Not All Magnesium is Created Equally

23 Aug

1. Magnesium glycinate / bisglycinate

Best for:

Sleep support
Relaxation
Stress
General daily supplementation
People who get diarrhoea from other forms as its far more gentle on the gastrointestinal tract

Magnesium is bound to glycine, which is one reason this form is particularly popular in sleep and relaxation products. It is generally well tolerated and doesn't have the pronounced laxative effect of oxide or citrate.

2. Magnesium citrate

Best for:

General magnesium supplementation
People who also experience constipation
Muscle function
Someone wanting a well-absorbed, relatively inexpensive form

Citrate is an organic magnesium salt and generally has substantially better bioavailability than oxide. However, it has an osmotic effect in the bowel, so higher doses can cause loose stools.

Best choice if someone says:

"I want magnesium, but I'm also a bit constipated."

3. Magnesium oxide

Best for:

Constipation
Antacid applications

This is where marketing can become confusing.

Magnesium oxide contains a very high proportion of elemental magnesium, but that doesn't mean you absorb it particularly well. Compared with citrate, oxide has substantially poorer bioavailability and tends to have a stronger laxative effect.

4. Magnesium amino acid chelate

This is a broader category rather than one single compound.

Magnesium is bound to amino acids, and Australian products commonly use magnesium amino acid chelate. The TGA's ARTG database shows it being used in oral magnesium products, sometimes alongside citrate and glycinate.

Best for:

General daily supplementation
People wanting a well-tolerated form
Combination magnesium products

It's a very reasonable option, although I'd want to know exactly which chelate a product uses before making claims about its advantages.

5. Magnesium malate

Best for:

General supplementation
Daytime formulations
People looking for magnesium combined with malic acid

Marketed specifically toward energy and muscle support.

There is a biochemical rationale: malate (malic acid) is an intermediate in the citric acid/Krebs cycle, while magnesium is required for numerous enzymes involved in energy metabolism.

6. Magnesium L-threonate

Magnesium L-threonate is magnesium bound to L-threonic acid, and it has attracted attention because of research investigating magnesium levels in the brain and potential effects on cognition.

Potential area of interest:

Cognition
Memory
Brain health

7. Magnesium taurate

Magnesium taurate combines magnesium with taurine.

It's particularly interesting from a cardiovascular perspective because both magnesium and taurine have biological roles relevant to cardiovascular function.

Potential area of interest:

Cardiovascular health
Blood pressure research
General magnesium supplementation

8. Magnesium orotate

Magnesium orotate is magnesium bound to orotic acid.

It has historically attracted interest around:

Cardiovascular health
Exercise/athletic performance
Cellular energy

One REALLY important point for Australian supplements

When comparing magnesium products, don't compare the weight of the magnesium compound.

Compare the elemental magnesium per dose.

For example, "500 mg magnesium glycinate" does not mean 500 mg of elemental magnesium. The magnesium is only part of the glycinate compound. Australian regulations specifically address declaring the equivalent amount of magnesium from these compounds.

Elemental magnesium = the actual amount of magnesium you're getting.

Think of it like this: