Does magnesium help with bloating during perimenopause?

Magnesium may help with bloating during perimenopause, though the evidence is more indirect than for some other symptoms. Understanding how magnesium interacts with the digestive and hormonal systems helps explain why many women find it useful.

Bloating during perimenopause has several contributing causes. Fluctuating estrogen and progesterone affect gut motility, the speed at which food moves through the intestines. Slower motility leads to gas buildup and a feeling of fullness or distension. Progesterone in particular has a relaxing effect on smooth muscle throughout the body, including the gut. As progesterone declines and becomes more erratic in perimenopause, bowel habits and bloating can shift in ways that feel unpredictable.

Magnesium is involved in smooth muscle function throughout the body. It helps regulate muscle contraction and relaxation, and the gut contains a great deal of smooth muscle. By supporting normal smooth muscle activity, magnesium may help the intestines move food along more steadily, reducing the gas and bloating that come with sluggish motility.

The most directly relevant research comes from PMS studies, where bloating and water retention are well-documented symptoms tied to hormonal fluctuation. Quaranta et al. (2007) found that magnesium glycinate supplementation reduced PMS symptoms including mood changes and water retention. Walker et al. (1998) also found that magnesium supplementation reduced fluid retention and bloating compared to placebo in women with PMS. While these studies focused on younger women, the hormonal mechanisms driving bloating in PMS and perimenopause overlap significantly, making the findings applicable in principle.

Water retention is a separate but related contributor to the bloated feeling many women experience. Magnesium plays a role in regulating fluid balance at the cellular level, and adequate magnesium intake may support the kidneys in managing sodium and water retention more effectively. This is not a dramatic diuretic effect but a more subtle influence on fluid regulation.

Form makes a practical difference here. Magnesium citrate and magnesium oxide both have a laxative effect at higher doses, which could actually worsen digestive discomfort for some women or cause loose stools. If you are using magnesium primarily for bloating, magnesium glycinate is usually a better choice because it is gentler on the gut and does not have the same osmotic laxative action. If constipation is contributing to your bloating, however, magnesium citrate at a modest amount might be a deliberate choice, in consultation with your healthcare provider.

Research on magnesium supplementation for bloating specifically in perimenopausal women is limited. Most of what we know is extrapolated from PMS studies, general digestive physiology, and magnesium's known effects on smooth muscle and fluid regulation. It is honest to say the direct evidence is not as strong as it is for, say, magnesium and migraines or magnesium and anxiety. That said, the mechanism is plausible and the supplement is generally safe, so many clinicians view it as a reasonable option to try.

Studies examining magnesium for menstrual and hormonal symptoms have used doses in the range of 200 to 400 mg per day. Talk to your healthcare provider about the right dose for your situation, and consider starting toward the lower end to assess tolerance before adjusting.

Tracking your symptoms consistently over several weeks will help you see whether magnesium is making a real difference. The PeriPlan app lets you log bloating alongside other symptoms and cycle patterns, which can reveal correlations you might not otherwise notice, like whether bloating clusters around certain phases of your cycle.

Magnesium is generally very safe for most healthy adults. The most common side effect at higher amounts is loose stools or diarrhea. People with kidney disease should not take magnesium supplements without medical supervision. If you take antibiotics in the quinolone or tetracycline family, space magnesium at least two hours away from those medications to avoid interfering with absorption.

When to see a doctor: Bloating that is severe, persistent, or accompanied by pain, blood in the stool, unexplained weight loss, or changes in bowel habits that last more than a few weeks should be evaluated by a healthcare provider. These symptoms could indicate conditions unrelated to perimenopause that need investigation.

This content is for informational purposes only and does not replace medical advice. Always consult your healthcare provider about your specific situation.