Magnesium chloride is a mineral supplement sold under the brand names Slow-Mag, Mag Delay, Chloromag and others. You might take magnesium chloride as a magnesium supplement to treat a deficiency, or to support overall health and growth. Magnesium chloride supplements aren't appropriate for everyone, so consult your doctor before you begin taking magnesium chloride or any other type of magnesium supplement.
Function
Magnesium is a mineral that's essential to many different important functions in your body, including supporting healthy teeth and bones, activating certain enzymes, and producing energy, according to the University of Maryland Medical Center. Magnesium also helps your body to regulate levels of various nutrients, including vitamin D, zinc, copper and potassium. In addition to magnesium chloride, the mineral supplement also comes in the forms of magnesium citrate, oxide, gluconate and pyrrolidone carboxylic acid, notes the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Aside from supplements, you can get magnesium from your diet by eating foods like meats, whole grains, nuts and vegetables, particularly green leafy vegetables.
Benefits
Magnesium chloride is most beneficial for treating magnesium deficiencies or low magnesium levels in your body, according to the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Magnesium deficiencies can cause anxiety, insomnia, restless leg syndrome, muscle spasms, low blood pressure, heart arrhythmias, nausea and vomiting, hyperventilation, and seizures, says the University of Maryland Medical Center. You can develop a magnesium deficiency due to a poor diet, gastrointestinal ailments like irritable bowel syndrome or ulcerative colitis, kidney disease, pancreatitis, diabetes and hyperthyroidism. Stress, excessive sweating, heavy menstruation, diuretics and too much salt, alcohol or coffee intake can also reduce your magnesium levels.
Potential
Magnesium chloride supplementation may also have the potential to help in treating asthma when it's inhaled through a nebulizer or administered intravenously, says the University of Maryland Medical Center. Health benefits are also seen with magnesium chloride in people with fibromyalgia, diabetes, hearing loss, osteoporosis, hypertension, migraines, premenstrual syndrome or PMS, pre-eclampsia and heart problems like heart failure or arrhythmias. Magnesium chloride could also offer treatment benefits if you have cardiovascular disease, glaucoma, muscle pain or chronic fatigue syndrome, notes the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Talk with your doctor before taking magnesium chloride for any health condition.
Warning
Don't take magnesium chloride before first consulting your health care provider if you have a nerve disease, heart disease, kidney disease or myasthenia gravis, warns the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center. Magnesium chloride can inhibit the absorption of certain other medications and supplements, so you should take it at least two hours before or after taking other pills. Specifically, magnesium supplements can inhibit the absorption of digoxin, nitrofurantion, tetracyclines, neuromuscular blockers, folate and iron, cautions the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center. Diarrhea is the most common side effect of taking magnesium chloride. The supplement may also cause nausea, vomiting and cramps.
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