Magnesium Bisglycinate, Citrate or Taurate?

Summary

You choose a magnesium form based on the amount of elemental magnesium per daily serving, not on the name of the compound. Bisglycinate, citrate and taurate differ in the substance magnesium is bound to: glycine, citric acid or taurine. Keep magnesium from supplements to a maximum of 250 mg per day, the upper limit for adults.

Table of Contents

You want to start taking magnesium and keep seeing three names: bisglycinate, citrate and taurate, each with a different number in milligrams. This article is for men who want to choose a magnesium supplement or better understand the tub they already have. After reading it, you will know what distinguishes the forms from one another, which number on the label really counts and how much magnesium from supplements is sensible.

What criteria do you use to choose a magnesium form?

You choose a magnesium form based on the amount of elemental magnesium per daily serving, the full composition and a usage recommendation that fits your day. The name bisglycinate, citrate or taurate tells you what the magnesium is attached to, not how much magnesium you are getting. Two products with the same form name can therefore differ considerably from one another.

Magnesium is a mineral you obtain from food and that in supplements is usually coupled to another substance. That partner substance determines the name, the weight of the raw material and how a manufacturer composes the tablet. Long working days with training on top? Magnesium contributes to a reduction of tiredness and fatigue.

There is no single form that is best for everyone, and that is precisely why it pays to look beyond the name. Also pay attention to the excipients, to whether a formula combines multiple forms and to magnesium you are already getting from another supplement. Anyone who puts those points side by side will quickly see which product suits their day and their total intake.

Magnesium bisglycinate, magnesium citrate and magnesium taurate side by side

Magnesium bisglycinate, magnesium citrate and magnesium taurate are three compounds in which the same mineral is bound to a different substance. The table places them side by side on the same points.

Feature	Magnesium bisglycinate	Magnesium citrate	Magnesium taurate
Bound to	Two molecules of glycine, an amino acid	Citric acid	Taurine, an amino acid-like compound
What you check on the label	Elemental magnesium per tablet or daily serving; the weight of bisglycinate is not the amount of magnesium	Elemental magnesium per tablet or daily serving; whether the product combines multiple forms	Elemental magnesium per tablet or daily serving; compositions vary considerably between products
With a high intake from supplements	Diarrhoea and other gastrointestinal complaints possible	Diarrhoea and other gastrointestinal complaints possible	Diarrhoea and other gastrointestinal complaints possible
Practical choice	Pay attention to elemental magnesium, daily serving, excipients and any other forms in the formula	Pay attention to elemental magnesium and include magnesium from other supplements in your count	Choose a label that clearly states elemental magnesium per daily serving
Usage recommendation	Follow the recommendation of the specific product	Follow the recommendation of the specific product	Follow the recommendation of the specific product

Each form has its own background, and that mainly explains how you read the label.

Magnesium bisglycinate

Magnesium bisglycinate is magnesium bound to two molecules of glycine. The prefix "bis" refers to those two molecules, and glycine is an amino acid. On packaging you will also see the same form listed as magnesium glycinate. How much elemental magnesium a tablet delivers varies by product: the form name only specifies the bond.

Magnesium citrate

Magnesium citrate is magnesium bound to citric acid. The elemental magnesium content is not the same for every product, so the label remains the deciding factor. If citrate is combined with another form in one tablet, only the total elemental magnesium from all forms combined counts.

Magnesium taurate

Magnesium taurate is magnesium bound to taurine. What brands put on their packaging about taurate varies considerably and is difficult to compare between products. The figure for elemental magnesium per daily serving is comparable across products, and that is therefore also the basis on which you choose this form.

Magnesium malate, magnesium L-threonate and magnesium complex

Magnesium malate is magnesium bound to malate, a separate compound with its own composition. Magnesium L-threonate is likewise its own form and not another name for bisglycinate or citrate. A magnesium complex combines multiple forms in one product. What a complex is worth, you read from the full composition: which forms, how much of each and the total elemental magnesium.

From our formulas

Magnesium Complex (4-in-1) (FORGE)

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Reading elemental magnesium on the label

On a magnesium label, the amount of elemental magnesium per daily serving is what counts. Elemental magnesium is the mineral itself, separate from the substance it is bound to. The weight of a compound such as bisglycinate or citrate also includes that partner substance and is therefore always higher.

How large that difference can be is visible on the packaging of FORGE. We state two figures there for each form: the weight of the compound and the magnesium it delivers. For example, 1159.4 mg of magnesium bisglycinate provides 160 mg of magnesium. Anyone who reads only the first figure overestimates the dose by more than seven times.

With these points you can make a fair comparison between two labels:

Check whether the figure applies per tablet or per daily serving; with two tablets per day, the amount from one tablet doubles.
If the formula combines multiple forms, only the total elemental magnesium counts.
Excipients, allergens and warnings appear in the composition and should be part of your assessment.
If you use more than one supplement, add up the magnesium from all products.
If only a form name with milligrams is listed and no elemental magnesium, you cannot properly compare the product with another.

Which magnesium for muscles, cramps or sleep?

For muscles, cramps or sleep you choose magnesium on the same points as for any other purpose: elemental magnesium per daily serving, the composition and a time of use you can stick to. A form name on the packaging is not a selection list per complaint.

Heavy training or physical work? Magnesium contributes to normal muscle function. Choose a product whose daily serving you can reach without difficulty every day, even in busy weeks with little structure.

Cramps have a variety of causes. If that is your reason for looking for magnesium, assess the label just as soberly: how much elemental magnesium does the daily serving deliver, and how much are you already getting from other supplements?

If you prefer to take magnesium at the end of the day, the usage recommendation is your first filter. A product with an evening recommendation suits someone who links magnesium to their evening meal; that is a choice for a moment in your day.

Food remains the basis for your magnesium. A supplement fills the gap, and that is why a daily serving within the upper limit for supplements is a more logical choice than the highest number on the shelf.

Four forms in one magnesium complex: our choices for FORGE

FORGE is a magnesium complex with four organically bound forms and 200 mg of elemental magnesium per tablet. There is no single form that is best for everyone. That is why we did not choose one compound, but bisglycinate, citrate, malate and taurate together in one tablet.

Bisglycinate delivers the largest share of the magnesium at 160 mg. Citrate adds 22.5 mg, malate 11.5 mg and taurate 6 mg. Added together, that comes to exactly the total per tablet, and each of those figures is stated on the packaging.

We chose the dosage so that one tablet stays below the upper limit of 250 mg of magnesium from supplements. We left out magnesium oxide; the formula consists entirely of organically bound forms. As excipients we use only a glazing agent (hydroxypropyl methylcellulose) and an anti-caking agent (magnesium stearate).

The time of use is also a choice. You take FORGE with breakfast, lunch or dinner, whichever fits best in your day. We prefer to link magnesium to a meal you already eat every day, because a daily ritual anchored to a fixed moment is the easiest to maintain.

FORGE: 200 mg elemental magnesium per tablet (53.4% RI) from magnesium bisglycinate, magnesium citrate, magnesium malate and magnesium taurate. One tablet per day with water, with breakfast, lunch or dinner. 30 tablets per pack, sufficient for 30 days.

Dosage and side effects of magnesium citrate and magnesium bisglycinate

For adult men, the Netherlands Nutrition Centre (Voedingscentrum) states an adequate intake of 350 mg of magnesium per day. That is your total intake, not a dosage for a supplement. For magnesium from supplements, a separate upper limit of 250 mg per day applies for adults. That limit does not apply to magnesium from regular food.

On European labels there is also a percentage of the reference intake (RI). That reference is 375 mg and therefore differs from the Dutch adequate intake. An RI percentage helps you compare products with one another, but it is not the same as the Dutch recommendation.

If you take more than 250 mg of magnesium per day from supplements, diarrhoea, stomach complaints, nausea and vomiting may occur. That applies to citrate and to bisglycinate: side effects are related to the total amount. Therefore add up the magnesium from all your supplements.

With reduced kidney function, magnesium can accumulate more easily, because your kidneys excrete magnesium. Magnesium can also reduce the absorption of certain medications, including some tetracyclines, quinolone antibiotics and bisphosphonates.

If you have kidney problems, use any of these medications or experience persistent complaints such as recurring cramps, consult your GP or pharmacist. With medicines, observe the time interval prescribed by your package leaflet or healthcare provider. Never adjust a prescribed treatment yourself.

A magnesium routine that fits your day

If you prefer to take magnesium during the day, FORGE fits with breakfast, lunch or dinner. If you would rather take it in the evening, choose DUSK instead of FORGE: two tablets with your evening meal, with magnesium from bisglycinate and citrate, supplemented with taurine, vitamin B6 and vitamin D3. Never use them together, as both contain magnesium. You can find all six of our formulas at our nutritional supplements. Whichever you choose: we believe in one fixed daily ritual, at the same time every day.

From our formulas

Magnesium Complex (4-in-1) (FORGE)

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Frequently asked questions about magnesium bisglycinate

When is the best time to take magnesium citrate?

You take magnesium citrate at the time stated in the usage recommendation of your product, with a glass of water and at a fixed point in your day, such as a meal. For the citrate form itself there is no fixed time; the product determines the recommendation. In FORGE, citrate is in a tablet for use with breakfast, lunch or dinner. In DUSK it is in two tablets for use with the evening meal. Choose one of the two, as both contain magnesium.

Do iron bisglycinate and zinc bisglycinate also contain magnesium?

No, iron bisglycinate and zinc bisglycinate do not provide magnesium. Bisglycinate describes the bond to two molecules of glycine, and that bond also occurs with other minerals. In iron bisglycinate, iron is bound; in zinc bisglycinate, zinc. On the label, each mineral is therefore listed with its own amount, which you do not add to your magnesium total.

What does "best tested" on a magnesium tub mean?

"Best tested" is a term used by the seller, so always ask yourself who did the testing, what was measured and by what method. If that information is missing, you are better off comparing products on the points that appear on every label. Think of elemental magnesium per daily serving, the forms in the formula, the number of tablets per day and the excipients. That also applies when searching for the best magnesium bisglycinate: the elemental magnesium figure makes products comparable, while the form name tells you which bond you are buying.

Are magnesium L-threonate and magnesium threonate the same?

Yes, magnesium L-threonate and magnesium threonate refer to the same category of compounds, in Dutch and in English. It is a different compound from bisglycinate, citrate or taurate. Assess this form too on elemental magnesium per daily serving. Include that figure when you are using magnesium from multiple supplements.