Magnesium is a mineral and electrolyte with numerous functions. According to the University of Michigan Health System, or UMHS, magnesium helps you form bone, protein, fatty acids and new cells. Insulin release also depends on magnesium. Supplemental magnesium tablets are sometimes used to treat certain medical conditions. Magnesium supplements can cause unwanted side effects and interact with medications. Please consult with your physician before taking magnesium supplements to address dietary or health concerns.
Heart Problems
According to the UMHS, there is "reliable and relatively consistent scientific data" to indicate that magnesium helps people with congestive heart failure and cardiac arrhythmia. Magnesium helps regulate your heart's rhythm, explains the University of Maryland Medical Center, or UMMC. Doctors may prescribe it intravenously for people with congestive heart failure, who are prone to an irregular heartbeat. When used to treat heart attack survivors, study results have been mixed with respect to the efficacy of magnesium, says the UMMC. However, magnesium and calcium must be used in a careful balance when used for treating heart conditions; don't take magnesium tablets without your doctor's consent if you have a history of heart disease.
Diabetes Prevention
There's also good evidence to suggest that supplemental magnesium provides a health benefit to people at risk for diabetes, states the UMHS. People with type 2 diabetes tend to have low levels of magnesium, according to the UMMC. One large study suggests that magnesium supplements can help prevent this type of diabetes. Other studies examining magnesium as a treatment for diabetes and pre-diabetes yield mixed results as to its efficacy at controlling blood sugar levels and insulin sensitivity.
Migraine Headaches
Like people with diabetes, those who get migraine headaches also tend to have lower levels of magnesium. According to the UMMC, some studies indicate that supplemental magnesium can prevent or reduce the duration of migraines. However, magnesium may be of benefit to people who suffer only a few migraines a month, according to UMMC, as research suggests that the mineral isn't as effective as prescription medications for chronic migraine sufferers.
High Blood Pressure
Magnesium is used to treat pregnant women with preeclampsia -- a sudden, precipitous rise in blood pressure during the last trimester that can sometimes cause seizures. However, the results of clinical studies on supplemental magnesium to treat high blood pressure are mixed, says the UMMC. Diets that include abundant sources magnesium, calcium and potassium, such as the Dietary Approaches to Stop Hypertension, or DASH Diet, have a proven track record of lowering blood pressure. However, the Office of Dietary Supplements, or ODS, explains that the variety of contributing factors involved in such diets -- such as low sodium and high fiber -- make it difficult to study magnesium independently.
Other
Magnesium supplements are sometimes used by people with alcoholism or chronic malabsorption disorders or those who take medications that cause magnesium deficiency, says the ODS. Older adults whose bodies lack the ability to absorb dietary magnesium may also benefit from supplements as well. If you're concerned that you may not be getting the magnesium you need, talk to your treating physician before taking dietary supplements.
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