Minerals · 3 min read
Magnesium: glycinate, citrate, or oxide?
The form on the label matters more than the milligrams. A quick primer on which magnesium does what.
Magnesium oxide is cheap and poorly absorbed — most of it passes through you. It shows up on labels because it's cheap and lets brands print a big milligram number.
Magnesium citrate absorbs well and has a mild laxative effect. Useful if regularity is part of the goal; less useful if it isn't.
Magnesium glycinate is bound to the amino acid glycine. It absorbs well, is gentle on the gut, and is the form most often used for sleep, stress, and muscle recovery.
Magnesium L-threonate is the newer, more expensive form marketed for cognition. The evidence is early but real.
For most people: glycinate at night, 200–400 mg elemental magnesium, ideally split. Read the label — 'magnesium 500 mg' from oxide is not the same as 500 mg from glycinate.
