starts with brushing up on your overall sleep hygiene—which refers to both your physical bedroom environment (Is it dark, cool, and quiet?) and your pre-bed routine (Is it helping you mentally and physically wind down?).

If you're struggling to get a consistent seven to eight hours of shut-eye or your lack thereof is impacting your day-to-day functioning, it's important to start a conversation with your doctor, and ideally see a sleep specialist. They can offer a variety of long-lasting treatments, including cognitive behavioral therapy for insomnia (CBT-I), which focuses on identifying habits and thought patterns you've picked up that are counterproductive to sleep, and swapping them for behaviors that directly facilitate it, Dr. Auckley says. Sure, it takes longer than cracking open a pill bottle, but it's also making use of the most reliable sleep aid out there: Yourself.

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