To supplement or not to supplement?

Medication: Magnesium supplementation may be needed with special health challenges which may cause an excessive loss of magnesium or may limit magnesium absorption. Some medicines may result in magnesium deficiency, including certain diuretics, antibiotics, and medications used to treat cancer. Be sure to consult with your doctor about magnesium supplementation.

Magnesium and diabetes: Individuals with poorly controlled diabetes may benefit from magnesium supplements because of increased magnesium loss in urine associated with hyperglycaemia. Magnesium plays an important role in carbohydrate metabolism, influencing the release and activity of insulin, the hormone that helps control blood-sugar levels. The increased loss of magnesium in urine may then result in lower blood levels of magnesium. In older adults, correcting magnesium depletion may improve insulin response and action.

Alcoholism: Alcoholics may need magnesium supplements because of low blood levels. Anyone who substitutes alcohol for food will usually have significantly lower magnesium intakes.

PMS: Magnesium combined with vitamin B6 can relieve food cravings and mood swings, bloatedness and breast tenderness associated with premenstrual syndrome (PMS).

Malabsorptive problems: Individuals with chronic malabsorptive problems such as Crohn's disease, gluten-sensitive enteropathy, regional enteritis, and surgery may lose magnesium through diarrhoea and fat. Individuals with these conditions may need supplemental magnesium.

Potassium and calcium deficiency: Individuals with chronically low blood levels of potassium and calcium may have an underlying problem with magnesium deficiency. Magnesium supplements may help correct the potassium and calcium deficiencies.

Ageing: Older adults are at increased risk for magnesium deficiency. In addition, magnesium absorption decreases and renal excretion of magnesium increases in older adults. Seniors are also more likely to be taking drugs that interact with magnesium. This combination of factors places older adults at risk for magnesium deficiency (Institute of Medicine). It is very important for older adults to get recommended amounts of dietary magnesium.