How Do I Know I Need Magnesium?

What Does Recommended Dietary Allowance (RDA) Mean?

The NCBI describes the RDA for a nutrient as:

The average daily dietary intake level is sufficient to meet the nutrient requirement of nearly all (97 to 98 percent) healthy individuals in a group.

What Is the RDA for Magnesium?

We suggest that you follow the RDA recommended in the chart below. If you have any questions or need more advice, please contact your healthcare professional.

Table 1 lists the current RDAs for magnesium [1]. For infants from birth to 12 months, the FNB (Food and Nutrition Board) established an AI (Adequate Intake) for magnesium that is equivalent to the mean intake of magnesium in healthy, breastfed infants, with added solid foods for ages 7–12 months.

Table 1: Recommended Dietary Allowances (RDAs) for Magnesium [1]
Age	Male	Female	Pregnancy	Lactation
Birth to 6 months	30 mg*	30 mg*
7–12 months	75 mg*	75 mg*
1–3 years	80 mg	80 mg
4–8 years	130 mg	130 mg
9–13 years	240 mg	240 mg
14–18 years	410 mg	360 mg	400 mg	360 mg
19–30 years	400 mg	310 mg	350 mg	310 mg
31–50 years	420 mg	320 mg	360 mg	320 mg
51+ years	420 mg	320 mg

*Adequate Intake (AI)

Take Our Magnesium Quiz

If you would like to know whether you are experiencing magnesium deficiency, take our online Magnesium Deficiency Test.

References

Institute of Medicine (IOM). Food and Nutrition Board. Dietary Reference Intakes: Calcium, Phosphorus, Magnesium, Vitamin D and Fluoride. Washington, DC: National Academy Press, 1997.