Why is it so important to have the right balance between calcium and magnesium?

Calcium and magnesium are vital for our bones, nervous system, muscles, heart, blood pressure, and many other functions. It is essential to maintain the right balance between the two minerals that work in a team and can easily be compared to yin and yang. Vitamin D is also needed for the uptake and utilization of the minerals. Still, deficiencies of all three nutrients are widespread and that increases the risk of infections, neurological disturbances, muscle cramps, constipation, hypertension, osteoporosis, cancer, and a number of other grave diseases. In our part of the world, many people get too much calcium from dairy products and supplements. That can disrupt the delicate balance between calcium and magnesium and result in oxidative stress, chronic inflammation, and cell death.

Calcium is one of the minerals we need in the largest amounts. Around 99 percent of the body’s calcium reserve is stored in bones and teeth, while the remaining one percent is primarily located extracellularly in the soft tissues, which should ideally be almost devoid of calcium. We do, however, need calcium ions (CA 2+) in small amounts because they have a vital role in cellular energy metabolism, the release of neurotransmitters from nerve cells, and muscle contractions, including the rhythmic contractions of the heart muscle. In addition, calcium is an important co-factor for many enzymes and it supports blood coagulation.
We get calcium from broccoli and other types of cabbage, beans, spinach, oats, parsley, almonds, nuts, eggs, and bone broth. There is also calcium in dairy products, but the majority of people worldwide do not tolerate dairy products all that well. Luckily, they can easily get their calcium from other dietary sources.
It is important to avoid so-called “calcium thieves” such as sugar, candy, and soft drinks that leach calcium from the body.
An estimated five billion people worldwide are believed to lack calcium. A calcium deficiency can result in thing such as muscle fatigue, osteoporosis, hypertension, and colon cancer. Then again, too much calcium from things like dairy products and supplements can impair the uptake and utilization of iron, magnesium, and zinc, and it can also cause constipation.
It is important to know that the body needs vitamin D, vitamin K2, and magnesium for the uptake and utilization of calcium. What is more, there must be a proper balance between the intake of calcium and magnesium, as magnesium is a calcium antagonist.

Magnesium’s many functions and its role in the body’s calcium distribution

Magnesium is also one of the minerals we need in the largest quantities. Around half the body’s magnesium reserve is stored in bones, while the rest is found in nerve cells, muscle cells, the heart, the liver, and other soft tissues. We have most of our magnesium inside our cells in the form of magnesium ions (Mg 2+) that support over 300 different enzyme processes. Magnesium is important for our muscles, digestive system, nervous system, immune defense, blood pressure, heart, fluid balance, and for activating vitamin D.
Magnesium also serves as a “door bolt” in our cell membranes. This is important for regulating cellular calcium uptake. Magnesium makes sure to channel most of the calcium into bone cells and teeth, while just a fraction of the calcium is allowed to enter cells in soft tissues. If these cells are flooded by calcium ions, it can cause them to become overactive, leading to cramping and cellular stress. This can eventually result in destruction of the mitochondria, the energy-producing “powerhouses” of cells. It can also cause inflammatory conditions and oxidative stress with free radical destruction of cells and tissues and an increased risk of cell death and serious diseases. Magnesium is a highly important calcium antagonist that is needed to maintain the right calcium distribution throughout the entire body.
We get magnesium from oats and other kinds of wholegrains, kernels, almonds, nuts, beans, chickpeas, avocado, spinach, cabbage and other vegetables. There is even magnesium in dark chocolate. Unhealthy dietary habits, ultra-processed foods, excessive calcium intake, stress, antacids, and diuretics can impair the body’s uptake and utilization of magnesium. The same goes for insulin resistance, which is a part of metabolic syndrome and type 2 diabetes.
Around 2.3 billion people worldwide are believed to be magnesium deficient, and 50-80 percent of the US population is also thought to lack this mineral, and the same tendency is seen in most other western countries.
Lack of magnesium can cause infections, insomnia, inner unrest, neurological disorders, muscle cramps, constipation, hypertension, diabetes, atherosclerosis, cancer, and insidious calcium loss from bone tissue.

The magnesium-calcium balance is like yin and yang

As mentioned, the calcium-magnesium balance is vital for our bones, circulatory system, regulation of electrical impulses between cells, and health in general. This balance is crucial for maintaining the body’s homeostasis, which is the medical term for a state of inner dynamic equilibrium.
According to traditional Chinese medicine, the relation between calcium and magnesium can be viewed as yin and yang with their opposing forces. Generally, calcium is the active, constructive element, while magnesium is the calming and fluid element. Calcium is also viewed as a cooling and contracting element, whereas magnesium is viewed as a warming and dilating element. The minerals’ yin and yang functions are listed in the following table:

How much calcium and magnesium do we need?

Scientists still don’t agree on how much calcium and magnesium we need or on the optimal ratio between the two minerals. In Denmark, the reference intake for calcium is 800 mg/day and 375 mg/day for magnesium. In countries like Japan, however, the ratio is closer to 1:1, which is because the Japanese people and many other populations in the world don’t consume dairy products because of lactose intolerance. For that reason, the average Japanese only gets around 400-500 mg of calcium daily but gets a lot more magnesium from vegetables. The Japanese also have significantly fewer lifestyle diseases, less osteoporosis, and longer life expectancy.
In any case, it is essential to focus more on the right balance between the two minerals, and calcium supplements should always be taken in combination with magnesium, whereas one can easily take magnesium without taking calcium at the same time. Regardless, ensuring sufficient vitamin D intake is essential.

References:

Pritha Dutta. Modeling calcium and magnesium balance: Regulation by calciotropic hormones and adaptations under varying dietary intake. iScience 2024

PRL Staff. The Yin and Yang of calcium and magnesium: Understanding the energetic properties of Nature´s elements. Premier Research Lab, 2023

Àkos Géza et al. Magnesium Is a Vital Ion in the Body – It Is Time to Consider Its Supplementation on a routine Basis. Clinics and Practice 2024

Andrea Rosanoff et al. Essential Nutrient Interactions: Does Low or Suboptimal Magnesium Interact with Vitamin D and/or Calcium status. Advances in Nutrition 2016

Gennady Ermark et al. Calcium and oxidative stress: from cell signaling to cell death. Molecular Immunology. 2002

Fujita T, Fukase M. Comparison of osteoporosis and calcium intake between Japan and United States. PubMed. 2002