Magnesium Deficiency and Morning Sickness: Is There a Connection?
Morning sickness is often one of the first signs of pregnancy, affecting up to 80% of pregnant women1. It can range from mild nausea to severe vomiting, making those early months of pregnancy challenging. While the exact cause of morning sickness remains a mystery, there's growing interest in the role of magnesium and whether a deficiency could be linked to this unpleasant symptom. Could boosting your magnesium levels be the key to alleviating morning sickness? Let’s dive in!
How common is morning sickness?
Up to 80% of pregnant women experience nausea or morning sickness — it’s one of the most common early signs of pregnancy.
The Role of Magnesium in Pregnancy
Magnesium is a vital mineral that plays a significant role in over 300 biochemical reactions in the body. It's crucial for muscle and nerve function, blood sugar regulation, and maintaining healthy bones.* During pregnancy, magnesium becomes even more important as it supports the development of the baby’s bones and teeth, regulates insulin and blood sugar levels, and helps prevent uterine contractions.*
What magnesium does during pregnancy
Magnesium supports muscle & nerve function, blood sugar regulation, healthy bones, and your baby’s developing bones and teeth.*
However, many pregnant women don’t get enough magnesium, either due to increased demands or dietary shortcomings. A magnesium deficiency can lead to symptoms like muscle cramps, fatigue, irritability, and even more severe complications like preeclampsia.*
Is There a Link Between Magnesium Deficiency and Morning Sickness?
The relationship between magnesium and morning sickness is an area of growing interest among researchers and healthcare providers. One key insight is that magnesium helps regulate blood sugar levels and maintain healthy cortisol levels.* Cortisol, often referred to as the "stress hormone," can fluctuate wildly during pregnancy due to hormonal changes. When cortisol levels spike, they can disrupt blood sugar levels, leading to the nausea and dizziness associated with morning sickness. By helping to balance these levels, magnesium may reduce the severity of your symptoms.*
The cortisol → blood sugar → nausea chain
When cortisol spikes, blood sugar can dip — a chain linked to the nausea and dizziness of morning sickness. Magnesium helps balance both.*
Moreover, fluctuating hormone levels during pregnancy can also deplete magnesium levels in the body, potentially exacerbating morning sickness symptoms.* This is where magnesium supplementation becomes particularly beneficial.*
How Magnesium Supplement May Help with Morning Sickness According to Experts?
A study published in the European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology2 found that magnesium supplementation improved overall well-being and significantly reduced the frequency of nausea episodes in pregnant women. This finding is particularly promising for those looking for a natural way to manage their symptoms.
Choosing the Right Magnesium Supplement
The key to magnesium’s effectiveness lies in its form. Magnesium citrate and magnesium glycinate are often recommended for pregnant women due to their high absorption rates and gentle effects on the digestive system.* Besides choosing the right form, it's beneficial to opt for a supplement that offers a full spectrum of nutrients. This may help support overall maternal health, boost energy levels, and ensure that the body is getting the essential vitamins and minerals it needs during pregnancy.* Look for supplements that include other important nutrients like B vitamins, folate, and iron, which can work synergistically with magnesium to provide balanced support for both the mother and the developing baby.* As always, it's important to consult your doctor to see if an additional dose is needed based on your specific health condition or needs.
What to look for in a magnesium supplement
Highly absorbable forms like citrate and glycinate, paired with a full spectrum of nutrients, can work synergistically to support mom and baby.*
Curious what a full-spectrum, highly-absorbable magnesium looks like done right? Meet Root’d Prenatal MULTI →
Ease Morning Sickness with Root’d Prenatal MULTI!
At Root’d, we're dedicated to supporting your pregnancy journey with a full-spectrum supplement designed to make each day a little easier.That’s why we’ve carefully included safe yet effective doses of key nutrients known to support nausea relief,* including 50 mg of well-absorbed magnesium citrate, and other key ingredients like Vitamin B6 and methylfolate (Vitamin B9), for additional nausea support.* This powerful combination works together to help ease the discomfort of morning sickness while providing essential nutrients for both you and your baby.*
We know that traditional prenatal vitamins have a reputation for being difficult to swallow, especially when you're already feeling sick and queasy, so Root’d comes in a convenient powder form that can be easily mixed into your favorite mocktail or smoothie, making it much easier to take—and even enjoyable!
Don't let morning sickness take away the joy of pregnancy. Try Root’d Prenatal MULTI today and start feeling your best! Use code MAGNESIUM for 15% off + free shipping on your first order. Shop now!
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It may. Magnesium helps regulate blood sugar levels and maintain healthy cortisol levels — and when cortisol spikes disrupt blood sugar, that's linked to the nausea and dizziness of morning sickness. By helping to balance these levels, magnesium may reduce the severity of your symptoms.*
Magnesium plays a role in over 300 biochemical reactions in the body. During pregnancy it becomes even more important — it supports the development of the baby's bones and teeth, regulates insulin and blood sugar levels, and helps prevent uterine contractions.*
Magnesium citrate and magnesium glycinate are often recommended for pregnant women thanks to their high absorption rates and gentle effects on the digestive system.* As always, it's important to consult your doctor about what's right for you.
Root'd Prenatal MULTI includes 50 mg of well-absorbed magnesium citrate, alongside Vitamin B6 and methylfolate (Vitamin B9) for additional nausea support — all in a full-spectrum, sugar-free drink mix.*
That's exactly why it's a powder. Traditional prenatals can be hard to swallow when you're already feeling sick and queasy, so Root'd mixes easily into your favorite mocktail or smoothie — making it much easier to take, and even enjoyable.
References
- NCBI / PMC — nausea and vomiting affect up to ~80% of pregnant women. Source
- European Journal of Obstetrics & Gynecology and Reproductive Biology — magnesium supplementation, well-being, and nausea in pregnancy. (Author cited the journal by name; no direct link provided.)
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