MMagnesium is a key nutrient in basically every every cell in our bodies.
It’s one of the four main salts that our cells use to regulate all of our internal processes.
To say that it’s important is an understatement.
And the bad news is that about 50 percent of Americans are considered to be magnesium deficient.
But if you’ve been told you need more magnesium, what are the types worth taking?
It’s pretty easy to ask “what’s the best form of XYZ nutrient.”
But before you get into “the best,” it’s important to ask yourself this question:
What is my goal with this nutrient?
Then, we can break it down into the best forms for your goal.
Because sometimes, the answer is pretty cut-and-dry - like in the case of vitamin B12.
There are 2 major forms of vitamin B12 found in oral supplements:
Cyanocobalamin
Methylcobalamin
And typically, we would only recommend the methylcobalamin form simply because it’s the most bioavailable version of vitamin B12 across the board.
But with magnesium, there are many different forms readily available for purchase, and choosing one can get confusing quickly.
So, let’s dive into the different forms of magnesium, what they do, and which ones are our top picks for the most bioavailable versions.
What are the types of magnesium you can get in supplements?
To start us off understanding just how confusing magnesium can get, here are the forms of magnesium found in various supplements:
• Magnesium L-threonate
• Magnesium malate
• Magnesium glycinate
• Magnesium chelate
• Magnesium lysinate glycinate chelate
• Magnesium citrate
• Magnesium oxide
• Magnesium chloride
• Magnesium lactate
• Magnesium taurate
• Magnesium sulfate
• Magnesium orotate
...yeah, it can get confusing pretty quickly.
We won’t be covering all of these in this article, but we will be deep-diving in our personal favorites for a variety of needs.
Our top picks for magnesium supplementation are:
• Magnesium L-threonate
• Magnesium malate
• Magnesium lysinate glycinate chelate
• Magnesium citrate
Before we go into detail about them, we chose these because they are both effective for their intended purpose and easily absorbed by most people.
So, knowing those qualifiers...let’s get into it.
The Benefits & Uses of Magnesium L-Threonate
This form of magnesium is our top pick for general health.
It’s easily absorbed and doesn’t seem to have the laxative effect that some other magnesium types do.
This is also the only form of magnesium known to cross the blood-brain barrier, allowing the body to use it in our most important neurological centers almost immediately after ingestion.
This is hugely important, because magnesium deficiency is thought to be one of the main causes of low dopamine levels.
Since this is the only form of magnesium known to cross the blood-brain barrier, it’s the only one directly involved in creating dopamine in the brain.
Because of its ability to cross into the brain, magnesium L-threonate has also been shown to easily get into the cerebrospinal fluid.
In studies on those with Parkinson’s Disease, this is hugely important in improving motor deficiencies caused by Parkinson’s.
Outside of motor control benefits, this form of magnesium also improves memory, controls blood pressure, supports athletic performance, supports the immune system, prevents osteoporosis, and controls inflammation.
No wonder we included this as our main form of magnesium in our NeuroMag supplement!
The Benefits & Uses of Magnesium Malate
Magnesium malate is another great supplemental form of magnesium, since it’s typically easily absorbed in the gut.
It also tends to have less of a laxative effect than certain other forms of supplemental magnesium.
This is a favorite form of ours for pain management - especially for those with nerve issues, like fibromyalgia.
Studies have shown that a combination of magnesium deficiency and aluminum toxicity can cause the pain in nerve conditions to increase in severity.
The benefit of magnesium malate in particular is two-fold:
The magnesium deficiency is recovered because this form is easily absorbed in the gut, restoring the amount of magnesium in the body
The malate helps to detoxify excess aluminum in the body
For pain patients, this is a huge win.
Beyond helping decrease pain sensations and supporting nerve health, magnesium malate supports ATP synthesis by boosting the strength of mitochondria.
Magnesium malate also supports aluminum detoxification in everyone’s cells - not just those with nerve pain.
So as you can see, the benefits of these first two forms of magnesium are pretty different, but equally important.
Since they’re both easily bioavailable and serve different purposes, these are both top priority picks for us.
There is a small dose of magnesium malate in our NeuroMag supplement, too.
The Benefits & Uses of Magnesium Lysinate Glycinate Chelate
This is a chelated version of two different types of magnesium - magnesium lysinate and magnesium glycinate.
According to Vitality Wellness Clinic, combining these two forms of magnesium makes it easier to absorb overall because of the molecular shape.
The lysinate piece of this magnesium molecule is mainly attached to improve its overall absorption rate in the gut, therefore enhancing the effects of the magnesium glycinate.
So, what are the benefits of magnesium glycinate?
Improved protein synthesis, which could help with muscle building
Better sleep, reduced insomnia
Reduction in anxiety & depression
So when combined, this dipeptide version of magnesium can pack a powerful punch.
There is also a small amount of magnesium lysinate glycinate chelate in our NeuroMag supplement.
The Benefits & Uses of Magnesium Citrate
The last form of magnesium we wanted to cover here is magnesium citrate. And no, we don’t include this one in our NeuroMag supplement - but it’s still useful for certain instances.
Magnesium citrate is also well-absorbed in the intestines, although it does not cross the blood-brain barrier to give us the cognitive benefits of magnesium L-threonate.
However, it can help create some of the same calming effects as magnesium glycinate and is absorbed rapidly into the bloodstream (through the gut), making it a great option for improving magnesium levels in a rather short period of time.
This form of magnesium does have a laxative effect, which is useful if you’re experiencing constipation.
But if you don’t want that effect, just stick to the recommended dosages for raising bloodstream magnesium levels without causing a problem in the bathroom.
Foods that contain magnesium
Another cool thing about magnesium is that it can be found in a lot of our favorite healthy foods!
The Cleveland Clinic has an excellent resource about foods with magnesium, and you can find that full list here.
However, these are some delicious ways to get more magnesium into your daily diet:
• Avocados
• Dark chocolate
• Spinach
• Almonds
• Pumpkin seeds
• Cashews
• Black beans
• Kidney beans
• Salmon
• Halibut
• Broccoli
• Carrots
• Apples
While eating the most nutrient-rich diet possible is very important, it’s also important to note that supplementation is key, especially if you’re deficient in something.
We hope that this resource helped you understand why we like certain forms of magnesium in supplements over others, and that this is a useful resource when you’re choosing which ones to buy.
Since we liked these specific forms of magnesium so much, our NeuroMag supplement is formulated with the first 3 forms detailed in this article.
If you want a delicious option for high-quality magnesium, check out our NeuroMag here:
Sources for this article:
Magnesium L-Threonate:
• https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6857673/
• https://www.thehealthcloud.co.uk/look-magnesium-l-threonate-benefits/
• https://www.healthline.com/health/magnesium-glycinate
• https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/magnesium-types#Should-you-take-a-magnesium-supplement?
• https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/types-of-magnesium#for-nutrition
Magnesium Malate:
• https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/magnesium-types#5.-Magnesium-malate
• http://healingpoints.com/Fibromyalgia.PDF
Magnesium Lysinate Glycinate Chelate:
• https://vitalitywellnessclinic.com/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/NutritionEssentials-MagnesiumComplete.pdf
Magnesium Citrate:
• https://www.healthline.com/nutrition/magnesium-types#1.-Magnesium-citrate
Other links:
• https://my.clevelandclinic.org/health/articles/15650-magnesium-rich-food
• https://www.healthline.com/health/magnesium-glycinate
https://docparsley.com/nutrition/benefits-of-magnesium-and-effects-on-sleep/