The effect of varying the amount of dietary magnesium on the development of hypertension in spontaneously hypertensive (SH) rats was investigated with three diets containing 1.05% (H1Mg diet), 0.52% (H2Mg diet), and 0.008% (LMg diet). The control group was given a diet containing a normal amount of magnesium (0.2%). When the diet was sufficiently supplemented with magnesium (H1Mg diet), the development of hypertension was significantly slowed and the heart rate slightly lowered. With dietary magnesium depletion (LMg diet), the heart rate was accelerated and hypertension developed more rapidly. Excretion of urinary electrolytes (calcium, magnesium, and sodium) was increased by rats fed the H1Mg diet and decreased by rats on the LMg diet. Urinary cAMP was decreased both on the HMg diets and on the LMg diet. With the H1Mg diet, total and ionized calcium and sodium levels in plasma fell, and magnesium plasma levels rose. Rats fed the LMg diet had increased total and ionized calcium and decreased magnesium plasma levels. These results show that dietary magnesium modifies the metabolism of calcium, sodium, magnesium, which can modulate the development of genetic hypertension.