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What to look for in a magnesium glycinate complex
Can magnesium glycinate help with anxiety? What strength should you buy? What dose should I I take? When choosing new supplements there’s more than a few things to consider and we’ve addressed them all here in our top 3 magnesium glycinate reviews.
Which leads us to our first point, what is magnesium and why exactly do we need to supplement it?
Jump to our Top 10 Magnesium Glycinate Supplement table
Magnesium is the second most abundant mineral in the body, which gives you an idea of how important it can be. Responsible for over 300 biological processes its imperative we keep a healthy supply of magnesium within our body.
Widely known to be one of the best minerals to assist with correct nerve function, although what a lot of us don’t know is how important magnesium is for proper growth and maintenance of bones and bone structure. What’s more, magnesium plays an important role in the regulation of your digestive health as well as preventing constipation.
Many benefits of magnesium can be attributed to its ability to keep nerve function optimal. Magnesium can act as a regulator of NMDA receptors within the brain. NMDA receptors are located within the brain in an area responsible for learning, growth and development. Magnesium can sit within the NMDA signals and can halt them from being over-stimulated which would normally results in damage to the nerves.
This is why it’s so important to maintain healthy magnesium levels, and why many people report it as their most effective supplement. The benefits when consuming magnesium for many people is night and day. Oftentimes individuals are unable to obtain ample amounts from nutrition alone and require supplements to avoid a magnesium deficiency.
Ways to include magnesium
Whilst a healthy intake of magnesium from diet is the best way to include this important mineral. Some individuals may find taking a magnesium supplement to be a more convenient and effective method.
Magnesium can be found in the following foods:
- Almonds
- Spinach
- Avocado
- Peanuts
- Banana
- Brown Rice
- Kidney Beans
- Dark Chocolate
- Broccoli
- Pumpkin Seeds
Which magnesium supplement buffer is right for you
When investigating magnesium supplements you may be wondering which form works best. This is because magnesium is available in several forms such as magnesium citrate, glycinate, malate, oxide, taurate, threonate, chloride etc.
That’s a lot of different types of magnesium and often time manufactures don’t do a satisfactory job explaining the differences. Let us explain, it all comes down to bioavailability, or how much magnesium is easily absorbed by the body. When magnesium supplements are manufactured the magnesium needs to be bound, or buffered, to another chemical in order to achieve best results. Ensuring we’re consuming magnesium in abundance is key to avoiding a deficiency.
The reason manufactures do this is because magnesium is not as easily absorbed by the body whilst on its own. To make the absorption more effective it is bound to another ingredient. Some ingredients work to increase the magnesium absorption by a lot whereas others not so much.
Magnesium Glycinate is Calming
Time and time again magnesium when buffered with glycine has been shown to be one of the most optimal magnesium supplements available. This is because glycine seems to be a perfect ingredient to buffer with the elemental magnesium.
Why mix magnesium with glycinate?
Magnesium in itself is known as the calming mineral, due to its ability to soothe the nervous system and calm cramps and twitches. When magnesium is buffered or attached to glycine it’s then referred to as magnesium (bis)glycinate.
Magnesium Glycinate for Sleep
If you’ve spent much time researching magnesium then you may notice many people report it as a valuable sleep-aid. Magnesium glycinate takes this a level further, in fact many groups suggest magnesium glycinate to be one of the best supplements to help with sleep issues.
Magnesium when buffered with glycine is known to have a high bioavailability compared to other forms such as magnesium oxide or citrate. This can make it a much more effective means of raising magnesium levels.
This can also help counteract one of the most noted negative side effect people can experience with magnesium – loose stools. Magnesium mixed with glycine is largely absorbed resulting in less magnesium being left in the colon where it’s more likely to have a laxative effect.
Glycine being an amino-acid responsible for deep sleep acts as the perfect parter to magnesium. With this dynamic duo working in combination magnesium can elicit a powerful sleep enhancing supplement. Making magnesium buffered with glycine one of the best supplements for a deep sleep.
Glycine is an amino-acid that is essential to your body needed for various functions every single day. Important for the creation of proteins which the body utilises for maintenance and growth of tissue, enzymes and hormones.
In addition this amino acid has been shown to help you fall asleep and stay asleep by lowering your body temperature at the correct times. What’s more, glycine has been shown in medical studies to enhance deep sleep, reduce daytime fatigue, and improve cognition.
Magnesium and glycinate are perfect for each other
When glycine is buffered with magnesium it produces one of the best and most effective magnesium supplements currently available. Thanks to this perfect synergy being discovered, magnesium supplements have a new leader in the market. Magnesium has been linked to a number of benefits including:
- Maintains bone health
- Ability to relieve anxiety
- Alleviates arrhythmia and maintains normal heart beat rhythm
- Reduces the risk of developing type 2 diabetes
- Helps premenstrual syndrome (PMS) symptoms
- Gentle on the stomach
- High absorption rate
- Reduces body pain
- Lowers risk of cramps & twitches
Magnesium is better absorbed when buffered with glycine
An example of a superior level of absorption can be found in magnesium glcyinate supplements. Have you ever wondered what the difference between magnesium glycinate and magnesium bisglycinate? The answer may surprise you.
What is the best form of magnesium glycinate to take?
Knowing which the best form of magnesium to take is partly personal preference and partly influenced by the specific brand. When using magnesium buffered with glycine these two conditions are no different. General rules when choosing the best supplement, including magnesium, should be to choose a product with minimal levels of filler ingredients. This can ensure the reactions are due to the source ingredient rather than common additives such as rice powder or citric acid. Making sure the supplements you put in your body each day are free of gluten, dairy, and cheap ingredients also ensures your body is receiving the best standard of ingredients. This is same whether you’re taking tablets, capsules or liquid supplements. Trying to find the overall best supplements can be difficult which is why our trusted reviews can save you time scouring the internet.
With these powerful benefits in mind we can see how magnesium buffered with glycine could be especially useful for those who don’t respond normally to magnesium, or those who are looking for an improvement in sleep.
Here we review our top 3 magnesium glycinate supplements. We based these magnesium product reviews according to their brand, ingredients and benefits in an effort to determine which is best.
Magnesium Supplements
Top 3 Magnesium Glycinate Reviews
(Updated December 2021)
No.1 BEST SELLER
Doctors Best Magnesium
High Absorption Magnesium Glycinate Lysinate
200 mg per serving
No. 2 BEST SELLER
Pure Encapsulations Magnesium
Magnesium (Glycinate)
120 mg per serving
UK/EU BEST SELLER
Focus Store Magnesium
Focus Store: Magnesium Glycinate Capsules
250 mg per serving
Magnesium glycinate powder
Magnesium Supplements are known to come in many shapes and sizes and magnesium is no different. Over the years we become accustomed to ingesting supplements in the manner we prefer. Whilst some of us prefer capsules, some prefer powders, and others prefer liquids. For this reason we decided to include the best rated magnesium powder as well.
Best Powder: Doctor's Best High Absorption Magnesium Powder
- 100 Servings
- 200 mg Magnesium Glycinate per serving
- 7.1 OZ. (200g)
- No additives or fillers. Gluten Free, Dairy Free
Doctors Best brand of Magnesium Powder is a clear winner in our non-encapsulated section. This product miraculously uses no filler ingredients whatsoever. In this day an age it’s something quite unheard of and worthy of respect. It’s refreshing to see when so many others cut corners and include magnesium stearate or rice powder as fillers.
What is the magnesium content?
Doctors Best magnesium provides an ample quantity of 200 mg magnesium per serving with a healthy 100 servings per tub making it great value too. Thanks to its powder form it can easily be added to water, protein shakes or smoothies, for a taste free boost. Designed to specifically target and alleviate headaches, low energy, and leg cramps, with an ability to improve sleep quality, too.
How to find the best magnesium glycinate complex
When scouring the net for the top magnesium brands our rigorous testing methods remain much the same.
We first view products being made by a reputable brand, as this often means higher quality starting ingredients. Then we make note of the total servings per container as well as magnesium per serving, usually measured in mg (milligrams). Once I’m happy with the first 3 criteria I can check the final deal breaker – what, and sometimes how many, filler ingredients are we expected to ingest when taking this supplement. Those suffering with any type of health condition or deficiency need all the help they can get to maximise energy- consuming potentially toxic additives from supplements or food provides no benefits and offers the chance to make your health worse. Shop around and find tablets or capsules that contain low levels or ideally no additives wherever possible.
Filler ingredients should be the antithesis of a quality supplement. Why produce a high quality supplement only to pair it with a low quality GMO ingredient, totally ruining the final product! Look for trusted supplements with low or better yet no fillers. It’s a sign of a quality brand, you’re not being ripped off based on weight, and won’t be ingesting any ‘untested’ or unnecessary ingredients. Keep it pure and it will help benefit your body in the long-run.
“Many people stop using magnesium supplements because of the laxative effect they can produce. However, more of us are turning torwards magnesium sprays or oils, because these bypass the digestive tract and are absorbed through the skin, there is no risk of experiencing a laxative effect or digestive discomfort!
Check out our Top 10 Magnesium Oil Sprays
How much magnesium glycinate should you take
Magnesium supplements are largely very safe even in high doses. A natural and essential mineral within the body it would take a high dose taken repeatedly before noticing negative side-effects.
With this in mind many people wonder what the optimal dose is when beginning supplements such as magnesium. It should be noted this is largely a personal decision as each body reacts differently to supplements depending on their composition, however there are some general guidelines worth following.
Firstly, always adhere to the product guidelines from the specific supplement you had bought. This is because depending on any extra ingredients that may be in your formula these could enhance or lower the potency of the supplement in question.
In any case, if you’re looking for a recommended magnesium glycinate dose, many individuals report noticeable benefits from a dose of 200 mg. Anything less and you’re unlikely to notice much, anything much more than 300 mg could result in digestive upset. However it’s not unheard of to slowly work towards doses of 350-400 mg taken before bed- especially for those with a pre-existing deficiency. Remember when starting new supplements it can take your body days or sometimes weeks to adjust.
Final thoughts on Magnesium Glycinate
I only supplements I have already used or would use myself. This means all the reviews on Mineral Balance are personally vouched for by me. But if you need further confirmation, all of the magnesium supplements we included here include thousands of positive testimonials. Simply read through these if you need more information regarding individual supplements.
However after using my tested supplement review criteria, Doctors Best Magnesium Glycinate comes out on top. Packed with 50% of your recommended daily dose of magnesium per serving, being non-gmo, gluten free, soy-free and vegan, it certainly lives up to the hype. In addition the price is definitely around the middle range making this product brilliant value as well as great quality.
Instead of a tablet or capsule, if you prefer to add your magnesium glycinate to a smoothie, juice or protein shake, then opt for Doctors Best Magnesium Powder, not only does it contain all the same great magnesium, but it contains zero fillers. Meaning if you use this product the only thing you’re getting is the magnesium you asked for. Just like a supplement should be.