Should you take magnesium for hypertension?

In this article:

• Magnesium and blood pressure
• Magnesium’s role in the body
• How does it work?
• Which type is best?
• Who might benefit the most?
• Is magnesium your blood pressure solution?
• FAQs

In this article

• Magnesium and blood pressure
• Magnesium’s role in the body
• How does it work?
• Which type is best?
• Who might benefit the most?
• Is magnesium your blood pressure solution?
• FAQs

High blood pressure (hypertension) is one of the most common health conditions in the U.S., affecting around half of all American adults. If you’re part of this group, you may already be working with a healthcare provider to treat and manage your blood pressure so it doesn’t negatively affect your health or increase your risk for a heart attack and stroke. This probably includes a combination of prescription medication and lifestyle changes, like weight loss and exercise.

However, some providers also recommend taking magnesium supplements to further lower blood pressure. Here’s what the research says about magnesium’s effects on blood pressure, plus what to consider before asking your provider about adding magnesium to your healthy heart regimen.

Can magnesium lower blood pressure?

The research is mixed on whether magnesium can lower blood pressure in a meaningful way. Some studies show that increased magnesium intake may help, but many studies are small or conducted in vastly different ways, making it hard to get consistent results.

• One meta-analysis found that magnesium supplementation for a minimum duration of 4 weeks lowered systolic blood pressure by a few mmHg in people with hypertension and magnesium deficiency, but noted the effects were subtle.
• According to another study, higher amounts of magnesium supplementation (between 500 and 1,000 milligrams per day) appear to lower blood pressure, but again, the studies and results are inconsistent due to confounding factors.
• One small study found that supplemental magnesium lowered blood pressure compared to a placebo in people with prediabetes, insulin resistance, Type 2 diabetes, and coronary artery disease (CAD).

Because of how differently the studies have been conducted and the wide range of results, it’s difficult to pinpoint the relationship between magnesium and hypertension or estimate how quickly supplementation might help you manage your blood pressure.

“Clinical studies show that the effects of magnesium on blood pressure—which can lower blood pressure by only a few points—takes weeks to months before [any] modest effects [may be] seen,” says William Li, MD, nutrition expert, researcher, and author of Eat To Beat Disease.

Magnesium’s role in the body

Magnesium is an essential mineral that benefits your body in many ways: it helps control your blood sugar, maintains a healthy, steady heart rate, and works with calcium to support your immune system and your nerves, muscles, and bones.

It’s found in many dietary sources, including avocados, nuts, beans, whole grains, and dairy and soy products. It’s also available in many different forms of supplementation, including magnesium citrate, magnesium taurate, and magnesium glycinate.  

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How does magnesium influence blood pressure?

Magnesium sends relaxation signals to your muscles and nerves, acting as a counterbalance for overstimulation and helping the body—including the cardiovascular system—reset its normal pace, according to Mary Van, Pharm.D., a pharmacist and nutritionist based in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. 

Because of these relaxing, regulating effects, magnesium can lower blood pressure in several different ways:

• It helps blood vessels relax and widen, which reduces blood pressure, per Dr. Li.
• It helps regulate your heart rhythm, keeping a healthy, steady beat.
• It may prevent insulin resistance, which is hypothesized to contribute to high blood pressure. 
• It prevents the body from retaining excess sodium and water, a process that increases your blood pressure, similar to how some diuretics work.
• It enhances the effects of nitric oxide in blood vessels, says Dr. Li, improving blood flow and supporting the repair and regeneration of the endothelial cells that line your blood vessels, thereby reducing the risk of endothelial dysfunction.
• It may enhance the effects of your hypertension medication.

Keep in mind that while magnesium can be beneficial to your heart and vascular system, taking supplemental magnesium is not a substitute for traditional hypertension medication management: “The effect is modest, and in no way is a first-line treatment for hypertension,” says Dr. Li.

Which type of magnesium is best for high blood pressure?

There are several types of supplemental magnesium available over-the-counter (OTC), and each one is formulated to be absorbed differently into your bloodstream. The variation in absorption allows each formulation to have different benefits for your body. So which one should you take for lower blood pressure?

“This may surprise you, but out of the 10 forms of magnesium, the best form is through food,” says Carlie Saint-Laurent Beaucejour, MS, registered dietitian and founder of Crave with Carlie. “Our body absorbs between 45% and 55% of the magnesium we consume from our diet.”

Many magnesium-rich foods, she adds—like pumpkin seeds, quinoa, spinach, and brazil nuts—are also good sources of fiber, potassium, antioxidants, and heart-healthy fats, which are all beneficial for blood pressure management, too. 

That said, if you can’t get enough dietary magnesium or want to take a supplement for maximum blood pressure support, Beaucejour suggests magnesium taurate or magnesium glycinate; they’re both highly absorbed into your bloodstream and are known to help support heart health.

Regardless of the type of supplemental magnesium, there’s a range of recommended amounts for managing hypertension. The recommended daily allowance (RDA) is 420 milligrams for men and 320 milligrams for women, says Beaucejour. 

However, many studies evaluating the effect of magnesium on hypertension use higher amounts, as much as 500 or 1,000 milligrams per day. If you’re deficient in magnesium or managing a health condition with supplemental magnesium, you may be able to take more than the RDA, but it’s important to only do this under the supervision of a healthcare provider.

Who might benefit most from magnesium for blood pressure?

There’s a lot we still don’t know about who might benefit from taking magnesium for blood pressure, or to what extent it could help. But some studies suggest it might be especially beneficial if you have hypertension and certain other health conditions, like magnesium deficiency, insulin-related disorders (like prediabetes and Type 2 diabetes), and chronic heart conditions like coronary artery disease (CAD). It may also be helpful for people with uncontrolled hypertension, who are taking antihypertensive medication but still struggling to keep their blood pressure in a healthy range.

Is magnesium your blood pressure solution?

High blood pressure is called the “silent killer” because it usually doesn’t cause symptoms until it becomes dangerous, causing organ damage and potentially fatal events like heart attack, heart failure, and stroke. Magnesium may help manage blood pressure, but only as part of a holistic treatment plan that includes other interventions and possibly hypertension medication.

You shouldn’t rely on magnesium alone to keep your blood pressure in check, but if you think you’re not getting enough magnesium, talk to your provider. Dr. Li says there are specific tests to assess whether your serum magnesium levels are deficient, which can help determine whether a supplement fits into your hypertension management plan.

Frequently asked questions about magnesium and blood pressure

Can I get too much magnesium?

You can, but it’s not common. Signs of magnesium toxicity include nausea, vomiting, flushing, low blood pressure, and irregular heartbeat, but Beaucejour says it’s difficult to consume a toxic amount of magnesium through dietary magnesium intake. While toxicity is more common with supplementation, most cases have been linked to exceedingly high doses of more than 5,000 milligrams per day. 

How long does it take for magnesium to affect blood pressure?

It’s hard to say because the research is inconsistent, but most studies have found it takes at least a few weeks, if not a few months, to have any positive effect.

Are there specific forms of magnesium that are best for blood pressure?

Magnesium taurate is generally considered the best form of this supplement for lowering blood pressure, but any well-absorbed form of magnesium may provide benefits.

Should I stop my blood pressure medication if I take magnesium?

Not necessary, but you should exercise caution and discuss it with your provider. According to Dr. Van, combining magnesium with blood pressure medicine at high doses can cause your medication to work “too well,” i.e.,  it could lower your blood pressure too much, leading to hypotension. This is partly because magnesium has its own blood pressure-lowering effects and also because it may enhance the effects of your medication. 

Is magnesium effective for all types of hypertension? 

Experts don’t know yet, but studies suggest many people in the early stages of hypertension could benefit from supplemental magnesium, especially if they have other health conditions like diabetes, magnesium deficiency, and heart disease.