Should you take magnesium supplements?

Welcome to What’s Up Docs?, the podcast where doctors and identical twins Chris and Xand van Tulleken cut through the confusion around health and wellbeing. In this episode, the Doctors turn their attention to the mineral of the moment - magnesium. Hyped up on social media, Chris and Xand want to dig into the different roles magnesium plays in regulating the human body, what happens when we’re deficient in magnesium, and whether we should be supplementing magnesium.To find out, Chris and Xand sit down with Professor Stella Volpe. Stella is the Head of the department of Nutrition, Food and Exercise at Virginia Tech in the US. Stella specialises in prevention of diabetes and obesity, as well as sports nutrition. Her research has included studies of the role of magnesium in the body. If you want to get in touch, you can email us at [email protected] or WhatsApp us on 08000 665 123.Presenters: Drs Chris and Xand van Tulleken Guest: Professor Stella Volpe Producer: Jo Rowntree and Emily Bird Executive Producer: Rami Tzabar Editor: Kirsten Lass Assistant Producer: Maia Miller-Lewis Researcher: Grace Revill Tech Lead: Reuben Huxtable Social Media: Leon Gower Digital Lead: Richard Berry Composer: Phoebe McFarlane Sound Design: Melvin RickarbyAt the BBC: Assistant Commissioner: Greg Smith Commissioning Editor: Rhian RobertsA Loftus Media production for BBC Radio 4