Magnesium oxide is a nutritional supplement that boosts the body's levels of magnesium, a naturally occurring element listed on the periodic table of elements. The National Library of Medicine reports that magnesium controls the expansion and contraction of muscles, assists with the production and synthesis of protein and the transport of that protein to muscles as energy.
Laxative
Prior to surgery or other medical procedures, doctors will often prescribe a laxative to promote the rapid elimination of waste in the bowels. Magnesium oxide, according to Consumer Reports Health, is often times the laxative of choice used by doctors to void the body of feces.
Acid Indigestion and Heartburn
Doctors have directed patients to take magnesium oxide as a non-traditional treatment for heartburn and sour stomach. The oxidized metal is ingested in the form of a tablet, according to the National Library of Medicine, and neutralizes the stomach acids and resulting symptoms.
Restoration of Magnesium Levels
Magnesium deficiency, or hypomagnesemia, can be the result of poor diet related to alcoholism, poor functioning kidneys and disorders including Crohn's and celiac diseases. Taking magnesium oxide to restore magnesium levels may allay migraines, high blood pressure and assist in the treatment of arrythmia, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center.
Maintaining Blood Pressure
A 2007 article published in the Archives of Biomedical Biophyisics cites numerous studies to suggest magnesium oxide intake as a treatment for hypertension. One particular study, published in the journal Molecular Aspects of Medicine, stated that "a magnesium-rich diet should be encouraged in the prevention of hypertension."
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