Because magnesium can help absorb vitamin D, some people take them together for anxiety
By Kelly Burch
Medically reviewed by Allison Herries, RDN
This article will touch on whether you should take vitamin D and magnesium together, and how to use magnesium and vitamin D for anxiety, neurological health, bone health and more.
Dietary supplements might seem harmless, but it’s important to speak with your healthcare provider before taking them, especially if you have health conditions or are taking medications. Supplements can interact with your medications and impact your health in ways that you might not realize.
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Benefits of Magnesium
Magnesium is a mineral and an electrolyte that your body uses for chemical reactions. The benefits of magnesium are widespread, and include helping your nerves communicate, keeping muscles healthy, and controlling blood glucose.2
Supplementing with magnesium can be helpful for a variety of health conditions, including:2
- Anxiety
- Asthma
- Cardiac arrhythmia (an irregular heartbeat)
- Constipation
- Headaches
- Insomnia
- Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS)
- Preeclampsia
- Premenstrual syndrome (PMS)
- Restless legs syndrome (RLS)
Benefits of Vitamin D
Vitamin D helps support your immune system, build healthy bones, and keep your neurons functioning well, which can help with mood. In addition, getting enough vitamin D can help prevent serious diseases, including diabetes, cancer, high blood pressure and autoimmune disease.3
When to Take Vitamin D
Vitamin D is a fat-soluble vitamin, which means the body processes them in a similar way that it processes fat. Because of that, it’s best to take vitamin D with a meal that contains some healthy fats.3
Why Take Vitamin D and Magnesium Together?
Due to viral videos, there’s been a lot of buzz on social media about taking magnesium and vitamin D for anxiety. There’s truth to the theory that magnesium and vitamin D should be taken together because your body needs magnesium to activate vitamin D.1
If you don’t get enough magnesium from your diet, which is true for about half of Americans, your body may not be able to process vitamin D.2 Because of that, it’s best to supplement with both the vitamin and mineral together.
Dosage
A viral TikTok video called for taking 500 milligrams (mg) of magnesium and 125 micrograms (mcg) of vitamin D. And yet, it’s best not to take medical advice from social media. Instead, talk with your healthcare provider about what magnesium and vitamin D dosage is best for you. The dose recommended in the video is higher than the recognized safe limits and could cause other health problems.
Magnesium Dosage
According to federal data, no one should take more than 350 mg of magnesium supplements each day. Doing so can cause diarrhea and cramping. Taking very high doses—more than 5,000 mg—can cause kidney failure and even death.2
Unfortunately, there’s little data on what dose of magnesium might be helpful for anxiety. In fact, the research around magnesium supplementation and anxiety is poor overall.4
Vitamin D Dosage
The upper limit for vitamin D intake from all sources (food and supplements) is 100 mcg per day for anyone ages 9 or older. If you take too much vitamin D, you can experience nausea, vomiting, confusion and kidney stones. Very high levels can cause kidney failure, irregular heartbeats and death.3
Magnesium Deficiency
Magnesium deficiency occurs when you don’t have enough of the mineral in your body. It’s rare in otherwise healthy people, but older adults and people with these health conditions are at a higher risk of developing magnesium deficiency:2
- Gastrointestinal (GI) disease
- Diabetes
- Alcohol use disorder
The symptoms of magnesium deficiency include:2
- Loss of appetite
- Nausea
- Vomiting
- Fatigue
- Weakness
As your levels of magnesium continue to drop, you’ll experience more serious symptoms including:2
- Numbness
- Tingling
- Muscle contractions and cramps
- Seizures
- Personality changes
- Abnormal heart rhythms
- Coronary spasms
Preventing Magnesium Deficiency
You can prevent magnesium deficiency by eating foods rich in magnesium, including nuts, seeds, spinach, dairy, and salmon.
Vitamin D Deficiency
Vitamin D deficiency can cause weak bones and other symptoms. About 1 in 4 Americans don’t get enough vitamin D. The people most at risk for vitamin D deficiency include:3
- Older adults
- Breastfed infants
- People who don’t get outside much
- People with darker skin
- People who have trouble absorbing fat, including those with gastrointestinal diseases
- People with obesity, or those who have had gastric bypass surgery
Most people who have vitamin d deficiency don’t have symptoms. However, with severe deficiency you may notice symptoms including:
- Bone pain
- Bone fractures
- Depression
- Frequent falls
- Trouble walking
Getting Adequate Vitamin D
Get enough vitamin D by eating foods rich in vitamin D, including fatty fish, eggs, and fortified milks, cereal and juices.
Risks to Be Aware Of
Taking supplements can impact your overall health and interact with other medications that you’re on. Magnesium can interact with:2
- Bisphosphonates, used to treat osteoporosis
- Antibiotics
- Diuretics
- Proton pump inhibitors (PPIs)
Vitamin D can interact with:3
- Weight loss drugs
- Statins
- Diuretics
- Steroids
If you’re on any of these medications and are considering starting or changing your supplement routine, talk with your healthcare provider or pharmacist.
Summary
Many people have found success taking magnesium and vitamin D for anxiety. Both vitamin D and magnesium can support mental health and physical health, but research on these nutrients and their effect on anxiety when taken together is limited. Science shows that having enough magnesium is helpful for processing vitamin D, but taking either of these supplements at high doses can cause problems, particularly if you’re on other medications or have underlying health concerns.
If you’re interested in trying magnesium and vitamin D supplements, speak with your healthcare provider first.
4 Sources
By Kelly Burch
Kelly Burch is has written about health topics for more than a decade. Her writing has appeared in The Washington Post, The Chicago Tribune, and more.
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