Do you need to take magnesium supplements?

The best way to get enough of the mineral is to eat more magnesium-rich foods

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NEW YORK - Magnesium supplements are said to help with a long list of ailments: sleep problems, migraine headaches, depression, high blood pressure, muscle cramps and constipation. One wellness coach on TikTok went so far as to say that "to be a functioning member of society", everyone should be taking them.

The premise that this essential mineral can treat such a wide range of issues rests on the idea that many people are deficient in it. But is that true? And will replenishing your body's magnesium solve your health problems?

Experts give their take on whether the claims hold up to scientific scrutiny.

HOW COMMON IS MAGNESIUM DEFICIENCY?

Most people in the United States do not have a serious magnesium deficiency, said Dr. Edward Saltzman, an associate professor at the Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University. If they did, he added, they would have noticeable symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, numbness, tingling, seizures and abnormal heart rhythms.

But national diet surveys do suggest that at least half of people in the US are not meeting federal recommendations - at least 310 or 320mg of magnesium a day for women who are not pregnant, depending on their age; and at least 400 or 420mg for men, also depending on age.

Not consuming enough magnesium could have subtler, slower-burning consequences, Dr. Saltzman said.

Researchers have found correlations, for instance, between consuming less magnesium and health conditions such as Type 2 diabetes, stroke, cardiovascular disease, bone fractures, migraine headaches and poor sleep - though they have not proven causation.