Magnesium

Magnesium supplements differ mainly by the compound magnesium is bound to. That changes absorption, GI effects, and sometimes what the accompanying molecule does. A lot of marketing (“this magnesium is for the brain, this one for the heart”) goes beyond the evidence, but there are some useful distinctions.

Form	Commonly used for	Key points
Magnesium glycinate / bisglycinate	General supplementation, relaxation, sleep, muscle tension	Well absorbed; usually gentle on the stomach; less laxative
Magnesium citrate	Magnesium replacement + constipation	Well absorbed; draws water into bowel, so can cause loose stools
Magnesium oxide	Constipation, antacid; inexpensive magnesium	High elemental Mg but relatively poorly absorbed; more laxative
Magnesium chloride	General supplementation; also used in topical products	Reasonably well absorbed orally; topical absorption through skin is much less established
Magnesium malate	General supplementation; often marketed for muscle pain/fatigue	Well tolerated; claims specific to fatigue/fibromyalgia aren’t strongly established
Magnesium L-threonate	Marketed for cognition, brain health, sleep	Interesting because of CNS research, but human evidence is still limited; expensive and provides relatively little elemental Mg
Magnesium taurate	Marketed for blood pressure/heart health	Taurine itself has cardiovascular research; evidence for magnesium taurate specifically is much thinner
Magnesium lactate	General magnesium replacement	Well absorbed and usually fairly gentle; less commonly sold
Magnesium gluconate	General supplementation	Reasonably well tolerated; not especially advantageous over glycinate/citrate
Magnesium aspartate	Magnesium replacement	Absorbable, but rarely a compelling reason to choose it over other forms
Magnesium sulfate	Medical treatment; Epsom salt	IV form is important medically (e.g., severe Mg deficiency, preeclampsia); Epsom-salt baths aren’t a reliable way to correct deficiency
Magnesium hydroxide	Constipation/antacid	“Milk of Magnesia”; primarily a GI medication rather than a daily Mg supplement
Magnesium carbonate	Antacid/general supplementation	Reacts with stomach acid; not usually my first choice for supplementation
Magnesium orotate	Marketed for cardiovascular/energy benefits	Expensive; insufficient evidence that it’s superior
Magnesium acetyl-taurate	Marketed for brain/neurologic effects	Very limited clinical evidence

Form	BP usefulness	Why
Magnesium glycinate/bisglycinate		Well absorbed, gentle on the GI tract, easy to take consistently
Magnesium citrate		Well absorbed and practical; best if constipation is also an issue
Magnesium taurate		Theoretically appealing because taurine may have cardiovascular effects, but there is much less direct evidence for magnesium taurate itself
Magnesium oxide		Has been used in BP trials, but absorption is poorer and diarrhea/GI effects are more common
Magnesium L-threonate		No particular reason to choose it for BP; designed/marketed more around neurological effects

The newest substantial meta-analysis, published in Hypertension in 2025, pooled 38 randomized trials with 2,709 people. Overall, magnesium lowered blood pressure by about 2.8 mmHg systolic and 2.1 mmHg diastolic. Interestingly, the effect was considerably larger among people who already had hypertension and were taking BP medication—about 7.7 mmHg systolic—and among people with low magnesium levels. 

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Jane Leu Rekas, LCSW