Magnesium is a mineral that is not so well known for being essential to our health, but magnesium supplements can have many benefits. Magnesium supplements are available in many different forms, and it’s important to know what type of magnesium supplement will be best for you. This blog post will talk about the four types of magnesium supplements: magnesium oxide, magnesium citrate, magnesium sulfate, and magnesium chloride.
– magnesium oxide: magnesium oxide is a mineral compound of magnesium and oxygen. Magnesium oxide supplements are magnesium with magnesium carbonate added to make the supplement easier on the stomach. However, magnesium carbonate has been shown in studies to have little effect on its own.
– magnesium citrate: magnesium citrate is an ionic compound that contains both a positive charge from the hydrogen ions and negative charges from the two types of magnesium ions within it. A substance containing either a positive or negative electrical charge can dissolve other substances because they attract. In this instance, water molecules will bind readily to positively charged particles such as minerals that contain free hydroxide ions (OH-), making them more soluble water than when not bound by water molecules.
– magnesium sulfate: magnesium sulfate is made of magnesium ions and sulfuric acid. Magnesium can come in many forms, but it’s essential to differentiate between magnesium sulfates, more commonly known as Epsom salts. Magnesium chloride is also called Epsom salt because it is similar to sulfate even though they are different compounds. Magnesium chloride or Magnesium oil, for example, is derived from seawater, so there may be other impurities present such as calcium, sodium chlorine etc.
– magnesium chloride: this form of magnesium supplement contains no additives like hydrogen carbonates or citrates that allow minerals to dissolve into liquid better (which makes them more soluble). This means you will need a smaller dosage than magnesium oxide and magnesium citrate to get the same effect.
– magnesium can help reduce symptoms of magnesium deficiency, anxiety, migraines, tension headaches, insomnia & also helps in recovery after workouts.
Magnesium is a mineral that we need to stay healthy, and it makes up around 0.04% of the human body by weight (around 100 grams magnesium in total). Magnesium supplements are often recommended for stress relief, muscle cramps/pain or tension, indigestion & heartburn, restless legs syndrome and sleep disorders. There are many magnesium supplements out there, but what form should you take? Here’s what you need to know about magnesium:
Magnesium Glycinate – Magnesium bound to the amino acid glycine. It is typically more easily absorbed than magnesium oxide, chloride or sulphate supplements but less able to cross into cells (which can be good or bad depending on what you are trying for). Magnesium malate contains magnesium and malic acid, which helps reduce muscle fatigue. Magnesium citrate is magnesium with citric acid added, so it has a slightly sour taste that some people find palatable while others don’t like at all.
Stomach Upset: Some forms of magnesium cause stomach upsets in sensitive individuals, i.e., magnesium glycerophosphate/oxides/sulphates/chloride /citrates- these have been linked with stomach upsets due to magnesium irritation of the intestinal lining. Magnesium malate and magnesium glycinate/lactate have been reported less frequently or not with this side effect.
Magnesium oxide supplements are poorly absorbed, but they don’t usually cause any digestive upset because magnesium is tightly bound to an organic acid which isn’t very reactive in the body, so it doesn’t irritate that much. That being said, if you get magnesium citrate/glycinate, that does mean there are more likely to be some form of downside for sensitive individuals as they tend to be a bit more aggressive and irritating on the intestines than other forms such as magnesium oxide etc.
The Most Bio-Available Magnesium: magnesium malate, magnesium glycinate/lactates tend to be the most bio-available forms of magnesium. This means it is readily absorbed and utilised by your body which makes them a good choice for supplementation if you are trying to correct a deficiency or improve general health since more magnesium in your cells = better cellular function, i.e., more robust cell membranes etc. so they have been shown effective at improving energy production from ATP (the main currency of biological energy).
BOTTOM LINE – If stomach upset is an issue, go with magnesium citrate/glycinates; otherwise, magnesium oxide supplements are OK but not as easily absorbed into the system.