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What Is Magnesium?

Magnesium is a mineral with the chemical symbol Mg. It belongs to a class of minerals called electrolytes that conduct electricity in the human body.

Some of magnesium’s roles—like regulating heartbeat—are related to electricity conduction. Many, however, are not. For instance, magnesium serves as a cofactor for over 300 enzymatic reactions in human physiology. The reactions catalyze nearly everything we care about: energy (ATP) production, DNA synthesis and repair, glutathione (antioxidant) production, fat metabolism, bone formation, and much more.

These wide-ranging functions explain why magnesium deficiency often presents subtly and nonspecifically. Most people, for example, don’t regularly test their glutathione status or bone density.