The 6 Best Magnesium Supplements

Magnesium is the fourth most abundant mineral in our body and plays a crucial role in more than 300 reactions taking place inside us (1).

It plays a therapeutic as well as a preventive role in several metabolic disorders such as diabetes, osteoporosis, migraine, cardiovascular diseases, and so on (2), (3).

Magnesium is important for the proper functioning of nerves and muscles. It helps regulate muscle contraction, glycaemic control, neuromuscular conduction, and blood pressure (4), (5), (6), (7).

Foods that are rich in magnesium are green leafy vegetables, nuts, whole grains, and seeds. However, recent lifestyle and the depletion of this mineral from the soil have resulted in magnesium deficiency.

Magnesium supplements can be a great solution. Supplements contain various forms of this mineral and depending upon your necessity, you can take the one that suits your requirement. 

They also come as liquid, tablets, capsules, and powder giving you every option for you to choose. Below we have listed the best 6 magnesium supplements that are on the market now.

Our Best Picks

1. Best High-Strength Magnesium Glycinate with Maximum Absorption: aSquared Nutrition Magnesium Glycinate

2. Best Magnesium Glycinate for Heart, Bone & Nerve Health: ForestLeaf Magnesium Glycinate

3. Best Magnesium Glycinate with Added Vitamins for Maximum Absorption: Nutra Harmony Magnesium Glycinate

4. Best Magnesium Glycinate for Gentle Digestion & Third-Party Tested Quality: Double Wood Magnesium Glycinate

5. Best Magnesium Supplement with the highest absorption: Doctor’s Best High Absorption Magnesium Supplement

6. Best Anti-Stress Magnesium Supplement: Natural Vitality Calm Magnesium Supplement

1. Best High-Strength Magnesium Glycinate with Maximum Absorption – aSquared Nutrition Magnesium Glycinate

aSquared Nutrition Magnesium Glycinate provides a high-strength dose of 400mg per serving, using a non-buffered formula for superior absorption. With 180 tablets per bottle, this supplement ensures a full 90-day supply, making it a convenient choice for those looking to boost their magnesium intake.

Benefits:

• Supports bone, muscle, and nerve health
• Helps with digestion and relieving constipation
• Assists in reducing muscle cramps and spasms
• Aids in regulating calcium and potassium levels
• Promotes energy production and overall well-being

What it Contains:
Each two-tablet serving delivers 400mg of Magnesium Glycinate, a chelated form of magnesium known for its high bioavailability and gentle effect on digestion.

Pros:
✔ Non-buffered form for better absorption and bioavailability
✔ Supports muscle recovery and nerve function
✔ Large 90-day supply for long-term use
✔ Non-GMO formula and made in the USA

Cons:
✖ Tablets may be large for some users to swallow
✖ Higher cost compared to basic magnesium oxide

Customer Feedback:
Users praise its effectiveness in reducing muscle cramps, improving sleep, and aiding digestion. Many also appreciate the gentle impact on the stomach compared to other magnesium forms. However, some mention that the tablets are slightly large.

Summary: aSquared Nutrition Magnesium Glycinate offers a potent 400mg dose in a highly absorbable form, making it ideal for muscle relaxation, nerve support, and overall well-being. Its non-buffered formula ensures maximum absorption, though the tablet size may be a drawback for some.

2. Best Magnesium Glycinate for Heart, Bone & Nerve Health – ForestLeaf Magnesium Glycinate

ForestLeaf Magnesium Glycinate provides a high-absorption dose of 400mg per serving in vegetable capsules, ensuring optimal magnesium intake for heart, bone, muscle, and nerve health. It is lab-tested for absorption, free from common allergens, and made in a GMP-compliant facility in the USA.

Benefits:

• Supports heart and bone health by regulating blood pressure and aiding in bone development
• Enhances muscle function and helps prevent cramps and spasms
• Boosts nerve communication and cognitive function
• Aids in maintaining optimal magnesium levels, which many people are deficient in
• Gentle on digestion and highly absorbable

What it Contains:
Each three-capsule serving delivers 400mg of Magnesium Glycinate, a bioavailable and stomach-friendly form of magnesium.

Pros:
✔ High absorption for maximum effectiveness
✔ Gentle on the stomach, reducing digestive discomfort
✔ Allergen-free (No dairy, egg, nut, or gluten)
✔ Vegetarian-friendly with non-GMO ingredients
✔ Manufactured in a GMP-compliant facility and lab-tested for absorption

Cons:
✖ Requires three capsules per serving, which may be inconvenient for some users
✖ Slightly higher price point than some alternatives

Customer Feedback:
Users highlight its effectiveness in reducing muscle cramps, improving sleep quality, and promoting relaxation. Many appreciate that it’s gentle on digestion, but some note that taking three capsules per dose can be inconvenient.

Summary: ForestLeaf Magnesium Glycinate is a highly absorbable, gentle-on-the-stomach supplement that supports heart, bone, muscle, and nerve health. With an allergen-free formula and lab-tested quality, it’s an excellent choice, though the three-capsule serving may be a downside for some.

3. Best Magnesium Glycinate with Added Vitamins for Maximum Absorption: Nutra Harmony Magnesium Glycinate

Nutra Harmony Magnesium Glycinate delivers 500mg per capsule with added Vitamin D3, B6, and Black Pepper Extract to enhance absorption and effectiveness. Designed to support muscle relaxation, heart health, and sleep quality, this highly bioavailable formula ensures optimal magnesium intake with a 98% absorption rate.

Benefits:

• Promotes relaxation and sleep quality by supporting nervous system function
• Aids muscle recovery and reduces cramps after workouts
• Enhances heart health and helps regulate blood pressure
• Includes Vitamin D3 and B6 for improved magnesium absorption
• Contains Black Pepper Extract (Piperine) to boost bioavailability

What it Contains:
Each one-capsule serving provides:

• 500mg of Magnesium Glycinate (yielding 90mg elemental magnesium)
• 5 mcg (25% DV) of Vitamin D3
• 5.1 mg (300% DV) of Vitamin B6
• 5 mg of Black Pepper Extract (for better absorption)

Pros:
✔ Highly bioavailable (98% absorption) for maximum effectiveness
✔ Includes Vitamin D3, B6, and Piperine for enhanced nutrient utilization
✔ One capsule per serving for convenience
✔ Non-GMO, dye-free, and made in the USA
✔ Supports sleep, muscle relaxation, and overall well-being

Cons:
✖ Lower elemental magnesium per serving (90mg) compared to other 400mg+ options
✖ Black Pepper Extract may cause mild digestive discomfort in sensitive individuals

Customer Feedback:
Users report improved sleep quality, muscle relaxation, and reduced cramps. Many appreciate the easy one-capsule serving and the addition of Vitamin D3 and B6 for better absorption. However, some note that it contains less elemental magnesium than expected.

Summary: Nutra Harmony Magnesium Glycinate combines 500mg of magnesium with Vitamin D3, B6, and Piperine for superior absorption and effectiveness. Ideal for those looking to improve sleep, muscle relaxation, and heart health, though it contains slightly lower elemental magnesium per serving than some competitors.

4. Best Magnesium Glycinate for Gentle Digestion & Third-Party Tested Quality: Double Wood Magnesium Glycinate

Double Wood’s Magnesium Glycinate provides 400mg per capsule in a gentle, stomach-friendly formula. Designed for maximum absorption and easy digestion, this supplement supports muscle, nerve, and heart health. Manufactured and tested in the USA, it is third-party tested, non-GMO, and gluten-free, ensuring high quality.

Benefits:

• Supports muscle relaxation and helps prevent cramps
• Aids nerve function and promotes cognitive health
• Supports heart health by helping regulate blood pressure
• Gentle on the stomach, unlike magnesium oxide
• Helps maintain optimal magnesium levels, which many people are deficient in

What it Contains:
Each one-capsule serving provides:

• 400mg of Magnesium Glycinate (yielding 60mg elemental magnesium)

Pros:
✔ One capsule per serving for convenience
✔ Gentle on the stomach and easy to digest
✔ Manufactured and third-party tested in the USA
✔ Non-GMO and gluten-free
✔ Long-lasting supply (180 capsules per bottle)

Cons:
✖ Lower elemental magnesium per capsule (60mg) compared to some competitors
✖ Some users may need to take multiple capsules to meet their daily needs

Customer Feedback:
Users appreciate the stomach-friendly formulation and ease of absorption. Many report benefits in muscle relaxation, sleep quality, and nerve health. However, some note that the lower elemental magnesium content per capsule requires taking multiple doses for higher needs.

Summary: Double Wood Magnesium Glycinate offers a highly digestible, non-GMO formula that supports muscle, nerve, and heart health. With third-party testing and a long-lasting supply, it’s an excellent choice, though its lower elemental magnesium content may require multiple doses for those with higher needs.

5. Best Magnesium Supplement with Highest Absorption

The magnesium supplement which isn’t buffered gives you the best magnesium supplement with the highest absorption. This is because it is not mixed with low quality, less expensive magnesium oxide.

The supplement has amino acids glycine and lysine that optimize the magnesium absorbability making it the best in the market.

About Doctor’s Best High Absorption Magnesium Tablets

Doctor’s Best has been a trustworthy brand supplying nutritional supplementation since 1990. Its magnesium tablets contain magnesium lysinate glycinate chelate which has the highest absorbability as compared to the other forms of magnesium such as carbonate or sulfate. 

The brand uses organic and patented formulations that optimize the minerals’ bioavailability. It uses chelated magnesium that absorbs faster by the body and has better retention. This form of magnesium has a minimum laxative effect and is better tolerated.

This high absorption magnesium is made of Albion minerals TRAACs that is known to be the gentlest on your stomach. It is a great choice if you want to raise your levels quickly without getting an upset stomach.

Made in the USA, this product is free of gluten and soy. It is absolutely vegetarian and vegan friendly. The supplement is entirely non-GMO.

Magnesium glycinate brings a calming effect and has been reported to help people sleep better. Great for leg cramps, low energy levels, and headaches, this product has everything you want in it.

What it Contains:

One serving of 2 tablets gives you:

• Magnesium – 200mg

The other ingredients that are found in this supplement are cellulose, vegetable magnesium stearate stearic acid and hydroxypropyl cellulose for coating. They are all vegan friendly.

Each bottle contains 240 tablets and you get a supply of two months. This supplement couples amino acids glycine and lysine with magnesium that has been proved to be efficient carriers of the minerals. They also optimize absorption in the intestinal tract.

The Pros:

• High Absorption
• Non-GMO
• Vegan
• Gluten-free

Summary: Doctor’s Best high absorption magnesium tablets are not buffered, non-GMO, vegan-friendly, free of gluten, and soy. The magnesium is present as magnesium glycinate which has one of the best absorbability compared to its other forms.

6. Best Magnesium Powder Supplement 

Most magnesium supplements found in the market are normally compounds of the mineral with salt, acid, or an amino acid chelate. This is done to make the magnesium stable in the body. However, magnesium powder has an advantage over pills or capsules. When they dissolve in water, the dissolution ionizes the magnesium enhancing its absorption.

About Natural Vitality Calm #1 Selling Magnesium Citrate Supplement

Natural Vitality Calm is a powder supplement that can easily mix in water rendering it versatile to use in any form you want. You can easily mix it with water, juice, smoothies, or make a frozen popsicle out of that.

The Natural Vitality Calm is the winner of multiple awards. It has won the 2018 Better Nutrition Best of Supplements Award, 2017 VR Vity Award, 2016 Clean Eating Clean Choice Award, and many more.

This vegan, gluten-free, anti-stress drink mix helps you calm and gives you a uniquely relaxing experience. Made with non-GMO products, this product is also one of the most delicious magnesium supplements. Its raspberry lemon flavor is natural and organic.

What it Contains: 

Each serving size (2 teaspoons) gives you:

• Magnesium – 325mg 

This amount provides you with nearly 77 percent of your daily requirement of magnesium. The manufacturer recommends starting with half a teaspoon which is about 1 gram daily and gradually increase it to 2 teaspoons (4g).

Put the powder in a cup, add 2-3 ounces of warm water and let the drink fizz for a while. Stir the drink so that the powder is completely dissolved. Fill in the remaining part of the cup with warm or cold water and enjoy the delicious magnesium supplement.

Depending on the amount, one container should be enough for over 4 months.

The Pros: 

• Raspberry lemon flavor
• Multiple award winner
• Vegan and gluten-free
• Anti-stress drink mix
• Non-GMO

Summary: Natural Vitality Calm Magnesium powder is an anti-stress magnesium supplement that comes with the delicious flavor of raspberry lemon and can be mixed with any liquid and taken. It’s vegan, gluten-free, and the winner of multiple awards in the field of nutritional supplements.

Benefits of Taking Magnesium Supplement

Most of the magnesium present in our body is in the bones and the rest is spread in the muscles, soft tissues, fluids such as blood and lymph.

Magnesium is involved in more than 600 biochemical reactions taking place in our body. Magnesium mainly acts as a cofactor in all these reactions and stimulates the enzyme functions.

Even though diet can get you sufficient magnesium that is required by your body, several factors can lead to its deficiency. Taking a magnesium supplement can benefit you and help you in preventing deficiencies. Magnesium supplements can:

• Helps in the contraction and relaxation of muscles. It has shown to benefit people with complaints of muscle cramps (9).
• Magnesium is needed for the biosynthesis and transmission of important neurotransmitters in your brain. Therefore, the supplements can positively help restore positive changes in mood and cognition (10).
• Magnesium plays a crucial role in glucose metabolism in the body. It also has been known to improve insulin resistance in the cells. Therefore magnesium supplements help improve blood sugar control (11).
• Magnesium is vital in energy production, protein formation, gene maintenance, and muscle movements. It also helps the movement of sugar in your blood to the muscles. Hence, magnesium supplements can help boost exercise performance (12), (13).
• Magnesium supplements increase insulin sensitivity and help reduce insulin resistance (14). This is one of the major causes of most metabolic disorders which has been known to revert with the lowering of resistance (15).
• Magnesium supplements are beneficial to type 2 diabetics who have a magnesium deficiency. An appropriate dosage of magnesium has shown to improve their A1c levels (16).
• Magnesium helps in regulating the contraction and relaxation of muscles. Studies have shown magnesium supplements to help cure muscle cramps (17).
• Magnesium acts as a natural calcium channel blocker, improves endothelial dysfunction, and induces vasodilation (18), (19). Regular intake of magnesium supplements by hypertensive subjects have shown to lower blood pressure level. This is true for both systolic wells as diastolic blood pressure.
• Magnesium supplements help reduce chronic inflammation. In fact, studies have shown that low magnesium in the blood directly affects the markers of inflammation. Magnesium supplements help treat the problem (20), (21).

In addition to these benefits, magnesium supplements can help improve your bone and cardiovascular health. Magnesium can also help in treating premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and provide relief to migraine headaches.

However, before taking magnesium supplements, it is better to check with your doctor. Depending on your medical condition, the doctor can refer you to the right form of magnesium.

Summary: Magnesium supplements can help relieve constipation, muscle cramps, sleep disorder, mood changes, and chronic inflammation. They also can reduce insulin resistance thereby reverting the metabolic disorders related to that.

Types of Magnesium Supplements

Lots of magnesium supplements have flooded the market and it is very important to know which one is for you. Depending upon the problem that you face, you should choose yours.

Let’s take a look at the most common forms:

Magnesium gluconate: This form of magnesium has shown to have the highest absorption rate in the body.

Magnesium oxide: This is the cheap form with not so good absorption rate. 

Magnesium citrate: This form absorbs pretty well in the body because of its high solubility in water. They come in pill form as well as saline laxative used before major surgeries.

Magnesium chloride: Magnesium chloride is well absorbed in the body. It is also used in oil to be applied topically. However, further studies are needed to understand the mechanism more.

Magnesium hydroxide: This form is also known as milk of magnesia and is commonly used to treat constipation. It is also used to treat heartburn along with antacids.

Magnesium aspartate: This form is pretty good and is highly absorbable.

Magnesium glycinate: This form has a high absorption rate without the laxative effect. This can be a boon for athletes who suffer from leg cramps, however, do not need a muscle-relaxing supplement.

Summary: Magnesium comes in different forms which affect its absorption rate and beneficial property. You should choose the one that appropriately helps you deal with your problem.

Dosage for Magnesium Supplement

Magnesium is readily available through food. It is widely distributed in plant and animal foods. Green leafy vegetables, legumes, nuts, seeds, and whole grains are good sources of magnesium.

However, with the advent of highly processed food and unhealthy lifestyle, most people do not get enough magnesium in their diet. In that case, if you have a magnesium deficiency, your doctor will prescribe you a magnesium supplement that can help you out.

Remember, excessive magnesium can be toxic. Therefore, in addition to what you get from food, the highest dose of supplement you should take is:

• 65mg/day for children aged 1-3 years
• 110mg/day for children aged 4-8 years
• 350mg/day for children above 9 years and up which includes adults as well.

Summary: Magnesium needs can be sufficiently met by eating a properly balanced meal containing green leafy vegetables, nuts, pulses, and seeds. However, several factors are leading to deficiencies. With the proper advice from your doctor, you can take a magnesium supplement.

Side Effects of Taking Excess Magnesium

According to the National Academy of Medicine, you should not exceed 350 mg of supplemental magnesium per day. This dosage is considered safe. Though magnesium toxicity is rare, very high doses can result in:

• Diarrhea
• Nausea
• Abdominal cramping
• Vomiting
• Muscle weakness
• Facial flushing

Also make sure you do not take these medications that can interact with magnesium such as nifedipine, verapamil, diltiazem, isradipine, and more.

Summary: Even though magnesium deficiency is rare, the excess amounts might cause gastrointestinal problems, nausea, abdominal cramps, and vomiting. 350mg/ day is recommended to be a safe amount.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs) on Magnesium Supplement

The Final Note

Magnesium is a very important mineral supporting several reactions in our body. It is vital in cellular metabolism, gene maintenance, muscle movements, and regulation of neurotransmission. It acts as a cofactor in most biochemical reactions that occur in our bodies.

Therefore, our body can’t afford magnesium deficiency. Magnesium supplements can come to your rescue and help combat it. With magnesium supplements, you can relieve anxiety, have better sleep, and be in a better mood.

They come in all forms and give you a wide range of options to suit your needs. If taken within the recommended dosage, it is safe. Please do take the advice of your physician.

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