In the debate of magnesium glycinate vs citrate, how do you know which is the most appropriate form for you? Magnesium is essential in hundreds of the body’s processes.
The many perks of magnesium have made it a famous supplement to help regulate sleep, maintain blood pressure, support brain, heart, and bone health, and reduce signs of menopause, among other functions.
Many magnesium supplements are available today, including magnesium glycinate and magnesium citrate.
However, before adding a supplement to your diet, you must first understand some fundamental concepts.
What is magnesium, and what is the best form of magnesium for your unique needs?
Let’s dive in to learn about the benefits of magnesium and the differences between magnesium glycinate and magnesium citrate.
Magnesium 101
Magnesium is a vital mineral and electrolyte that we should get from our diet. It is available in different forms that provide different benefits.
It helps keep our hormones balanced and does more than 300 other things.
For instance, magnesium affects estrogen detoxification, thyroid function, stress hormones, blood sugar, and more.
It's a vital mineral that many women are depleted of.
Mainly, women with PCOS (Polycystic ovarian syndrome) are 19 times more prone to experience magnesium deficiency.
This is crucial because magnesium plays a significant role in regulating glucose and insulin.
Low magnesium levels make you more likely to gain weight, have trouble with insulin, and get type 2 diabetes.
If you experience anxiety, irritability, fatigue, or irregular sleep, you might benefit from magnesium supplements or get a prescription from a health professional.
There are a lot of magnesium supplements on the market.
The most common ones are magnesium glycinate and magnesium citrate.
Magnesium Glycinate vs Citrate
People often need clarification over which supplement they should consume.
This is because various formulations may offer multiple benefits. That's why longevity experts like Andrew Huberman and health bloggers like Tim Ferriss recommend magnesium supplements.
The most common forms of magnesium supplements are; magnesium glycinate and magnesium citrate.
You may also get confused about magnesium oxide, but this form of magnesium is usually below par and can have a severe laxative effect on the body.
Actually, this is the central ingredient in laxative medications such as Milk of Magnesia. (Source)
Let’s navigate the formulation and benefits of both supplements in detail.
Magnesium Glycinate
Magnesium glycinate (magnesium disglycinate, magnesium bis-glycinate, magnesium chelate) is an amalgamation of magnesium and the amino acid glycine.
Glycine is a vital part of physiological functioning.
Glycine participates with neurotransmitters that control brain functioning and stir feelings of calmness.
This supplement works best for improving sleep quality and light mood regulation.
Magnesium glycinate also minimizes the effects of menopause.
Many signs of menopause and perimenopause are similar to magnesium deficiency.
The body easily absorbs it for being tolerable.
There is also a widespread connection between reduced magnesium levels and type 2 diabetes.
Magnesium glycinate can help regulate blood sugar when taken in the long term.
This supplement is a favorite for its gentleness, benefits, and affordability.
Magnesium Citrate
The two things that combine to make magnesium citrate are an organic salt called citrate and magnesium. Magnesium citrate is a solution for those who often suffer from constipation.
As it's an organic salt, it's conducive to constipation.
Moreover, it pulls water into the intestine, which softens the stool.
Citrate is found in citrus fruits and only induces laxative effects when taken in large amounts.
As a supplement, citrate is effective and concentrated.
Magnesium citrate is one of the ideal forms of magnesium that absorbs efficiently, and so gets to work fairly quickly. This makes it a brilliant solution to constipation.
This supplement promotes muscle and nerve function and helps relieve migraines.
It also contributes to cardiovascular health; for example, it's used to treat arrhythmia. (Source)
Related: Do super greens make you poop?
4 Differences Between Magnesium Glycinate And Magnesium Citrate
The most notable difference between magnesium glycinate and magnesium citrate is that magnesium glycinate gets absorbed in our body by amino acids.
In contrast, magnesium citrate acts by filtering water from tissues through osmosis.
Difference 1:
- Magnesium Glycinate represents the magnesium salt of glycerine.
- Magnesium citrate means magnesium salt of citric acid.
Difference 2:
- Magnesium glycinate is a cognate of glycine and amino acid.
- Magnesium nitrate is a cognate of citric acid and acid.
Difference 3:
- Magnesium glycinate’s IUPAC name is magnesium 2-amino acetate.
- Magnesium citrate’s IUPAC name is magnesium 2-hydroxypropane-1,2,3 tricarboxylate.
Difference 4:
- Magnesium glycinate’s molar mass is 172.42 g/mol.
- Magnesium citrate’s molar mass is 214.41 g/mol.
Similarities Between Mg Glycinate And Mg Citrate
- Both of them are used as health supplements.
- Both of them are used as medicines.
- Both of them are used to treat magnesium depletion. (Source)
Is Taking A Mg Supplement Safe For Everybody?
As we have discussed above, magnesium and menopause coincide.
Still, only some people require magnesium supplementation.
Magnesium supplements are safe for everybody, but if you take a high dose of magnesium, you may suffer from an upset stomach and diarrhea.
In some situations, it may cause muscle weakness, poor kidney function, and irregularities in your heart rate.
Also, if you consume too little magnesium, you might suffer from heart problems.
Magnesium Glycinate vs Citrate: Closing Thoughts
People often use magnesium glycinate instead of other magnesium supplements because our bodies can easily absorb magnesium in this form.
It is also one of the most tender supplements for the stomach.
Unlike the different forms of magnesium, this supplement doesn't cause as many side effects, such as loose stools or upset stomachs.
Even though magnesium comes in different forms, we usually choose magnesium citrate over magnesium glycinate.
Magnesium citrate is better for people who have trouble going to the bathroom, while magnesium glycinate is better for people who have difficulty sleeping, anxiety, inflammation, or long-term stress.
While magnesium is a safe supplement for people, the quantity they should consume may depend on various factors such as symptoms, dietary intake, gut health, lab results, and more.
For this reason, it's crucial to consult a functional medicine practitioner to check your magnesium status, optimize it, and help you get to the root cause of your health problems.
Magnesium glycinate is best for those seeking a variety of benefits with minimal side effects – as many people don’t like the possible laxative effects of magnesium citrate.