mineral · a form of Magnesium
Magnesium Glycinate
Magnesium chelated with glycine for superior absorption and minimal GI side effects. Supports muscle relaxation, sleep quality, stress response, and over 300 enzymatic reactions in the body.
What it’s good for
Magnesium Glycinate for Poor Sleep Quality
Strong2 studies · 2 supporting · 0 against
9 safety notes
Calms your nervous system so your body can wind down.
Dose: 300–400 mg
Tested as: magnesium bisglycinate
Magnesium Glycinate for Insomnia
Strong2 studies · 2 supporting · 0 against
9 safety notes
Calms your nervous system so your body can wind down.
Dose: 300–400 mg
Tested as: magnesium bisglycinate
Magnesium Glycinate for High Blood Pressure
Solid2 studies · 2 supporting · 0 against
9 safety notes
Relaxes the muscle in your blood vessel walls, so blood meets less resistance.
Dose: 300–500 mg
Magnesium Glycinate for Anxiety
Solid1 study · 1 supporting · 0 against
8 safety notes
Settles the body’s stress response and quietens the brain signal that keeps you wired.
Dose: 200–400 mg
Magnesium Glycinate for Stress
Evidence1 study · 1 supporting · 0 against
9 safety notes
Steadies the hormone system that runs your stress response, and quietens over-excited nerve signalling.
Dose: 300–400 mg
Magnesium Glycinate for Muscle Cramps
No Benefit1 study · 0 supporting · 1 against
9 safety notes
How it was tested: A Cochrane review of 7 trials in 406 people: unlikely to meaningfully reduce cramp.
Magnesium is what lets a muscle let go after contracting, which is the obvious theory for cramp.
Dose: 300–400 mg
Magnesium Glycinate for Irregular Digestion
Not verified2 studies · 2 supporting · 0 against
9 safety notes
Why it gets suggested: Magnesium relaxes gut muscle and draws water in, which would soften stool.
Dose: 200–400 mg
Tested as: Magnesium oxide (the only form with RCT evidence for constipation/irregular digestion)
Why we could not verify it: A proper search found trials of this compound, but not in the form named here — Magnesium oxide (the only form with RCT evidence for constipation/irregular digestion). Evidence for one form is not evidence for another.
Magnesium Glycinate for Back Pain
Not verified2 studies · 1 supporting · 1 against
8 safety notes
Why it gets suggested: Meant to help the muscles either side of your spine release a spasm.
Dose: 300–400 mg
Tested as: magnesium sulfate (intravenous) and magnesium oxide + magnesium gluconate (oral) in Yousef 2013; unspecified oral magnesium salt in Bayram 2021
Why we could not verify it: A proper search found trials of this compound, but not in the form named here — magnesium sulfate (intravenous) and magnesium oxide + magnesium gluconate (oral) in Yousef 2013; unspecified oral magnesium salt in Bayram 2021. Evidence for one form is not evidence for another.
Magnesium Glycinate for Headaches/Migraines
Not verified2 studies · 2 supporting · 0 against
9 safety notes
Why it gets suggested: Up to half of migraine sufferers run low on magnesium, and it calms the nerve signalling behind an attack.
Dose: 400–600 mg
Tested as: Magnesium oxide, trimagnesium dicitrate, magnesium citrate, magnesium pyrrolidone carboxylic acid, magnesium aspartate (all used in published RCTs for migraine prophylaxis; none are glycinate/bisglycinate)
Why we could not verify it: A proper search found trials of this compound, but not in the form named here — Magnesium oxide, trimagnesium dicitrate, magnesium citrate, magnesium pyrrolidone carboxylic acid, magnesium aspartate (all used in published RCTs for. Evidence for one form is not evidence for another.
Magnesium Glycinate for Acid Reflux
Not verified1 study · 0 supporting · 0 against
10 safety notes
Why it gets suggested: Acts as a mild antacid and may help the valve at the top of the stomach hold shut.
Dose: 200–400 mg
Why we could not verify it: No human clinical trial evidence found for magnesium supplementation (in any form) treating acid reflux or GERD. PubMed searches returned only studies of alginate-antacid combination products (containing magnesium hydroxide as a buffering ingredient) and a fixed-dose combination drug (esomeprazole + magnesium hydroxide). We cannot stand behind this claim on the evidence we have, so it carries no rating.
Magnesium Glycinate for Irritability
Not verified1 study · 1 supporting · 0 against
8 safety notes
Why it gets suggested: Magnesium quietens over-excited nerve signalling, which is the reasoning for a temper claim.
Dose: 300–400 mg
Why we could not verify it: PubMed returns zero results for both "magnesium glycinate" irritability and "magnesium bisglycinate" irritability. The PMS literature for irritability involves magnesium pyrrolidone carboxylic acid and unspecified forms of magnesium (e.g., PMID 2067759 used magnesium pyrrolidone carboxylic acid); none use glycinate or bisglycinate. The general-magnesium-and-anxiety systematic reviews were checked and their included trials all used non-glycinate forms. No qualifying trial of any design — RCT, cohort, or clinical trial — was found for magnesium glycinate or bisglycinate with irritability as a measured outcome in humans.
Other forms of Magnesium
Magnesium Citrate
Magnesium bound to citric acid. Well-absorbed and mildly laxative — the go-to form for digestive reg…
Magnesium Hydroxide
Magnesium Oxide
The cheapest and least absorbed magnesium salt, and the one used in most clinical trials. Its poor a…
Magnesium L-Threonate
A patented form of magnesium (Magtein) specifically designed to cross the blood-brain barrier. Resea…