mineral · for irritability
Magnesium Glycinate
Magnesium quietens over-excited nerve signalling, which is the reasoning for a temper claim.
Say that in clinical terms
Magnesium modulates NMDA receptors, preventing glutamate excitotoxicity that contributes to irritability. It also regulates the HPA stress axis and supports GABA receptor function, promoting emotional stability.
How strong is the research?
1 paper read, 1 supporting.
Who was studied: No study population — the cited source is a review. No trial has tested this.
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.
How much to take
daily (evening preferred)
300–400 mg
Magnesium deficiency is very common and frequently manifests as irritability. Glycinate form is calming and well-tolerated.
Before you take it
- NIH ODS Tolerable Upper Intake Level (UL) for supplemental magnesium is 350 mg/day for adults; the principal adverse effect above the UL is osmotic diarrhea; hypermagnesemia is rare with intact renal function but possible with chronically elevated doses.
- Tetracycline antibiotics (e.g., doxycycline, demeclocycline) and quinolone antibiotics (e.g., ciprofloxacin, levofloxacin): take the antibiotic at least 2 hours BEFORE or 4-6 hours AFTER magnesium supplementation, per NIH ODS. Note: this timing requirement is asymmetric.
- Bisphosphonates (e.g., alendronate): magnesium reduces oral bisphosphonate absorption; take at least 2 hours apart, per NIH ODS.
- Antihypertensive medications (ACE inhibitors, ARBs, calcium channel blockers): magnesium may potentiate blood-pressure-lowering effects; blood pressure should be monitored when these are combined.
- Loop diuretics (furosemide) and thiazide diuretics increase renal magnesium excretion; potassium-sparing diuretics decrease magnesium excretion — both are clinically relevant interactions in common patient populations.
- Long-term proton pump inhibitor (PPI) use reduces intestinal magnesium absorption and causes hypomagnesemia independent of dietary intake.
- Renal insufficiency and chronic kidney disease: impaired renal magnesium excretion substantially increases hypermagnesemia risk; supplementation requires medical supervision.
- The antacid effect seen with magnesium hydroxide, carbonate, and oxide forms is form-specific and does not apply to magnesium glycinate at typical supplement doses.
When to take it
Best taken: evening
What we make of it
A review revisiting a theory. It reports no results of its own.
The detail
The source is a narrative review revisiting the idea of a vicious circle between magnesium and stress. It contains no original data.