Hardly a week goes by without someone standing at my counter with a tub of magnesium in each hand, asking which one to buy. Nine times out of ten it is the same two forms: glycinate in one hand, citrate in the other. And if you have been searching magnesium glycinate vs citrate online, you will have found forty articles that hedge their bets for two thousand words and never actually answer the question.
- Magnesium is involved in over 300 enzyme reactions.
- Citrate is magnesium bound to citric acid.
- Glycinate, which you will also see sold as bisglycinate, is the same story with a different partner: magnesium bound to glycine, an amino acid.
I have run a health shop in Paignton for over 30 years and I stock both forms, so I have no reason to talk one up over the other. Here is the straight answer I give across the counter: both are good, well-absorbed forms. The right one for you depends on what you want the magnesium to do and how sensitive your stomach is. Here is how to choose.
First, what magnesium actually does
Magnesium is involved in over 300 enzyme reactions. The EFSA-authorised claims are the ones worth knowing: magnesium contributes to normal muscle function, normal functioning of the nervous system, normal psychological function, normal energy-yielding metabolism, and the reduction of tiredness and fatigue. It also contributes to the maintenance of normal bones and teeth. Those claims apply to magnesium itself, whichever decent form it arrives in. The form changes how well you absorb it and how your gut gets on with it, not what the mineral does once it is in you.
One thing to get out of the way early: avoid magnesium oxide. It is the cheapest form, it is poorly absorbed, and a good chunk of it goes straight through you. That is why it turns up in laxatives and in bargain-bin supplements. Most cheap supplements are expensive urine, and oxide is a textbook example.
Magnesium citrate: the workhorse
Citrate is magnesium bound to citric acid. It is well absorbed, well researched, and the best value of the quality forms, which is why it is my standard recommendation for most people who just want a solid daily magnesium.
Citrate suits you if your reasons for taking magnesium are the classic ones: muscle function, cramps and twitches, tiredness, general topping up of a diet light on greens, nuts and seeds. It has one quirk worth knowing about. At higher doses citrate draws water into the bowel, which gives it a mild loosening effect. For a fair number of my customers that is not a downside at all, it is half the reason they take it. If you are someone who tends towards the sluggish end, citrate quietly helps keep things regular. If your gut is already on the sensitive or fast side, that same property is the reason you might prefer the other form.
Magnesium glycinate: the gentle one
Glycinate, which you will also see sold as bisglycinate, is the same story with a different partner: magnesium bound to glycine, an amino acid. Two things make it popular. First, it is very gentle on the stomach, with none of the loosening effect citrate can have, so it suits sensitive digestions and higher doses. Second, it is the form people reach for in the evening. Magnesium contributes to normal functioning of the nervous system and normal psychological function, and customers who take glycinate as part of a wind-down routine tend to come back for it, which after 30 years is the signal I trust most.
The trade-off is price. Glycine is a bulkier molecule than citrate, so you get less elemental magnesium per capsule and you pay a bit more per dose. It is not a con, it is just chemistry, but it is why I do not push everyone onto glycinate by default.
Magnesium citrate vs glycinate: the head to head
- Absorption - both are well absorbed. Honest answer: for most people the difference is not worth losing sleep over. Both leave oxide in the dust.
- Muscles, energy and tiredness - citrate. Good absorption, good value, easy to dose properly.
- Keeping regular - citrate, thanks to that mild loosening effect at higher doses.
- Sensitive stomach - glycinate, no contest. It is the form I hand to anyone who says citrate runs through them.
- Evening and wind-down routines - glycinate is the popular choice, though plenty of customers do fine taking citrate in the evening too.
- Value for money - citrate. More elemental magnesium per pound spent.
So which is the best form of magnesium?
There is no single best form of magnesium, whatever a brand with only one product tells you. There is a best form for you. My rule of thumb from the shop floor: start with citrate unless you have a reason not to. It does the job for most people at the best price. Switch to glycinate if citrate upsets your stomach, if you need a higher dose, or if you are building an evening routine and want the gentlest option. Some customers keep both on the go, citrate in the morning and glycinate at night, and that is a perfectly sensible way to do it.
Dosage: read the elemental number
Whichever form you pick, look for the elemental magnesium figure on the label, not the compound weight. A capsule containing 450mg of magnesium citrate does not contain 450mg of magnesium, and plenty of labels are happy to let you think otherwise. The NHS guideline intake is 300mg a day for men and 270mg for women, and a supplement supplying somewhere around 100 to 200mg of elemental magnesium on top of your diet is a sensible place for most adults to sit. If you have kidney problems or take prescription medication, talk to your GP or pharmacist before starting, and space magnesium away from certain antibiotics, which your pharmacist can advise on in thirty seconds flat.
What we stock at LSC
We keep both forms on the shelf, because both earn their place. Our own LSC Magnesium Citrate 450mg is the everyday workhorse, a clean vegan capsule at a fair price, and the magnesium I sell more of than any other. For the glycinate side we stock Viridian Magnesium Bisglycinate, and if you want a branded citrate there is Viridian Magnesium Citrate too. If evenings are your battleground, the wider Sleep & Calm collection is where magnesium sits alongside the other things customers actually come back for.
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Frequently asked questions
Is magnesium glycinate or citrate better for sleep?
Glycinate is the more popular evening choice because it is gentle and has no loosening effect overnight. But magnesium is magnesium once absorbed, and plenty of people use citrate at night perfectly happily. Neither is a sedative.
Can I take magnesium citrate and glycinate together?
Yes, as long as your total elemental magnesium stays sensible. Citrate in the morning and glycinate at night is a common pattern among my regulars.
Why does magnesium citrate upset my stomach?
The citrate form draws water into the bowel at higher doses. Take it with food, split the dose, or switch to glycinate, which does not do this.
Is bisglycinate the same as glycinate?
For buying purposes, yes. Bisglycinate simply means two glycine molecules attached to each magnesium, which is how the chelate is normally made. Same thing, longer word.