In short: Adult men need about 350 mg of magnesium a day, women about 300 mg, including during pregnancy, breastfeeding and later in life. Nuts, oats, wholegrains and green vegetables get you there comfortably. If food isn't enough, a supplement can close the gap: up to 250 mg a day (the EFSA upper limit), ideally split across two servings.
The essentials
- Daily need: 350 mg for men, 300 mg for women. The EU food safety authority EFSA and the German Nutrition Society (DGE) name the same figures.
- Pregnant, breastfeeding or older: the same amounts apply. If you train a lot and hard, you probably need a bit more, roughly an extra handful of nuts.
- Food counts too: a handful of almonds gives you around 80 mg, a bowl of oats just under 70 mg.
- Supplement with measure: up to 250 mg a day from a supplement, the upper limit set by EFSA. There's no upper limit for magnesium from ordinary food.
- Read the label correctly: what counts is the amount of magnesium, not the weight of the whole compound.
Contents
- How much magnesium do you need per day?
- Magnesium per day by age and sex: the table
- Do athletes, older adults or pregnant women need more?
- How much magnesium is in food?
- Is food enough, or do you need a supplement?
- How much magnesium is too much?
- Magnesium or magnesium compound: what does the label actually say?
- How can you tell you're not getting enough?
- Your daily magnesium calculator
- Frequently asked questions
- Limits of the research and all sources
How much magnesium do you need per day?
As an adult, you need around 300 mg (women) to 350 mg (men) of magnesium a day. This total counts everything together: food, drinks and, if you take one, a supplement. You don't have to hit it exactly every single day. It's the average over several days that matters.
What the studies show: In 2015, EFSA set an "adequate intake" of 350 mg for men and 300 mg for women.1 The DGE and its partner societies in Austria and Switzerland have named the same figures since 2021.2 Both are based on how much healthy people in Europe take in on average.1, 2
In practice, this means: if you reach this amount averaged over a week, you're well covered according to current knowledge.
Magnesium per day by age and sex: the table
EFSA and DGE agree for adults. For children and teenagers the two bodies group ages differently, so both are shown side by side here. EFSA's figures apply EU-wide; the DGE, ÖGE and SGE are the nutrition societies for Germany, Austria and Switzerland, included here for comparison.
| Group | EFSA (2015)1 | DGE (2021)2 |
|---|---|---|
| Infants from 4 or 7 months | 80 mg (7 to 11 months) | 80 mg (4 to under 12 months) |
| Toddlers | 170 mg (1 to under 3 years) | 170 mg (1 to under 4 years) |
| Children | 230 mg (3 to under 10 years) | 190 mg (4 to under 7 years), 240 mg (7 to under 10 years) |
| Boys 10 to under 18 or 19 years | 300 mg | 260 mg (10 to 12), 280 mg (13 to 14), 330 mg (15 to 18) |
| Girls 10 to under 18 or 19 years | 250 mg | 230 mg (10 to 12), 240 mg (13 to 14), 260 mg (15 to 18) |
| Men (from 18 or 19 years, also over 65) | 350 mg | 350 mg |
| Women (from 18 or 19 years, also over 65) | 300 mg | 300 mg |
| Pregnant women | 300 mg | 300 mg |
| Breastfeeding women | 300 mg | 300 mg |
All figures are for total daily intake and apply to healthy people.
For children under 4, there's no upper limit for magnesium from supplements.3 Magnesium supplements for young children should therefore only be given on a paediatrician's advice.
Do athletes, older adults or pregnant women need more magnesium?
Pregnant and breastfeeding women: 300 mg applies to you, the same as for other women.1, 2 EFSA found no evidence of a higher need.1 What matters most is that you actually reach this amount during this time.
Older adults: the figures stay the same past 65, 300 mg for women and 350 mg for men.2, 4 It's still worth paying closer attention. Older adults often eat less magnesium, absorb it less well and lose more through the kidneys.5 Many also take medicines that deplete magnesium.6 So make a conscious effort to eat magnesium-rich foods. If that isn't enough, a supplement can make sense.
Athletes: if you train a lot and hard, you probably need somewhat more magnesium. Magnesium contributes to normal muscle function. Magnesium contributes to electrolyte balance.
What the studies show: a review on magnesium and muscle soreness estimates the need is 10 to 20% higher during intensive training.7 The reason is greater losses through sweat and urine during hard exertion.8 A meta-analysis compared 855 athletes with untrained people. The athletes ate more magnesium but had somewhat lower blood levels and excreted more through urine.9
Tip for athletes: at 350 mg, 10 to 20% more works out to roughly 35 to 70 mg a day (our calculation). That's about a handful of nuts. If you train a lot, you usually eat more anyway, and take in more magnesium with it.9 A supplement within the 250 mg limit is a good top-up if food isn't quite enough. Taking noticeably more brought no extra benefit in one study.10
How much magnesium is in food?
Nuts, seeds, cocoa, wholegrains, pulses and leafy green vegetables provide plenty of magnesium. Fruit tends to provide less.
| Food (per 100 g) | Magnesium |
|---|---|
| Pumpkin seeds, dried | 592 mg |
| Cocoa powder, unsweetened | 499 mg |
| Sesame seeds | 351 mg |
| Sunflower seeds | 325 mg |
| Cashew nuts | 292 mg |
| Almonds | 270 mg |
| Dark chocolate (70 to 85% cocoa) | 228 mg |
| Oats | 138 mg |
| Spinach, raw | 79 mg |
| Wholemeal bread (wheat) | 75 mg |
| Quinoa, cooked | 64 mg |
| Chickpeas, cooked | 48 mg |
| Kidney beans, cooked | 42 mg |
| Lentils, cooked | 36 mg |
| Avocado | 29 mg |
| Banana | 27 mg |
Source: USDA FoodData Central, "SR Legacy" dataset.11
How much magnesium is in a banana? Around 27 mg per 100 g of flesh.11 A banana with 120 g of flesh gives you just over 30 mg, roughly a tenth of a woman's daily need (our calculation). A handful of almonds (30 g) gives you even more: around 80 mg, nearly three times as much (our calculation).
Mineral water: in Germany, a mineral water can be labelled "containing magnesium" if it contains more than 50 mg per litre.12 The exact amount is on the label. Non-alcoholic drinks are in fact the biggest source of magnesium in the German diet, ahead of bread.13
What the studies show: magnesium from food is absorbed well by the body. In one measurement, magnesium from almonds was absorbed just as well as from a highly soluble magnesium compound.14
In practice: a sample day (our calculation, using the figures from the table above):
- 50 g of oats for breakfast: 69 mg
- 1 banana (120 g): 32 mg
- 30 g of almonds as a snack: 81 mg
- 2 slices of wholemeal bread (100 g): 75 mg
- 100 g of spinach: 79 mg
Together that's 336 mg, before drinks, dairy or potatoes are even added.
Is food enough, or do you need a supplement?
If you regularly eat wholegrains, nuts and pulses, you'll usually cover your need through food alone. A supplement makes sense if you fall short over a longer period. That applies, for example, to people who eat little of these foods, older adults, people who train a lot and hard, and anyone taking medicines that deplete magnesium.5, 6, 7
What the studies show: in the German National Nutrition Survey II, men took in an average of 432 mg and women 361 mg of magnesium a day. Even so, 26% of men and 29% of women didn't reach the reference value used at the time. Among 14- to 18-year-old girls, it was 56%.13 The good news: with a balanced diet and healthy metabolism, a deficiency is, according to the DGE, relatively rare.4
If you supplement, the amount from the supplement adds to what you get from food. So you don't need to take the full 300 or 350 mg, just enough to close the gap.
What the studies show: smaller amounts are absorbed better. In one study, the gut absorbed 65% of a small dose but only 11% of a large one.14 An analysis of 48 controlled studies shows that blood levels reach a stable plateau at around 300 mg extra a day.15 We explain how to sensibly split your dose in When should you take magnesium?
On form, it's worth looking at organic compounds such as citrate or glycinate. Comparison studies show they're absorbed somewhat better than inorganic ones such as magnesium oxide.16 More on this in Which magnesium is best?
Our take: first, estimate roughly how much you're getting through food. If you regularly fall short, a supplement is a simple fix. Then take as much as you're short of, up to 250 mg a day at most. Split the amount across two servings, for example breakfast and dinner, and choose a well-absorbed, organic form. In studies, blood levels settle at a stable level after around 20 weeks.15
How much magnesium is too much? The upper limit
You shouldn't take more than 250 mg of magnesium a day from supplements. This is the upper limit set by EFSA. It applies to adults, pregnant and breastfeeding women, and children from 4 years. It covers magnesium from supplements, fortified foods and water, not the magnesium that occurs naturally in ordinary food.3 So you can eat as much magnesium as food naturally provides without any concern.
What the studies show: EFSA bases this on an assessment by its predecessor body, the Scientific Committee on Food. Up to 250 mg a day, it found no diarrhoea in the studies. From around 360 mg, mild diarrhoea appeared in a small proportion of adults.3 Germany's Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) therefore recommends no more than 250 mg per daily dose of a supplement, split across two or more servings.17
And what about 400, 600 or 1,000 mg? 400 mg or more a day from supplements is above the EFSA limit of 250 mg. 1,000 mg is four times that amount (our calculation). For healthy people, the most likely consequence is loose stools or diarrhoea. Dangerously high blood levels almost only occur when the kidneys are weak or very large amounts are taken, for example through laxatives.18 Larger amounts call for medical guidance, not self-supplementation.
Important: if you have kidney disease, only take magnesium supplements after talking to your GP. Your kidneys control how much magnesium is excreted. If they're not working well, magnesium can build up in the blood.18
Whether the 250 mg figure is set rather strictly is debated in the research.19 More on this under "Limits of the research" at the end. Read more about what happens with too much magnesium and who needs to be careful in Too much magnesium.
Magnesium or magnesium compound: what does the label actually say?
This is where the most common mix-up happens. Magnesium in supplements is never "pure"; it's always bound in a compound, for example as citrate, oxide or bisglycinate. What counts for your daily need is only the elemental magnesium in it, not the weight of the whole compound.
How big the difference is depends on the form. Magnesium oxide is just over 60% magnesium. Pure magnesium bisglycinate is at most 14.1% magnesium (our calculation from the molar masses).20 So 1,000 mg of bisglycinate contains at most 141 mg of elemental magnesium.
In practice: look for the line "Magnesium" in the nutrition table. That's the amount of the mineral per daily dose, usually with a percentage next to it. This percentage refers to the EU reference value of 375 mg used for labelling.21 So 100% on the pack means 375 mg, not your personal need. Large numbers printed on the front ("1,000 mg magnesium citrate") often refer to the weight of the compound instead.
We explain how to use exactly these figures to check whether a bisglycinate supplement is genuine in our article on magnesium glycinate.
How can you tell you're not getting enough magnesium?
The most reliable clue is your diet. If you rarely eat wholegrains, nuts, seeds or pulses, you're probably below your target. You can work this out in a few minutes with the table above.
What the studies show: for a pronounced magnesium deficiency, research articles describe muscle cramps, exhaustion, seizures and heart rhythm problems.22 Such a deficiency usually develops through losses via the gut or kidneys. Common causes are heavy alcohol use, type 2 diabetes and certain medicines, such as acid-reducing tablets (proton pump inhibitors) or water tablets (diuretics).6 If you take such medicines regularly, talk to your GP about your magnesium levels.
Mild symptoms such as calf cramps or tiredness can have many causes. Get them checked medically rather than guessing at a high dose. A normal magnesium level in the blood, by the way, doesn't reliably rule out a shortfall.23
What magnesium does in the body is summed up by the EU's officially approved statements. Magnesium contributes to a reduction of tiredness and fatigue. Magnesium contributes to normal functioning of the nervous system. Magnesium contributes to normal muscle function.
Your daily magnesium calculator
| Your situation | This much magnesium |
|---|---|
| Adult woman, including pregnant, breastfeeding or over 65 | 300 mg a day in total1, 2 |
| Adult man, including over 65 | 350 mg a day in total1, 2 |
| You regularly eat wholegrains, nuts, pulses | usually covered through food |
| You eat little of these | close the gap with a supplement, up to 250 mg split into two servings3, 17 |
| You train a lot and hard | around 35 to 70 mg more, most easily via nuts and seeds7 |
| You take acid-reducing or water tablets | discuss your intake with your GP6 |
| You have kidney disease | supplements only after medical advice18 |
| Child under 4 | supplements only on a paediatrician's advice3 |
Frequently asked questions
How much magnesium per day does a woman need? 300 mg a day, the same during pregnancy and breastfeeding.1, 2 This amount comes from food, drinks and, if you take one, a supplement combined.
How much magnesium do you need as you get older? The same as younger adults: 300 mg for women, 350 mg for men.2 Because older adults often eat less and absorb magnesium less well, it's worth paying conscious attention to magnesium-rich foods.5
Is 400 mg of magnesium a day too much? As a total from food and supplement, no. But if the 400 mg comes from a supplement alone, that's above the EFSA upper limit of 250 mg. The most common consequence is loose stools.3
How should you dose magnesium? By the gap, not the full daily need. Estimate roughly how much you get from food, and supplement the rest, up to 250 mg a day at most, split into two servings.3, 17 In grams, the daily need is actually small: 0.3 g for women and 0.35 g for men.1
Is there a specific dose for tinnitus, back pain or histamine intolerance? The official figures apply to healthy people; for individual complaints there's no officially set magnesium dose. If you have symptoms, talk to your GP about whether and how much magnesium makes sense for you.
How long can you take magnesium for? Up to 250 mg a day from supplements, even long term; there's no time limit.3 This doesn't apply if you have kidney disease.18 We explain how magnesium is absorbed in the gut in How is magnesium absorbed?
Limits of the research and all sources
Nobody knows the exact magnesium requirement. EFSA and DGE couldn't calculate it from the available studies, so they based their figures on the average intake of healthy people. Their values are estimates, not an exact threshold below which a deficiency begins.1, 2 Researchers disagree on whether they're set too high or too low. An analysis of metabolic studies puts the need for a 70 kg adult at only around 250 mg.24 Another paper argues that higher values are needed because of increased body weight.25
For athletes, there are only estimates. The "10 to 20%" figure comes from a review of four studies plus an older analysis.7, 8 The athlete meta-analysis only evaluated cross-sectional studies.9 The DGE considers a higher need through sport to be disputed and dependent on training intensity and volume.4 In a small study with 15 trained people, endurance performance after nine days of taking 300 mg of magnesium chloride twice daily was slightly worse than with a placebo.10
The German intake data date from 2008 and refer to the somewhat higher reference values used at the time.13 On the upper limit, one working group found no more diarrhoea than with placebo in seven of ten studies using 128 to 1,200 mg a day, and calls for a re-evaluation. The paper was self-funded by a magnesium research association, and one author holds a patent on a magnesium product.19 Magnesium status is hard to measure reliably in blood, which complicates all studies.23 Nutrient values in food vary by variety, growing conditions and preparation.11
Show all 25 studies and sources
| # | Study | Who was studied | Result | Strength of evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | EFSA NDA Panel 2015, EFSA Journal | dietary surveys from 9 EU countries | men 350 mg, women 300 mg; pregnant and breastfeeding women as other women | official assessment |
| 2 | DGE, ÖGE, SGE 2021: reference values for magnesium | estimates based on average intake | men 350 mg, women 300 mg, also over 65 and during pregnancy | official reference values |
| 3 | SCF 2001 / EFSA 2006: Tolerable Upper Intake Levels | agency assessment | upper limit 250 mg/day from supplements, water, fortified foods; from age 4 | official assessment |
| 4 | DGE 2025: FAQ on magnesium | professional body | sport: disputed; age: no higher need; deficiency relatively rare | position statement |
| 5 | Barbagallo et al. 2021, Nutrients | review | lower intake, poorer absorption, higher losses with age | review |
| 6 | de Baaij 2024, Nephrol Dial Transplant | review | common causes: alcohol, type 2 diabetes, proton pump inhibitors, diuretics | review |
| 7 | Tarsitano et al. 2024, J Transl Med | 4 studies, sport | need estimated 10 to 20% higher with intensive training | review of 4 studies |
| 8 | Nielsen & Lukaski 2006, Magnes Res | review | losses via sweat and urine; need possibly 10 to 20% higher | review |
| 9 | Zhang et al. 2023, Food Sci Hum Wellness | 14 studies, 855 athletes, 521 untrained | higher intake, but lower blood level and more urinary excretion | meta-analysis of cross-sectional studies |
| 10 | Bomar et al. 2025, Nutrients | 15 trained people, 2 × 300 mg magnesium chloride, 9 days | endurance performance slightly worse than with placebo | small controlled study |
| 11 | USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy | nutrient database | magnesium content per 100 g (e.g. banana 27 mg, almonds 270 mg) | reference data |
| 12 | German Mineral and Table Water Ordinance, Annex 6 | legal statute | "containing magnesium" from more than 50 mg/l | legal basis |
| 13 | Max Rubner Institute 2008: National Nutrition Survey II, Part 2 | 15,371 respondents (14 to 80 years) in Germany | median men 432 mg, women 361 mg; 26% and 29% below the reference value at the time | nationwide survey |
| 14 | Fine et al. 1991, J Clin Invest | healthy adults, magnesium acetate and almonds | absorption falls from 65% to 11%; almonds as well absorbed as acetate | basic research study |
| 15 | Zhang et al. 2016, J Nutr | 48 studies, 2,131 people | blood level stable from around 300 mg/day, or after around 20 weeks | meta-analysis |
| 16 | Pardo et al. 2021, Nutrition | 14 comparison studies | organic forms better than inorganic ones, proportion falls with amount | systematic review |
| 17 | BfR 2021: proposed maximum levels for magnesium | agency assessment | no more than 250 mg per daily dose, split across 2 or more servings | official recommendation |
| 18 | Rosner et al. 2023, Mayo Clin Proc | review | excess blood magnesium mainly with reduced kidney function | review |
| 19 | Costello et al. 2023, Adv Nutr | 10 studies since 1997 | mostly no difference in diarrhoea; calls for re-evaluation of the upper limit | opinion piece, self-funded by a magnesium research association |
| 20 | PubChem CID 14792 and CID 84645 | chemical database | magnesium oxide 40.3 g/mol → 60.3%; bisglycinate 172.42 g/mol → 14.1% | reference data |
| 21 | Regulation (EU) No 1169/2011, Annex XIII | legal statute | nutrient reference value magnesium 375 mg | legal basis |
| 22 | Bosman et al. 2021, Proc Nutr Soc | review | deficiency: muscle cramps, exhaustion, seizures, heart rhythm disturbances | review |
| 23 | Fiorentini et al. 2021, Nutrients | review | blood level doesn't reliably reflect body stores | review |
| 24 | Nielsen 2017, Biol Trace Elem Res | analysis of controlled metabolic studies | need for 70 kg more likely around 250 mg (recommendation) | review |
| 25 | Rosanoff 2020, Adv Nutr | recalculation using US body weights | US recommendations should be higher | opinion piece |
Author: PRONESIUM Editorial Team · Last reviewed 30 September 2026 · This article does not replace medical advice.
