If you’re evaluating this as a health headline, there is a legitimate safety issue, but “new warning” may overstate it. The two groups that deserve particular caution are people with impaired kidney function and older adults, especially those with reduced kidney function or taking multiple medications. Healthy kidneys normally remove excess magnesium, while impaired kidneys can allow magnesium to accumulate.
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Why magnesium supplements can sometimes be risky
Kidney disease: The kidneys are responsible for clearing excess magnesium. People with significant kidney impairment are therefore more susceptible to hypermagnesemia (too much magnesium in the blood), particularly with high-dose supplements or magnesium-containing laxatives/antacids.
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Older adults: Aging can reduce kidney function and older adults are also more likely to take several medicines, increasing the possibility of interactions or excessive magnesium exposure.
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High doses can cause problems even without kidney disease: Excess supplemental magnesium commonly causes diarrhea, nausea and abdominal cramping. The NIH sets an adult upper limit of 350 mg/day of magnesium from supplements and medications, unless a healthcare professional recommends otherwise. This limit does not apply to magnesium naturally present in food.
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What to do before taking a supplement
Check the elemental magnesium amount on the label rather than simply looking at the total weight of the magnesium compound. If you have kidney disease, are older and take multiple medications, or regularly use magnesium-containing laxatives or antacids, it is sensible to ask a doctor or pharmacist whether supplementation is appropriate.
And don’t assume that because magnesium is a mineral, more is better. Getting magnesium from foods is generally much less concerning than taking unnecessary high-dose supplements.
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If someone taking a large amount of magnesium develops marked weakness, confusion, low blood pressure, difficulty breathing, or an abnormal heartbeat, they need urgent medical assessment because severe magnesium toxicity can be dangerous.
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