Types of Magnesium

[flitza]

I need some guidance and the different types of Magnesium supplements and what the pro's and con's of each are. Currently taking Mg Oxide but not sure I'm getting all the benefits.

 

[pamojja]

Tried all better bio-available Mg supplements (citrate, malate, glycinate, taurinate, ascorbate, threonate..) because of a severe Mg deficiency (ie. painful muscle cramps) since 7 years.

After reading this post over at longecity about 4 years ago I experimented with Mg oxide too. And indeed, it doesn't really matter which Mg compound I used, just the same total elemental quantity of Mg, and I'm free from pain-full muscle cramps.

Then I added the mineral water with the highest Mg content as Sulfate. Of which I drank about a liter per day:

Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) 13197 mg/l
Calcium (Ca2+) 362 mg/l
Magnesium (Mg2+) 1040 mg/l
Sodium (Na+) 1570 mg/l
Potassium (K+) 17 mg/l
Chloride (Cl−) 74.4 mg/l
Sulfate (SO42−) 2092 mg/l
Fluoride (F−) 0.17 mg/l
Nitrate (NO3−) 0.1 mg/l
Manganese (Mn2+) 0.11 mg/l
Aluminum (Al3+) 0.2 mg/l
Strontium (Sr2+) 9.8 mg/l

Also contains Lithium at about 3 mg/l. Still no difference, as long as I get equal total amounts of elemental Magnesium.

However, everyone is different in their ability to take different Mg-compounds at certain doses without loose stools. In that case I heard many times glycinate and malate recommended.

 

[flitza]

It does tend to give me loose stools. I'll try the glycinate or malate. Thanks for the tip.

 

[arewenearlythereyet]

I take magnesium oxide. 2x400mg daily, magnesium chloride "oil" daily (about 20 squirts in the morning) and Epsom salt (magnesium sulphate) baths twice a week. The baths seem the most effective but sometimes a bit impractical. The magnesium oxide is released the slowest out of all the salts I seem to remember reading somewhere. I'm not sure the type of salt makes a lot of difference for me but I've "hedged my bets" a bit.

 

[Basilico]

My husband and I have spent a lot of time researching various forms of magnesium and we have tried pretty much every type available. These are from my husband's notes:


-Magnesium oxide is the absolute worst (and unfortunately it's the form usually found in cheaper multivitamins) because it doesn't really get absorbed by the body, so it's a waste of time.

-Magnesium sulfate (Epsom Salts) are not good to use internally because of poor bioavailability.



-Magnesium citrate is probably the best bang for your buck, it's fairly bioavailable and usually cheap. Beware though that with magnesium citrate you can easily get diarrhea. I used the NOW brand, although I don't plan to rebuy it since I learned it's made in China.

-Magnesium malate is also good in terms of bioavailability and it's unlikely to cause diarrhea, but I found that at doses of 100% RDA I would get nausea that would last for a few hours. Others may not have this issue. I used the brand Seeking Health.

-Magnesium glycinate, so far, has been one of my favorites. Good bioavailability. I used the Pure Encapsulations brand, which has no fillers or garbage ingredients.

-Magnesium threonate is probably my favorite form. It's very bioavailable, it doesn't cause diarrhea or any other side effects, and it works for my purpose: I take it when I get arrythmia and it makes it go away.


All three kinds of magnesium (citrate, glycinate, malate) have been effective in providing relief from the arrhythmia that I get when my magnesium levels get too low. This was, however, all I could get out of the magnesium supplements. I know magnesium should also provide relaxation, possibly by antagonizing NMDA receptors in the brain. This led me to try magnesium threonate, which supposedly is the only form of magnesium that crosses the blood brain barrier, and as such it should have a more significant CNS effect compared to other forms of magnesium because it actually can get to the brain.

I used the brand Smart Mag (made in the USA, rare to find) which has the advantage of combining magnesium threonate with magnesium glycinate (which I already know is good) and magnesium taurate (which is also supposed to have a calming effect more than other forms of magnesium because of the taurine), which sounds like the ultimate magnesium combination. This magnesium supplement seems to have a mild anti-anxiety effect and to improve my sleep a little bit. It's nothing like taking a benzodiazepine or other sedatives, it just seems to induce a calmer state.

I also recently started taking MagTabSR, which is a slow-release tablet that supposedly has excellent bioavailability. Too soon to pass judgement on it. I really like the extended release aspect, so I don't have to keep taking magnesium throughout the day, but I'm not crazy about some of the other filler ingredients.

 

[Carl]

Magnesium oxide is a cheap and poorly bioavailable form of magnesium.

I use Magnesium carbonate exclusively because it is cheap and versatile. It can be reacted with acids to form magnesium salts which are highly absorbable. It could be reacted with citric acid to form magnesium citrate. Malic acid to form magnesium malate. Ascorbic acid to form magnesium ascorbate and so on. It's about 28% magnesium by weight and as I mentioned it is fairly inexpensive. I have several Kg of it ready to use.

As mentioned previously some forms of magnesium can have a laxative effect, magnesium citrate can do this with me so I avoid it. I mainly mix mag carb with a number of acids which neutralizes the acidity and prevents any reaction. A little warm water speeds up the reaction and makes it fizz and turn clear after the reaction is complete.

 

[keenly]

I need some guidance and the different types of Magnesium supplements and what the pro's and con's of each are. Currently taking Mg Oxide but not sure I'm getting all the benefits.

Mag Oxide is a terrible form to take. No oral mag tabs/caps are great. The best bet is oil, cream or injections.

 

[flitza]

My husband and I have spent a lot of time researching various forms of magnesium and we have tried pretty much every type available. These are from my husband's notes:


-Magnesium oxide is the absolute worst (and unfortunately it's the form usually found in cheaper multivitamins) because it doesn't really get absorbed by the body, so it's a waste of time.

-Magnesium sulfate (Epsom Salts) are not good to use internally because of poor bioavailability.



-Magnesium citrate is probably the best bang for your buck, it's fairly bioavailable and usually cheap. Beware though that with magnesium citrate you can easily get diarrhea. I used the NOW brand, although I don't plan to rebuy it since I learned it's made in China.

-Magnesium malate is also good in terms of bioavailability and it's unlikely to cause diarrhea, but I found that at doses of 100% RDA I would get nausea that would last for a few hours. Others may not have this issue. I used the brand Seeking Health.

-Magnesium glycinate, so far, has been one of my favorites. Good bioavailability. I used the Pure Encapsulations brand, which has no fillers or garbage ingredients.

-Magnesium threonate is probably my favorite form. It's very bioavailable, it doesn't cause diarrhea or any other side effects, and it works for my purpose: I take it when I get arrythmia and it makes it go away.


All three kinds of magnesium (citrate, glycinate, malate) have been effective in providing relief from the arrhythmia that I get when my magnesium levels get too low. This was, however, all I could get out of the magnesium supplements. I know magnesium should also provide relaxation, possibly by antagonizing NMDA receptors in the brain. This led me to try magnesium threonate, which supposedly is the only form of magnesium that crosses the blood brain barrier, and as such it should have a more significant CNS effect compared to other forms of magnesium because it actually can get to the brain.

I used the brand Smart Mag (made in the USA, rare to find) which has the advantage of combining magnesium threonate with magnesium glycinate (which I already know is good) and magnesium taurate (which is also supposed to have a calming effect more than other forms of magnesium because of the taurine), which sounds like the ultimate magnesium combination. This magnesium supplement seems to have a mild anti-anxiety effect and to improve my sleep a little bit. It's nothing like taking a benzodiazepine or other sedatives, it just seems to induce a calmer state.

I also recently started taking MagTabSR, which is a slow-release tablet that supposedly has excellent bioavailability. Too soon to pass judgement on it. I really like the extended release aspect, so I don't have to keep taking magnesium throughout the day, but I'm not crazy about some of the other filler ingredients.

Just had a little trouble when I checked on the Mag tab Sr discerning the actual amount of magnesium. I only want to take about 300mg / day.

 

[keenly]

Just had a little trouble when I checked on the Mag tab Sr discerning the actual amount of magnesium. I only want to take about 300mg / day.

That is super low IMO. I recommend https://uk.iherb.com/pr/Life-Flo-Health-Magnesium-Lotion-8-fl-oz-237-ml/69908

I was using Kirkmans Magnesium cream but it has nasty additives. The above is fine. The coconut oil helps because usually mag oil can sting.

I recently discussed Magnesium with Dr Cheney. He said it is not a nutritional problem per say. We are not low due to lack of Magnesium. The problem is it is continually leaking from our cells, thus it is best to take 2-3 times a day if you can.

 

[flitza]

The thing is, I don't really know my magnesium level, and it is so hard to measure accurately. I don't want to take too much so I was starting with the recommended daily amount. I do take it in divided doses.

Do you happen to have reference for the Cheney bit?

 

[Basilico]

Just had a little trouble when I checked on the Mag tab Sr discerning the actual amount of magnesium. I only want to take about 300mg / day.

According to the information on the Mag-Tab SR bottle, it says that 1 caplet = 84 mg of elemental Mg.
It also says that it's a patented formula for unsurpassed absorption. I'm not sure how the absorption compares to any of the other good forms.

Something to keep in mind (if you don't already know): you need to know how much elemental magnesium is in the particular preparation you are using. This goes for all salts/chelates.

For example, magnesium citrate is a 1:1 mixture of magnesium and citric acid.

So 1,000 mg of magnesium citrate = 500 mg of magnesium and 500 mg of citric acid.

I have also read from several sources that electrolytes should be taken in smaller doses more frequently. Additionally, potassium and magnesium should be taken together because if you are low in one, the body has difficulty absorbing the other.

 

[jason30]

have someone have experience with Nano magnesium?

 

[perchance dreamer]

@jason30, I had never heard of nano magnesium. I'd be interested to hear your response if you try it.

I understand the magnesium is in nano form, but I can't figure out what type of magnesium it is, for example, glycinate, oxide, citrate, chloride, or what? Isn't all magnesium some type or another, even in nano form?

I take magnesium at night to help with relaxation and sleep. The forms that work best for me are glycinate and lactate. The lactate I take is a powder you mix with a little water, and the brand is Premier Research. The label just says magnesium powder, but it is the lactate form.

Lactate is the magnesium form I find the most calming, but I rarely see it mentioned.