Does the Form of Magnesium Matter?

Magnesium is a big deal. It is an essential nutrient for life and the second most abundant intracellular cation within the body. Different forms of magnesium have different actions, functions, and accessibility within the body. This article takes a different approach to the various forms of magnesium and answers the question: “How relevant is the form for health?”

Many know that magnesium is excellent for sleep, calming, stress management, etc., but its benefits spread far beyond stress management.

Magnesium in the Body

Magnesium is required to release insulin, respond to insulin, and regulate blood sugar levels (1). It modulates GABA receptors in the nervous system to dampen the cross-talk and firing of neurons, reducing anxiety and improving sleep quality (2). It also binds to newly-produced ATP in the mitochondria, making it essential for cellular energy that stimulates every metabolic function (3).

There are several different types of magnesium:

  • Magnesium Citrate
  • Magnesium Malate
  • Magnesium Taurate
  • Magnesium Bysgycinate/glycinate
  • Magnesium Lactate
  • Magnesium Gluconate
  • Magnesium Orotate
  • Magnesium Threonate
  • Magnesium Sulfate
  • Magnesium Oxide
  • Magnesium Chloride
  • Magnesium Hydroxide

An accompanying molecule is always bound to magnesium, acting as its chaperone. You won’t find elemental magnesium alone in nature. It’s always bound to other molecules because it’s highly reactive alone. The chelated molecules stabilize it so that living organisms can use it.

Molecular chaperones come in three different forms:

  1. Inorganic magnesium salts (Mg-Oxide, Mg-chloride, Mg-hydroxide, Mg-sulfate aka Epsom salt)
  2. Organic acid chelates (Mg-citrate, Mg-malate, Mg-lactate, Mg-gluconate, Mg-orotate, Mg-threonate)
  3. Amino-acid chelates (Mg-Taurate, Mg-bysglycinate, Mg-glycinate)

Inorganic Magnesium Salts

Inorganic magnesium salts are best utilized as laxatives. The salts retain water in the gut, so very little is absorbed. Too large a dose of these forms of magnesium can lead to diarrhea (1). This is also true for magnesium citrate. Thus, it’s often used to improve constipation (2).

Inorganic magnesium salts are also available in topical formulas that are said to pass through the skin – why Epsom salt is commonly recommended for improving muscle cramps. There is conflicting evidence on the effectiveness of transdermal magnesium. While some forms may slightly increase serum magnesium levels, their effects are minimal compared to oral magnesium (3).

Organic Acid and Amino Acid Chelates

Organic chelates are more bioavailable (1, 4). The gut has several different methods by which it absorbs magnesium, and it’s primarily driven by magnesium itself rather than the molecules attached to it (5).

Organic acid and amino-acid chelates are very effective at entering the bloodstream (6). Magnesium in the bloodstream is essentially inert. It needs to be inside of cells to perform its functions. This is where the chelated molecules are said to be most beneficial.

Different body tissues are made of different types of cells Each cell requires specific nutrients to function properly. Muscle cells need amino acids, like taurine, so they have many taurine receptors (7). L-threonate is a molecule that can pass directly through the blood-brain barrier. Magnesium-threonate has been shown to enhance magnesium levels in the brain and spinal fluid more than other forms of magnesium (8).

Magnesium bysglycinate has gained a lot of popularity recently. This form has 2 glycine molecules attached to elemental magnesium. The amino acid glycine is abundant throughout the body and is present in all tissues. This form offers a unique broad-spectrum balance for ensuring magnesium reaches and enters most tissues and cells.

Studies demonstrate a dose-dependent effect of magnesium supplementation, often regardless of the form. In short, larger doses of organic magnesium chelates result in higher levels across multiple tissues (6). Because magnesium bysglycinate also has more elemental magnesium by weight than any other form, a smaller amount is needed to achieve a higher dose.

The Best Form to Take

Given the variety of magnesium forms and the differing nutritional needs of various tissues, it makes sense that specific forms are better suited for certain conditions or outcomes.

A quick internet search will tell you:

  • For heart and muscle, take mg-taurate, mg-orotate, and mg-bysglycinate
  • For nervous system support, take mg-threonate, mg-taurate, mg-citrate
  • For energy production, take mg-bysglycinate, mg-malate, mg-citrate.

It can quickly become confusing and stressful. While it may be true that certain chelate forms have a higher affinity for specific tissues (6, 8, 9), other studies have shown similar tissue bioavailability across multiple different forms (10). However, the truth is:

 

 research comparing the bioavailability of different forms of magnesium in various human tissues is very scarce.

What’s most important is getting enough magnesium. Several studies document the health risks associated with magnesium insufficiencies (11, 12, 13). Likewise, others show that individuals with higher magnesium intake have better health outcomes and fewer risks.

Benefits of High Magnesium Intake

  • One study found larger brain sizes and fewer white matter lesions (14), demonstrating magnesium’s vital role in cognitive support and longevity.
  • Individuals living in areas with “harder water” containing more magnesium and calcium have lower death rates from ischemic heart disease (15).
  • People with higher dietary magnesium intake have a lower risk of metabolic syndrome (16).

The best form for you should ultimately come down to personal preference.

Any form is good as long as you get enough. It’s difficult to achieve adequate intake via modern diets. NHANES data show that 48% of Americans do not reach the estimated average requirement (EAR) of magnesium through diet alone (17). Intake is far greater than the EAR when supplemental magnesium is included.

At Formula IQ, we want you to get more from less. While the internet makes it seem cutting-edge and nuanced to offer “condition-specific magnesium formulations,” the research to support these claims is not very convincing.

The data show that the body will know what to do with most organic chelated forms. And so, for simplicity and efficiency, we offer two magnesium options to accommodate different needs and preferences.

We believe magnesium bysglycinate to be the best all-around magnesium supplement as it easily absorbs in all tissues and packs the highest amount of elemental magnesium per serving. This offers more from less, both economically and physiologically. We also have magnesium malate as another science-backed option as well.