What Is Calcium?
You probably already know that calcium is essential for healthy bones, but it has many more uses. As the most abundant mineral in the human body, calcium allows cells to communicate with each other, contributes to muscle tissue development, and is crucial for producing and secreting hormones that are vital for growth and reproduction. If you have low levels of calcium, you might experience weak bones, brittle nails, weakened grip strength, and fatigue. Usually, calcium deficiency is caused by a medical issue rather than a lack of dietary intake.
What Is Magnesium?
Magnesium might not be as famous as calcium, but it’s just as important for your health. It’s involved in more than 300 enzymes and helps your body create DNA, RNA, and the antioxidant glutathione. Magnesium builds the proteins needed for muscle, bone, and nerve cells and supports the immune system. Additionally, magnesium aids in calcium absorption. Deficiency in magnesium, known as hypomagnesemia, is often diet-related but can also stem from alcohol abuse or certain kidney conditions. Symptoms of magnesium deficiency include anxiety, depression, leg cramps, constipation, and heart palpitations. Interestingly, low magnesium levels are a stronger predictor of heart conditions than high cholesterol and saturated fats, yet nearly half of Americans don’t get the recommended daily allowance of magnesium. This preventable deficiency has been labeled a “public health crisis” by some scientists.
How Do Magnesium & Calcium Work Together?
Magnesium and calcium are both electrolytes that carry two positive electrical charges. This means they are cations (positively charged ions). Your body constantly works to keep levels of these minerals balanced in the extracellular space (outside of cells and in the blood). Magnesium and calcium can diffuse through cell channels, but if they are bound to compounds like orotate or citrate, they need to be actively transported via a “protein transporter molecule.” Both minerals are absorbed in the gastrointestinal (GI) tract and distributed through the body via the bloodstream.
How Does Magnesium Affect Your Calcium Level?
Magnesium is necessary for the body to properly absorb calcium, and studies show it helps dissolve calcium in the blood, preventing kidney stones. When you are deficient in magnesium, it leads to secondary hypocalcemia, or calcium deficiency. Therefore, calcium and magnesium have an interdependent relationship. Some people with deficiencies in both minerals develop resistance to vitamin D absorption, which is crucial for effective absorption of these macrominerals. It’s easy to see that getting enough of all these nutrients is essential for strong bones, a healthy heart, and a well-functioning nervous system.
While calcium and magnesium often work together, they sometimes have opposing effects. Calcium contracts muscle cells, while magnesium relaxes them. In cases where there is too much calcium and not enough magnesium, they can actually compete with each other. Thus, maintaining the correct ratio of these minerals is important to prevent an imbalance.
What Is the Recommended Ca:Mg Ratio?
Most experts suggest a 2:1 calcium to magnesium ratio. This means if you take the recommended daily allowance (RDA) of 1,000 mg of calcium, you should consume 500 mg of magnesium. Research shows it’s best not to take more than 500 mg of calcium at one time, so try to spread your intake throughout the day or consume calcium-rich foods that do this naturally.
Most people in the United States get plenty of calcium, often from fortified foods. However, magnesium intake is typically insufficient, making it hard for the body to make full use of the calcium consumed. If you’re consuming too much calcium or not enough magnesium, consider adjusting your ratio to closer to 1:1 by increasing your magnesium intake, while not exceeding 1,000 mg of calcium per day.
Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) for Calcium
According to the Food and Nutrition Board of the Institute of Medicine, here are the RDAs for calcium:
Age: 0 – 6 months: 200 mg (both genders)
Age: 7 – 12 months: 260 mg (both genders)
Age: 1 – 3 years: 700 mg (both genders)
Age: 4 – 8 years: 1,000 mg (both genders)
Age: 9 – 13 years: 1,300 mg (both genders)
Age: 14 – 18 years: 1,300 mg (both genders, including pregnant and lactating)
Age: 19 – 50 years: 1,000 mg (both genders, including pregnant and lactating)
Age: 51 – 70 years: 1,000 mg (males), 1,200 mg (females)
Age: 71+ years: 1,200 mg (both genders)
Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDA) for Magnesium
According to the same source, here are the RDAs for magnesium:
Age: 0-6 months: 30 mg (both genders)
Age: 7 – 12 months: 75 mg (both genders)
Age: 1 – 3 years: 80 mg (both genders)
Age: 4 – 8 years: 130 mg (both genders)
Age: 9 – 13 years: 240 mg (both genders)
Age: 14 – 18 years: 410 mg (males), 360 mg (females), 400 mg (pregnant), 360 mg (lactating)
Age: 19 – 30 years: 400 mg (males), 310 mg (females), 350 mg (pregnant), 310 mg (lactating)
Age: 31 – 50 years: 420 mg (males), 320 mg (females), 360 mg (pregnant), 320 mg (lactating)
Age: 51+ years: 420 mg (males), 320 mg (females)
Adequate Intake (AI) is used for infants, ensuring nutritional adequacy but acknowledging they may require more.
The Benefits of Magnesium & Calcium
Maintaining the proper ratio of magnesium to calcium offers various health benefits. Here are some of the top benefits:
Ensure Proper Brain Function
Magnesium and calcium, along with sodium and potassium, carry positive electrical charges that the body uses to transmit electrical impulses through nerve cells (neurons). This is how the body sends messages from the brain to other body parts. This process involves cell channels opening or closing, which regulates the electrical charge on one side of a cell membrane and sends messages throughout the body. Changes in blood calcium levels can significantly affect nerve cell function.
Promote Bone Health
Calcium is essential for building strong, dense bones and teeth, and magnesium is equally important for bone health. Ensuring adequate levels of both minerals prevents low bone density with age or conditions like osteoporosis. Since magnesium is needed for calcium absorption into bone cells, it’s critical to take both.
Help You Sleep
Low levels of calcium and magnesium can impact sleep quality. With enough of both, the body can regulate hormones like melatonin and cortisol, which promote restful sleep. Elevated calcium levels alongside low magnesium can increase cortisol, the stress hormone, which disrupts sleep. Magnesium helps relax muscles, lower blood pressure, and calm the nervous system. Inadequate calcium and magnesium can increase the risk of sleep disorders like restless legs syndrome, sleep apnea, and insomnia.
Improve Muscle Tension
Calcium and magnesium work together to help muscles contract and relax; calcium helps with contraction, and magnesium aids relaxation. An imbalance, such as having too much calcium and too little magnesium, can increase muscle tension, leading to spasms, twitches, and restlessness. Ensuring proper levels of both minerals keeps muscles functioning correctly.
Balance Gut Health
A balanced gut microbiome improves digestion and overall health, including mental wellness. Deficiencies in calcium and magnesium reduce gut microbiota diversity, leading to gastrointestinal issues like constipation. Magnesium is sometimes used as a laxative to relax lower colon muscles and alleviate constipation. Proper intake of calcium and magnesium helps improve gut microbe diversity and ensures smooth bowel movements.
Make Your Skin Glow
Good nutrition, including adequate calcium and magnesium, promotes skin health. Some studies suggest that topical magnesium can improve skin smoothness and hydration while reducing redness and swelling.
Help Heart Health
Calcium and magnesium also bolster heart health. They work together to maintain healthy muscles and blood vessels, essential for optimal heart function. Low magnesium can cause calcium buildup in arteries, leading to calcification. The Atherosclerosis Risk in Communities (ARIC) Study found that low magnesium and high calcium levels increase risks of hypertension, stroke, and heart conditions. Ensuring an adequate balance supports heart health.
Bolster Joint Function
Calcium and magnesium support joint health by ensuring proper cartilage function. Low magnesium may lead to calcium buildup in joints, increasing the risk of conditions like osteoarthritis and rheumatoid arthritis. Keeping magnesium levels adequate supports joint health and prevents degeneration.
Foods Rich in Calcium & Magnesium
Several foods are rich in both calcium and magnesium. Here are some with higher levels:
Sesame Seeds (1 tbsp): 351 mg calcium, 126 mg magnesium
Spinach (1/2 cup, cooked): 245 mg calcium, 157 mg magnesium
Swiss Chard (1 cup): 101 mg calcium, 151 mg magnesium
Kale (1 cup): 179 mg calcium, 31 mg magnesium
Almonds (1 oz.): 75 mg calcium, 100 mg magnesium
Figs (1 cup, dried): 124 mg calcium, 51 mg magnesium
Quinoa (1/2 cup): 47 mg calcium, 197 mg magnesium
Additionally, yogurt, milk, oranges, and dates are great sources of calcium, while beans and dark chocolate are rich in magnesium. A varied diet can help you get the optimal amount of these essential nutrients.
Calcium & Magnesium Supplements
It’s best to get calcium and magnesium from a balanced diet, as foods allow the body to absorb them most effectively. However, supplements can fill nutritional gaps in your diet. They come in various forms, including tablets, liquids, and powders.
The best forms are magnesium orotate and calcium orotate. Dr. Hans Nieper discovered that orotates cross the cell membrane more effectively, offering up to 95% absorption compared to 30% for other forms like citrate and lower still for carbonates. It’s also crucial to have adequate vitamin D to help your body absorb calcium efficiently.
When to Take Calcium & Magnesium Supplements
While you don’t have to take calcium and magnesium in the same tablet, doing so can reduce the number of pills you need to take and save money. Both minerals can be taken at any time of day with some considerations. Calcium should not be taken in doses higher than 500 mg at once. Calcium carbonate must be taken with meals for better absorption, while calcium citrate and orotate can be taken without food. Taking magnesium before bed can improve sleep quality.
Though high concentrations of either mineral can interfere with the other, moderate dosages within the RDA are safe to take together. Our bodies are designed to extract multiple nutrients from food simultaneously. However, consult your healthcare provider if you have specific health conditions.
Side Effects & Safety Considerations
While a balanced diet usually provides sufficient calcium, getting enough magnesium can be more challenging. Finding the right balance between these minerals and ensuring adequate levels of key nutrients like zinc, vitamin D3, selenium, phosphorus, potassium, and MSM is crucial.
High doses of supplemental calcium (more than 1,000 mg per day) have been linked to heart conditions, though evidence is inconsistent. The real concern may be inadequate magnesium, which hampers calcium absorption and causes excess amounts in the blood, potentially affecting heart health. Here are the tolerable upper limits for calcium:
Age: 0 – 6 months: 1,000 mg (both genders)
Age: 7 – 12 months: 1,500 mg (both genders)
Age: 1 – 8 years: 2,500 mg (both genders)
Age: 9 – 18 years: 3,000 mg (both genders, including pregnant and lactating)
Age: 19 – 50 years: 2,500 mg (both genders, including pregnant and lactating)
Age: 51+ years: 2,000 mg (both genders)
To avoid calcium toxicity, watch your daily intake, including fortified foods. Excessive calcium can lead to several side effects like constipation, kidney stones, fatigue, and headaches.
Best Forms of Calcium & Magnesium
The ideal calcium supplements include magnesium to maximize absorption and provide additional benefits. Calcium orotate and magnesium orotate are highly recommended due to their ability to cross the cell membrane easily, enhancing bioavailability. Look for plant-sourced, GMO-free supplements to ensure purity. For instance, IntraCal? offers an excellent calcium to magnesium ratio.
Points to Remember
Calcium and magnesium are vital for overall health, requiring balanced levels for optimal brain, bone, muscle, and heart function. While a 2:1 calcium to magnesium ratio is typically recommended, individual needs may vary based on factors like age and current health status. Since nearly half of Americans are magnesium-deficient, some people may benefit from a 1:1 ratio, essentially increasing magnesium intake. Whether you get these minerals through diet or supplements, ensure you maintain balanced levels for the best health outcomes.
