Magnesium Sleep Calm Mind

These are the same quick questions our naturopaths ask in store.

Pick it if

• Other magnesium products upset your stomach and you'd given up on magnesium
• You want to take more magnesium than you've managed before
• You take your magnesium at night, when the dose is usually bigger
• You want a label that says exactly what the magnesium is bound to, not just "amino acid chelate"
• Your kidneys are healthy and you don't take any medicine that needs to be spaced away from minerals

Talk to us first if

• The label also lists magnesium oxide. That means it's only partly the gentle form.
• You already take glycine or collagen. The amino acid adds up, even though a magnesium dose adds only a little.
• You actually want the bowel effect. Citrate is the better form for that.
• You take bisphosphonates, tetracycline or quinolone antibiotics, water tablets, or long-term reflux medicine. Timing matters, and it's set out on our magnesium page.
• You take anything that makes you drowsy and take your magnesium at night.
• You take any prescription medicine. A quick check with your doctor, pharmacist or our naturopaths first is the sensible move.

• Magnesium glycinate (item 3159): What it is: The plain version, and the name most Australian labels use. How it absorbs: Some gets in as the whole package, some the normal mineral way. Where you see it: Capsules, tablets and powders, usually taken at night.
• Magnesium glycinate dihydrate (item 3160): What it is: The same thing with two waters built into the crystal. How it absorbs: The same once it dissolves. The water means less magnesium per milligram. Where you see it: The rules say the magnesium has to be worked out from the molecule's weight.
• Magnesium bisglycinate or diglycinate: What it is: The same substance under a stricter name: two glycines per magnesium. How it absorbs: No difference. The names describe how many glycines, not quality. Where you see it: Common on imported, practitioner and sports labels.
• Magnesium amino acid chelate (item 3143): What it is: A wider group that may or may not be glycine. How it absorbs: Depends which amino acid was used, and the panel often does not say. Where you see it: The rules cap magnesium at 25 per cent of the chelate.
• Buffered magnesium bisglycinate: What it is: Bisglycinate mixed with magnesium oxide to lift the magnesium content. How it absorbs: Mixed. The oxide part absorbs poorly and is the part linked to loose bowels. Where you see it: Very common. The ingredients panel is the only reliable way to spot it.
• Fully reacted bisglycinate: What it is: All of the magnesium is glycinate, with no inorganic salt added back. How it absorbs: The gentle advantage stays intact, though the capsule is bigger. Where you see it: Practitioner and premium ranges, where the panel names no oxide at all.

How much magnesium you need. The NHMRC sets recommended amounts by age and sex, and you'll find them on our magnesium page. They refer to the magnesium itself, not the form it comes in, so 100 mg of magnesium counts the same whether it's from glycinate or oxide.

What labels usually hold. Across the glycinate products we stock, a capsule or scoop usually contains 500 mg to 750 mg of the compound, with the actual magnesium listed underneath. Two or three a day is normal. Many people take it at night, but that's a habit, not a rule.

The upper limit. There is an upper limit for magnesium from supplements, and it's on our magnesium page. It applies to the magnesium itself, whatever form it comes in. Being gentler on your bowels doesn't make it safe to go over it.

Worth knowing. Read the panel carefully: 750 mg of magnesium glycinate is not 750 mg of magnesium. Two Australian rules exist to stop that mix-up: one sets how the magnesium content is calculated (item 3160), and the other caps magnesium at 25 per cent of an amino acid chelate (item 3143). What you need depends on your age, diet and health, so talk to one of our naturopaths.

Food first, where your diet allows it.

• Soy milk, plain or vanilla: about 61 mg of magnesium a cup
• Edamame, shelled and cooked: about 50 mg a half cup
• Peanut butter, smooth: about 49 mg in two tablespoons
• Instant oats: about 36 mg a packet
• Tinned kidney beans: about 35 mg a half cup
• Salmon, farmed and cooked: about 26 mg per 85 g, plus protein that is rich in glycine

If any of these sound like you, talk to one of our naturopaths or your doctor before you start.

• Your kidneys are not working well. Extra magnesium cannot be cleared and can build up, so do not take it without medical advice.
• Babies under 12 months. These magnesium salts must not be given under 1 year old. Products for children are made differently.
• The panel lists magnesium oxide too. The oxide part absorbs poorly and is the part linked to loose bowels.
• You already take glycine or collagen. The amino acid adds up.
• You take something that makes you drowsy and you take your magnesium at night. Ask before you mix them.
• You take bisphosphonates, tetracycline or quinolone antibiotics, water tablets, or long-term reflux medicine. See our magnesium page.
• Do not go over the dose on the label. Very high amounts can upset your heart rhythm and, at the extreme, stop it.
• Being easier on your bowels is not a reason to go over the upper limit for magnesium from supplements.
• Loose bowels, feeling sick or cramping on a gentle form. Stop, and check the panel for oxide.
• You take prescription medicine. Check with your doctor, pharmacist or our naturopaths first.