What Happens To Your Blood Pressure When Magnesium And Potassium Are Taken Together

When it comes to essential minerals for the body, magnesium and potassium are pretty far up on the list. Magnesium can aid in managing diabetes, stave off osteoporosis, keep migraines at bay, encourage restorative sleep, and it may even keep blood pressure within the healthy range, as well as regulate kidney function. It’s also been found to help reduce stress and depression levels. “Perhaps its most important job is to enable healthy enzyme function,” internal medicine specialist, Dana Habash-Bseiso, M.D., said to University Hospitals. “Magnesium is involved in more than 300 different enzyme activities that help to regulate biochemical reactions in our body.” In other words, it’s a very impressive nutrient that the body absolutely needs.

Although potassium has its own set of health benefits, there’s also quite a bit that overlaps with magnesium. For example, potassium contributes to bone, kidney, and heart health, diabetes management, and is also a factor in reducing blood pressure. Because these two, working independently, are an asset in fighting against high blood pressure, what does that mean if you have high blood pressure and you take magnesium and potassium together? It could mean enhanced benefits.

According to a 2011 study published in The Journal of Clinical Hypertension, taking these two minerals together, in combination with a low-sodium diet, is more effective in lowering blood pressure than if magnesium or potassium were taken alone, potentially rivaling the effect of taking an antihypertensive drug.

Magnesium and potassium, when taken together, can help support healthy blood pressure — but only if your levels are in a good place to begin with. That’s because these two minerals interact closely in the body. For example, if your magnesium is low, it can actually lead to lower potassium levels, which you definitely don’t want. So before adding potassium to your regimen, it’s important to make sure your magnesium status is adequate — that way, both minerals can work with each other to benefit your blood pressure, instead of working against you.

Unless you’ve had a recent blood test confirming your magnesium and potassium levels, it’s a good idea to make an appointment with your doctor. You’ll want to not only check your levels, but also discuss whether taking these minerals together is appropriate based on your medical history. This can help prevent potential issues like drug interactions or underlying health conditions that could interfere with how your body processes these nutrients.

For those with high blood pressure, taking magnesium and potassium together can be a great alternative to prescribed medication. However, because of their kidney health properties, these two minerals may also be an essential asset after a kidney transplant. According to a 2018 study published in Nutrients, mice who were being treated with cyclosporine to avoid transplant rejection benefited from magnesium serum supplements in a handful of ways, including increased kidney function and the lessening of fibrotic lesions. When potassium was added to the equation, the benefits of magnesium became even greater.

However, despite the positive aspects of taking these two minerals together, there’s always the possibility of consuming more than you should. If you experience any gastrointestinal issues or stomach pain, you may have taken too much or your body isn’t tolerating the combination. So if you experience any side effects that feel off or simply not right or normal for you, contact your doctor immediately to discuss other options or healthier ways to consume magnesium and potassium together.