Skill Nutrition Zn + Mg + B6

Zinc· evidence: Moderate

Zinc is a trace mineral needed for the immune system, skin, wound healing and many enzymes. Men need about 9.5 mg a day and women 7 mg in the UK, mostly from meat, shellfish, dairy, bread and cereals. Vegans and vegetarians can fall short because plant foods contain phytates that reduce absorption.

Supplements help people whose intake is low. Zinc lozenges taken at the very start of a cold have been studied with mixed results; tablets swallowed every day by well-fed people are not shown to add much.

Long-term high doses cause problems, mainly by blocking copper absorption, so more is not better.

Typical dose: Adults need about 7 mg (women) to 9.5 mg (men) a day from all sources (NRV on labels: 10 mg). Supplements usually give 5 to 25 mg.

Safety: The NHS advises not taking more than 25 mg of zinc a day from supplements unless a doctor advises it. Long-term high doses can cause copper deficiency, anaemia and weakened immunity. Zinc can upset the stomach if taken without food, and it reduces absorption of some antibiotics.

Research we looked at:
NHS. Others: vitamins and minerals (zinc). nhs.uk/conditions/vitamins-and-minerals/others
EFSA NDA Panel. Scientific opinion on dietary reference values for zinc. EFSA Journal 2014;12(10):3844.
Hemilä H. Zinc lozenges and the common cold: a meta-analysis comparing zinc acetate and zinc gluconate, and the role of zinc dosage. JRSM Open 2017;8(5):2054270417694291.

Magnesium· evidence: Moderate

Magnesium is an essential mineral found in green vegetables, nuts, seeds, wholegrains and beans. UK surveys show that some groups, particularly teenagers and some adults, eat less than the recommended amount. A supplement reliably raises intake, and people with a low intake or a diagnosed deficiency are the ones most likely to notice a difference. Most people eating a varied diet get enough from food.

Labels often show the weight of the whole compound (for example 1,000 mg of magnesium citrate), but only part of that is magnesium itself. What matters is the elemental magnesium per daily dose, compared with the NRV of 375 mg. Organic forms such as citrate, glycinate (bisglycinate), malate and taurate are generally absorbed a little better than oxide in small studies, but differences between them are modest and no form has been shown to be better for any particular use.

Magnesium is widely sold for sleep, stress and cramp. These are not authorised claims. Reviews have found the evidence for sleep is of low quality, and a Cochrane review found magnesium is unlikely to prevent ordinary muscle cramps in older adults.

Typical dose: Most supplements give 100–400 mg of elemental magnesium a day (NRV 375 mg). The NHS says adults need about 270–300 mg a day in total, mostly from food.

Safety: High doses loosen stools or cause diarrhoea, especially citrate and oxide. EFSA sets an upper level of 250 mg a day of magnesium from supplements, and the FSA advises that up to 400 mg a day from supplements is unlikely to cause harm. Magnesium can reduce absorption of some antibiotics (tetracyclines, quinolones) and osteoporosis drugs (bisphosphonates), so take them a few hours apart. Speak to your GP first if you have kidney disease.

Research we looked at:
NHS. Vitamins and minerals: others – magnesium. nhs.uk.
EFSA NDA Panel (2015). Scientific opinion on dietary reference values for magnesium. EFSA Journal 13(7):4186.
Expert Group on Vitamins and Minerals (2003). Safe upper levels for vitamins and minerals. Food Standards Agency.
Garrison SR et al. (2020). Magnesium for skeletal muscle cramps. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 9:CD009402.

Vitamin B6· evidence: Limited

Vitamin B6 (pyridoxine, or the active form pyridoxal-5-phosphate, P-5-P) helps the body use protein and make red blood cells and some brain chemicals. Adults need only about 1.2 to 1.4 mg a day, and most people in the UK get this easily from meat, fish, wholegrains, potatoes, bananas and fortified cereals. True deficiency is uncommon.

For people who are not deficient, there is little good evidence that extra B6 does anything useful. It is often combined with magnesium or zinc in sports products; the B6 in these is mostly there to carry the label claims.

The bigger issue with B6 is safety. Long-term high doses can damage the nerves in the hands and feet, and this has been reported at doses sold freely in shops.

Typical dose: Adults need about 1.2 mg (women) to 1.4 mg (men) a day (NRV on labels: 1.4 mg). A supplement giving 1.4 to 10 mg is plenty.

Safety: The Food Standards Agency advises not taking more than 10 mg of vitamin B6 a day from supplements unless a doctor advises it. Taking more than this for a long time can cause loss of feeling in the arms and legs (peripheral neuropathy). Add up the B6 from all your supplements, including B complexes, magnesium/zinc products and multivitamins. Stop and see your GP if you notice tingling, numbness or burning in your hands or feet.

Research we looked at:
NHS. Vitamins and minerals: vitamin B6. nhs.uk/conditions/vitamins-and-minerals/vitamin-b
Expert Group on Vitamins and Minerals (2003). Safe Upper Levels for Vitamins and Minerals. Food Standards Agency.
EFSA NDA Panel. Scientific opinion on the tolerable upper intake level for vitamin B6. EFSA Journal 2023;21(5):8006.
Therapeutic Goods Administration (Australia) 2023. Safety review: vitamin B6 (pyridoxine) and peripheral neuropathy.

Cost per daily dose lets you compare packs of different sizes fairly.Worked out from our current prices.