Magnesium is known for its many benefits throughout the body, and many people take magnesium supplements for their wide-reaching benefits. Some of the benefits include helping to reduce muscle cramps, headaches and inflammation; improving blood flow to your heart and brain; regulating blood pressure; supporting healthy insulin levels; aiding sleep; and helping with detoxification.
When you're shopping for a magnesium supplement, all those big names on the label can make it difficult to choose the right one. But we're here to de-mystify magnesium by explaining what those big names mean, why each form is unique, and who should use them.
Why Take Magnesium Supplements?
Magnesium is one of the most important minerals for your health, but up to half of the Canadian population may be deficient in it. Here's why:
- Processed foods do not contain adequate levels of magnesium
- Magnesium-rich foods get their magnesium content from the soil, but our soils have become deficient in magnesium.
- Certain conditions (including kidney disease, digestive issues, and stress) can cause us to excrete more magnesium.
- Stress causes us to lose more magnesium from our bodies.
- Aging can cause us to lose more magnesium, and we don't absorb as much from the food.
- Plus, we only absorb around 30 to 40% of magnesium from food.
With all of these factors encouraging magnesium deficiency, you can see why taking it in supplement form is beneficial. By taking a quality magnesium supplement, you can receive a reliable dose over time.
Best Forms of Magnesium Supplements
With many forms to choose from, it can be intimidating to know which one is right for your health condition. In individual magnesium supplements, you’ll notice it’s combined with another molecule for different effects. Each pairing offers distinct absorption, bioavailability, and therapeutic applications.
In sum, different magnesium supplements can deliver different benefits. Here are the most common magnesium forms you’ll see when shopping for a magnesium supplement, why each is unique and how to use each one.
Magnesium Aspartate
Formula: Magnesium and aspartic acid.
Why it's unique: Magnesium aspartate is more bioavailable than magnesium oxide and magnesium citrate. Because both magnesium and aspartic acid are involved in energy production, magnesium aspartate can influence muscles and fatigue.
Who should use it: Anyone experiencing fatigue or chronic fatigue.
Magnesium Bisglycinate
Formula: Magnesium and glycine (it’s called glycinate or more commonly bisglycinate because two glycine molecules attach to the magnesium molecule, making this format more absorbable in the body).
Why it's unique: Magnesium glycinate is the top choice of most practitioners because it is more absorbable than other forms of magnesium. Plus, because glycine is transported through the intestinal wall, magnesium bisglycinate does not cause a laxative effect.
Who should use it: Anyone who is stressed, lacking sleep, has PMS symptoms or has chronic pain.
Magnesium Citrate
Formula: magnesium and citric acid.
Why it's unique: Magnesium citrate is more bioavailable than magnesium oxide. It gets absorbed quickly through the digestive tract.
Who should use it: Anyone who wants to calm their muscles, promote relaxation or needs a mild laxative effect.
Magnesium Malate
Formula: magnesium and malic acid. Malic acid is an organic compound that's naturally present in apples, pears, grapes, and wine.
Why it's unique: Malate is a part of the energy cycle and has been shown to improve ATP production. This could make magnesium malate more effective for reducing muscle pain in fibromyalgia patients.
Who should use it: Anyone with fibromyalgia or chronic pain.
Magnesium Oxide
Formula: magnesium and oxide.
Why it's unique: This form of magnesium has high levels of elemental magnesium, which makes it useful as a laxative. For this reason, it is often used in milk of magnesia products.
Who should use it: Anyone suffering from constipation. There is also some evidence to suggest that this form of magnesium could be beneficial for treating migraines.
Best Magnesium Supplement Formats
With many supplement options available, there’s bound to be a format you’ll enjoy. Available in powdered form that stirs into liquids, liquid magnesium that you can drink, magnesium creams, gels and sprays for topical application on sore muscles, and more traditional pill formats.
Let’s take a closer look at the different formats available:
Best Magnesium Capsules and Tablets
Capsules and tablets are often the most convenient form of supplement. They’re easy to throw in a bag, and don’t require preparation before taking, like powdered formats. When deciding between these two formats, you should note that tablets often contain more magnesium per serving. This is a great option if you take your magnesium supplement before bed or in smaller doses throughout the day. However, not everyone can swallow capsules and tablets, that’s where other formats may be more ideal.
Magnesium Supplement Powders
Powdered supplements are an excellent option for those that have difficulty swallowing pills. Magnesium can be mixed with hot or cold water and consumed as a beverage. If you don't mind taking an extra step or two, the powder is a great format for your magnesium.
Best Magnesium Supplement Liquids
Liquid formats are another alternative to capsuled supplements. These can often taste good if they’re enhanced with a flavour or natural sweetener. Like powdered varieties, liquids can be mixed into fruit juice or water.
It comes in both standard liquid formats and newer liposomal formulas. Liquid magnesium can be helpful if your digestion is challenged or if you don't like taking pills. However, it's less convenient to take than pills or gummy formats and may not be the best option for travelling.
Topical Magnesium Supplements
Topical magnesium supplements can be a great way to relieve pain after a day of activity or intense workout. You can apply topical magnesium by using a cream, gel or spray and applying it to the affected area. You can also enjoy a bath with Epsom salts to soothe sore muscles. If you need magnesium for reasons other than sore muscles, you can take another form of magnesium alongside topical formats.
Best Magnesium Dosage
Searching for appropriate magnesium doses may be confusing. There is the RDA, which means Recommended Daily Allowance. It refers to the amount of magnesium needed to prevent deficiency. On the other hand, the ODA stands for Optimum Daily Allowance and is the amount of magnesium that you need to be healthy. It's worth pointing out that both of these levels are generally low compared to what a practitioner will recommend.
For adults, the recommended therapeutic dose is 400–800 mg. For children ages 1-3, the suggested dose is 20 mg per day. For children ages 4–8, the suggested dose is 30 mg per day.
Magnesium Supplement Cautions
Magnesium has been studied concerning a wide range of conditions, including heart disease and migraines. Following are a few cautions:
- Magnesium can be used during pregnancy or while breastfeeding.
- People with kidney disease or who are on dialysis may not be able to tolerate magnesium supplements without increasing the risk of serious side effects.
- Do not take magnesium supplements after a meal because they can neutralize stomach acid.
- Those who are on prescription medication to treat high blood pressure (ACE inhibitors) will need to speak with their doctors before starting a magnesium regime due to possible drug interactions.
Magnesium is safe and generally well-tolerated. Side effects are rare, but they can include:
- Nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea
- Fatigue or weakness (for example, in the legs)
- Muscle cramps (usually in the hands and feet)
Some people may experience milder side effects, such as gas or loose stools when they first start taking magnesium supplements. This is not uncommon and should go away after a few days to weeks of taking your daily dose of magnesium.
Magnesium supplements are a great way to increase your magnesium levels and improve your health. They can be taken as capsules, tablets, powders, or liquids. They can be found in many different forms (which have unique health benefits based on their molecular structure) and formats (which can be chosen based on personal preference). Nowadays, there couldn't be more choice when shopping for a magnesium supplement!
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK507270/
https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/7815675/
https://ods.od.nih.gov/factsheets/Magnesium-HealthProfessional/#en2
