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Dangers of a High Dosage of Magnesium
Magnesium is an essential mineral necessary for life. It plays a role in muscle contraction, enzyme function, energy production and transport and protein synthesis. You’ll find magnesium in dark green, leafy vegetables, nuts, seeds, legumes, soy, whole grains, avocados and dried apricots. It is rare to overdose on magnesium from these foods because the body removes excess amounts. However, high dosages from supplements or other substances can lead to certain dangers.
Toxicity Causes
Magnesium toxicity most often occurs from supplementation or from the use of laxatives. People who ingest magnesium supplements, including magnesium citrate, magnesium gluconate and magnesium lactate, or who consume large amounts of the laxatives milk of magnesia or Epsom salts may overdose, especially if they have kidney problems and cannot remove excess magnesium from the blood.
Side Effects
Risks of Magnesium Supplements
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High doses of magnesium can cause health concerns and lead to serious side effects. Common symptoms include diarrhea and an upset stomach. You may also develop nausea, vomiting, mental confusion and other mineral deficiencies. Also, magnesium competes with calcium for absorption. As a result, high doses of magnesium can prevent sufficient calcium absorption and lead to a calcium deficiency, which is implicated in diseases like osteoporosis.
- High doses of magnesium can cause health concerns and lead to serious side effects.
Serious Dangers
Another serious danger of magnesium toxicity is severely low blood pressure, termed hypotension. This state can lead to other dangers, including slowed heart rate, kidney function deterioration, respiratory distress or failure, coma, cardiac arrest and death.
Obstetric Dangers
Magnesium Supplements and Loose Bowels
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Magnesium sulfate is used to treat preterm labor and pre-eclampsia. According to the Institute for Safe Medicine Practices, patients suffered respiratory arrest after receiving overdoses. Furthermore, a study published in a 2004 issue of the "American Journal of Maternal Child Nursing" reports 52 cases of accidental overdoses in which patients experienced nausea, headaches, muscle weakness, blood pressure drops, respiratory distress, complete heart blocks and cardiac arrest 5. The fetus’ heart rate may also decrease.
- Magnesium sulfate is used to treat preterm labor and pre-eclampsia.
- According to the Institute for Safe Medicine Practices, patients suffered respiratory arrest after receiving overdoses.
Recommended Intake
To avoid these dangers, the Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine recommends a tolerable upper intake level of 350 milligrams per day for anyone over the age of 9. This level is the highest level likely to pose no harm or risk. For supplements, the University of Maryland Medical Center suggests that adolescent and adult males consume 270 to 400 milligrams daily, and females supplement with 280 to 300 milligrams 3. Consult a doctor for pediatric supplements.
- To avoid these dangers, the Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine recommends a tolerable upper intake level of 350 milligrams per day for anyone over the age of 9.
Related Articles
References
- Medline Plus: Magnesium in Diet
- Linus Pauling Institute, Oregon State University: Magnesium
- University of Maryland Medical Center: Magnesium
- Merck Manuals: Disorders of Magnesium Concentration
- "The American Journal of Maternal/Child Nursing"; Kathleen Simpson, Ph.D. and Eric Knox, M.D.; 2004
- Rodríguez-Morán M, Guerrero-Romero F. Oral Magnesium Supplementation Improves Insulin Sensitivity and Metabolic Control in Type 2 Diabetic Subjects: A randomized double-blind controlled trial. Diabetes Care.2003 Apr;26(4):1147-52. doi:10.2337/diacare.26.4.1147
- Office of Dietary Supplements/National Institutes of Health. Magnesium: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals. Bethesda, Maryland; updated July 11, 2019.
- Kass LS, Poeira F. The effect of acute vs chronic magnesium supplementation on exercise and recovery on resistance exercise, blood pressure and total peripheral resistance on normotensive adults. J Int Soc Sports Nut. 2015;12:19. doi:10.1186/s12970-015-0081-z
- Morais JBS, Severo JS, de Alencar GRR, et al. Effect of magnesium supplementation on insulin resistance in humans: A systematic review. Nutrition. 2017 Jun;38:54-60. doi:10.1016/j.nut.2017.01.009
- Rosanoff A, Weaver CM, Rude RK. Suboptimal magnesium status in the United States: are the health consequences underestimated? Nutr Rev. 2012 Mar;70(3):153-64. doi:10.1111/j.1753-4887.2011.00465.x
- Zhang X, Li Y, Del Gobbo LC, et al. Effects of Magnesium Supplementation on Blood Pressure: A Meta-Analysis of Randomized Double-Blind Placebo-Controlled Trials. Hypertension. 2016;68:324-33. doi:10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.116.07664
Writer Bio
Danna Biala began writing professionally in 2010. She is completing her master’s degree in applied physiology and nutrition from Columbia University and is currently interning to become a registered dietitian. Biala holds a Bachelor of Science in biochemistry from Brandeis University.