Magnesium Citrate For Constipation: How This Key Mineral Gets Your Gut Going
Many people experience occasional constipation, and its usually not a cause for concern.
However, constipation can be uncomfortable or even painful. If you struggle with constipation, you may find relief by supplementing your diet with magnesium citrate.
Read on to learn more about how you can use magnesium citrate for constipation.
What Other Information Should I Know
Ask your pharmacist any questions you have about magnesium hydroxide.
It is important for you to keep a written list of all of the prescription and nonprescription medicines you are taking, as well as any products such as vitamins, minerals, or other dietary supplements. You should bring this list with you each time you visit a doctor or if you are admitted to a hospital. It is also important information to carry with you in case of emergencies.
Relieves Muscle Pain And Cramping
Not having enough magnesium available to our muscles can cause muscle spasms that often lead to pain, cramping or twitching. Taking a supplement can help muscles to contract and relax normally. If you experience painful or uncomfortable PMS symptoms, the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology recommends magnesium to relieve bloating , breast tenderness, and mood changes.
Recommended Reading: How Do You Calm An Ibs Flare Up
Magnesium Citrate For Constipation: Why Does It Work
Weve been talking about magnesium citrate as a potential solution for helping relieve constipation, but how does it actually work?
Well, magnesium citrate is something called an osmotic laxative, meaning it helps your bowels to relax while drawing more water in your intestines. This water then helps to soften and bulk your stool together, linked to easier bowel movements.
Caution For Taking Magnesium
You might decide to take magnesium for your constipation and that may be a good idea but do take the right steps before you do it:
Magnesium is excreted through the kidneys so the dosage should be monitored in those who have chronic kidney disease.
If you are going to take magnesium supplements, you would want to stay under 1000 mg magnesium oxide daily and make sure you dont take laxatives at the same time. The high doses of magnesium in combination with the laxatives contributed to chronic kidney disease.
You would know you are taking too much magnesium if you experience diarrhea, doctors at Baylor University Medical Center in Dallas, TX reported in the New England Journal of Medicine.
Read Also: Can Probiotics Heal Leaky Gut
Why Is This Medication Prescribed
Magnesium hydroxide is used to treat occasional constipation in children and adults on a short-term basis. Magnesium hydroxide is in a class of medications called saline laxatives. It works by causing water to be retained with the stool. This increases the number of bowel movements and softens the stool so it is easier to pass.
Can Magnesium Help With Constipation
If youve been making regular trips to the bathroom without much actually happening once you get there, you might be constipated, but youre certainly not alone. Around 4 million people in the U.S. suffer from frequent constipation, and many more experience the discomfort on an occasional basis . Constipation happens when bowel movements pass too slowly through the digestive tract, allowing more water to be absorbed and hardening the stool, Dr. Joshua Russell of Legacy-GoHealth Urgent Care told Womens Health.
For help with occasional constipation, many people turn to magnesium supplements for help. Magnesium is a mineral that plays an important role in bone health and cell function, as well as various other vital processes . Its been used for decades as a gentle and relatively safe laxative, but studies in recent years have pinpointed exactly how it works. The details of its function may surprise you.
You May Like: What To Eat If You Have A Leaky Gut
What Does Magnesium Citrate Do For The Body
There are a number of magnesium citrate benefits for the body, most of which revolve around your intestines.
For example, before surgery or bowel procedures, such as colonoscopies or radiography, many doctors recommend a magnesium citrate dosage for bowel cleansing.
This helps to remove any stool from your intestines, giving experts a clean and clear view of your intestines.
In the same way, magnesium citrate constipation relief is often used. How does it work? Well, magnesium citrate increases water in the intestines which supports the passing of stool.
However, the magnesium citrate laxative effect is quite strong, and although a natural alternative, it is recommended that you begin with milder options such as stool softeners and bulk-forming laxatives before trying a magnesium citrate solution.
Risks Side Effects And Interactions
Magnesium citrate may have a laxative effect in some cases when taken in high doses but is otherwise considered safe for most people.
That said, its possible for magnesium citrate side effects to occur, especially if you take a high dose for an extended period of time. Magnesium citrate side effects may include:
- Dehydration symptoms/loss of too much body water
- Diarrhea
- Abdominal pain, gas and nausea
- Weakness
- Rarely, serious side effects like slow/irregular heartbeat, mental/mood changes, persistent diarrhea, severe/persistent stomach/abdominal pain, bloody stools, rectal bleeding, decreased urination and allergic reactions
You dont want to use magnesium citrate too often because this can wind up causing dependence on the product and loss of normal bowel function . People who abuse laxatives, including magnesium citrate, may not be able to have normal bowel movement without using the product after some time.
You also shouldnt take magnesium citrate or other laxatives if youre taking antibiotics, especially tetracycline/quinolone. If you need to take both, take them at least two hours apart. If you have any of the following medical conditions, talk to your doctor before you start taking magnesium citrate: kidney disease, GI issues that last longer than two weeks, frequent stomach pains, nausea, vomiting, or if youve been told to follow a low-magnesium or low-potassium diet.
Read Also: What Does The Word Microbiome Mean
How To Test Magnesium Levels
The most common way to evaluate magnesium levels is to order a serum magnesium test. However, this does not give us an accurate picture of your whole magnesium status, because only an estimated 1 percent of magnesium in the body is found in the blood .
Additionally, the body tightly regulates magnesium levels in the blood by pulling from stores in your bones and other tissues when dietary intake of magnesium is inadequate. This means that your blood levels will be the last place to show a deficiency. By this point, your symptoms could be very serious.
Subclinical magnesium deficiency, however, may be more common, affecting up to 30 percent of people . Subclinical means that your blood magnesium levels may appear to be normal even though you have an underlying magnesium deficiency .
A more accurate way to test magnesium status is to look at the amount of magnesium in your red blood cells. This way, we can evaluate the levels of magnesium in your cells and identify subclinical magnesium deficiency before your blood values even begin to drop. A normal range for RBC magnesium is 4.2 6.8 mg/dL, however, its important to work with a functional medicine doctor to determine an optimal range for you.
Consider Natural Calm Magnesium Citrate For Constipation
Chronically constipated individuals have been led to believe that their only choice in prevention and relief is a fiber supplementone that can potentially lead to more trouble if an inadequate volume of water is consumed, says Andrea Bartels, Registered Nutritional Therapist. Alternatively, the use of inferior magnesium products as laxatives can lead to sudden and urgent bathroom trips that interrupt your workday. Theres a better way.
One of the biggest benefits of magnesium citrate supplementation is that it can keep us regular naturally, without having to use over-the-counter laxatives.
Award-winning Natural Calm® magnesium citrate powder is an easily-absorbable magnesium supplement that is gentle on gentle on your digestive system. Try it today to relieve the discomfort and stress of constipation symptoms.
Get the best of the Stay Calm blog sent to your inbox
You May Like: Can Anxiety Give You Heartburn
How Can You Use Magnesium Citrate To Treat Constipation
You can often treat occasional constipation with over-the-counter medications or supplements, such as magnesium citrate.
This supplement is an osmotic laxative, which means it relaxes your bowels and pulls water into your intestines. The water helps soften and bulk up your stool, which makes it easier to pass.
Magnesium citrate is relatively gentle. It shouldnt cause urgency or emergency bathroom trips, unless you take too much of it. You can find it at many drug stores, and you dont need a prescription to purchase it.
Your doctor may also prescribe magnesium citrate to help you prepare for certain medical procedures, such as colonoscopies.
- an allergic reaction, which may cause hives, trouble breathing, or other symptoms
- nervous system issues, which may cause confusion or depression
- cardiovascular issues, such as low blood pressure or irregular heartbeat
- metabolic issues, such as hypocalcemia or hypomagnesemia
If you experience any of these side effects, stop taking magnesium citrate and call your doctor right away.
How Can Magnesium Glycinate Help Constipation
Magnesium is an essential mineral critical for muscle and nerve function. Magnesium essentially helps us to relax! So, it goes without saying that this may also help us relax our bowels, encouraging movement and re-establishing your regularity.
Some forms of magnesium, such as sulfate and carbonate, are poorly absorbed, which can lead to digestive issues such as diarrhoea. Though, a more absorbable form, like glycinate, can actually be a more effective form in relieving constipation.
Magnesium glycinate is attached to a small amino acid, glycine. This results in more magnesium being absorbed into the bloodstream, thus benefitting the neuromuscular system and regulating bowel function.
Recommended Reading: Do Crackers Help With Diarrhea
Types Of Magnesium Supplements
Magnesium supplements are most effective when combined with organic compounds or amino acids. Magnesium on its own is difficult for the body to absorb, so combining it with something else makes for easier transportation through the relevant channels, and for effective absorption.
The bonding of magnesium to different compounds results in different effects on the body.
What Type Of Magnesium Helps With Pooping
You can often treat occasional constipation with over-the-counter drugs or supplements, such as magnesium citrate. This supplement is an osmotic laxative, which means it relaxes your bowels and draws water into your intestines. The water helps to soften and bulk up your stool, making it easier to pass.
Magnesium citrate is a very mild form of magnesium citrate. If you take too much of it, it wont cause urgency or emergency bathroom trips. Many drug stores carry it, and you dont need a prescription to buy it. Magnes citrate can also be used by your doctor to help you prepare for certain medical procedures, such as colonoscopies.
Who can safely use magnesium citrate? Magnesium citrate is safe for most people in appropriate doses, but some people should avoid using it. Before taking magnesium citrate, consult with your doctor, especially if you have: kidney disease stomach pains nausea vomiting A sudden change in your bowel habits that has been on hold for more than a week Magnesium citrate can also interact with certain medications. For example, if youre taking certain medications to treat HIV, magnesium citrate can prevent these drugs from functioning properly. If magnesium citrate is interfering with any medications or supplements that youre taking, ask your doctor.
Don’t Miss: How To Treat Puppy Diarrhea
Magnesium: A Nourishing Alternative To Popular Laxatives
Chronically constipated individuals have been led to believe that their only choice in prevention and relief is a fibre supplementâone that can potentially lead to more trouble if an inadequate volume of water is consumed. Alternatively, the use of inferior magnesium products as laxatives can lead to sudden and urgent bathroom trips that interrupt your work day. Theres a better way.
Constipation is the infrequent or incomplete evacuation of stool, infrequent meaning less than once per day. You feel bloated, heavy, lethargic, irritable and plugged up. Straining to have a bowel movement with the result being rabbit pellets, a hard, dark sinker, or often, nothing to show for your effortsâ is no ones idea of time well spent!
Not only is constipation discomfortingâit can also contribute to weight gain, lack of appetite, GERD, high cholesterol, general malaise, hemorrhoids and loss of productivity, to name a few.
From my observations in clients within my nutritional consulting practice, the biggest contributors to constipation are:
- Inadequate fruit and vegetable consumption
- Low fluid intake
Magnesium: the Nutritious Antidote for Constipation
Will I have diarrhea?
Why supplement?
Youll love these side effects
Dont trade one symptom for another. Magnesium glycinate supports bowel regularity from the inside out by nourishing the body systems that influence bowel function most.
Recommended Reading: Does Xanax Help With Ibs
Magnesium Citrate: The Takeaway
Wow, we learned a lot today!
As you can see, magnesium does a lot for our body, supporting us in creating energy from the food we eat, healthy bones, and strong teeth.
When combined with salt and citric acid, it becomes magnesium citrate, helping to relieve constipation.
Then, there are even magnesium citrate supplements which help you to get your recommended daily intake of magnesium without inducing bowel movements. It really can do it all.
For more on magnesium, read about Why We Need Magnesium,The Best Forms Of Magnesium, and 8 Of The Best Magnesium Supplements available at Holland & Barrett.
The advice in this article is for information only and should not replace medical care. Please check with your GP or healthcare professional before trying any supplements, treatments or remedies. Food supplements must not be used as a substitute for a varied and balanced diet and a healthy lifestyle.
2 March 2022
You May Like: Does Probiotic Yogurt Help With Bloating
It Is Good For Your Bones*
When it comes to bone health, calcium tends to get most of the attention. But magnesium is involved in bone formation and has an influence on parathyroid hormone and vitamin D concentrations, which are also involved in bone formation.* This means that having an adequate intake of magnesium is useful for supporting healthy bones.*
You May Like: Can Heartburn Be A Sign Of Pregnancy
Risks And Side Effects
Is it safe to take magnesium glycinate daily? Yes, unless youre suffering from a known health problem that can make it difficult to maintain normal magnesium levels, such as kidney disease/failure. To prevent potential side effects, stick to the proper dose of magnesium, and aim to have no more than 300400 milligrams at one dose. Otherwise, a daily magnesium supplement should be safe as long as you dont notice any symptoms like diarrhea.
Magnesium supplements pose little risk for side effects or toxicity, but experiencing magnesium glycinate side effects is still possible. Potential magnesium glycinate side effects may include diarrhea, cramping and digestive upset. Rarely, when very high doses of magnesium are taken, complications can occur including irregular heartbeats, low blood pressure, confusion and lowed breathing.
The good news is that many people find magnesium glycinate to be one of the most easily tolerated forms of magnesium. That means its less likely to cause issues compared to forms, such as magnesium oxide or magnesium citrate.
Does magnesium glycinate help you poop?
Most people dont need to worry about magnesium glycinate causing diarrhea. Because its absorbed in the intestines its less likely to have a laxative effect compared to other magnesium supplements, such as magnesium citrate. If youve experienced loose stools from other forms of magnesium, then trying magnesium glycinate is a good option.
Read Also: Can Ibs Cause Shortness Of Breath
You Don’t Have To Live With Constipation
If you have suffered from constipation, you should know that you don’t have to live with chronic discomfort. Getting your body back in synch may be easier than you think. You don’t always have to reach for an over-the-counter medication that may result in harmful side effects. You can take a natural approach to healthcare that can remedy occasional or chronic constipation.
Magnesium supplements can be an incredible way to make sure you get adequate amounts of this vital mineral in your body. It’s an inexpensive way to add to a healthy lifestyle. Ultimately, your healthcare is up to you. Give your body the best chance to have natural health from the inside out.
References :
What Foods Contain Magnesium
Magnesium is so common that it may be found in a wide range of different foods. In reality, the levels can be quite low and so you may wish to instead consider the use of a supplement to ease symptoms of constipation. As an ongoing treatment for digestive health the following foods may come in handy
- Halibut
Read Also: The Gastrointestinal Microbiome Is Comprised Primarily Of
Also Check: Can Wine Give You Heartburn
Is It Safe To Take Magnesium Citrate Daily
As magnesium citrate is quite a strong, albeit natural, solution to constipation, it is not advised to take it daily.
If magnesium citrate is taken too often, it may adversely affect your normal bowel function and even leave you with a laxative dependence. This means that you would have difficulty having a bowel movement without the use of a laxative.
Symptoms of overuse include:
- Weight loss
- Weakness
If you experience any of these symptoms, it is advised that you consult with your doctor as soon as possible.
Does Magnesium Make You Poop References
Guerrara, Mary, et al. Therapeutic uses of magnesium. Am Fam Physician 2009 Jul 15 80:157-62.
Mounsey, Anne, et al. Management of constipation in older adults. Am Fam Physician 2015 Sep 15 92:500-4.
Morishita, D., et al. Senna versus magnesium oxide for the treatment of chronic constipation: a randomized, placebo-controlled trial. Am J Gastroenterol 2021 Jan 1 116:152-161.
Kubota, M., et al. Lactobacillus reuteri DSM 17938 and magnesium oxide in children with functional chronic constipation: a double blind and randomized clinical trial. Nutrients 2020 Jan 15 12: 225.
Perez-Sanchez, J. et al. Evaluation and handling of constipation in critical patients. Enferm Intensiva Oct-Dec 2017 28:160-168.
Dupont, Chirstophe and Hebert, G. Magnesium sulfate-rich natural mineral waters in the treatment of functional constipation a review. Nutrients 2020 Jul 10 12:2052.
Mori, Hideki, et al. Clinical features of hypermagnesemia in patients with functional constipation taking daily magnesium oxide. J Clin Biochem Nutr 2019 Jul 65:76-81. Fine, KD, et al. Diagnosis of magnesium-induced diarrhea. N Engl J Med 1991 Apr 11 324:1012-7.
Also Check: What Is Ibs In Weight Measurement