Nearly half of Americans fall short on magnesium from food and drinks, and you might be one of them.
How would you know? A routine blood test may not reveal whether your body’s stores are running low. [1]
Magnesium helps turn food into energy, keeps muscles and nerves working properly, and supports a normal heartbeat. Your body needs a steady supply, but everyday meals don’t always provide enough.
Ann Louise Gittleman has long emphasized magnesium in her nutritional recommendations. Understanding your own needs starts with looking at your diet and knowing what your lab results can tell you.
Can You Have Low Magnesium Stores With a Normal Blood Test?
Yes. Less than 1% of your body’s magnesium is in blood serum. Most is stored in your bones, muscles, and other tissues. Your body tightly regulates the amount in your bloodstream, so a normal result doesn’t necessarily reveal whether those other stores are adequate. [1]
That’s why your practitioner considers more than the number. Your food intake, medications, and any digestive problems that could affect absorption all matter.
First, though, check whether magnesium was tested at all. It usually isn’t included in a standard comprehensive metabolic panel, even though that panel measures other minerals, such as calcium. Look for a separate magnesium result or ask your practitioner whether testing would be useful. [2,3]
Where Can You Get a Magnesium Test?
Start by asking your healthcare provider about a serum magnesium blood test. The blood sample can be collected at a medical office or laboratory.
Depending on your results and health history, your provider may consider additional testing, such as magnesium in red blood cells or urine. [1,2]
UNI KEY also offers Tissue Mineral Analysis (TMA), which uses a small hair sample to measure 29 minerals and other elements, including magnesium, plus 8 toxic metals, including lead, mercury, arsenic and cadmium. Results come with a detailed 20-page report and personalized diet, supplement and lifestyle recommendations. Hair testing measures something different from blood testing and should not replace a medical evaluation for suspected magnesium deficiency.
Tissue Mineral Analysis
- ✓ Measures key mineral levels and ratios
- ✓ Helps identify potential mineral imbalances
- ✓ Provides personalized insights to guide your nutrition
What Are the Symptoms of Magnesium Deficiency?
Maybe your energy has slipped, your muscles feel weak, or a leg cramp wakes you in the night. Low magnesium can contribute to fatigue, weakness, and muscle cramps. Some people also experience nausea or lose their appetite. More serious deficiency can cause numbness, tingling, or changes in heart rhythm. [1]
These symptoms are worth paying attention to, especially if they keep coming back. They can have several causes, so bring them up with your practitioner rather than assuming magnesium is the answer.
Also mention digestive problems, ongoing diarrhea or medications you take. These can affect how much magnesium your body absorbs or loses. Type 2 diabetes, certain water pills, and long-term use of some acid-reducing medicines can increase the risk of low levels. [1]
Ann Louise Gittleman discusses muscle cramps, low energy, stress and sleep concerns in Why Magnesium Really Is a Miracle Mineral. Her article offers more perspective on why this mineral deserves attention.
If you have new heart palpitations, seek medical advice. Palpitations with chest pain, fainting, or significant dizziness need urgent medical attention.
Why Is It So Easy to Fall Short on Magnesium?
A meal can fill you up without giving you much magnesium. That’s especially true when refined grains and processed foods crowd out nuts, seeds, beans and leafy greens.
Take white flour. Refining wheat removes the bran and germ, taking much of its magnesium with them. Although “enriched” flour has certain vitamins and iron added back, magnesium generally isn’t replaced. [1]
That doesn’t mean one slice of white bread causes magnesium deficiency. It means that when refined foods make up much of your diet, you have fewer chances to get this mineral.
You don’t have to overhaul your kitchen to improve your intake. A handful of almonds, pumpkin seeds sprinkled over a salad, or a serving of cooked spinach can make a useful contribution.
And if you take medication that can affect magnesium, ask your practitioner whether monitoring is appropriate. Keep taking prescribed medicines unless your prescriber tells you otherwise.
Which Foods Are Good Sources of Magnesium?
Magnesium-Rich Foods
Six everyday foods to add to your plate
Amounts are approximate and may vary with preparation.
Source: NIH Office of Dietary Supplements
Try almonds as a snack, beans in a soup, or cooked greens alongside dinner. Small changes add up when those foods become part of your regular routine.
How Much Magnesium Do You Need Each Day?
Ann Louise Gittleman recommends up to 5 mg of magnesium per pound of body weight daily, as tolerated. For someone weighing 150 pounds, that works out to 750 mg. [4]
Her recommendation is higher than the standard adult dietary guidelines of 310–320 mg for women and 400–420 mg for men, which include magnesium from food, drinks and supplements combined. Higher supplemental amounts should be individualized with professional guidance. [1]
How Do Calcium and Vitamin D Fit Into the Picture?
If you take calcium and vitamin D for your bones, magnesium deserves attention, too. It contributes to bone structure and participates in the processes that help your body use vitamin D. [1]
But there isn’t one calcium-to-magnesium ratio that everyone needs to follow. Your food intake, supplements and individual needs matter more than trying to make two numbers fit a universal formula.
Look at your whole routine. A calcium supplement, multivitamin and magnesium supplement may overlap. Bring the labels to your practitioner so you can review what you’re getting altogether.
What Makes Mag-Key Different?
The amount of magnesium matters, but so does the formula you choose. Turn the bottle around and look at which forms it contains.
Ann Louise Gittleman formulated UNI KEY’s Mag-Key with four forms of magnesium: glycinate, malate, taurinate and orotate, plus vitamin B6 as pyridoxal-5-phosphate, or P5P. [4,5]
Mag-Key brings these four forms together in one formula, providing magnesium to support normal muscle and nerve function, energy production and a healthy heart rhythm.*
Mag-Key
- ✓ Four highly absorbable forms of magnesium
- ✓ Supports relaxation, restful sleep, and energy production
- ✓ Helps support muscle, nerve, heart, and digestive health
What Should You Know Before Taking a Magnesium Supplement?
More isn’t always better. Supplemental magnesium can cause loose stools, nausea or abdominal cramping, especially at higher amounts. [1]
Magnesium can also interfere with the absorption of certain medicines, including some antibiotics and osteoporosis medications. Ask your pharmacist how to space them apart. If you have reduced kidney function, get medical guidance before supplementing because excess magnesium may accumulate. [1]
Give Magnesium a Place in Your Daily Routine
Start with your plate, check what your supplements actually provide, and ask about testing if you have ongoing concerns. You don’t have to wait for a confirmed deficiency to pay attention to your intake.
Looking for a magnesium supplement to help fill a nutritional gap? Explore Mag-Key’s four-form magnesium formula and see how it can fit into your daily routine.*
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you have magnesium deficiency with normal blood levels?
A normal serum result may not fully reflect magnesium stored in bones and other tissues. Your practitioner interprets the result alongside your diet, symptoms, medications and health history. No single test measures all your body’s magnesium stores. [1]
Is magnesium included in routine blood work?
Magnesium usually isn’t included in a standard comprehensive metabolic panel. Check your report for a separate magnesium result, or ask your healthcare provider whether it was measured. [2,3]
Can you get enough magnesium from food?
Not necessarily. Nuts, seeds, beans, leafy greens and whole grains are useful sources. A supplement may help when food intake falls short or your practitioner identifies another reason you need support. [1]
What forms of magnesium are in Mag-Key?
Mag-Key contains magnesium glycinate, malate, taurinate, and orotate, along with vitamin B6 as P5P. Check the current label for serving size, elemental magnesium content and directions. [5]
Sources and Further Reading
- NIH Office of Dietary Supplements: Magnesium—Health Professional Fact Sheet
- MedlinePlus: Magnesium Blood Test
- MedlinePlus: Comprehensive Metabolic Panel
- Ann Louise Gittleman: Why Magnesium Really Is a Miracle Mineral
- UNI KEY Health: Mag-Key Product Information
These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.
