Magnesium for Weight Loss: 6 Possible Benefits to Consider

Magnesium is among many supplements regularly marketed for weight loss and energy. We get it. It’s hard to keep track of them all, let alone discern which vitamins and minerals to prioritize. If you’re wondering about magnesium for weight loss, you’ve come to the right place.

Magnesium is an essential mineral that helps regulate many bodily functions. While it probably won’t directly impact your weight loss journey, it may help support your other efforts.

Magnesium plays a role in muscle activity, protein production, blood sugar levels, and, indirectly, body weight.

Ahead, we’ll explore the potential connection between magnesium and weight loss. We’ll also walk you through the best ways to get more magnesium and talk about how the mineral might help contribute to weight loss.

Research shows magnesium helps over 300 enzymes in the body do their jobs correctly. In other words, it does a lot of important behind-the-scenes work.

Because your body doesn’t naturally produce it, you’ll want to make sure you’re getting enough from food (more on this below). Some people also take magnesium supplements for an extra boost.

Where does weight loss come in? While there’s a link between magnesium and weight management, it’s indirect.

Research on magnesium supplements and their impact on weight loss is pretty minimal. Your best bet for sustained weight loss is a combination of good nutrition, exercise, sleep, and hydration.

Still, boosting your magnesium levels with food and supplements might help support your weight management efforts.

So, does magnesium help you lose weight? Not directly.

But it’s connected to many processes that play a role in managing weight. Magnesium may support weight loss by:

• Helping regulate blood sugar levels

• Supporting metabolic function

• Reducing inflammation

• Managing cortisol levels

• Improving sleep quality

• Supporting muscle function

Keep scrolling for details.

1. Magnesium May Regulate Blood Sugar Levels

Insulin is a hormone produced in the pancreas and released after meals to help regulate blood sugar levels. It helps your body transform the food you eat into glucose (blood sugar) to be used as energy.

Eating too many sugary foods or not having enough insulin might make it harder to break down glucose properly. Among other things, this can lead to weight gain because your body starts to store excess glucose as fat instead of using it as energy to burn.

So, where does magnesium come in? One animal study suggested that magnesium might help the body produce and use the right amount of insulin.

And according to one meta-analysis, getting more magnesium from food can significantly reduce your risk of developing type 2 diabetes — a condition often accompanied by insulin resistance.

So even though the relationship between magnesium and weight loss needs to be studied further, higher magnesium levels seem to correlate with a more efficient metabolism.

2. Magnesium May Support Metabolic Function

Without enough magnesium, your metabolism might not function as well. This is because magnesium sparks a few processes that help your body break down sugar and carbohydrates to convert them into energy.

So although magnesium itself doesn’t metabolize sugar and carbs, it does help initiate the process.

Some people have faster metabolic rates, meaning they burn more calories and store less fat, while others have slower ones. A fast metabolism essentially means your body is efficient at breaking down foods so they can be used for energy.

When weight loss is the goal, your metabolism will ideally burn more calories instead of storing excess sugar as fat. Conversely, accumulating more fat and burning fewer calories can lead to weight gain. So supporting your metabolism with healthy foods and habits is key to weight management.

Magnesium is just one element of metabolic function.

3. Magnesium May Reduce Inflammation

Magnesium deficiencies have been linked to higher levels of inflammation.

Inflammation happens when your body is fighting off an infection or healing from an injury — or if you’re tired or dehydrated. Some conditions, including autoimmune disorders and low magnesium levels, can also cause chronic inflammation.

Inflammation may not always be visible on the surface, but it occasionally leads to swelling, bloating, and puffiness. Besides pain and discomfort, chronic inflammation is linked to other serious health conditions — as one meta-analysis points out, it’s associated with obesity and metabolic dysfunction.

Here’s where magnesium comes in: The same meta-analysis suggested that increasing your magnesium intake with supplements to bring your magnesium levels back to a healthier baseline might help reduce inflammation.

More studies are needed to understand the real value of magnesium supplements, but the existing research is somewhat promising.

4. Magnesium May Help Manage Cortisol Levels

Cortisol, also known as the “stress hormone,” is released when you’re feeling — you guessed it — stressed. Raised cortisol levels are linked with increased appetite (i.e., “stress eating”).

If this happens consistently enough, it can lead to weight gain.

Some research suggests that higher magnesium levels can help lower cortisol levels when you’re feeling stressed. In that sense, it might help regulate appetite.

5. Magnesium May Improve Sleep

One study found that people with higher magnesium levels slept better and had less body fat.

Better, higher-quality shut-eye has also been associated with healthier levels of the hunger hormones leptin (which helps you feel full) and ghrelin (which makes you hungry).

Specifically, one study found that sleep restriction (regularly sleeping roughly five hours a night) was linked to lower leptin levels and raised ghrelin.

In other words, a lack of sleep was associated with a significantly higher appetite. This can make it hard to control cravings and stop eating even when you’ve had enough food.

And it goes both ways: Poor sleep quality is connected to weight gain.

So, magnesium might indirectly impact weight loss efforts by helping you get a better night’s sleep.

6. Magnesium May Help Muscles Function

Magnesium for weight loss could be helpful in the sense that the mineral supports physical fitness. The line between magnesium, muscle function, and weight loss is really thin, but here’s how they might be connected:

• Magnesium (together with potassium) plays a role in muscle contraction and relaxation. Basically, it helps muscles relax by blocking calcium from binding with proteins that cause them to contract.

• When your muscles contract too much or for too long, you’ll get cramps and spasms. Ever had a Charley horse wake you up in the middle of the night? Not fun. Besides being painful, cramping from overuse — which is common in athletes — can lead to injury.

• Building and maintaining muscles is an important element of weight management. Why? Muscle cells burn more calories than fat cells (and thus, help burn fat). Put simply, increasing your muscle mass through strength training could help boost your metabolism.

It’s a good idea to support your muscles with various nutrients, including magnesium.

That said, research on how well magnesium supplements can actually prevent cramping is mixed. One older study implied they might help, and another found no benefit.

Wondering which magnesium for weight loss is best? The best way to manage magnesium levels is by eating nutritious foods.

Having said that, there are a few types of magnesium supplements, and some are more effective than others:

• Magnesium citrate. This form of magnesium is absorbed by the body quickly and easily, so it’s considered the most effective. In supplement form, it’s bound with citric acid, but it can be naturally found in oranges, grapefruit, and bananas.

• Magnesium chloride. This type of magnesium is usually sold as a capsule. It contains chlorine and absorbs relatively well in the digestive tract.

• Magnesium oxide. This form of magnesium doesn’t absorb well in the body (which also means it’s less effective). But it’s easy to manufacture, so you’ll often see it in capsules.

According to the National Health Service, men need 300 milligrams of magnesium daily, while women need 270 milligrams to reap the health benefits.

One review of research found that those who supplemented with 50 to 400 milligrams of magnesium a day lost slightly more weight than those who didn’t. But this was generally only true for folks with certain health conditions, like diabetes, obesity, and magnesium deficiency.

Despite being such an essential mineral, about 50 percent of Americans get less than the recommended daily amount of magnesium.

It’s helpful to know what signs point to lower levels so you can make a concerted effort to increase your magnesium intake.

Some signs of low levels of magnesium include:

• Muscle cramps and weakness

• More intense premenstrual syndrome (PMS)

• Fatigue

• Constipation

• Irregular heartbeat

Having lower magnesium levels doesn’t necessarily mean you have a magnesium deficiency.

Low magnesium levels have been linked with weight gain and an increased risk of obesity, along with type 2 diabetes and heart health issues like high blood pressure. If you’re concerned you might be deficient, it’s best to consult a healthcare provider to see if something else could be going on — and figure out how to treat it.

Generally, a multivitamin is the easiest way to get more vitamins in one swallow (or chew, if it’s in gummy form).

Look for something containing these vitamins and minerals if you’re looking to add dietary supplements to your weight loss routine:

• Vitamin A

• Vitamin B12

• Vitamin C

• Vitamin D

Getting enough magnesium from food and taking magnesium supplements for an extra kick is just one small part of the equation.

Though they can help, some people might need something that more effectively curbs appetite and minimizes cravings, like prescription weight loss pills or injections.

Weight Loss Medications

If you haven’t noticed any weight loss (or you’ve experienced weight gain) despite making major improvements to your diet and exercise routine, you may want to talk to a healthcare provider about weight loss medication.

Your provider may suggest some of the options below.

Weight loss pills:

• Metformin

• Topamax® (topiramate)

• Contrave® (naltrexone-bupropion)

• Rybelsus® (semaglutide)

• Xenical® (orlistat)

• Qsymia® (phentermine-topiramate)

Weight loss injections:

• Mounjaro® or Zepbound® (tirzepatide)

• Ozempic® or Wegovy® (semaglutide)

• Saxenda® or Victoza® (liraglutide)

Explore weight loss medications on our telehealth platform.

Though magnesium supplements might help boost metabolic function and improve sleep, they won’t be a one-and-done fix.

Experts encourage a holistic approach if you’re looking to improve health habits or lose weight. This isn’t breaking news, but eating more mindfully and getting plenty of exercise are considered the most effective weight loss strategies.

Eat a Healthy Diet

The Dietary Guidelines for Americans recommends limiting red and processed meats, sugary drinks and foods, and refined grains.

Instead, focus on eating more:

• Vegetables

• Fruits

• Legumes

• Whole grains

• Low- or nonfat dairy

• Lean meats and poultry

• Seafood

• Nuts

• Unsaturated vegetable oils

You can increase your magnesium intake by eating more of these magnesium-rich foods:

• Whole grains, like quinoa, brown rice, and oatmeal

• Leafy greens, like arugula, kale, and spinach

• Nuts, especially almonds and cashews, and seeds (like chia and pumpkin seeds)

• Beans

• Dark chocolate

• Fish

• Fermented foods, like yogurt

Last but certainly not least, make sure you’re drinking plenty of water. Staying hydrated is critical for weight loss and general wellness. Working with a dietitian to come up with a tailored meal plan never hurts, either.

Get Plenty of Exercise

Physical activity is another vital part of weight management. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) recommends getting:

• At least two and a half hours of moderate-intensity activity spread over the course of a week

• Or 75 minutes to two and a half hours of vigorous-intensity activity each week

• And some muscle-strengthening activity a couple of days a week

Also, you might need even more magnesium if you’re working out a lot and sweating a ton.

Does magnesium help you lose belly fat? Not directly.

There isn’t currently a ton of strong data suggesting that magnesium supplements alone will result in significant weight loss. But the mineral supports a variety of bodily functions — and when your body’s working properly, it’ll have an easier time losing weight.

Here’s what to keep in mind about magnesium for weight loss:

• Achieving and maintaining a healthy weight can take substantial time and effort. There are many moving parts, and having healthy levels of magnesium in your body is just one of them.

• Weight loss is best tackled holistically. Everything from nutrition and exercise to sleep, hydration, and, in some cases, medication should be considered. Supplements are just another thing to keep in your proverbial toolkit!

Do a quick online assessment to see if weight loss medication might be right for your needs.