On Nutrition: Marvels of magnesium

Barbara Intermill, Tribune News Service on Oct 2, 2026

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Magnesium is a necessary ingredient for more than 300 chemical reactions in the human body. It helps manufacture proteins, regulate blood pressure and control blood sugars. Our nerves and muscles depend on magnesium to function.

Oh, and our bodies also need magnesium to produce energy, to develop strong bones and keep our hearts beating normally.

This “nutritionally essential mineral” comes from the earth and cannot be manufactured in our bodies, according the Linus Pauling Institute's Micronutrient Information Center at Oregon State University. So we must consume magnesium from food, water or supplements.

What foods contain magnesium? Think green. Magnesium is embedded in chlorophyll, the green pigment in plants. So green leafy vegetables are good sources. Whole grains and nuts are also good sources. And so are roasted pumpkin seeds … just in time for fall.

We also get magnesium in animal foods like meat and milk. Hard or mineral water is also likely to contain some magnesium.

I was curious about other ways magnesium may help us. For example, magnesium is the main ingredient in some over-the-counter laxatives, such as one aptly named Milk of Magnesia. How does magnesium work to relieve constipation? It helps pull water into the intestines and stimulates the bowels to work.

Magnesium has also been studied for its role in the treatment of anxiety and sleep disorders. That’s because this mineral is a key player in the body’s ability to transmit messages to the brain. It also helps to control our sleep-wake cycle.

Some but not all studies have found a relationship between magnesium and depression, anxiety or poor sleep, according to a 2025 review on this topic in the Journal of Education, Health and Sport. These investigators reported that a low intake of magnesium “appears to be associated with a higher burden of depressive, anxiety and sleep symptoms.”

They also concluded that a person with too little magnesium in their diet may benefit from a supplement of this mineral. Yet this should not be the only therapy for mental health or sleep issues. As usual, this area of research needs further study.

What does that mean for us? Americans tend to have a lower than adequate intake of magnesium. So keep choosing healthful whole foods like green veggies, nuts and seeds, whole grains, dairy foods, fish, poultry and meat. It’s very unlikely for healthy people to get too much magnesium from food, says the National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements (ods.od.nih.gov).

Some people are at higher risk for inadequate magnesium intake. This includes those with stomach or intestinal problems, type 2 diabetes or alcohol dependence.

Others—such as those with kidney disease—are at risk of getting too much magnesium if they take supplements of this mineral. That’s because damaged kidneys may be unable to clear it out of the body effectively.

Lastly, only take magnesium supplements on the advice of your healthcare provider. Very high doses can be dangerous and even fatal.