Guide
Can you take lycopene and magnesium together?
Lycopene and magnesium are unrelated compounds that sometimes appear in the same multi-ingredient formula, but no research identified for this page shows one interfering with the other; each has its own separate dosing worth checking on its own label.
Yes, you can take lycopene and magnesium together. They're different compound classes entirely — lycopene is a fat-soluble carotenoid pigment, magnesium is an essential mineral — and no research identified for this page shows one interfering with the other at typical supplement doses.
Why they sometimes turn up together
Lycopene and magnesium aren't a paired combination the way, say, magnesium and zinc sometimes are marketed — they're more often just two separate ingredients in a broad multivitamin or multi-nutrient formula, along with a dozen others. Each has its own, entirely separate research base: magnesium is involved in hundreds of enzymatic reactions and has its own dosing standards (see magnesium glycinate dosage), while lycopene's research has concentrated on cardiovascular and prostate-related markers (see lycopene benefits: what the research does and doesn't show). We found no trial testing a combined lycopene-magnesium product against either ingredient taken alone.
No documented interaction
Magnesium's own documented interactions are mainly with certain medications — some antibiotics, bisphosphonates and diuretics — not with other nutrients like lycopene. No research identified for this page reports lycopene and magnesium competing for absorption or otherwise interfering with each other; they're absorbed through different mechanisms (magnesium in the small and large intestine, lycopene alongside dietary fat).
Checking a combined label
If you're taking a product that includes both, check each nutrient's amount against its own reference point. The Institute of Medicine sets magnesium's dietary reference intake at 310-420 mg/day from food and supplements combined, with a 350 mg/day limit specifically on supplemental magnesium — see how much magnesium glycinate to take a day for the full breakdown. Lycopene's research doses run 10-25 mg/day, with no formal upper limit set — see how much lycopene to take a day. If you take a separate magnesium supplement on top of a combination product, add the two together against the 350 mg supplemental limit.
Questions people ask
Can I take lycopene and magnesium together?
Yes. No documented interaction exists between the two, and they commonly appear together simply as separate ingredients in a broader multivitamin formula.
Should I take lycopene and magnesium at the same time of day?
No research shows timing changes what either one does. Lycopene absorbs better with a meal containing some fat, for its own reasons — see when is the best time to take lycopene; magnesium's own timing considerations are covered separately in when is the best time to take magnesium glycinate.
Does a multivitamin with both cover my magnesium needs?
Check the elemental magnesium amount specifically against the 310-420 mg/day reference range — a combination product's magnesium dose varies widely and isn't guaranteed to be a full daily amount on its own.
Related reading: how much lycopene to take a day, magnesium glycinate dosage, and lycopene and medications: what to check.
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. This product is not intended to diagnose, treat, cure, or prevent any disease.