Magnesium overdose: You should know these symptoms and dangers
Created: 08/30/2022, 15:18
The vital mineral magnesium must be supplied through food.
But in addition to a magnesium deficiency, there are also risks associated with an overdose.
Frankfurt – Magnesium is an essential mineral that the body depends on.
It has to be ingested through food because the body cannot produce it itself.
It is one of the micronutrients that keep our teeth and bones healthy - similar to calcium.
And it is also indispensable for the energy metabolism: the muscles need magnesium to work normally and it is also indispensable for the nerves.
A lack of magnesium can therefore lead to muscle cramps and fatigue.
But excess can also be dangerous.
In addition to a magnesium deficiency, there are also risks associated with an overdose.
(Iconic image) © Imago/ilze79
Magnesium deficiency: The fear of the consequences can lead to an overdose
It is true that an improvement in physical and mental functions can be achieved through magnesium intake, but only if there was a magnesium deficiency in the body beforehand.
According to the consumer advice center in Germany, this rarely occurs.
For fear of deficiency symptoms, health-conscious people often resort to magnesium-containing food supplements, which, according to consumer advice centers and the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR), are often overdosed.
The result can be a magnesium overdose with undesirable side effects.
Magnesium overdose: symptoms of magnesium excess
If too much magnesium has entered the body, the body first tries to compensate for the excess by excretion.
In some cases, however, this is not possible - symptoms of poisoning occur.
Magnesium poisoning is medically referred to as hypermagnesemia or magnesium excess.
The symptoms, from mild to severe, are:
Soft stool and diarrhea:
This is how the body excretes the magnesium it does not need.
At this stage, there is no dangerous excess of the mineral.
Nausea, vomiting, reddening of the skin and increased blood pressure:
If a very high single dose of magnesium has been taken or if, for example, the kidney function is restricted, the magnesium content in the blood can rise to a critical level.
From this point there is a magnesium excess (poisoning).
Caution:
Rapidly rising blood pressure can also trigger headaches, dizziness, shortness of breath, tremors, panic or nosebleeds in those affected.
Falling blood pressure, symptoms of paralysis, cardiac arrest:
In extreme cases, the excess magnesium in the blood can also paralyze the respiratory and cardiac muscles.
The latter can lead to cardiac arrest.
Source: Consumer Center, German Society for Nutrition (DGE)
Magnesium excess: symptoms, consequences and maximum daily intake
Overdoses of magnesium can have unpleasant consequences.
An additional magnesium intake of 300 milligrams or more per day can lead to diarrhea and gastrointestinal problems.
A dose of more than 2500 milligrams per day can even have very dangerous side effects such as drop in blood pressure, muscle weakness or cardiac arrest.
It is therefore essential to pay attention to the daily amount of magnesium contained in the product.
In addition, the consumer advice center and the BfR recommend dividing the intake into several portions throughout the day.
The German Society for Nutrition (DGE) only gives "estimated values for an appropriate intake" of magnesium per day.
It should be noted that
a total value is given here that includes the magnesium absorbed from food:
age | milligrams per day for males | milligrams per day for females |
|---|---|---|
Young people from 13 to under 15 years | 280 | 240 |
Young people from 15 to under 19 years | 330 | 260 |
Adults aged 19 and over | 350 | 300 |
pregnant women | (no information for transgender people) | 300 |
breastfeeding | (no information for transgender people) | 300 |
Source: DGE |
Magnesium often overdosed: 57 percent of the preparations exceed the maximum dose
A study by the consumer centers in October 2016 showed that 64 percent of the tested magnesium-containing food supplements contained a higher amount than the maximum daily dose in food supplements of 250 milligrams recommended by the Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR).
In the repeat study in 2020, it was still 57 percent.
According to a study by the Leibniz University of Hanover from 2015, the intake of food supplements "with rare exceptions" is not to be equated with an overdose.
However, magnesium is one of those rare exceptions.
As the study showed, more than 22 percent of people who use dietary supplements containing magnesium exceed the recommendation of a maximum of 250 milligrams of additional magnesium intake per day.
(Nadia Austel)
Editor's note
The information given in this article does not replace a visit to a doctor. Only experts can make the right diagnosis and initiate appropriate therapy. The intake of medication or dietary supplements should be discussed with a doctor beforehand.