Magnesium in food supplements

Magnesium: in France, a food supplement may not provide more than 300 mg a day (Order of 9 May 2006, not revised since November 2006, Annex III); for adults, EFSA's upper safe limit is 250 mg a day (added intakes only); the French maximum is above this limit: a supplement that complies with the Order can on its own exceed EFSA's upper safe limit. The doses of the 2006 Order have not been revised since the amending Order of 14 November 2006, and some were annulled by the Conseil d'État in 2011; the DGCCRF accepted higher levels for some nutrients through guidelines published until January 2019, and an update of the Order is being prepared (ministerial answer published in the Official Journal on 11 February 2025).

Uses

• ALLOYS USED IN AIRCRAFT, COMMERCIAL VEHICLES, MACHINERY & TELEVISION SETS; IN RADIO INDUSTRY DEGASSING VALVES /ELECTRON TUBES/; IN VARIOUS HEATING APPLIANCES; MFR OF INCENDIARY BOMBS, TRACER BULLETS & FLASHLIGHT POWDERS; IN NUCLEAR ENERGY PROCESSES, SUCH AS CANNING MATERIAL

• Aluminum alloys for structural parts, die-cast auto parts, missiles, space vehicles; powder for pyrotechnics and flash photography, production of iron, nickel, zinc, titanium, zirconium; antiknock gasoline additives; magnesium compounds and Grignard synthesis; cathodic protection; reducing agent; desulfurizing iron in steel manufacture; precision instruments; optical mirrors; dry and wet batteries.

• In alloys to produce light weight structural metals. In aluminum alloys to improve mechanical properties; used in /the production of/ Grignard reagents; in dry cell batteries; in pyrotechnics. For hot metal desulfurization, esp. molten iron; prodn of ductile iron; metal reduction to produce elemental boron, titanium, zirconium; corrosion protection of steel structures; sacrificial anodes for corrosion protection.

• METAL IN ALLOYS WITH ALUMINUM & OTHER METALS; STRUCTURAL METAL IN AUTOMOBILES, SCOOTERS, SNOWMOBILES, LAWN MOWERS, CATHODES & ANODES; REDUCING AGENT FOR METALS, CHEM INT FOR MAGNESIUM COMPD

• PRECISION METALLURGY; PRECISION INSTRUMENTS; DRY TATTURE

A molecule found naturally in plants or organisms; in a supplement it may be extracted from them, made by fermentation or synthesised: the declaration does not say which.

Basis: one CosIngThe European Commission's database of cosmetic ingredients. CAS and natural occurrence recorded in Wikidata (LOTUS database).

Natural occurrence recorded in Wikidata (LOTUS database): 11 taxa; examples: Montanoa frutescens, Montanoa grandiflora, Foeniculum vulgare, Theobroma cacao, Chamomilla recutita.

Manufacturing

• ... IN PRODUCTION OF MAGNESIUM FROM MAGNESITE

• ...EXTRACTED FROM WELL BRINES & SEA WATER, WHICH IS FILTERED & TREATED WITH SLAKED LIME, PRECIPITATING THE METAL AS MAGNESIUM HYDROXIDE. /THIS/...CONVERTED TO THE CHLORIDE BY...HYDROCHLORIC ACID & THE METAL IS EXTRACTED BY ELECTROLYSIS.

• Commercial production by electrolytic reduction of magnesium chloride or thermal reduction of magnesium oxide. First obtained in metallic form by Davy in 1808 by electrolyte reduction of magnesium oxide with mercury cathode. Prepn: Deville et al. in Gmelin's, Magnesium (8th ed.) 27A, 121 (1937).

• ELECTROLYSIS OF MAGNESIUM CHLORIDE OBTAINED FROM SEA WATER, LAKE, OR WELL BRINES (PRIMARY); THERMAL REDUCTION OF ORES (PRIMARILY DOLOMITE) WITH FERROSILICON (PRIMARY); RECOVERY FROM OLD & NEW MAGNESIUM & ALUMINUM BASED SCRAP (SECONDARY)

• Electrolysis of fused magnesium chloride (Dow seawater process); reduction of magnesium oxide with ferrosilicon (Pidgeon process).

Appearance

• Hexagonal crystal structure

• Silvery-white metal

• Magnesium appears as a light silvery metal. The more finely divided material reacts with water to liberate hydrogen, a flammable gas, though this reaction is not as vigorous as that of sodium or lithium with water. In finely divided forms is easily ignited. Burns with an intense white flame. Can be wax coated to render magnesium as nonreactive.

• Magnesium powder appears as a light silvery colored powder.

Odour described

• none

Stability

• SLOWLY OXIDIZES IN MOIST AIR.

• STABLE IN ORDINARY AIR, BUT STRONGLY ATTACKED BY AIR CONTAINING SALT SPRAY

Pour ce nutriment, le repère de l'EFSA ne porte que sur les apports ajoutés (compléments, aliments enrichis), pas sur ce qu'apporte l'alimentation courante.

Readily dissociable magnesium salts and compounds such as MgO in supplements, water or added to foods; excludes magnesium naturally present in foods

Maximum daily dose per supplement in France: 300 mg, according to the Order of 9 May 2006.

The doses of the 2006 Order have not been revised since the amending Order of 14 November 2006, and some were annulled by the Conseil d'État in 2011; the DGCCRF accepted higher levels for some nutrients through guidelines published until January 2019, and an update of the Order is being prepared (ministerial answer published in the Official Journal on 11 February 2025).

Where to find it in food

Selected everyday foods, ranked by decreasing content across all confidence levels. Each value is at least one tenth of the maximum among the foods examined. Content varies with the food and preparation.

The Ciqual code indicates confidence in each value: A high, B good, C moderate, D low (a less certain value).

Authorised health claims

• « Magnesium contributes to a reduction of tiredness and fatigue »
  Conditions: The claim may be used only for food which is at least a source of magnesium as referred to in the claim SOURCE OF [NAME OF VITAMIN/S] AND/OR [NAME OF MINERAL/S] as listed in the Annex to Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006.
• « Magnesium contributes to electrolyte balance »
  Conditions: The claim may be used only for food which is at least a source of magnesium as referred to in the claim SOURCE OF [NAME OF VITAMIN/S] AND/OR [NAME OF MINERAL/S] as listed in the Annex to Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006.
• « Magnesium contributes to normal energy-yielding metabolism »
  Conditions: The claim may be used only for food which is at least a source of magnesium as referred to in the claim SOURCE OF [NAME OF VITAMIN/S] AND/OR [NAME OF MINERAL/S] as listed in the Annex to Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006.
• « Magnesium contributes to normal functioning of the nervous system »
  Conditions: The claim may be used only for food which is at least a source of magnesium as referred to in the claim SOURCE OF [NAME OF VITAMIN/S] AND/OR [NAME OF MINERAL/S] as listed in the Annex to Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006.
• « Magnesium contributes to normal muscle function »
  Conditions: The claim may be used only for food which is at least a source of magnesium as referred to in the claim SOURCE OF [NAME OF VITAMIN/S] AND/OR [NAME OF MINERAL/S] as listed in the Annex to Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006.
• « Magnesium contributes to normal protein synthesis »
  Conditions: The claim may be used only for food which is at least a source of magnesium as referred to in the claim SOURCE OF [NAME OF VITAMIN/S] AND/OR [NAME OF MINERAL/S] as listed in the Annex to Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006.
• « Magnesium contributes to normal psychological function »
  Conditions: The claim may be used only for food which is at least a source of magnesium as referred to in the claim SOURCE OF [NAME OF VITAMIN/S] AND/OR [NAME OF MINERAL/S] as listed in the Annex to Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006.
• « Magnesium contributes to the maintenance of normal bones »
  Conditions: The claim may be used only for food which is at least a source of magnesium as referred to in the claim SOURCE OF [NAME OF VITAMIN/S] AND/OR [NAME OF MINERAL/S] as listed in the Annex to Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006.
• « Magnesium contributes to the maintenance of normal teeth »
  Conditions: The claim may be used only for food which is at least a source of magnesium as referred to in the claim SOURCE OF [NAME OF VITAMIN/S] AND/OR [NAME OF MINERAL/S] as listed in the Annex to Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006.
• « Magnesium has a role in the process of cell division »
  Conditions: The claim may be used only for food which is at least a source of magnesium as referred to in the claim SOURCE OF [NAME OF VITAMIN/S] AND/OR [NAME OF MINERAL/S] as listed in the Annex to Regulation (EC) No 1924/2006

Official English text, as entered in the Union register. A claim may only be used under its conditions.

Union list: vitamin and mineral forms that may be used in a food supplement (Directive 2002/46/EC, Annex II).