Walking down the vitamin aisle at the drugstore, you’ll see three main types of supplements to choose from. Individual vitamins and minerals, multivitamins, and pairings of a few nutrients that work together in the body. One such pairing is magnesium and vitamin D. But is it wise to take magnesium and vitamin D together?
What we do know is that they support each other once ingested. “Magnesium is important for the absorption of vitamin D in your body,” said Keri Gans, R.D.N., author of The Small Change Diet. “Without adequate magnesium levels, vitamin D will work sub-optimally.”
Meet the Experts: Keri Gans, R.D.N., author of The Small Change Diet; Deborah Cohen, D.C.N., an associate professor in the department of clinical and preventive nutrition sciences at Rutgers University School of Health Professions; Jessica Cording, R.D., a registered dietitian and author of The Little Book of Game-Changers; Beth Warren, R.D.N., founder of Beth Warren Nutrition and author of Living a Real Life With Real Food.
Read on for everything you need to know about each of these essential nutrients, plus if you should take them together, how much you need of each, and interactions to be aware of.
Benefits of magnesium
Magnesium is a mineral in the body that’s also naturally present in many foods, according to the National Institutes of Health (NIH). It’s a cofactor—meaning it’s necessary to create a reaction—in more than 300 enzyme systems that regulate reactions in your body, like protein synthesis, blood sugar control, and blood pressure regulation.
“In other words, magnesium helps facilitate hundreds of biochemical and metabolic reactions in the body that are important for so many physiologic functions, including muscle contraction, neuromuscular conduction, insulin metabolism, blood pressure, cardiac excitability, vasomotor tone, and nerve transmission,” said Deborah Cohen, D.C.N., an associate professor in the department of clinical and preventive nutrition sciences at Rutgers University School of Health Professions. “Because it’s important for all of these functions, magnesium plays an important role in both the prevention and treatment of many diseases and conditions.” Magnesium is also required for energy production, the structural development of bone, DNA synthesis, and nerve impulses, according to the NIH.
Given all of this, the possible benefits of magnesium for women include better blood sugar management, an improved ability to deal with stress, less anxiety, stronger bones, fewer headaches, and better sleep, to name a few.
Benefits of vitamin D
Vitamin D, a.k.a. calciferol, is a fat-soluble vitamin that’s naturally present in some foods and added to others, per the NIH . Your body also makes vitamin D when UV rays from the sun hit your skin and trigger vitamin D synthesis.
“Vitamin D helps with enhancing calcium absorption, making it important for bone health,” said Jessica Cording, R.D., a registered dietitian and author of The Little Book of Game-Changers. Vitamin D also helps support immune function and “reduces the risk of certain health issues,” Cording said. “There does seem to be a strong correlation between vitamin D and mental health,” she added. Other benefits of vitamin D include lower blood sugar and improved longevity.
Should you take magnesium and vitamin D together?
Once in the body and working, magnesium and vitamin D have some overlap in terms of the processes they affect. “They are essential to keeping your body healthy by promoting physical and mental health, keeping your bones strong, and even fighting symptoms of anxiety and depression,” said Beth Warren, R.D.N., founder of Beth Warren Nutrition and author of Living a Real Life With Real Food.
And, again, your body can’t process vitamin D if your magnesium levels are low. A recent study even found that magnesium supplementation helped increase levels of vitamin D in people who were previously low in the vitamin.
So if you want to take magnesium and vitamin D at the same time, Gans said you’re just fine to do that—but taking them apart won’t make them any less functional. “And unless you are deficient in one of them, you don’t need to take it at all,” she added.
Warren agreed that you’re OK to take these supplements together. “It doesn’t counteract their effectiveness,” she said.
How much magnesium do you need?
The recommended daily intake (RDI) of magnesium depends on things like your sex and whether you’re pregnant or breastfeeding. That said, it’s usually recommended that adult women get between 310 to 400 milligrams of magnesium a day, while adult men should aim to have 400 to 420 milligrams a day.
If you’re planning to take a magnesium supplement, it’s best to check in with a medical professional about dosage, based on your individual needs, Gans said.
According to the NIH, it’s not common for people to be deficient in magnesium given that your kidneys limit how much magnesium you excrete from your body. However, people with certain health conditions like type 2 diabetes and gastrointestinal diseases may be at risk of magnesium deficiency.
Signs of a magnesium deficiency can include loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, fatigue, and weakness. As it gets worse, you may have numbness, tingling, muscle contractions and cramps, seizures, personality changes, and abnormal heart rhythms, per the NIH.
How much vitamin D do you need?
Most adult women and men should aim to get 15 micrograms or 600 IU of vitamin D a day.
Like magnesium, if you plan to take a vitamin D supplement, it’s best to check in with a medical professional for dosage advice based on your needs.
In children, a vitamin D deficiency can lead to rickets, which is a disease where bone tissue doesn’t become properly mineralized, leading to soft bones and skeletal deformities, per the NIH. In adults and teens, vitamin D deficiency can cause osteomalacia, which is where existing bone is not completely mineralized, leading to weak bones. That can result in symptoms like bone deformities, bone pain, seizures, and dental issues, according to the NIH.
Magnesium and vitamin D: Possible interactions and risks
If magnesium is taken above the tolerable upper intake level of 350 milligrams, you could end up with nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, Cohen said. “Large doses could cause an irregular heartbeat, low blood pressure, confusion, and slowed breathing,” she added.
Magnesium can also interact with some medications, like oral bisphosphonates, certain antibiotics like doxycycline and ciprofloxacin, diuretics, and proton pump inhibitors, making it important to talk to your doctor before taking this as a supplement.
Having too much vitamin D can be toxic and can lead to a condition called hypercalcemia (too much calcium in the body), which can cause symptoms like nausea, vomiting, muscle weakness, neuropsychiatric disturbances, pain, loss of appetite, dehydration, excessive thirst, and kidney stones, per the NIH. Too much vitamin D can also cause renal failure, heart arrhythmias, and even death. Vitamin D can also interact with statins, steroids, and thiazide diuretics.
With supplements, “more is not better,” Gans said. “To find the right dose, one should have a blood test done and then discuss with a registered dietitian or their doctor on the proper daily amount to take.”
Ultimately, if you’re interested in taking a magnesium supplement, vitamin D supplement, or both, Gans said it’s best to rope in a medical professional about next steps.
Dietary supplements are products intended to supplement the diet. They are not medicines and are not intended to treat, diagnose, mitigate, prevent, or cure diseases. Be cautious about taking dietary supplements if you are pregnant or nursing. Also, be careful about giving supplements to a child, unless recommended by their healthcare provider.
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