Benefits of Magnesium Potassium Aspartate

Magnesium potassium aspartate is sometimes included in supplements or fortified foods to increase the amount of magnesium and potassium they contain. Magnesium and potassium are both minerals essential for good health, and aspartate is a nonessential amino acid.

Magnesium potassium aspartate will help you meet your recommended dietary allowance for magnesium of 320 milligrams per day for women or 420 milligrams per day for men. You need magnesium for nerve and muscle function, blood pressure and blood sugar regulation and forming protein, bone and DNA. You can also get magnesium from a number of foods, including fortified breakfast cereals, brown rice, whole-wheat bread, baked potatoes, avocado, edamame, spinach, almonds, peanuts, cashews and yogurt.

Magnesium potassium aspartate is a source of potassium. Adults need about 4,700 milligrams of this mineral per day for nerve and muscle function and to help maintain proper blood pressure levels. Other good sources of potassium include yogurt, milk, cantaloupe, apricots, bananas, orange juice, fish, chicken, nuts, greens, potatoes, celery, beans, sweet potato, tomatoes and winter squash.

Magnesium potassium aspartate may have some heart-health benefits. A study published in Chinese Critical Care Medicine in 2007 found that magnesium potassium aspartate acts as an antioxidant and may help limit the risk of an irregular heartbeat.

Because magnesium potassium aspartate acts like an antioxidant, it helps limit damage to your cells from compounds called free radicals. This may lower your risk for some diseases, including heart disease, cancer and diabetes.

Magnesium potassium aspartate is generally recognized as safe by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration. There is a potential for very high amounts to cause diarrhea or an imbalance of amino acids in your blood, however.

Very high intakes of magnesium from supplements can cause diarrhea, nausea, vomiting, depression, low blood pressure, facial flushing, difficulty breathing, muscle weakness, an irregular heartbeat and heart attack. Magnesium may also interfere with certain medications, including antibiotics, diuretics, proton pump inhibitors and osteoporosis medications.

Muscle weakness, irregular heartbeat and stomach pain can result if you consume high amounts of potassium supplements.