We’ve Known About Magnesium and Migraines for Decades

Research supporting the use of magnesium for migraine headaches goes back more than 30 years—and researchers are still studying it today. Early studies found that migraine sufferers tended to have lower magnesium levels than healthy controls. In one placebo-controlled study, 600 mg of magnesium per day reduced migraine frequency by more than 41%, compared with a 15.8% reduction in the placebo group. More recent reviews continue to find evidence that magnesium supplementation can reduce the frequency and severity of migraine attacks. [1,2]

Magnesium for migraine is hardly cutting-edge alternative medicine anymore. The American Migraine Foundation notes that magnesium is commonly used for migraine prevention, generally in doses of 400–600 mg per day. The American Headache Society and American Academy of Neurology have rated magnesium as “probably effective” for migraine prevention [3].

Why Is Magnesium Deficiency So Common?

Perhaps the more interesting question is: Why are so many people short of magnesium in the first place? There probably isn’t a single reason. Poor diet, insulin resistance and chronic stress can all work against maintaining adequate magnesium.

Insulin Resistance and Magnesium

The kidneys filter a tremendous amount of magnesium every day, but normally reabsorb 95–99% of it. Insulin resistance and hyperinsulinemia can interfere with this process, increasing the amount of magnesium lost in the urine. High blood sugar can increase urinary magnesium loss as well.[4]

Unfortunately, this can become another vicious circle. Magnesium is needed for normal insulin signaling. Insulin resistance can contribute to magnesium loss, while magnesium deficiency can make insulin signaling less efficient.[4]

Stress and Magnesium

Stress creates another vicious circle. During stress, magnesium moves out of cells and more can be lost through the kidneys. With chronic stress, this can gradually deplete magnesium stores. At the same time, magnesium helps regulate the body’s stress response, so magnesium deficiency may make a person more susceptible to the effects of stress.[5]

In other words:

Stress depletes magnesium → low magnesium makes it harder to handle stress → more stress → more magnesium loss.

And Then There Is the American Diet

More than half of the calories consumed by American adults now come from ultra-processed foods; among children and adolescents, the figure is nearly 62%.[6] Processing and refining can remove magnesium from foods, while diets low in vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds and whole grains provide fewer opportunities to get it [6]. Put poor diet together with chronic stress and insulin resistance, and it isn’t difficult to see how someone can spend years with marginal magnesium status.

For someone suffering from migraines, perhaps the question shouldn’t simply be, “Does magnesium treat headaches?” It may also be worth asking, “Why does this person need magnesium?” Interestingly, the American Migraine Foundation occasionally recommends magnesium oxide, one of the more poorly absorbed forms of magnesium [8]. Use a chelated form instead (like magnesium citrate)—better absorption [7,8].

Related Articles

3 Things You Should Know if You Have Migraine Headaches

References

  1. Dominguez LJ, Veronese N, Sabico S, Al-Daghri NM, Barbagallo M. Magnesium and migraine. Nutrients. 2025;17(4):725. doi:10.3390/nu17040725.
  2. Peikert A, Wilimzig C, Köhne-Volland R. Prophylaxis of migraine with oral magnesium: results from a prospective, multi-center, placebo-controlled and double-blind randomized study. Cephalalgia. 1996;16(4):257-263. doi:10.1046/j.1468-2982.1996.1604257.x.
  3. American Migraine Foundation. 5 Common Alternative Treatments for Migraine. This is your source for magnesium as mainstream migraine prevention and the AHS/AAN “probably effective” designation.
  4. Pham PC, Pham PM, Pham SV, Miller JM, Pham PT. Hypomagnesemia in patients with type 2 diabetes. Clin J Am Soc Nephrol. 2007;2(2):366-373. doi:10.2215/CJN.02960906.
  5. Pickering G, Mazur A, Trousselard M, et al. Magnesium status and stress: the vicious circle concept revisited. Nutrients. 2020;12(12):3672. doi:10.3390/nu12123672.
  6. CDC/NCHS. Ultra-processed food consumption in youth and adults: United States, August 2021–August 2023. NCHS Data Brief No. 536. 2025.
  7. Lindberg JS, Zobitz MM, Poindexter JR, Pak CY. Magnesium bioavailability from magnesium citrate and magnesium oxide. J Am Coll Nutr. 1990;9(1):48-55. doi:10.1080/07315724.1990.10720349.
  8. Walker AF, Marakis G, Christie S, Byng M. Mg citrate found more bioavailable than other Mg preparations in a randomised, double-blind study. Magnes Res. 2003;16(3):183-191.