What type and amount of Magnesium supplement is needed for bone health

I take my magnesium glycinate.

Wondering how high your D level was…. Latest from integrative medicine says between 60-80 is good.

@kathleen1314 could you please provide the authority for the recommended amount of magnesium you state?
It seems a bit high.

According to McCOrmick in Great Bones, the recommended amount is 320mg/day and he further says that this is a supplement to get 'just right'.... 'Excessive intake can actually impair osteoblast activity.' (P. 437)

He also references a study showing that adequate magnesium intake is correlated to higher bone density at the hip. That caught my attention because most osteo meds seem to work better on spine density than on hip density, and that has been my experience.

@chiefsmom

@rjd
I don't think that we are disagreeing; I think that supplementation involves a range of dosing and it frequently depends on age and condition and what you are taking the supplement to treat.
That amount I posted is the range given over several sites on the internet for both men and women. I was answering for men and women and also taking into account different reasons for supplementation. RDA is frequently lower than that used for particular conditions. Plus....The women's level is frequently listed by doctors as lower., 320-350mg...man's is around 420mg. 500 mg is an amount that has been used in research and recommended for some conditions, but only under a doctor's care.
Also, I believe the doctor which you are quoting was speaking to just RDA and potentially bone health. That is a more narrow range and so the level would be a more specific range.
I always try to answer a question based on research and a broad range; then with a doctor's advice or your individual situation you can drill down to the best amount. Plus, I always default to what the actual supplement says or less for me individually.
"Research indicates a common supplemental magnesium range of 300-500 mg daily, with studies showing benefits for inflammation, muscle function, blood pressure, and depression, especially in deficient individuals, though results vary and optimal dosage depends on individual needs, form, and dietary intake. Official recommendations (RDAs) for adults are lower (around 310-420 mg), but many Western diets fall short, making supplementation in the higher range beneficial for correcting deficiencies, though it's crucial to monitor total intake and consult a doctor for personalized advice"
Personally for myself, I do everything on the lower range.
Usually the higher ranges are used for specific conditions like hypertension:
https://www.ahajournals.org/doi/10.1161/HYPERTENSIONAHA.125.25129
other sites list the 300-500mg range, just do a find on 500 to find the wording in each of these links:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/medicine-and-dentistry/magnesium-intake
https://us.usecadence.com/blogs/science/what-is-magnesium
https://pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/articles/PMC5637834/
different ranges based on conditions:
https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S2161831322011280
different ranges with 500 mg mentioned:
https://www.nmi.health/magnesium-a-review-of-clinical-use-and-efficacy/
At least 300 mg needed:
https://openheart.bmj.com/content/5/1/e000668
There are several more sites and research articles, but you can find those easily with a simple google or AI search.

The AI overview explains it this way:
"The RDA for magnesium differs from some research recommendations (like 500mg) because RDAs are set for preventing deficiency in most healthy people, while research often explores higher doses for specific conditions (migraines, heart health, etc.) or considers higher needs due to factors like diet (processed foods reducing intake) and body weight, suggesting current RDAs might be too low for many, especially with modern diets low in whole foods, notes ScienceDirect.com, The Nutrition Source, and Henley Nutrition. Research highlights that intakes around 400-600mg might be needed for optimal health or to offset losses, exceeding the standard RDA of ~300-420mg, with some studies suggesting higher needs for athletes or those with certain health issues"

But yes, exceptionally high magnesium levels which are often achieved with high-dose IV or very large oral supplements can shut down osteoblasts, indicating a balance is key.
Or as the AI puts it
Yes, very high magnesium levels can suppress osteoblast (bone-building cell) activity and promote osteoclast (bone-resorbing cell) activity, leading to potential bone loss, but adequate or slightly elevated levels (like 1-2 mM in studies) actually stimulate bone formation; the "bad" amount starts at supra-physiological levels, seen in labs as >1 mM or >8-10 mM, which are far beyond typical dietary intake and often achieved with high-dose IV or very large oral supplements, indicating a balance is key.
200-500 mg is usually considered a moderate dose for a man or at the lower level for a woman especially if it is used to treat a specific condition.

What I learned is that magnesium glycinate is easier in the GI system..some people take magnesium for pain, for sleep to move bowels or as part of bone supplementation… I learned that I do better on a moderate amount, just listening to my body.

I’ve been off Prolia for 6 months to have a molar extracted, waiting for jawbone to heal and now will have an implant in a few weeks. My endocrinologist put me on Evista for the duration. I asked my GP to check my blood level of magnesium. He felt Mg was not important for bone density, but would order the test. If Mg is so important for bone density, I wonder why my endocrinologist has only tested for Calcium and Vitamin D over the past years.

@kathleen1314 Hi again, Kathleen. I take a product called Calm which contains 325 mg of magnesium citrate per scoop, and I take almost 2 scoops nightly.

I also take Mounjaro, which has the side effect of backing you up, a problem I never experienced before, hence the need for Calm.

Can you please tell me if you know if almost 600 mg is too much in terms of bone health? TIA

@squitirogloria
I think that this amount would need to be evaluated in context with your entire medical history. This is best done by you and your doctor.
Ai does say this:
A total daily intake of 600 mg of magnesium is generally considered high, and taking this amount from supplements alone exceeds the recognized safe upper limit of 350 mg per day for adults. While magnesium is crucial for bone health—with some studies indicating that higher doses (400–800 mg) can support bone density in postmenopausal women—consuming 600 mg in supplements can cause side effects.

@kathleen1314 Thank you for the insight Kathleen, I appreciate you.

I'm having a difficult time finding a team of doctors to work with: bone doctor, endocrinologist and PT. So I'm trying to do what I can now until I can get appointments. But it doesn't end there. Then there's deciding if that provider is right for me.

I went to a "bone specialist" last week that I'd waited 6 weeks to get into. I am still hurting from his exam. From what I'm learning through my own research, we're not supposed to twist, bend forward or arch back, and he forced all those things.

He did give me a prescription for PT 3x week for 6 weeks, and a list of practitioners, and again, I have to wait 1 month to get in to see the highly recommended one. So I'll be calling a ton more offices tomorrow to see if I can get in sooner.

I wish there was some sort of directory for each area of tried and true practitioners, but as yet, I haven't found that.