Magnesium Supplementation

[DenverGuy]

Someone I know keeps pushing me to take magnesium supplements. I say that it should be obtained by food. I also believe that you shouldn't take anything like that unless a blood test has shown a deficiency. Any other arguments against it?

I realize that the source of this article is very questionable!
https://www.mercola.com/calendar/2018/magnesium.htm

[Vanilla Orchid]

I have osteoporosis and declined drugs based in part on Dr. McDougall's advice and in part on several other sources that convinced me the drugs could do more harm than good. Although I have followed the McDougall plan for a number of years, it has not helped me gain bone density. I have been participating in studies using yoga to improve bone density and those studies are being conducted by Loren Fishman, MD, out of New York. I have still not gained bone density, although yoga has helped me in numerous other ways. Dr. Fishman recommended that I take Magnesium. I consulted Dr. Lim (after attending the 10-day program in Santa Rosa just before COVID shut down the in-person programs). Dr. Lim warned that taking magnesium could cause diarrhea. Since nothing else was helping, I started taking magnesium. I never got diarrhea. Still taking it. I don't know if it helps because I have not had another DEXA scan since I began taking it. But I have no reason to think it hurts.

So, I guess it depends on why you want to try taking it.

[vegman]

Someone I know keeps pushing me to take magnesium supplements. I say that it should be obtained by food. I also believe that you shouldn't take anything like that unless a blood test has shown a deficiency. Any other arguments against it?

I realize that the source of this article is very questionable!
https://www.mercola.com/calendar/2018/magnesium.htm

Is your diet deficient in magnesium? Have you tried entering one or more typical day's food into cronometer.com or a similar program to see? Last time I did this, Cronometer said I was getting 156% of the RDA, and I don't recall magnesium ever being low when I've done this.

If you are not deficient in magnesium, is there evidence regarding magnesium supplementation beyond the RDA, and if so, what would a proper interpretation of the evidence show regarding the case, if any, or taking additional magnesium?