Can You Take Magnesium and Zinc Together? Dose and Timing (2026)

At a Glance

• Short answer Yes. At normal supplement doses, magnesium and zinc can be taken together, at the same time¹².
• The only known clash Very high zinc doses, about 142 mg a day, may reduce magnesium absorption¹. That’s over three times the zinc upper limit of 40 mg².
• Stay under the limits Up to 350 mg of magnesium from supplements and 40 mg of zinc a day for adults²³.
• Separate from Some antibiotics, osteoporosis drugs called bisphosphonates, and iron supplements of 25 mg or more¹².
• Top pick BioEmblem Magnesium Glycinate & Zinc – the #1 pick in our guide to the best zinc and magnesium supplements: 300 mg of magnesium and 10 mg of zinc, both under the upper limits.

The Short Answer: You can take magnesium and zinc together. The NIH Office of Dietary Supplements (ODS) lists only one interaction between them: very high zinc doses of about 142 mg a day might interfere with magnesium absorption¹. Typical combination products contain far less zinc than that.

On this page

1. Magnesium and Zinc Doses at a Glance
2. Can You Take Magnesium and Zinc at the Same Time?
3. When to Take Magnesium and Zinc
4. What Is ZMA?
5. Can You Take Calcium, Magnesium and Zinc Together?
6. Does Taking Them Together Have Extra Benefits?
7. Who Should Be Careful
8. Final Verdict
9. Frequently Asked Questions

What matters more is the dose of each and what else you take. Keep magnesium from supplements at or below 350 mg a day and zinc at or below 40 mg a day²³, and separate them from certain antibiotics and bisphosphonates¹². For products that combine both, see our guide to the best zinc and magnesium supplements.

Magnesium and Zinc Doses at a Glance

	Magnesium	Zinc
Daily need, adult men	400 to 420 mg3	11 mg2
Daily need, adult women	310 to 320 mg3	8 mg2
Upper limit, adults	350 mg from supplements and medicines3	40 mg from all sources2
Signs of too much	Diarrhea, nausea, abdominal cramping3	Lower copper absorption, weaker immunity, lower HDL at 50 mg or more2

Can You Take Magnesium and Zinc at the Same Time?

Yes. The ODS fact sheets for both minerals describe one interaction between them, and it only applies at very high zinc doses. A single study linked about 142 mg of supplemental zinc a day to reduced magnesium absorption¹. The combination products in our zinc and magnesium guide contain 7.5 to 15 mg of zinc per serving, so taking the two together at normal doses isn’t a known problem.

If you take separate magnesium and zinc pills, there’s no need to space them apart. The more useful timing rules involve other supplements and medicines (see below).

When to Take Magnesium and Zinc

There’s no single best time of day. A few timing rules do matter:

• Iron: Iron supplements with 25 mg of iron or more can reduce zinc absorption when taken at the same time, so take them at a different time of day².
• Calcium: If you also take calcium, your body absorbs it best in doses of 500 mg or less at a time⁴.
• Antibiotics: Take quinolone and tetracycline antibiotics at least 2 hours before or 4 to 6 hours after magnesium or zinc supplements¹².
• Bisphosphonates: Take magnesium at least 2 hours before or after oral bisphosphonates such as alendronate¹.

If magnesium upsets your stomach, try a lower dose; diarrhea, nausea and cramping are the side effects of high doses³.

What Is ZMA?

ZMA is a zinc and magnesium supplement often advertised to raise testosterone⁵. Many ZMA labels list 450 mg of magnesium and 30 mg of zinc per three-capsule serving, which puts magnesium above the 350 mg upper limit for supplements³. See our zinc and magnesium guide for the products we checked.

The testosterone claim hasn’t held up. In 14 healthy, regularly exercising men who already got enough zinc from food, ZMA raised blood zinc levels but didn’t change total or free testosterone⁵. For men’s magnesium products, see our guide to the best magnesium supplements for men.

Can You Take Calcium, Magnesium and Zinc Together?

Many combination products include all three. The same dose limits apply to each mineral: 350 mg of magnesium from supplements and 40 mg of zinc²³. For calcium, the upper limit is 2,500 mg a day for adults 19 to 50 and 2,000 mg for adults 51 and older, counting food and supplements⁴. Because calcium is absorbed best at 500 mg or less at a time, larger calcium doses work better split through the day⁴. For bone-focused products, see our guide to the best calcium, magnesium and vitamin D supplements.

Does Taking Them Together Have Extra Benefits?

Evidence for the pair is limited. In one randomized trial of 60 people with type 2 diabetes and heart disease, 250 mg of magnesium oxide plus 150 mg of zinc sulfate a day for 12 weeks lowered fasting blood sugar and CRP and raised HDL cholesterol compared with placebo⁶. That was a small trial in people with chronic disease, and the authors said longer studies are needed to confirm safety⁶. We didn’t find trials showing that healthy people benefit more from taking the two together than from taking each one alone.

Our Top Magnesium + Zinc Pick

BioEmblem Magnesium Glycinate & Zinc

300 mg magnesium10 mg zincUnder both upper limits

The #1 pick in our guide to the best zinc and magnesium supplements. It combines magnesium glycinate with a modest 10 mg of zinc, well below the 40 mg upper limit, so you get both in one product without high-dose zinc.

Check price on Amazon → See all 4 picks

Who Should Be Careful

• People with kidney disease: The risk of magnesium toxicity rises with impaired kidney function¹.
• People taking diuretics: Thiazide diuretics increase zinc loss in urine², and loop and thiazide diuretics can increase magnesium loss¹.
• People on long-term acid reflux drugs: Proton pump inhibitors taken for more than a year can lower magnesium levels¹.
• People taking penicillamine: Take zinc at least 1 hour apart from it².
• Anyone taking high-dose zinc: 50 mg or more for weeks can lead to copper deficiency².

For the forms of magnesium, citrate and other forms that dissolve well tend to be absorbed better than oxide¹; see our guides to magnesium citrate and magnesium bisglycinate, or our main guide to the best magnesium supplements.

Final Verdict

Magnesium and zinc can be taken together, at the same time, at normal doses¹². The only known interaction between them needs about 142 mg of zinc a day, far above the 40 mg upper limit¹². Keep magnesium from supplements at 350 mg or less, zinc at 40 mg or less, and separate both from certain antibiotics and bisphosphonates¹²³.

If you want both in one product, consider BioEmblem Magnesium Glycinate & Zinc, which provides 300 mg of magnesium and 10 mg of zinc. Compare all picks in our guide to the best zinc and magnesium supplements.

Important: This guide is for general information and isn’t medical advice. Talk to your doctor or pharmacist before taking magnesium or zinc if you have kidney disease or take antibiotics, bisphosphonates, diuretics or other prescription medicine.

Frequently Asked Questions

Sources & History6 sources · updated November 15, 2026

References

1. Magnesium: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals — NIH Office of Dietary Supplements
2. Zinc: Fact Sheet for Health Professionals — NIH Office of Dietary Supplements
3. Magnesium: Fact Sheet for Consumers — NIH Office of Dietary Supplements
4. Calcium: Fact Sheet for Consumers — NIH Office of Dietary Supplements
5. Serum Testosterone and Urinary Excretion of Steroid Hormone Metabolites After Administration of a High-Dose Zinc Supplement — European Journal of Clinical Nutrition, 2009
6. The Effects of Combined Magnesium and Zinc Supplementation on Metabolic Status in Patients With Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus and Coronary Heart Disease — Lipids in Health and Disease, 2020

Update history

• November 15, 2026New guide answering whether magnesium and zinc can be taken together, with doses and upper limits, timing with iron, calcium and medicines, ZMA, calcium-magnesium-zinc combinations and who should be careful, based on NIH Office of Dietary Supplements fact sheets and clinical studies.