Magnesium Glycinate vs. Citrate: What’s the Difference?

Magnesium seems simple until you start shopping for it.

Then you see magnesium glycinate, magnesium citrate, magnesium oxide, magnesium chloride — and suddenly choosing a supplement feels a lot more complicated.

Two forms you’ll see frequently are magnesium glycinate and magnesium citrate. Both provide magnesium, but the mineral is paired with a different compound in each form.

So what's actually different?

 

First, what does magnesium do?

Magnesium is an essential mineral involved in many processes throughout the body, including normal muscle and nerve function, blood glucose regulation and the production of protein, bone and DNA.

Your body doesn't make magnesium, so you have to get it through food or other sources.

Foods containing magnesium include leafy greens, nuts, seeds, legumes and whole grains. Magnesium is also available in a variety of supplement forms.

 

What is magnesium glycinate?

Magnesium glycinate is magnesium combined with glycine, an amino acid.

It's become a familiar ingredient in nighttime supplement routines, which is one reason you'll see it discussed so frequently alongside sleep products.

But an important distinction: the fact that a product contains magnesium glycinate doesn't mean it has been proven to make everyone sleep better.

The research on magnesium supplements depends on the population studied, magnesium status, dose, formulation and the outcome being measured.

 

What is magnesium citrate?

Magnesium citrate combines magnesium with citric acid.

Citrate is one of the magnesium forms that the NIH lists among forms that are more readily absorbed by the body. It is also used in some laxative products, although the amount and intended use of those products can be very different from an everyday magnesium supplement.

 

Is glycinate better absorbed than citrate?

This is where marketing can get ahead of the science.

Research supports the broader idea that the form of magnesium can affect bioavailability, and a systematic review found that organic magnesium formulations generally appear to be more bioavailable than inorganic forms.

But that does not give us a simple rule that magnesium glycinate is always superior to magnesium citrate.

Magnesium absorption can also be influenced by the dose, a person's magnesium status and other dietary factors.

So instead of asking only, Which form is best?, a better question may be:

Which form, amount and product make sense for me?

 

What should you compare on the label?

Don't stop at the words glycinate or citrate on the front of the bottle.

Look at the Supplement Facts panel and check how much actual — or elemental — magnesium a serving provides.

Also check the serving size. One product might provide its listed amount in one capsule while another requires several capsules.

And look at the rest of the formula. If you use multiple supplements, check whether magnesium is already included elsewhere in your routine.

 

Can you take too much magnesium?

Yes.

More isn't automatically better.

The NIH's tolerable upper intake level for magnesium from supplements and medications is 350 mg per day for adults, unless a healthcare professional recommends otherwise. That limit does not include magnesium naturally present in foods.

High supplemental amounts can cause diarrhea, nausea and abdominal cramping, and extremely high amounts can be dangerous. Magnesium can also interact with certain medications.

 

The Beauty Seek takeaway

Magnesium glycinate and magnesium citrate are two different forms of the same essential mineral — and the name on the front of the bottle doesn't tell the whole story.

Check the form, elemental magnesium per serving, serving size and everything else you're already taking.

That's a much better way to compare supplements than assuming the most talked-about form must be the best one.

Beauty Seek provides educational information, not medical advice. Talk with your healthcare professional about supplements, particularly if you take medications, have a health condition, are pregnant or breastfeeding.