11 Types of Magnesium and Their Benefits

If you&#;ve ever shopped for a magnesium supplement, you may have noticed you have a lot of options. How do you know which type to choose? And given that 48 percent of U.S. adults don&#;t get enough of this essential mineral from food alone, supplements can indeed be a helpful way to make up the deficit.

When it comes to food sources of magnesium, it&#;s all just magnesium, says Taylor Wallace, PhD, food scientist and CEO of Think Healthy Group, a food science and nutrition consulting firm in Washington, DC. You don&#;t need to worry about getting a different type of magnesium when you eat spinach versus rice, for example.

So, why are there different types of magnesium supplements? Because free magnesium (the magnesium that your body absorbs) must be bound to compounds, such as amino acids, organic acids, and inorganic acids, to stabilize it so it can be turned into a supplement, Dr. Wallace explains.

11 Types of Magnesium and What They Do

Magnesium supplements come in many forms. While some supplement manufacturers may claim one form of magnesium is better than another, those claims are often based on preliminary research on animals. Once absorbed, your body will use most types of magnesium the same way, Dr. Wallace says.

Also worth noting is that while getting magnesium from food may be more convenient than a supplement (since you don&#;t have to buy and remember to take the supplement), there&#;s no real difference when it comes to the benefit your body is getting from that magnesium.Again, Wallace says: &#;Your body will break down magnesium and absorb it in the same way.&#;

Still, different types of magnesium supplements impact your body in unique ways, and some are designed for specific purposes. Understanding each type of magnesium can help you make the choice that suits you best.

1. Magnesium Oxide

The downside: Magnesium oxide has laxative effects, so only about 2 percent of it is actually absorbed by the body, Wallace says. This can make magnesium oxide potentially helpful for constipation heartburn , or indigestion but less helpful for boosting your magnesium intake. If you&#;re taking magnesium as a laxative for constipation , magnesium oxide is one type you want to look for.But if you&#;re taking a magnesium supplement for other health goals, consider another form.

2. Magnesium Citrate

Magnesium citrate is created by binding magnesium with citric acid, a compound that gives citrus fruits their signature tartness.This combo is well-absorbed by the body, Wallace says. In addition, this form tends to be very cost-effective, so it can be a good choice if you&#;re on a budget, adds Melina Jampolis, MD , a board-certified physician nutrition specialist.

You can find magnesium citrate in capsules, as well as in liquid saline solutions that you can drink as a laxative. The liquid laxatives contain far higher doses of magnesium and work as a short-term fix for constipation, prompting a bowel movement within hours. Liquid laxatives are not intended for long-term use.

3. Magnesium Glycinate

Magnesium glycinate is made by combining the mineral with glycine, a nonessential amino acid (an amino acid your body produces on its own).This type is well-absorbed by the body, Wallace notes, so it may be helpful for boosting your magnesium intake.

Moreover, the molecules tend to be smaller than those in other forms of magnesium, which often means the capsules are smaller. If you struggle with swallowing large pills, magnesium glycinate may be a good option, Dr. Jampolis says. However, you can also find the supplement in gummy and powder forms.

Given that glycine plays a role in mental health and has antioxidant properties, some manufacturers claim their magnesium glycinate supplement can boost mood. Some studies support the claim that magnesium may improve depression symptoms. However, more research is needed to determine whether magnesium glycinate supplements are an effective depression treatment.

Magnesium is one of the most abundant essential minerals in the body. Magnesium supplements mostly have low bioavailability, except magnesium L-threonate. In , a novel magnesium compound, magnesium L-threonate (Magtein ® ) was identified and was shown to raise the magnesium levels in the brain and neurons effectively. In this double-blind, placebo-controlled study, Magtein ® PS, a magnesium L-threonate (Magtein ® )- and phosphatidylserine-based formulation additionally containing vitamins C and D, was tested for its cognitive benefits in 109 healthy Chinese adults aged 18&#;65 years. Subjects were randomly assigned to receive either Magtein ® PS or placebo (starch) capsules, at a dose of 2 g/day. &#;The Clinical Memory Test&#;, the standard test commonly used in Chinese hospitals and academic institutes for cognitive evaluation, was administered before and 30 days after subjects received the supplement. Subjects receiving Magtein ® PS showed significant improvements over the control group in all five subcategories of &#;The Clinical Memory Test&#; as well as the overall memory quotient scores. The older participants showed more improvement than younger participants. Results indicated significant benefits of Magtein ® PS in improving memory and cognition in healthy Chinese adults.

1. Introduction

Magnesium (Mg) is the second-most abundant intracellular mineral, and it is required as a cofactor for over 300 enzymatic reactions and is, thus, necessary for the biochemical functioning of numerous metabolic pathways in the body, including energy generation in every cell, protein production, gene regulation, bone and teeth maintenance, as well as the proper functioning of the brain and nervous systems. Mg is abundant in the food supply and can be found in foods such as grains, cereals and dark leaves, including spinach and cabbage [1]. Despite an abundance in the food supply, intake of Mg in the Chinese population has been shown to be below the 330 mg/day recommended by the China Nutrition Society [2]. For example, the average intake of dietary magnesium was reported to be 205 mg/day, in adults from Guangxi, China, of both sexes [3]. Therefore, supplementation may be warranted. Mg supplementation has been shown to improve symptoms of migraine headaches, Alzheimer&#;s disease, stroke and to have a beneficial effect on subjective anxiety in subjects prone to mental stress [4,5]. Higher intake of Mg has been associated with lower depression symptoms [6]. A relationship between Mg and anxiety has also been identified. For example, test anxiety, related to exposure to stressful exam conditions, increases urinary Mg excretion, resulting in a partial reduction in serum Mg levels [7]. A study based on data from the National Health and Nutrition Survey (NHANES) between and included participants aged 60 years and older. After adjusting for multiple confounding variables, they found that total magnesium was independently associated with significantly higher global cognitive scores [8]. Although there is an established need for supplementation, most magnesium compounds available on the market have low bioavailability and do not lead to increased magnesium levels in the brain because they cannot cross the blood&#;brain barrier easily [9,10]. Thus, it is of great interest to identify a Mg supplement that can elevate brain Mg levels.

In a publication in the journal Neuron, scientists from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) reported their discovery of a magnesium compound called magnesium L-threonate (Magtein®) that can effectively deliver magnesium to brain cells [11]. According to the study, magnesium L-threonate (Magtein®) has greater bioavailability compared to other magnesium supplements. Indeed, when compared to other sources of magnesium, such as chloride, citrate, glycinate and gluconate, magnesium L-threonate (Magtein®) demonstrated higher absorption and higher retention [12,13]. In addition, magnesium L-threonate (Magtein®) was able to significantly elevate magnesium concentrations (7% to 15% of initial value in 24 days) in cerebrospinal fluid in rats when administered orally, while other magnesium compounds could not [11]. The increased brain levels are most likely due to the increased absorption and the related higher circulating levels of magnesium. In humans, L-threonic acid is an ascorbic acid metabolite [14], having been identified in plasma [15], in the aqueous humor [16], in the urine [17,18] and in the brain [13]. In addition to its endogenous occurrence, L-threonic acid can be found in a wide variety of foods, such as canned mushrooms, fruit juice and processed meats [19] as a major part of vitamin C metabolites.

In a rodent model, Slutsky and colleagues reported that after one month of magnesium L-threonate (Magtein®) supplementation, the concentration of magnesium in the brain increased, and there was a significant improvement in memory and learning in both young rats and in elderly rats. In addition, magnesium L-threonate improved memory recovery in elderly rats. Magnesium L-threonate supplementation did not influence body weight, motility or the amount of water and food intake. The possible mechanisms of action of magnesium L-threonate on cognitive functions is via the activation of the NMDA receptors, which leads to increased synaptic density and improved memory [11].

Based on these preclinical results, it would be of great interest to investigate the effects of magnesium L-threonate in a human population. A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study in older American adults (between ages 50 and 70) was published in [20]; supplementation with magnesium L-threonate significantly improved overall cognitive scores as compared to placebo (p = 0.003; Cohen&#;s d = 0.91). Cognitive fluctuation was also reduced. Aging is associated with magnesium deficiency. A previous study has shown a beneficial effect of magnesium in an older population [21].

Phosphatidylserine (PS) is a natural component of neuronal cell membranes and is required for healthy nerve cell membranes and myelin [22]. Exogenous PS (300&#;800 mg/day) is absorbed efficiently and crosses the blood&#;brain barrier and safely slows, halts or reverses biochemical alterations and structural deterioration in nerve cells. PS also supports human cognitive functions, including short-term memory, consolidation of long-term memory, the ability to create new memories, the ability to retrieve memories, the ability to learn and recall information, the ability to focus attention and concentrate, the ability to reason and solve problems, language skills and the ability to communicate [22].

Vitamin B6 deficiency can lead to negative magnesium balance due to increased magnesium excretion [23]. Additionally, vitamin B6 helps facilitate intestinal absorption of magnesium [24]. Therefore, vitamin B6 might have synergistic effects with Mg supplement for treating magnesium deficiency [25].

Vitamin C and D have been added to magnesium L-threonate in a clinical study in patients with mild to moderate dementia, which showed significant improvements in cognition [26]. Vitamin D has been shown to promote Mg reabsorption in the kidney [27], promote Mg absorption in the GI tract [28] and low vitamin D levels have been associated with increased risk of AD [29,30]. Thus, the ingredients in the Magtein®PS-based formula could potentially provide synergistic effects by increasing magnesium absorption, increasing brain magnesium levels and increasing cognitive functions. It is the purpose of this study to assess changes in cognitive function with the supplementation of Magtein®PS in healthy adults.

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