In short: Depending on age, children need 170 to 330 mg of magnesium a day. Porridge oats, wholemeal bread, milk, bananas, beans and finely ground seeds cover this well — an example day for a nursery-age child comes to over 250 mg. A supplement makes sense if your child's paediatrician recommends one. From age 4, there's an upper limit of 250 mg a day for supplements; for younger children, there isn't one.
Key points
- Needs by age: toddlers need around 170 mg a day, primary-school children 190 to 240 mg, teenagers 230 to 330 mg.
- Food first: 30 g of porridge oats, a slice of wholemeal bread and a plate of wholemeal pasta together already provide around 160 mg.
- Upper limit: from supplements, at most 250 mg a day, which applies from age 4. For children under 4, there's no set limit, so supplements should only be given after talking to your child's paediatrician.
- Tics, ADHD, sleep: early studies exist with children, mostly using combinations of magnesium with vitamin B6 or vitamin D. This is a matter for your child's paediatrician.
- Store safely: chewable tablets and effervescent tablets look like sweets. Keep them out of reach.
Contents
- How much magnesium does a child need?
- Which foods give children magnesium?
- Are children getting enough magnesium?
- Magnesium for kids: dosage and upper limit
- Magnesium for toddlers and children from 3
- Powder, effervescent or chewable: what suits kids?
- Magnesium and tics: what has been studied?
- Magnesium and ADHD or restlessness: what do studies show?
- Does magnesium help kids sleep?
- Side effects: what parents should know
- Frequently asked questions
- Limits of the research and all sources
How much magnesium does a child need?
Depending on age, a child needs 170 to 330 mg of magnesium a day. Need increases with age and body weight. From around age ten, boys need a little more than girls.
These figures cover the total amount from food, drinks and, where relevant, a supplement. It's about the average over several days, not every single day.
| Age | EFSA (2015)1 | DGE (2021)2 |
|---|---|---|
| Infants | 80 mg (7 to 11 months) | 80 mg (4 to under 12 months) |
| 1 to under 3 or 4 years | 170 mg | 170 mg |
| 3 or 4 to under 7 years | 230 mg (3 to under 10 years) | 190 mg |
| 7 to under 10 years | 230 mg | 240 mg |
| 10 to under 13 years | Boys 300 mg, girls 250 mg (10 to under 18 years) | Boys 260 mg, girls 230 mg |
| 13 to under 15 years | Boys 300 mg, girls 250 mg | Boys 280 mg, girls 240 mg |
| 15 to under 18 or 19 years | Boys 300 mg, girls 250 mg | Boys 330 mg, girls 260 mg |
EFSA groups ages more broadly than the German Nutrition Society (DGE). Both sets of figures are estimates for healthy children.
What the studies show: the EU food safety authority EFSA could not calculate an exact requirement for children from the available studies. Its figures are based on how much healthy children in the EU take in on average.1 The DGE writes that a magnesium deficiency is rare with a typical diet.2
What the body needs magnesium for is summed up by the EU's officially approved claims. They apply to children just as to adults. Magnesium contributes to the maintenance of normal bones. Magnesium contributes to the maintenance of normal teeth. Magnesium contributes to normal muscle function. Magnesium contributes to normal functioning of the nervous system. Magnesium has a role in the process of cell division. For a full overview of what magnesium does, see our article Magnesium: what it does in the body. Figures for adults, pregnant women and breastfeeding women are in How much magnesium per day?
Which foods give children magnesium?
The best sources for children are porridge oats, wholemeal bread and wholemeal pasta, pulses, seeds and nuts, plus milk, bananas and green vegetables. Seeds and nuts are best given to young children finely ground or as a paste, for example in muesli or on bread.
This table shows what typical children's portions provide:
| Food | Children's portion | Magnesium per portion |
|---|---|---|
| Spinach, cooked | 100 g | 87 mg |
| Wholemeal pasta, cooked | 150 g | 81 mg |
| Pumpkin seeds, ground | 10 g (1 tablespoon) | 59 mg |
| Cashew nuts or cashew paste | 15 g | 44 mg |
| Kidney beans, cooked | 100 g | 42 mg |
| Porridge oats | 30 g | 41 mg |
| Wholemeal bread | 1 slice (50 g) | 38 mg |
| Banana | 1 medium (118 g) | 32 mg |
| Cocoa powder, unsweetened | 1 teaspoon (5 g) | 25 mg |
| Whole milk | 1 glass (200 ml) | 20 mg |
| Natural yoghurt | 150 g | 18 mg |
Figures per 100 g: USDA FoodData Central.3 Portion sizes are our estimate, figures per portion our calculation (rounded). You'll find more foods in our full magnesium table.
How to do it: an example day for a nursery-age child (our calculation, using the figures from the table):
- Breakfast: 30 g porridge oats with 200 ml milk and half a banana (60 g): 77 mg
- Lunchbox: a slice of wholemeal bread: 38 mg
- Lunch: 150 g wholemeal pasta, topped with 1 tablespoon of ground pumpkin seeds: 140 mg
Together, that's 255 mg. That's above the estimated figure of 190 mg (DGE) and 230 mg (EFSA) for this age group. Dinner and snacks come on top.
What the studies show: in a German study of 430 children aged 1 to 3, vegan-fed children took in an average of 241 mg of magnesium a day, vegetarian-fed children 188 mg, and children on a mixed diet 164 mg.4 So a plant-forward diet with wholegrains and pulses brings a lot of magnesium with it.
Are children getting enough magnesium?
Most children in Germany get a decent amount. Toddlers and pre-schoolers often still have some room for improvement, and wholegrains, porridge oats and pulses make up the gap easily.
What the studies show: in the nationwide KiESEL study of 890 children aged 1 to 5, average magnesium intake was 74 to 89% of the EFSA estimate.5 In the same study, vitamin D and iodine fell noticeably further short. In the EsKiMo II study of 2,644 children and teenagers aged 6 to 17, most participants were above the average requirement for almost all minerals. The main shortfalls were iodine and vitamin D, plus iron in older girls.6
Our take: EFSA's estimates are based on the usual intake of healthy children and are set generously.1 Falling below them doesn't mean a deficiency. For the vast majority of children, the right approach is through the plate: wholegrain instead of white flour, porridge oats for breakfast, beans or lentils more often, and a spoonful of ground seeds. A supplement makes sense when your child's paediatrician sees a need.
Magnesium for kids: dosage and upper limit
There's no general dosage for magnesium supplements for children. The table above gives the total amount per day, not the amount for a supplement. How much more a child needs on top depends on what they eat. Your child's paediatrician can best clarify this.
What is fixed is the upper limit. From supplements, fortified foods and water with added magnesium, children from age 4 should take in at most 250 mg a day. This figure is a limit, not a target. It doesn't apply to magnesium that occurs naturally in food.
What the studies show: the EU's former Scientific Committee on Food set the upper limit of 250 mg for adults, pregnant and breastfeeding women, and children from age 4. The reason is soft stools at higher amounts. For children aged 1 to 3, data were lacking, so there's no limit for them.7 Germany's Federal Institute for Risk Assessment (BfR) derived its proposed maximum amounts for food supplements for teenagers from age 15 and adults, not for younger children.8 For some nutrients, children reach high amounts relative to the upper limit more easily than adults.9
Important: add up all sources. If magnesium is in a multivitamin juice, a children's multi-supplement and an effervescent tablet, it adds up quickly. Many supplements are made for adults: check the amount of magnesium per portion on the label. If your child has kidney disease or takes medicines, talk to your child's paediatrician first.10
Magnesium for toddlers and children from 3
Children under 4 generally cover their need of 170 mg through food. For them, there's no set upper limit for supplements. Magnesium supplements belong on the table at this age only on the recommendation of your child's paediatrician.
A three-year-old already falls into EFSA's group up to age 10, but is still in the DGE's group up to age 4. For the upper limit, the fourth birthday is what counts: only from a child's 4th birthday does the figure of 250 mg from supplements apply.7
What the studies show: toddlers and pre-schoolers in Germany took in an average of 128 to 172 mg of magnesium a day in the KiESEL study.5 How much actually arrives depends on diet: toddlers with a plant-forward diet were noticeably higher than children on a mixed diet.4
Tip: for toddlers, porridge, wholemeal bread with nut butter, bananas, lentil purée and finely ground seeds in yoghurt all work well. Give whole nuts and seeds only to older children.
Powder, effervescent or chewable: what suits kids?
For children, magnesium comes as a powder or granules to stir in, as an effervescent tablet, chewable tablet, drops or syrup. Which form you choose is mostly a question of taste and amount. Powder and drops are easy to dose precisely, while effervescent and chewable tablets are often popular with children.
Pay attention to three things: the amount of magnesium per portion, the magnesium compound, and additives like sugar or sweeteners. Organic compounds such as citrate or glycinate are better absorbed than magnesium oxide.11 Our article Which magnesium is best? explains the different forms.
How to do it: if your child's paediatrician has recommended a supplement, give it with food and split larger amounts into two portions. That's gentler on the stomach. Stir powder into yoghurt or juice if your child doesn't like the taste. Store chewable and effervescent tablets like medicines, out of reach.
Magnesium and tics: what has been studied?
Many parents of children with tics come across magnesium, often together with vitamin B6. Early studies exist on this. For tics, your child's paediatrician and, where relevant, a paediatric neurology practice are the right contacts.
What the studies show: in a Spanish study, children aged 7 to 14 with Tourette syndrome received magnesium and vitamin B6 during a phase of increased tics. After 90 days, the tic-severity score had dropped from 26.7 to 12.9 points. No side effects occurred.12 The same research group planned a placebo-controlled study and published its protocol in 2009.13 In a survey of British families, magnesium was among the most common supplements for children with Tourette syndrome. In 42% of these families, the child's paediatrician didn't know about it.14
The best-studied approach for tics is a specific behavioural therapy. A review by the American Academy of Neurology rates its effectiveness with high confidence.15
Magnesium and ADHD or restlessness: what do studies show?
There's more research on magnesium and ADHD than on tics. Several studies found lower magnesium levels in children with ADHD, and in small studies, behavioural problems eased with magnesium. Magnesium doesn't replace ADHD treatment. It's a topic for the conversation with your child's paediatrician.
What the studies show: a meta-analysis of twelve studies found lower magnesium levels in blood and hair in children with ADHD than in children without ADHD.16 In a controlled study from Iran, 66 children with ADHD received vitamin D and magnesium, or a placebo, for eight weeks. With the combination, emotional problems, behavioural problems and difficulties with peers decreased more.17 In a French study of 40 children, hyperactivity and aggressiveness decreased with magnesium and vitamin B6, and attention at school improved. After stopping, the symptoms returned within a few weeks.18 In a Polish study, 50 children with ADHD and low magnesium levels took magnesium for six months. Their hyperactivity decreased more than in 25 children without magnesium.19
Does magnesium help kids sleep?
There's no dedicated controlled study in children on this so far. What parents can do: pay attention to a magnesium-rich diet and keep consistent bedtime routines. Whether a supplement makes sense in an individual case is best clarified by your child's paediatrician.
What the studies show: a systematic review across people of all ages, from infants to older adults, found links between magnesium and sleep duration. In infants, magnesium is linked to the development of sleep phases.20 In adults with poor sleep, symptoms decreased more in a controlled study with 250 mg of magnesium as bisglycinate than with a placebo.21 You can read what studies show for adults in Magnesium for sleep.
Our take: the studies on tics and ADHD are intriguing, especially in children with low magnesium levels. The right order is: first check the diet, then talk to your child's paediatrician, who can measure levels where relevant and set a suitable amount. We deliberately don't give our own dosage for tics, ADHD or sleep problems. Which children benefit most is something larger studies still need to show.
Side effects: what parents should know
In usual amounts, magnesium is well tolerated by healthy children. The most common side effect is soft stools or diarrhoea, when too much arrives at once.7 If that happens, it helps to reduce the amount or split it into two portions with food. More on this in Diarrhoea from magnesium.
It only gets more serious with very large amounts, for example from magnesium-containing laxatives, or when the kidneys are weak.10 Magnesium that occurs naturally in food causes no problems.
Important: magnesium-containing laxatives are medicines and should only be given to children on medical instruction. In a case report from Japan, a 20-month-old girl was admitted to hospital with strongly raised blood levels after four days of magnesium oxide for constipation, and made a full recovery.22 If your child becomes unusually drowsy or floppy, or vomits after taking magnesium, call your child's paediatrician or NHS 111.
Frequently asked questions
From what age can children take magnesium? Children need magnesium from food from the start. For supplements, an upper limit of 250 mg a day applies from age 4. For younger children, there's no set limit, so only give them after talking to your child's paediatrician.7
How much magnesium does a 6-year-old need? The DGE states 190 mg a day for 4- to 6-year-olds, EFSA 230 mg for 3- to 9-year-olds.1, 2 That's the total amount from food and drink.
Can I give my child magnesium made for adults? Only if your child's paediatrician recommends it and the amount fits. Supplements for adults often contain more per portion than a child needs. From age 4, the total from all supplements combined should be at most 250 mg a day.7
Does magnesium help with calf cramps or growing pains? We haven't found controlled studies with children on this. If cramps or leg pain happen often, have the cause checked by your child's paediatrician.
Does a vegan-fed child need extra magnesium? Usually not for the magnesium: vegan-fed toddlers took in the most of it in a German study.4 Other nutrients such as vitamin B12 need particular attention on a vegan diet, though.
How do I know if my child is short on magnesium? A deficiency is rare with a typical diet.2 Symptoms such as tiredness, restlessness or muscle twitching have many possible causes in children. Whether magnesium is behind it is something your child's paediatrician can clarify.
Limits of the research and all sources
No one knows the exact magnesium requirement for children. EFSA and the DGE derive their estimates from the usual intake of healthy children, which is why they differ by age group.1, 2 The intake data from KiESEL and EsKiMo II were collected from 2014 to 2017; the EsKiMo results are only available to us as a summary.5, 6 The nutrient values come from a US database and may differ from foods grown in Germany.3
The studies on tics and ADHD are small and short. The tic study had no control group, and we haven't found results from the planned placebo study.12, 13 A large analysis of 1,204 children with tics found no difference in blood magnesium compared with healthy children.23 The Iranian ADHD study combined magnesium with high-dose vitamin D, so the magnesium's share can't be separated out.17 The French and Polish studies had no placebo group, and the French one added vitamin B6.18, 19 A systematic review of eleven controlled studies on minerals in ADHD found no clear evidence.24 Magnesium levels vary widely between individual studies; one study of 148 boys found no difference in blood serum.25, 26 On children's sleep, only observational data exist.20
Show all 26 sources
| # | Study | Who was studied | Result | Strength of evidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | EFSA NDA Panel 2015, EFSA Journal | Dietary surveys from 9 EU countries | Children 1 to under 3 years 170 mg, 3 to under 10 years 230 mg, 10 to under 18 years boys 300 mg, girls 250 mg; infants 7 to 11 months 80 mg | official assessment |
| 2 | DGE, ÖGE, SGE 2021: reference values for magnesium | Estimates based on average intake | Figures by age and sex; deficiency rare with a typical diet | official reference values |
| 3 | USDA FoodData Central, SR Legacy | US Department of Agriculture nutrient database | Magnesium per 100 g (incl. porridge oats 138 mg, pumpkin seeds 592 mg, banana 27 mg, whole milk 10 mg) | reference data |
| 4 | Weder et al. 2022, Eur J Nutr (VeChi study) | 430 children aged 1 to 3 in Germany, 3-day weighed diary | Magnesium: vegan 241 mg, vegetarian 188 mg, mixed diet 164 mg a day | cross-sectional study; funded in part by an animal welfare foundation |
| 5 | Burgard et al. 2024, Front Nutr (KiESEL) | 890 children aged 1 to 5, nationally representative | average magnesium intake 128 to 172 mg, 74 to 89% of the EFSA estimate; mainly short on vitamin D and iodine | representative dietary survey (Max Rubner Institute) |
| 6 | Lage Barbosa et al. 2020, Proc Nutr Soc (EsKiMo II) | 2,644 children and teenagers aged 6 to 17 | majority above the average requirement for most minerals; short mainly on iodine, vitamin D, and iron in older girls | representative dietary survey (Robert Koch Institute), summary |
| 7 | SCF 2001 / EFSA 2006: Tolerable Upper Intake Levels | Regulatory assessment | Upper limit 250 mg/day from supplements, water, additives; applies from age 4; no limit for ages 1 to 3 due to lack of data | official assessment |
| 8 | BfR 2024: proposed maximum amounts for vitamins and minerals, Opinion 006/2024 | Regulatory assessment | Maximum amounts for food supplements derived for teenagers from age 15 and adults | official assessment |
| 9 | Flynn et al. 2009, Food Nutr Res | Intake data from 9 European countries | Children reach high intakes relative to the upper limit more easily than adults | analysis of national surveys |
| 10 | Rosner et al. 2023, Mayo Clin Proc | Review article | Accumulation with reduced kidney function | review |
| 11 | Pardo et al. 2021, Nutrition | 14 comparative studies | Organic forms better absorbed than inorganic | systematic review |
| 12 | García-López et al. 2008, Med Clin (Barc) | Children aged 7 to 14 with Tourette syndrome, magnesium + vitamin B6, 90 days | Tic score dropped from 26.7 to 12.9, no side effects | open-label study without control group |
| 13 | García-López et al. 2009, Trials | Study protocol, children aged 7 to 14 | Planned placebo-controlled study with magnesium + vitamin B6 | protocol, results not found; publicly funded (Andalusia, Instituto Carlos III) |
| 14 | Smith et al. 2021, J Diet Suppl | Online survey, 42 families with a Tourette child, 34 comparison families | Magnesium among the most common supplements; in 42% the paediatrician wasn't informed | small survey |
| 15 | Pringsheim et al. 2019, Neurology | Systematic review by the American Academy of Neurology | Behavioural therapy for tics effective with high confidence | guideline review |
| 16 | Huang et al. 2019, Prog Neuropsychopharmacol Biol Psychiatry | 12 studies | Lower magnesium levels in blood and hair in children with ADHD | meta-analysis of observational studies |
| 17 | Hemamy et al. 2021, BMC Pediatr | 66 children with ADHD, vitamin D (50,000 IU/week) + magnesium (6 mg/kg/day), 8 weeks | Emotional and behavioural problems decreased more than with placebo | controlled study, combination supplement; University of Isfahan |
| 18 | Mousain-Bosc et al. 2006, Magnes Res | 40 children with ADHD symptoms, magnesium + vitamin B6 (6 mg/kg/day Mg), at least 8 weeks | Hyperactivity and aggressiveness lower, attention improved; return after stopping | observational study without placebo |
| 19 | Starobrat-Hermelin & Kozielec 1997, Magnes Res | 50 children with ADHD and low levels, approx. 200 mg/day, 6 months; 25 children without magnesium | Hyperactivity decreased more | controlled study without placebo, older |
| 20 | Ji et al. 2017, Public Health Nutr | 26 studies, infants to older adults | Magnesium linked with sleep duration and sleep phases in infants | systematic review, mostly observational data |
| 21 | Schuster et al. 2025, Nat Sci Sleep | 155 adults, 250 mg bisglycinate, 4 weeks | Sleep problems decreased more than with placebo (small effect) | controlled study, adults |
| 22 | Araki et al. 2021, J Med Case Rep | A 20-month-old child, magnesium oxide for constipation | Strongly raised blood levels, full recovery | case report |
| 23 | Qian et al. 2019, Front Neurol | 1,204 children with tics, 1,220 healthy children | No difference in blood magnesium | large retrospective analysis |
| 24 | Hariri & Azadbakht 2015, Int J Prev Med | 11 controlled studies on iron, zinc, magnesium in ADHD | No clear evidence | systematic review |
| 25 | Effatpanah et al. 2019, Psychiatry Res | 7 observational studies | Serum magnesium 0.105 mmol/L lower in ADHD, very wide variation | meta-analysis |
| 26 | Skalny et al. 2020, J Korean Acad Child Adolesc Psychiatry | 148 boys aged 4 to 9 | No difference in blood serum, lower levels in hair with ADHD | cross-sectional study |
Author: PRONESIUM Editorial Team · Last reviewed: 30/09/2026 · This article does not replace medical advice.
