Eating a more magnesium-rich diet is a great place to start. Magnesium is present in some delicious foods like dark leafy green vegetables, legumes and nuts, wheat and other grains, and fish. Additionally, magnesium can be utilized in other forms—including as traditional supplement capsules, Epsom salts, magnesium oil, magnesium cream, and drinkable powder—that make it easy to incorporate it into your everyday routine. This versatility means you might have a friend who takes a magnesium supplement to help her sleep, a family member who’s an Epsom salt bath enthusiast, or a co-worker who swears by that powdered magnesium she drinks for post-workout muscle recovery. Magnesium sulfate can be received by injection or by IV in a clinical setting under the care of a doctor for low magnesium and other specific clinical scenarios (e.g., during pregnancy). You’ll also find magnesium sulfate in the form of Epsom salts, which you can add to your bath. You can even find magnesium in a topical form, which includes magnesium chloride “oils” and creams. But, there is some debate whether or not transdermal magnesium really works, and the science isn’t entirely clear. Of all these forms, magnesium glycinate is a favorite among integrative and functional medicine doctors and has been extensively researched in clinical studies. Magnesium glycinate has the fewest side effects13 and doesn’t cause digestive upset when taken in a higher dose. It’s thought to be a good choice for individuals with gastrointestinal issues14 over other magnesium supplements. Magnesium citrate and magnesium glycinate are more bioavailable than other common forms of magnesium like magnesium oxide. They are both great options for magnesium supplementation, depending on your specific needs, whether they be correcting a deficiency and helping with sleep and relaxation (in which case go with the glycinate form), or increasing gut motility and supporting digestion (for these go with the citrate form). Although it would be difficult to overdose on magnesium-rich foods or magnesium supplements, magnesium is also the primary ingredient in some prescription and over-the-counter laxatives, and severe hypermagnesemia17 has been reported to occur from taking laxatives that contain magnesium for constipation over a long-term period. Fatal hypermagnesemia can occur in those with renal problems18 when taking these laxatives because kidneys that are not fully functional are not able to effectively clear magnesium from the body. As a general rule, you should always talk to your doctor before taking a new supplement. Magnesium can also interact with certain medications, for example, with certain types of antibiotics19. It is usually recommended to take antibiotics at least 2 hours before or 4 to 6 hours after a magnesium-containing supplements. Another group of drugs that magnesium tends to interact with is bisphosphonates that are often used to treat osteoporosis. Magnesium can interfere with how well this drug is absorbed20, so the supplement should be taken at least two hours before or after these medications."
