Can I Take Zinc And Magnesium Together?

Discover the power of pairing zinc and magnesium together. Learn how they work synergistically to enhance your well-being.

Eating healthy can be tough for some and even when we do our best to get the nutrients we need through food, most of us still need to catch up. Dietary supplements have become an important factor in preventing nutrient deficiencies and optimizing health but there are a few things to consider.

Some vitamins and minerals interact, whether taking a multivitamin or trying to target specific nutrients. This interaction can be positive or negative. For example, vitamin C can aid in the absorption of the mineral iron while calcium can inhibit this absorption.

Knowing how these important nutrients interact can ensure we get the most out of our supplements. Another common interaction is zinc and magnesium. Many ask “can I take zinc and magnesium together?”

The answer is yes. In fact, you should! This article will focus on the importance of combining zinc and magnesium to get the most out of your supplement.

Importance Of Taking Both Zinc And Magnesium Daily

Like vitamin C and iron, taking zinc with magnesium can help to increase the absorption. Magnesium is also essential in regulating our body’s zinc levels, working synergistically to improve health outcomes.

Each mineral helps to provide benefits to the other, making them an excellent combo for those looking to get more out of either of these nutrients.

Additionally, some research studies have found further potential benefits of pairing these two minerals during supplementation. One 12-week study on the intake of magnesium with zinc found that this combination had beneficial effects on the health parameters of individuals with type 2 diabetes and heart disease. (Source)

Let’s take a deeper look at these two very important minerals, their role in the body, their benefits, and recommended dosages.

What Is Zinc?

Zinc is an essential mineral commonly found in over-the-counter cold remedies. It plays a vital role in cellular metabolism, immunity, wound healing, protein and DNA synthesis, and cell signaling. Zinc is also an important nutrient for growth and development during pregnancy and early childhood. (Source)

Aside from supplements, you can obtain zinc from food sources such as oysters, blue crab, fortified breakfast cereals, pumpkin seeds, beef, turkey, and cheese. Oysters contain the highest levels of dietary zinc compared to other foods, at about 30 or more milligrams per serving (nearly 300% of the %DV for zinc). (Source)

The Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA), which is a reference tool for the average intake sufficient to meet nutrient requirements of >98% of healthy individuals, recommends women aged 19 years and older get 8 mg of zinc per day and men 19 years and older get 11 mg per day. (Source)

What Is Magnesium?

Magnesium is an abundant mineral in the body as well as an essential nutrient. It can be found in a variety of food sources as well as a common ingredient in antacids and laxatives.

Magnesium plays an important role in several body functions including protein synthesis, muscle and nerve function, blood sugar and blood pressure regulation, and energy production. Magnesium is also needed for the development of our bones as well as DNA and RNA synthesis and much more. Its functions are vital and vast. (Source)

The RDA for magnesium varies a lot with age. It’s recommended women aged 19-30 years get 310 mg of magnesium daily and men 400 mg.

This recommendation increases slightly with age; those 31 years and older are recommended to consume 320-420 mg per day. Pregnant or nursing women require higher levels of magnesium for fetal growth and development. (Source)

Like many minerals, magnesium is present in a large variety of foods including nuts and seeds, spinach, soymilk, dairy, beans, legumes, and salmon. (Source)

Benefits Of Magnesium And Zinc

Taking magnesium and zinc together can help treat nutrient deficiencies in those who struggle to meet their needs with dietary sources alone. If you have low levels of zinc or magnesium, taking a supplement can help improve your immune system, promote wound healing, reduce inflammation, potentially improve sleep, digestion, and much more.

Aside from their essential roles for human health, zinc, and magnesium have been researched for their potential benefit regarding several health conditions. As mentioned above, the combination of supplemental zinc and magnesium has been shown to improve several health parameters of those suffering from type 2 diabetes and heart disease including fasting blood glucose levels and HDL cholesterol. (Source)

Additionally, more recent studies have found potential benefits of zinc and magnesium for the treatment of depression and anxiety symptoms.

Animal and human studies showed significant correlations between serum levels of each of these minerals and symptoms of depression. Administration of these nutrients reduced these symptoms significantly showing promise for potential natural treatment options. (Source)

What Is The Best Time To Take Zinc And Magnesium?

There is no research-proven ideal time of day to take zinc and/or magnesium supplements. With that said, some encourage taking magnesium supplements in the evening as it can help with sleep. Zinc can be taken at any time of day and no research has found morning, afternoon, or evening supplementation to be better than the other.

The best time to take zinc and magnesium is when you will remember to take it. If you do suffer from sleep challenges, right before bed may be a good time to take them; however, this is only true if you have a solid sleep routine that consists of taking these supplements around the same time each night.

For most, being consistent with their supplement intake involves taking them first thing in the morning with breakfast. This is an easy routine to get into and stay consistent with but everyone is different. Do what works for you as long as it gets you taking these supplements consistently as that is what is going to show the best results.

Can I Take Magnesium And Zinc With Other Vitamins?

Both magnesium and zinc have certain nutrients that negatively interact with them. If you plan to take a magnesium and zinc supplement, consider the following interactions to ensure you are getting the most from your supplement.

Avoid taking zinc supplements with iron as it can negatively impact absorption. It may also negatively impact calcium absorption in those who have low calcium intake in their diet. (Source)

Additionally, calcium decreases the absorption of zinc so it’s advised to avoid supplementing with both zinc and calcium, especially if a zinc deficiency is present. (Source) 

Magnesium also competes with calcium absorption and can create a deficiency in those with low levels. (Source)

Aside from calcium and iron, zinc can also affect the absorption of copper. High zinc supplementation can cause low copper so it’s helpful to supplement with zinc and copper to avoid a deficiency in one or the other. (Source)

How To Take The Best Zinc And Magnesium Supplement

If you want to include a zinc and magnesium supplement, you may be wondering what are the best supplements. There are thousands of dietary supplements on the market and choosing one can sometimes feel overwhelming and confusing.

Be sure to choose a product from a trusted brand, ideally one that offers third-party testing for quality and purity. This means they send their product out to a third party to make sure it meets the criteria for what it claims.

Next, look for products that provide full ingredient transparency. This means avoiding anything that includes proprietary blends that don’t disclose the dosages of various ingredients such as Human Tonik Supergreen Tonik powder. 

Last, be sure the product you are getting contains the proper forms of zinc and magnesium, includes copper in the supplement list, and excludes iron and calcium.

If you are already taking a supplement that contains either zinc or magnesium and wish to pair it with the other instead of swapping out your usual supplement, you can do this as well.

For example, if you already take Human Tonik Supergreen Tonik powder, which contains a good source of zinc and copper but doesn’t include adequate magnesium, you can add their magnesium powder, Magne Tonik to it.

Regardless of what type of zinc and magnesium supplement you choose, be sure to take it with good care as this can help reduce uncomfortable symptoms of nausea. These supplements can be taken with a meal or a snack.

Now that you know the benefits of taking magnesium with zinc, check your supplement routine and see if you are getting the right combination of nutrients to start seeing better results with your health.