Magnesium Glycinate vs Citrate: Which Magnesium Supplements Should You Be Taking?
Your body needs the essential mineral magnesium for multiple functions, including regulating your blood sugar levels, blood pressure, muscle and nerve function. But wait, there’s more: Magnesium is also critical for making protein and bone and synthesizing DNA.
But how much magnesium do you really need? According to the National Institutes of Health’s Office on Dietary Supplements, women need 310 to 320 mg of magnesium per day. Pregnant women need slightly more: 350 to 360 mg daily. Men also need more magnesium on a daily basis: 400 to 420 mg daily.
Are you hitting those targets? Maybe not.
“Approximately 45 percent of Americans are thought to have a magnesium deficiency,” notes Dr. Yufang Lin, MD, an integrative medicine physician with the Cleveland Clinic.
One way to boost your magnesium levels? Take a good look at your diet. Magnesium can be found in many kinds of foods, including legumes, whole grains, leafy green vegetables, nuts and seeds, some milk products and fortified foods. Here’s one to try: 1 ounce of roasted pumpkin seeds contains 156 mg of magnesium.
But many people don’t eat enough magnesium-rich foods, in which case dietary supplements can help boost their magnesium intake and bring them up to recommended levels. However, it’s a good idea to get the thumbs up from your doctor first—doctors will typically recommend improving your diet before considering supplementation. Magnesium supplements can interact with some kinds of medications you may be taking, so that has to be taken into consideration.
“Remember food first, supplement second,” says Lin.
One word of caution: don’t assume that more is better when it comes to magnesium. You may experience side effects such as diarrhea, nausea and cramping if you load up on the supplements and take more than you really need. So it's important to only take the recommended amount.
“Just because something is available over the counter does not mean we should not treat it like a medicine,” says Lin.
If your doctor does suggest taking a magnesium supplement, you have a couple of options. There are several different formulations of magnesium supplements on the market, but let’s consider two of the most commonly used kinds: magnesium citrate and magnesium glycinate.
These two are considered organic forms of magnesium. They’re soluble than inorganic forms like magnesium oxide, which means they’re more bioavailable to your body (read: it’s easier for your body to make use of them). But as research shows, they provide lower levels of elemental magnesium. One may be better suited for you than the other.
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Magnesium citrate benefits
The benefits of taking magnesium citrate may depend on your specific health condition.
For example, if you suffer from constipation, this kind of supplement can help you get your bowels moving, according to Dr. Colleen Tewksbury, PhD, MPH, RD, a registered dietitian/nutritionist and a national spokesperson for the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics in Philadelphia.
“It does have a strong laxative effect,” she says.
Essentially, it pulls water from your body into your intestines, where it mixes with the feces, making it easier for them to pass out of your body. “However, for those with normal bowel movements or those who tend to have diarrhea, magnesium citrate would not be the supplement of choice,” says Lin.
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Magnesium glycinate benefits
Once again, the benefits of magnesium glycinate may depend on your body. Overall, it tends to be well-tolerated, which is a plus. Also, it doesn’t have the same harsh laxative effect on your intestines, says Dr. Tewksbury, which might make it a better option for you if you struggle with diarrhea.
There’s also some research that suggests that taking magnesium glycinate may help reduce anxiety, although you’d want to check with your doctor first before taking it for that purpose.
Related: 20 Foods That Are Loaded With Potassium (No, It's Not Just Bananas!)
Magnesium citrate vs magnesium glycinate: Which is better?
Because both forms are more bioavailable than some other forms of magnesium, they seem to be more likely to help you boost your magnesium levels.
But again, you might not necessarily need to take either one.“People at risk, such as individuals with gastrointestinal diseases, those who are on chronic medications that increase risk of deficiencies, those with a poor diet, should discuss with their healthcare providers about testing” for magnesium deficiency, says Lin.
Then they can determine if magnesium citrate or magnesium glycinate is the way to go.
And if you still have questions, don’t be afraid to speak up. “Registered dietitians are here to help you navigate these things,” says Tewksbury.
Sources
Dr. Yufang Lin, MD at the Cleveland Clinic
Dr. Colleen Tewksbury, PhD, MPH, RD, Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics.
Nutrients: "Predicting and Testing Bioavailability of Magnesium Supplements”
Open Heart: “Subclinical magnesium deficiency: a principal driver of cardiovascular disease and a public health crisis.”
Nutrition Journal: “Nutritional and herbal supplements for anxiety and anxiety-related disorders: systematic review.”
National Institutes of Health’s Office of Dietary Supplements: "Magnesium Fact Sheet"
Michigan Medicine: "Magnesium for Constipation"
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