Magnesium citrate is a more common choice if you want to maintain magnesium levels for general whole-body health. On the other hand, magnesium glycinate has less bioavailability but can have a calming effect.
Magnesium citrate is most helpful for people suffering from constipation, while the glycinate form is more useful for conditions like anxiety, insomnia, chronic stress, and inflammatory conditions.
Magnesium citrate is one of the most common magnesium formulations and can be easily purchased online or in stores worldwide. Some research suggests that this type is among the most bioavailable forms of magnesium, meaning that it's more easily absorbed in your digestive tract than other forms ( 4 ).
The difference between Magnesium glycinate and Magnesium citrate is that Magnesium glycinate acts by absorbing into the body in the form of amino acid whereas Magnesium citrate works by attracting water from tissues via osmosis.
A 2015 study of the medical uses of magnesium recommends taking magnesium citrate because it's more easily absorbed by the body.
Is magnesium citrate safe to take daily? Yes, as long as you take a low to moderate amount and not a high dose that causes loose stools repeatedly.
Can you take magnesium citrate and glycinate together? Yes, just be sure not to take a high dose of both types, which may cause some side effects. Different forms of magnesium supplements are better suited to treat different symptoms, based on how they are absorbed and distributed throughout the body.
Liquids, powders, or some other forms of this product may contain sugar and/or aspartame. Liquid products may also contain alcohol. Caution is advised if you have diabetes, alcohol dependence, liver disease, phenylketonuria (PKU), or any other condition that requires you to limit/avoid these substances in your diet.
The benefits of magnesium glycinate
promote bone health. manage blood sugar in people with diabetes and may lower the risk of developing type 2 diabetes. maintain normal heart rhythms. reduce symptoms of premenstrual syndrome (PMS)
Magnesium citrate causes the intestines to release water into the stool. This softens the stool and relieves constipation and irregularity. Magnesium citrate is more gentle than some of the other magnesium compounds and found as the active ingredient in many commercially available laxatives.
Magnesium Glycinate
Overall, the glycinate form absorbs better and is least likely to cause digestive distress. More commonly, you will find magnesium glycinate in capsule form.
Magnesium glycinate/glycerophosphate - best for sleep and anxiety. Magnesium glycerophosphate is ideal for stress relief and sleep. Glycerophosphate has the lowest rate of diarrhea, as compared to other forms of magnesium.
Each has different advantages and disadvantages. For example, some types of magnesium are easier to absorb than others. Magnesium is one of the most common minerals in the body. It plays a role in over 600 metabolic reactions, including energy production, protein formation, and blood pressure regulation.
Taking large or frequent doses of dietary magnesium supplements, including magnesium glycinate, can cause adverse effects, including diarrhea, nausea, and stomach cramps. Extremely high intakes of magnesium can lead to an irregular heartbeat and potentially a cardiac arrest, which can be dangerous.
“Magnesium may help regulate neurotransmitters that are directly related to sleep,” Dr. Umeda says. Neurotransmitters are chemicals that transmit messages between nerve cells in your brain and body. (It's important to note that magnesium plays only a supporting role in their function.)
Therefore, magnesium supplements can be taken at any time of the day, as long as you're able to take them consistently. For some, taking supplements first thing in the morning may be easiest, while others may find that taking them with dinner or just before bed works well for them.
Magnesium supplements can cause excessive accumulation of magnesium in the blood, especially with patients who have chronic kidney disease. Accumulation of magnesium in the blood can cause muscle weakness, but does not damage the kidney directly.
Because it's combined with an additional sleep aid and amino acid, glycine, magnesium glycinate is one of the most common magnesium supplements used for achieving better sleep.
Based on current data, magnesium taurate and glycinate have the most research supporting their effects on anxiety and other mental health disorders. Magnesium malate and threonine have also demonstrated therapeutic effects and may be useful in many psychiatric cases.
Using cholecalciferol together with magnesium glycinate can lead to elevated magnesium blood levels, particularly in individuals with reduced kidney function.
According to the National Institutes of Health's Office of Dietary Supplements , healthy adult men should generally consume 400 to 420 milligrams (mg) of magnesium daily. Healthy adult women should consume 310 to 320 mg daily. Pregnant women are recommended to consume a higher dose than women who aren't pregnant.
In order to fall asleep and stay asleep, your body and brain need to relax. On a chemical level, magnesium aids this process by activating the parasympathetic nervous system, the system responsible for getting you calm and relaxed ( 6 ).
Magnesium can decrease the absorption and effectiveness of numerous medications, including some common antibiotics such as tetracycline (Achromycin, Sumycin), demeclocycline (Declomycin), doxycycline (Vibramycin), minocycline (Minocin), ciprofloxacin (Cipro), levofloxacin (Levaquin), moxifloxacin (Avelox) and ofloxacin ...
Other experts caution against taking magnesium at the same time as other minerals. “It can interfere with absorption of other minerals, so if you take a multivitamin, calcium or zinc, take magnesium at a different time of day,” Cooperman warns.