Calcium, magnesium, and zinc are vital minerals that the body requires for numerous functions. These minerals are naturally present in foods, and when dietary intake is insufficient, supplementation may be considered. While experts generally recommend obtaining nutrients from a varied diet, certain individuals, such as those on calorie-restricted diets or those who avoid specific food groups, may benefit from a combined calcium-magnesium-zinc supplement.
Understanding Calcium, Magnesium, and Zinc
Minerals are substances that the body needs to function properly, and calcium, magnesium, and zinc play important roles in maintaining overall health. Taking supplements, such as combined calcium-magnesium-zinc, can help fill a nutritional gap and may provide a person with specific benefits. Though few studies explore the combined supplement, several studies show evidence of the benefits of each mineral when taken individually.
Calcium
Calcium is a key element for maintaining bone mineral homeostasis. The human body cannot make calcium, which means a person has to consume it through their diet or supplements. Without adequate calcium, a person’s bones can weaken, leading to osteoporosis. Most calcium is found in our bones and teeth, and it keeps them firm and strong. There are many different kinds of supplements that contain calcium, including multivitamins. You may see calcium supplements that include vitamin D, since this helps your body to absorb calcium. Calcium citrate can be taken with or without food and is better absorbed by people with low stomach acid. Calcium carbonate, meanwhile, should be taken with food for the best absorption. Our bodies can absorb only about 500 mg to 600 mg of calcium at one time.
Magnesium
Magnesium is an important mineral that your body needs in order to function. It helps you do a variety of important things including produce energy, regulate blood sugar, and cause necessary chemical reactions in the body. Magnesium helps your body conduct nerve impulses, muscle contraction, and normal heart rhythm by playing a role in the transport of calcium and potassium. Your heart, muscles, and kidneys all need magnesium to work properly. The mineral also helps build teeth and bones. Despite the many available dietary sources of magnesium, many people don't get the recommended amount of magnesium daily. People who take in too little magnesium over a long time may show a magnesium deficiency. Symptoms of this may include loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting and fatigue. Some medications may also reduce the amount of magnesium people can absorb or store in the body.
Zinc
Zinc is well-established as a mineral that helps promote healthy bone growth and density. Like calcium and magnesium, zinc is an essential mineral the body needs to function. However, it's a trace mineral and is needed in much smaller quantities. Zinc is important for immune system health, and it also helps your body fight bacteria, viruses and other microbes. Zinc deficiency is rare in the United States and is most often seen in people with digestive disorders or chronic liver or kidney disease.
Read also: Sources of Calcium on Carnivore
Potential Health Benefits of Combined Supplementation
Taking a combined calcium-magnesium-zinc supplement may offer several potential health benefits:
Improved Mood
Some evidence suggests that zinc and magnesium may help with improving a person’s mood or reducing anxiety. In a 2018 study, researchers concluded that a person’s total zinc, iron, copper, and selenium intake has an inverse relationship to depression. In other words, consuming more of these minerals may help with depression. In a 2017 review, researchers found that the existing evidence suggests magnesium provides a beneficial effect on anxiety in people vulnerable to the condition. However, they also noted that most of the studies were low quality, meaning additional studies are necessary to better prove the association. Additional research is still necessary to show whether these two elements play an important role in mood regulation.
Blood Sugar Control
Zinc and magnesium may both play a role in regulating blood sugar levels. According to a 2019 review of 32 controlled studies, taking zinc supplements helped significantly reduce several glycemic indicators in people living with diabetes. Influenced factors included fasting glucose levels, fasting insulin levels, and insulin resistance. A 2017 systematic review suggests that taking magnesium supplements can help reduce insulin resistance in people living with diabetes. Researchers note that future research should focus on its potential to help prevent diabetes development.
Improved Immunity
Magnesium and zinc may play a role in helping immunity. Evidence suggests that magnesium deficiency is a contributor to chronic, low grade inflammation. This inflammation can lead to other health concerns, including cardiovascular disease, hypertension, and diabetes. Supplementing with magnesium may help prevent deficiency in people who do not naturally get enough through their diet. Additional evidence suggests that zinc plays a role in supporting the immune system to promote wound healing and fight infections and inflammation.
Better Sleep
Some evidence suggests that magnesium and zinc can help with relaxation and sleep. In a 2016 study, researchers found evidence to suggest taking magnesium can help reduce physical and mental stress. This may help with preventing several conditions, including depression and sleep disorders. Magnesium can play a role in bone development by activating vitamin D. Vitamin D plays an essential role in helping the body use calcium to build bones.
Read also: Calcium D-Glucarate Precautions
Weight Loss
Data suggest that a diet deficient in calcium is associated with higher body weight and that augmenting calcium intake may reduce weight and fat gain or enhance loss. A randomized, double-blind clinical trial was performed on 40 obese subjects who were randomly assigned to receive zinc supplements (30 mg/day) or placebo for a period of 15-weeks. Both groups were under a restricted calorie diet (~ 300 kcal lower than the estimated energy requirement). The reductions of body weight, body mass index, waist circumference, and hip circumference were significantly higher in the zinc group compared to the placebo group (P = 0.032, 0.025, 0.003, and 0.0001, respectively).
Potential Side Effects and Considerations
Though generally safe, taking supplements can cause some side effects in some people. Often, the effects worsen or appear when a person takes too much. Possible side effects of taking calcium, magnesium, and zinc may include:
- diarrhea
- headaches
- loss of appetite
- stomach pain and cramps
- constipation
- numbness and tingling
- nausea and vomiting
- muscle weakness
These minerals also compete with each other for the body to absorb them. A person may find that they need to take them separately in order to avoid deficiencies developing. Taking calcium may not be right for everyone. Evidence suggests that taking calcium can increase the risk of kidney stone development.
Dosage and Natural Sources
Calcium-magnesium-zinc supplements are available from different brands. The exact dosing will vary based on the manufacturer. Recommended daily values of each individual mineral are:
- Calcium: 1,000 milligrams (mg) or 100% of the daily value (DV)
- Zinc: 15-50 mg or 136-455% of the DV
- Magnesium: 400-500 mg or 100-125% of the DV
Daily values can vary based on factors such as age and gender. A person can discuss how much calcium, magnesium, and zinc they should take each day with a healthcare professional.
Read also: Understanding Low Calcium Diets
Experts recommend eating a healthful diet that includes a variety of vegetables, fruits, lean proteins, whole grains, and unsaturated fats. Magnesium-rich foods include: dark leafy greens, quinoa, whole grains, nuts, beans, fish, yogurt, and tofu.
Zinc Supplementation and Weight Loss: A Closer Look
As the etiology of obesity is complex, current interventions for weight management are only modestly successful. Restricted calorie diets (RCD) are playing a fundamental role in prevention and treatment of obesity; but these diets often result in micronutrient deficiencies. Furthermore, obesity and obesity-related inflammation are related to abnormal micronutrient status. Among these micronutrients, zinc (Zn) deficiency is a common problem in obese individuals. Furthermore, Zn has been reported as limiting nutrients in RDCs. Previous studies have also demonstrated that plasma Zn level and dietary intake of Zn are insufficient in obese individuals. So, it seems that further weight gain or development of obesity-related disorders may occur if the Zn deficiency is not corrected.
Two key assumptions about the possible mechanisms for the effects of Zn supplementation on weight loss are including appetite regulation and improving insulin resistance (IR). Another important aspect which worth to notice is the beneficial effects of dietary intake of Zn and plasma Zn level on inflammatory status. Zn has shown possible anti-inflammatory effects through cytokine signaling pathways and the attenuation of plasma levels of Interleukin-6 (IL-6), tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and C-reactive protein (CRP). Moreover, a growing body of literature has demonstrated that these inflammatory markers are directly or indirectly correlated with obesity-related IR through blocking the insulin signaling receptors activation in pancreatic β-cells.
A double-blind randomized clinical trial was conducted from December 2015 to April 2016. In order to detect a difference of 4.5 kg/m2 in the BMI and with respect to a pooled standard deviation of 26.21 kg/m2, obtaining from the study by Payahoo et al. , the sample size was calculated 20 subjects for each group. During this study, subjects in the Zn group received 30 mg zinc sulfate as 1 capsule (between meals) while those in the placebo group received corresponding placebo capsules containing starch (also between meals). All capsules were produced by Dineh Iran Company, Tehran, Iran. According to the literature, zinc supplement is safe at a dose of 30 mg/day .
Weight, BMI, waist circumference and hip circumference decreased in both groups compared to baseline. However, the reductions of weight (P = 0.032), BMI (P = 0.025), waist circumference (P = 0.003) and hip circumference (P = 0.0001) were significantly higher in the Zn group than in the placebo group. Serum zinc concentration increased significantly in the Zn group at the end of week 15 compared with baseline (P = 0.0001), whereas no significant change was observed in the placebo group. The increment of serum zinc concentration in the Zn group was significant in comparison with the placebo group (P = 0.002).
In the present study, weight, BMI, waist circumference and hip circumference decreased in both groups compared to baseline. However, the reductions of these anthropometric parameters were significantly higher in the Zn group than in the placebo group. It is documented that body weight management requires restricting energy intake, and increasing energy expenditure. No significant changes were observed in physical activity levels between the two groups. In our study, although the difference in energy intake between the two groups was not statistically significant, the reduction of energy intake was higher in the Zn group than in the placebo group.
One of the suggested mechanisms may be related to the favorable effect of improvement in Zn status on leptin regulation for inhibiting eating behaviors through reduction in neuropeptide Y mRNA level. Zn deficiency and obesity can lead to leptin resistance which may increase NPY levels in the hypothalamus of rodents and men. Previous findings also report that Zn deficiency can cause a 50% increase in NPY levels, but despite the higher level of NPY in Zn deficient rats, their food intake is reduced because of NPY resistance. On the other hand, previous reports imply that Zn has an essential role in serotonin synthesis which stimulates satiety and reduce food intake.
Calcium Supplementation and Weight Loss: Conflicting Evidence
Data were combined from three separate 25-wk randomized, double blind, placebo-controlled trials of 1000 mg/d calcium supplementation in 100 premenopausal and postmenopausal women. There were no significant differences in body weight or fat mass change between the placebo and the calcium-supplemented groups in the pooled analysis (adjusted mean ± SE; body weight, placebo -6.2 ± 0.7 vs. Ca -7.0 ± 0.7 kg; fat mass, placebo -4.5 ± 0.6 vs. Ca -5.5 ± 0.6 kg), and no significant interactions of calcium supplementation with menopausal/diet status. Analysis as separate trials also found no significant differences between the placebo and the calcium groups. Calcium supplementation did not significantly affect amount of weight or fat lost by women counseled to follow a moderately restricted diet for 25 wk.
Statistical analysis of the entire population showed that mean weight and fat change adjusted for initial body weight or fat in these groups were not significantly different. The results did not support the hypothesis that calcium supplementation at 1000 mg/d in conjunction with moderate dietary restriction has a beneficial effect on fat mass or weight loss over a 25-wk intervention. An effect of a magnitude such as to be of use in a moderate weight loss program was not seen.
Important Considerations Before Supplementing
Supplements are generally safe, but they can cause side effects. Before starting a new supplement, a person should discuss their reasons for taking it with a doctor. Calcium can interact with prescription drugs and reduce the absorption of other mineral supplements such as magnesium, zinc and iron. Although combination supplements, such as a calcium supplement with magnesium, can deliver several key minerals at once, you may want to consider taking a calcium supplement separately to allow your body to absorb it more effectively.
Some medications may also reduce the amount of magnesium people can absorb or store in the body. There is emerging evidence that magnesium could be beneficial for sleep, especially for people with restless leg syndrome and insomnia. Low magnesium levels are associated with poor sleep quality in some populations.
Ensuring you have enough magnesium in your diet is important for your overall health, but it’s not a miracle weight loss solution. At the end of the day, successful weight loss comes from a solid plan to develop healthy eating habits and exercise regularly. Peter LePort, M.D., medical director of MemorialCare Center for Obesity at Orange Coast Memorial Medical Center, says he wouldn’t recommend one dietary supplement for weight loss. “Patients need to get all of their vitamins and minerals,” he says. Instead, Dr. LePort recommends a good diet and exercise plan motivated by the desire to get healthy. If you are struggling with nutrition and weight loss, talk to your doctor or dietitian.