Types of magnesium supplements

Types of magnesium supplements

Another way to acquire magnesium is with regular Epsom salt baths or foot baths. Epsom salt is a magnesium sulfate that is absorbed through your skin.

by Joanne Henning Tedesco — 

Studies show that up to 80 percent of Americans may be deficient in magnesium. So what do we do? Organic, green leafy vegetables like spinach and Swiss chard are excellent dietary sources of magnesium, as are some beans, nuts and seeds. Avocados are also a good source. Organic foods may contain more magnesium, as most fertilizers used on conventional farms rely heavily on nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium, instead of magnesium.

Another way to acquire magnesium is with regular Epsom salt baths or foot baths. Epsom salt is a magnesium sulfate that is absorbed through your skin. Also, magnesium oil from magnesium chloride can be used for topical application and absorption.

If you are taking magnesium supplements, you need to know how nutrients influence and synergistically affect each other because the magnesium must be bound to another substance. Magnesium comes in several different formulations.

Common magnesium formulas

The following is a general guide to help you understand the most common formulas:

• Magnesium glycinate, a chelated form of magnesium, tends to provide the highest levels of absorption and bioavailability, and is ideal for trying to correct a deficiency.
• Magnesium threonate is a newer type of supplement that appears to penetrate the mitochondrial membrane.
• Magnesium chloride/magnesium lactate contains only 12 percent magnesium but has better absorption than others, such as magnesium oxide, which contains five times more magnesium.
• Magnesium sulfate/magnesium hydroxide (milk of magnesia) is typically used as a laxative, but be careful not to over use.
• Magnesium carbonate, which has antacid properties, contains 45 percent magnesium.
• Magnesium taurate, a combination of magnesium and taurine, tends to provide a calming effect on the body and mind.
• Magnesium citrate is magnesium with citric acid, which has laxative properties.
• Magnesium oxide is a non-chelated type of magnesium, bound to negatively charged oxygen (oxide). It contains 60 percent magnesium and has stool-softening properties.

Joanne Henning Tedesco is editor of AzNetNews.

Reprinted from AzNetNews, Volume 33, Number 1, February/March 2014.