Social media has leaned into the idea that magnesium and vitamin D should be taken together to get the most benefits of both, when it comes to things like reducing fatigue, maintaining insulin resistance, and supporting immune health.
Is there truth behind the buzz?
Some experts say that if you take both magnesium and vitamin D supplements, it may be most helpful to take magnesium before or with vitamin D, rather than after. (More on the specific benefits of each below.)
“This is because getting enough magnesium may maximize the effect of vitamin D and reduce the potential adverse effects of vitamin D,” says Qi Dai, MD, PhD, a professor of medicine at Vanderbilt University Medical Center who researches vitamin D.
In other words, you might boost vitamin D absorption with magnesium, but you need adequate magnesium first.
Choosing supplements that combine magnesium and vitamin D in the same capsule can help you remember to take them. “These supplements don’t compete with each other for absorption, so it is fine to take in the same pill,” says Bethany Doerfler, RD, a registered dietitian at Northwestern Medicine in Chicago.
