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You’ve likely heard that magnesium is an essential mineral that’s involved in hundreds of bodily processes—including muscle and nerve function. It’s also been having a moment lately because of its relaxing and sleep-inducing effects (looking at you, sleepy girl mocktail). What you might not know, though, is that when you’re backed up, magnesium may actually help you poop. While most people can get all of the magnesium they need (anywhere from 320 to 420 milligrams per day) by eating magnesium-rich foods—including nuts, seeds, leafy greens, beans, whole grains, salmon, bananas, and potatoes—some people may need a magnesium supplement if they’re deficient or have certain health concerns, like constipation, per the National Institutes of Health (NIH).
Here’s the lowdown on how magnesium helps you poop, the best kind to take for constipation, how much to take, and when it’s time to go to your doc about being backed up.
Does magnesium help constipation?
If you’re having trouble pooping, magnesium can help by making your stool softer and easier to pass. “In the GI tract, non-absorbed magnesium is an osmotic laxative, which means it secretes more water and electrolytes into the gut to help things move forward and improve constipation,” says Elena Ivanina, DO, MPH, founder of the Center for Integrative Gut Health in New York City.
Magnesium is actually a common ingredient in over-the-counter (OTC) laxatives like MiraLax, Milk of Magnesia, and Citroma. But you can get the same benefits just from taking a magnesium supplement, says Dr. Ivanina. You just need to take the right type of magnesium.
The best magnesium for constipation relief includes:
- Magnesium oxide: This may be your best bet, according to recent guidelines from the American College of Gastroenterology and the American Gastroenterological Society.
- Magnesium citrate: This type can relieve occasional constipation by softening your stool and encouraging your intestinal muscles to move poop out.
- Magnesium sulfate: It also has laxative properties that can help you poop, per the Mayo Clinic.
In general, you shouldn’t take magnesium or other laxatives for more than a week unless you’ve been told by your doctor to do so, says the National Library of Medicine (NLM). If you’re regularly relying on laxatives to help you poop, that could be a sign of an underlying GI problem that needs to be addressed.
Other types of magnesium and their uses
There are actually a bunch of different types of magnesium supplements, and different types can be used for different health problems. Here are the most common:
- Magnesium chloride (for low magnesium levels, per the NIH)
- Magnesium aspartate (for low magnesium levels, per the NIH)
- Magnesium glycinate (which may support mood and sleep, per the Mayo Clinic)
- Magnesium hydroxide (which may relieve heartburn, and can also have a laxative effect, per the Harvard T.H. Chan School of Public Health.)
- Magnesium lactate (for low magnesium levels, per the NIH)
- Magnesium malate (which may help with muscle pain, per Mount Sinai)
- Magnesium sulfate (which may help with muscle pain, per the Mayo Clinic)
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