Magnesium is one of the most important minerals in your body, as it’s used by nearly every cell and organ, and being deficient in it is closely linked to cardiovascular disease, hypertension and gastrointestinal disorders.1 If you’re struggling to get enough magnesium from the foods you eat, taking a magnesium supplement may make up for your deficiency.
One of the most popular magnesium supplements on the market is magnesium chloride. Together with magnesium lactate, it’s considered to have the highest bioavailability, allowing the body to easily utilize it.2 Read on to learn more about the benefits and uses of this supplement, and whether it’s indeed the best form of magnesium for your health.
What Is Magnesium Chloride?
Magnesium chloride is a naturally occurring inorganic compound composed of one magnesium and two chloride ions.3 It’s usually extracted from places with high salt content like the Dead Sea.4
Magnesium chloride was first used for medicinal applications during World War I, when a French surgeon named Dr. Pierre Delbet used it as an antiseptic. He found that treating wounds with magnesium chloride helped increase leucocyte activity without damaging the tissues.
Today, this compound is commonly used as a supplement to help treat magnesium deficiency and promote better overall health.5 Magnesium chloride supplements contain only 12% elemental magnesium, which may seem low compared to other magnesium supplements, such as magnesium oxide and magnesium citrate.6
However, a 2001 study published in the journal Magnesium Research shows that magnesium chloride is better absorbed by the body compared to magnesium oxide, as it has the same bioavailability as organic magnesium salts.7
8 Benefits of Magnesium Chloride
Because of magnesium’s role in various pathways and processes in the human body, optimizing your levels with magnesium chloride may help:8
- Improve protein synthesis
- Optimize nerve function
- Support cardiovascular health
- Regulate blood pressure
- Control blood sugar levels
- Support muscular health
- Minimize migraine episodes
- Improve sleep quality
Magnesium chloride is also believed to help fight free radicals and lower the risk of various illnesses, including tumors,9 arteriosclerosis,10 prostate problems11 and kidney stones.12
Other Uses of Magnesium Chloride
Because of magnesium chloride’s high absorption rate, it can be used for transdermal magnesium therapy. It’s available in transdermal forms such as magnesium sprays, flakes and salt baths, which are directly applied on the skin to help relieve muscle pains and skin problems.13,14,15
According to a 2017 study published in PLOS One, magnesium chloride may be useful in the management of depression. The study involved 126 adults diagnosed with mild-to-moderate depression. After six weeks of taking magnesium chloride, the participants exhibited marked improvements in their symptoms, with some even experiencing improvements in as early as two weeks.16
Studies Done on Magnesium Chloride Support Its Benefits
Several studies have put magnesium chloride’s efficiency to the test, and most of them showed positive results. For instance, a 2008 study from Magnesium Research focused on the effects of this compound in the treatment of depression in elderly Type 2 diabetes patients with hypomagnesemia.
The results showed that daily supplementation of magnesium chloride led to an improvement of depression symptoms, further confirming this compound’s ability to promote overall mental balance.17
A 2011 study published in Diabetes, Obesity and Metabolism confirms magnesium chloride’s positive effects on insulin sensitivity. This study involved oral magnesium supplementation for overweight and nondiabetic patients.
After the trial, the participants showed significant improvement in fasting plasma glucose and insulin sensitivity indices, which means that magnesium chloride may help inhibit insulin resistance and Type 2 diabetes.18
Even the efficiency of transdermal magnesium chloride was analyzed in research conducted by the Herbal Research Centre in the U.K. In this 2010 study, patients underwent transdermal magnesium treatment for 12 weeks. The results showed that magnesium chloride helped enhance cellular magnesium levels and promote detoxification.19
Magnesium Threonate: The Better Magnesium Supplement
While magnesium chloride may be effective in addressing magnesium deficiency, I don’t believe that it’s the best magnesium supplement for you.
When it comes to magnesium supplements, I personally recommend magnesium threonate over magnesium chloride. Magnesium threonate is a newer and emerging type of magnesium supplement that can better permeate membranes, including the blood-brain barrier, which may help enhance your memory.20
What makes this formulation even better than magnesium chloride is that it doesn’t have a laxative effect. Its high absorption rate allows you to increase your magnesium levels without experiencing loose bowel movement.
Possible Side Effects of Magnesium Chloride
As with other magnesium supplements, magnesium chloride may cause loose stools. There are also rare cases when this supplement may cause adverse reactions that require immediate medical care. Some of these serious side effects include:21
• Fainting
• Muscle paralysis
• Troubled breathing
In rare cases, magnesium overdose may occur, especially in people who have compromised kidney function. Some symptoms of an overdose include:
• Blurred vision or double vision
• Drowsiness
• Slow heartbeat
• Coma
Note that magnesium supplements may interfere with select medications and subsequently can affect their effectivity. Some examples of medications that magnesium supplements may negatively react with are acalabrutinib, digoxin, eltrombopag and mefenamic acid.
If you’re taking any of the medications mentioned above, talk to your physician before using magnesium chloride to determine if it’s suitable for your condition.22
A Healthy Diet Is the Best Source of Magnesium
You shouldn’t just rely on supplements to make up for your magnesium deficiency. Keep in mind that the best way to maintain proper magnesium levels in the body is by eating healthy foods rich in this nutrient. Some of the best sources of magnesium include:23
Other foods rich in magnesium include broccoli, wild-caught Alaskan salmon, raw milk and apples.24
Pay Attention to Calcium, Vitamin K2 and Vitamin D Levels
If you want to make the most out of your magnesium supplement, you should monitor your calcium, vitamin K2 and vitamin D intake. These four nutrients work together to provide optimum health benefits. 25,26 Calcium may help regulate the muscle-relaxing effect of magnesium.27
However, excessive amounts of it may lead to heart attack, stroke and even death, so make sure your magnesium to calcium ratio is 1-to-1.28 Meanwhile, increasing your vitamin K2 levels may help lower the risk for health complications caused by excessive calcium intake, whereas vitamin D may help improve your body’s absorption of calcium and magnesium.29,30
Balancing your nutrient levels not only helps you enjoy the benefits of different vitamins and minerals, but also inhibits possible complications caused by unbalanced nutrient ratios.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) About Magnesium Chloride
Q: What is the formula for magnesium chloride?
A: The formula for magnesium chloride is MgCl2, as it consists of one magnesium and two chloride ions.31
Q: What is magnesium chloride used for?
A: Magnesium chloride is primarily used to supplement magnesium deficiency. It may also be used topically to help alleviate muscle aches, improve skin condition and reduce inflammation in atopic dry skin.32,33
Q: How is magnesium chloride made?
A: According to a 1990 study published in the journal Resources Conservation and Recycling, the common process used for extracting magnesium chloride from seawater bitterns involves the use of calcined limestone to precipitate magnesium hydroxide — this is then treated with hydrochloric acid to form magnesium chloride.34
Q: What does magnesium chloride do in the body?
A: Magnesium chloride may help increase the magnesium levels in the body, which may lead to various health benefits, including better nerve function, lower blood sugar levels, improved heart health and stabilized mood, among others.35