Can You Take Magnesium and Vitamin C Together?

Key Takeaways

• As a potent antioxidant, vitamin C plays a role in your immunity, collagen production, and brain health, among others, but needs to be consumed daily since the body can't store it. [1, 2]
• Magnesium influences over 300 bodily functions, from energy production to sleep, bone health, and muscle recovery.
• Many people are magnesium insufficient or deficient due to poor diets, farming techniques, medications, and other factors. [5, 10]
• Magnesium and vitamin C have no known harmful interactions — they are safe to take together (with your doctor's green light), and may even complement each other in some cases. [9]
• Whole, organic foods are your best sources of vitamins and minerals, but high-quality supplements like Performance Lab NutriGenesis® Multi can help you stay consistent with adequate nutrient intake. [2]

Magnesium and Vitamin C Overview

Whether you’re looking for immune support, optimal bone health, or better muscle recovery, magnesium and vitamin C are two of the most popular supplements of choice.

But like many other nutrients, there’s a lot of confusion about when to take them and if they’re safe to take together.

Although it might seem like there is less risk of interactions with natural supplements, you can’t throw caution to the wind.

Who are Vitamin C and Magnesium (not) for?

Needless to say, magnesium and vitamin C supplements aren't for everyone. If you follow a strict diet and are getting enough of these nutrients from food, then adding a supplement may not be necessary.

In fact, ingesting excessive amounts of any nutrient (magnesium and vitamin C included) can be as counterproductive as not getting enough. [35]

That said, many people are simply not able to keep a perfect diet. Decreasing nutrient content of foods, busy lifestyles, medication use, and other factors make it increasingly challenging to nourish our body with all it needs. [5, 10] In such cases, there are potential advantages to supplementation.

With this in mind, we’re now diving into the benefits of vitamin C and magnesium and giving you the answer on whether supplementing them together is safe.

Vitamin C And Its Role In The Body

When it comes to vitamin C, chances are you’ve heard about it in the context of the immune system.

Whether that’s loading up on oranges when you’re not feeling well or knocking back elderberry syrup to fight a cold, they’re both loaded with vitamin C.

Vitamin C is a water-soluble vitamin that happens to be a powerful antioxidant and immune-booster. [1, 2]

There’s ample research showing both direct and indirect effects on free radicals and oxidative stress; vitamin C can directly react with free radicals to neutralize them and prevent damage, but it also acts indirectly to restore the antioxidant properties of the fat-soluble vitamin E. [1]

Without sufficient antioxidants, free radicals accumulate in the body and can lead to a state of oxidative stress and subsequent inflammation; both play a role in the development of chronic diseases. [2]

Boosting your intake of vitamin C has a number of potential benefits, including increasing antioxidant levels. This, in turn, may help the body regulate inflammation. [3, 4, 11]

Benefits of Vitamin C

But it’s not just about protecting the body against free radicals. Vitamin C also plays a role in [12, 13]:

• Supporting immune function
• Contributing to normal blood pressure
• Enhancing non-heme iron absorption
• Supporting healthy blood vessels
• Supporting healthy cholesterol levels
• Providing antioxidants for brain health

What's more, vitamin C is essential for collagen synthesis and stabilizing the collagen network. Collagen plays a role in supporting joint health and integrity, including in the case of osteoarthritis. [2, 14]

Chronic vitamin C deficiency can lead to impaired bone mineralization and increased risk of fractures. [15] The requirement for vitamin C increases in certain groups of people (for example, smokers). [16]

Getting Vitamin C from Food and Supplements

Vitamin C can be found in a variety of foods like leafy greens and citrus fruits. It's water-soluble and can't be stored in the body, so you need to obtain it from your diet or supplements on a regular basis. [13]

When it comes to vitamin C supplements, the most common form is ascorbic acid. Ascorbic acid is shown in clinical trials to be safe and is commonly used to support various health goals. [13, 17]

However, since vitamin C supplements are often derived from corn, make sure your product label states "non-GMO".

Some people opt exclusively for whole-food-based vitamin C supplements for peace of mind. That's a solid practice. That said, the jury is still out on the difference in bioavailability compared to synthetic vitamin C, with some studies suggesting it's minimal. [33]

And when it comes to your health, vitamin C has a plethora of nutritive allies—including magnesium.

The Benefits Of The Essential Mineral Magnesium

If you’re talking about super minerals, magnesium is sure to make the list. It’s found within cells where it acts as a counter-ion for ATP, as well as a cofactor for over 300 enzymatic reactions, many of which generate ATP. [5]

Did you know? Magnesium is the eighth most common element in the Earth's crust.

What Magnesium Does in Your Body

Because ATP is required for virtually every process in the human body—glucose utilization, fat, protein, nucleic acid synthesis, coenzymes, muscle contraction, and more—magnesium becomes essential to proper body function. [5]

Insufficient levels interfere with many biological processes, including muscle contraction, vascular tone, heartbeat, neurological function, and others. [5]

Magnesium deficiency is also associated with increased risk of osteoporosis and adverse effects on bone mineral density. Adequate magnesium levels are essential for healthy bone density, and supplementation of the mineral may play a supportive role in osteoporosis prevention. [18, 19]

But perhaps one of its most notable functions is as a calcium antagonist, whereby it counteracts the action of calcium to regulate muscle relaxation and contraction, and neurotransmitter release. By promoting relaxation, magnesium plays a role in sleep health as well as other areas of wellness. [5, 20]

It also has a role in regulating insulin levels, showing promise for people with diabetes. There’s a fair bit of evidence suggesting altered insulin secretion and sensitivity in both animals and humans deficient in magnesium. [6, 7]

On top of that, magnesium plays a major role in [21, 22, 23]:

• Vitamin D metabolism
• Energy levels
• Muscle recovery
• Skin health

Magnesium Deficiency: Why It’s More Common Than You Think

Magnesium is an essential nutrient. Although it's widely available in many food sources, a good chunk of the population is still deficient. More precisely, almost half of U.S. adults are estimated to not be getting enough magnesium from their diet. [10]

And because serum magnesium isn’t an accurate reflection of intracellular magnesium levels, which make up 99% of total body magnesium, deficiency often goes undiagnosed. [8]

When you combine that with a high prevalence of chronic disease, medication use, decreased food concentrations, and a high intake of magnesium-poor food like refined and processed goods, it’s a recipe for magnesium deficiency. Because of this, magnesium supplements are a popular option for covering dietary gaps.

Magnesium Citrate vs Magnesium Glycinate: Which Form is Best?

Magnesium citrate and glycinate are among the most common forms of magnesium on the market. But which one is better?

Citrate - for digestive support and general use

Magnesium citrate is an effective way to up your magnesium intake. It's a form of magnesium bound with citric acid. [24]

• Did you know? Citric acid is the main reason for the distinctive, sour taste of citrus fruits. [25]

Magnesium citrate is also sometimes used to help with constipation as it draws water in the digestive tract, which promotes bowel movements. [26]

Travelers and those with changing dietary patterns may find it especially helpful for supporting digestion. Plus, it's widely available in powder and liquid forms.

Side effects like diarrhea and dehydration can happen, although they are more common with high doses. [26, 27] If you're new to magnesium supplements, it's best to start with a low dose and take it with food.

Glycinate - for sleep support and those with sensitive digestion

If you're prone to having stomach problems, magnesium glycinate might be a better option because it's gentler on the digestion. [34] It's a form of magnesium bound to glycine.

Glycine is an amino acid that plays a role in the release of neurotransmitters like GABA, which influences sleep and relaxation.

This is why magnesium glycinate is more often used to support sleep, relaxation, and stress relief. [28]

Magnesium glycinate may also relieve muscle soreness and support athletic recovery. [29]

That said, one form of magnesium to watch out for is magnesium oxide. It may be less bioavailable (a.k.a. poorly absorbed) than other forms of magnesium and is mostly used for relieving constipation and indigestion. [30]

Can You Combine Vitamin C And Magnesium?

Although the functions of vitamin C and magnesium may not overlap like other nutrients, there’s no harm in taking them simultaneously. With no known significant interactions, vitamin C and magnesium can safely be supplemented together.

In fact, they may have a promotive effect together. One study found that adding magnesium ions to high-dose vitamin C supplementation in some health treatments can enhance the beneficial effects of vitamin C. [9]

Mind you, the high doses in this study aren't what most people take on a daily basis. Therefore, for anyone not mega-dosing vitamin C, there’s little to worry about if you’re also taking magnesium at the same time.